I woke to the soft glow of moonlight spilling into the room. The familiar wooden beams of my ceiling greeted me, cracked and weathered from years of neglect. For a long moment, I lay still, staring at the faint patterns of light filtering through the worn wood above my bed. My body felt warm, soft sheets tucked snugly around me. The faint scent of lavender lingered in the air, blending with the crisp night breeze seeping through the open window.
It didn't make sense.
I bolted upright, my chest heaving as panic surged through me. This wasn't the scorched dirt of the training ring where I'd died, the lightning bolt tearing through my ribs like fire. This wasn't the damp, stinking slave quarters where I'd spent years wasting away under their boots. My hands flew to my chest, expecting the familiar burn of scars, the ragged hole from Eryk's final strike, but there was nothing. Smooth, unmarred skin greeted my touch.
My head spun with confusion. What was happening? Was this some cruel afterlife, a trick of the gods to torment me further?
And then, a voice echoed in my mind, calm and reassuring.
"Relax, Kael. Breathe. Everything is fine."
I froze, whipping my head around the empty room. The voice hadn't come from anywhere outside, it was inside my head, clear as if someone were speaking right next to me.
"You're safe now," the voice continued, its tone carrying a faint warmth, like the gentle crackle of a hearth fire. "Take a moment. Adjust to this."
"Who, what are you?" My voice cracked, hoarse from disuse, or perhaps from the scream I'd let out in my final moments.
"I am simply a manifestation of your mark," the voice replied, and I could almost sense a smile in its words. "Think of me as a guide. I exist to help you make the most of this life. Your mark has given you a second chance, Kael."
My mark. The memories crashed over me like a tidal wave, the taunts from Eryk and the others, the endless beatings that had hardened my body and soul, the desperate rage that had finally driven me to fight back, only to end with that blinding bolt of lightning. My death. It had been real, the pain, the blood, the final words I'd spat at them.
My hands trembled as I looked down at myself. My body was smaller, softer, not the lean, scarred frame of my adult years, but the body of a boy, maybe twelve or thirteen, untouched by the horrors that had defined my life. The room around me was familiar too, the simple wooden furniture, the small window overlooking the quiet village street. This was my childhood home, before everything fell apart.
"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "This can't be real. I died. I felt it."
"It is real," the voice said gently, its presence steadying me somehow. "You've returned to a time when your body was untouched by pain, by suffering. But this is not simply a gift, Kael. It is an opportunity for you to be better than you were in your last life. To grow stronger, to change your fate."
The sound of soft footsteps pulled my attention to the door. It creaked open slowly, and my breath hitched in my throat as my mother stepped inside. Callia Emberly, alive and whole, her kind eyes sparkling in the moonlight, her hair tied back with a simple ribbon. She carried a small tray with a steaming cup of tea, the herbal scent filling the room.
"Kael? You're awake," she said with a warm smile, her voice full of that unconditional love I'd almost forgotten. "You've been sleeping so much lately. I was starting to worry about you."
"Mother..." The word slipped from my lips, trembling and foreign after all these years. My vision blurred as tears welled up, hot and unbidden. She was exactly as I remembered her, before the raids, before the chains, before her broken body had been left in the dirt.
Before I could stop myself, I threw the blanket off and stumbled across the room into her arms. I held her tightly, my shoulders shaking as sobs wracked my body. The warmth of her embrace, the gentle scent of her clothes, it was all too much. I'd thought I'd never feel this again.
"Kael?" Callia's voice softened with concern, but she didn't push me away. She set the tray aside on the small table by the bed and wrapped her arms around me, running her fingers through my hair in that soothing way she always did. "What's wrong, my little flame? Did you have a bad dream?"
I couldn't answer at first, the words caught in my throat. How could I explain the years of agony, the loss of her, the bitterness that had consumed me? The mother I'd watched die was holding me now, alive and real, and in that moment, nothing else mattered. I just clung to her, letting the tears flow, releasing the pent-up grief I'd carried for so long.
When my sobs finally subsided, she pulled back slightly, cupping my face in her hands and wiping away the tears with her thumbs. She kissed the top of my head and smiled softly. "There, now. It's all right. You've been having those strange dreams again, haven't you? Whatever it was, it's over now. Everything's fine. Here, drink this tea, it will help you relax, and then try to rest some more. You look like you've seen a ghost."
I managed a weak laugh, though it came out more like a hiccup, choked with emotion. "Something like that, yeah."
Callia tucked me back into bed with gentle care, brushing the hair from my forehead as she always had when I was truly a child. "Rest now, Kael. We'll talk more in the morning if you want. I love you, my boy."
"I love you too," I whispered, the words feeling both strange and right on my tongue.
When the door closed behind her with a soft click, I wiped at my eyes, my mind racing as the warmth of her presence lingered in the room. But the cold reality of my situation began to creep back in, questions swirling like a storm.
"Are you ready to continue?" the voice asked softly, pulling me from my thoughts.
I flinched, almost having forgotten it was there amid the emotional whirlwind. "You're still here."
"Of course. You'll be hearing a lot from me, so you might as well get used to it now."
I sat up straighter, my hands gripping the blanket tightly as I tried to steady myself. "You said this was a second chance. Why me? Why now? And what exactly are you?"
"Your mark activated at the moment of your death," the voice explained patiently, its tone even and informative. "It unlocked the potential within you that had been dormant all your life. Rebirth was the only way forward, a reset to give you the time and tools to grow. As for what I am, I am the System, tied to your mark of Hestia. I will guide you, provide insights, and help you harness your power."
I shook my head, letting out a bitter laugh that echoed in the quiet room. "So, what now? I'm supposed to just trust some voice in my head? After everything I've been through?"
"That is entirely up to you," the System replied, unfazed. "Trust or not, the truth remains: you are weak right now."
I blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness. "Excuse me?"
"Weak," the System repeated, and there was a faint teasing lilt in its voice, almost playful. "In every sense of the word. Physically, mentally, spiritually. You were no different in your previous life, scraping by on rage and survival instincts alone. But no matter. This life will be different if you choose to make it so."
"Show me," I said flatly, a challenge in my voice. "Show me just how weak I am, if you're so sure."
A fiery interface materialized before my eyes, lines of text etched in glowing orange light, hovering like embers in the air. It was surreal, but after dying and coming back, it didn't faze me as much as it should have.
Rank: Little Flame
Strength: F
Speed: F
Endurance: F
Ichor: F
Willpower: F
I stared at it, my eye twitching in irritation. "...F? Everything is at F? That's the lowest rank, isn't it?"
"Yes," the System said brightly, and if it had a face, I was certain it would be smirking at me. "But don't worry too much. Starting tomorrow, you'll have tasks to improve yourself. One step at a time, building from the ground up. This life will not be like the last one. You will become stronger, Kael. Strong enough to stand against anyone in this world, to protect what matters, to claim what was taken from you, and no longer be living trash."
I rubbed my face with a groan, the weight of it all settling on my shoulders. "Fantastic. Just what I needed, a judgmental voice telling me I'm trash."
The System's tone softened slightly, almost affectionate, like a stern but caring mentor. "Not trash, Kael. Just unrefined potential. Now rest. Your journey starts tomorrow, and you'll need your strength."
Before I could respond with another quip, a wave of exhaustion washed over me, pulling me back down into the pillows. My eyes grew heavy, the events of the night catching up all at once.
"Good night, Kael," the System murmured, its presence fading like a dying fire. "Sweet dreams."
The flickering glow of the interface vanished, leaving only the faint warmth of its essence in my mind, like a hearth keeping the darkness at bay. As sleep claimed me, I felt a spark of hope ignite deep within, the first embers of a fire that could one day consume everything in its path.