I woke up because someone was knocking loudly on the door, in a bed and room I didn't recognize.At least, that was my first reaction—then I remembered.
The memories of the former owner of this body returned to me.
I am in the Loen Kingdom, living in the City of Hope, Backlund. More specifically, I am in the East Borough, a place where only the poor live.
My name is Viktor. I grew up without a father, only with my mother. She worked hard every day until exhaustion, and one day, she died in her sleep.
The original owner of this body, Viktor, had already helped a lot around the house as a child, but after his mother's death, he needed to find a real job. It was hard to find work as a teenager without any real skills, but eventually he managed. He worked every day just to survive. Every day was the same—until he met a strange person who called himself Edward.
Edward asked me to tell him about the current situation in the East Borough and said he would pay me for it. I told him what I knew, and he gave me ten soli. He then told me that he wanted me to ask around for information about gangs and other important matters. Whenever I found something useful, he would pay me.
I found it strange at first, but since I barely earned enough to survive, I didn't refuse. He told me about a mailbox where I should place a letter without anything written on it. When I did that, he would come visit me the next day.
I began asking for information during breaks from my work, slowly gathering details about gangs. Whenever I learned something useful, I would place a letter in the mailbox, and Edward would visit me the next day. I was paid fairly well—usually five to ten soli—but once, when I heard about an upcoming gang war, I was paid two pounds. That was a huge amount for me at the time. Months passed like this.
Most of the time, I lived normally, but Edward sometimes came by just to talk. He asked how my work was going and about my personal life—what I wanted to do, what I hoped to achieve, and so on. Although I found this suspicious, I answered most of his questions honestly. I didn't see why I shouldn't, or what he could gain from knowing such things.
One day, he told me he wanted to show me something, and I went with him.
After walking for a while, we entered an alley, and soon a house I didn't recognize came into view. When we went inside, I felt uneasy. He led me to the basement, which made me even more afraid. But when we went down, I saw a person chained to a chair.
At first, I wanted to run away or scream, but when Edward looked at me, I was too afraid to do anything. Edward told me that since I wanted to change my life, he would show me a path to do so.
Then, a green fireball appeared in his hands. He placed the flames on the chained man. Not only did it burn him, but the man also began coughing up blood while screaming. Edward looked completely normal, as if he hadn't just killed someone.
He then told me that there are special people in this world called Beyonders, people with supernatural powers—like him. He explained everything while the chained man was still burning and screaming.
I felt strange in that moment—horrified by Edward's lack of emotion and the man burning beside him, yet also relieved that it didn't seem like Edward intended to kill me.
What Edward said next shocked me.
"If you want to change your destiny, I can make you a Beyonder too."
The thought overwhelmed me. If I could also gain mystical abilities—control fire, wield supernatural power—I could change my future. But I hesitated. Accepting this meant working with Edward, a man who had just killed someone simply to show his abilities.
Edward noticed my hesitation.
"Are you really hesitating," he said, "even though I'm giving you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?"
It was true—this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But why was he giving it to me?
By then, the man tied to the chair had stopped screaming and seemed dead.
"Why are you giving me this chance?" I asked.
"Because I wanted a student," Edward replied, "and I think you'll be a great choice."
I didn't know whether that was the truth, but I accepted.
"If you can truly give me such abilities," I said, "then I accept becoming your student."
"Tomorrow, I will visit you with a potion," Edward said. "That will be the beginning of your path."
After that, I walked home. Even though I had accepted, I kept thinking about the offer. Was it really the right decision? I wasn't sure.
I went home and lay down to sleep. It was hard—I felt excited, nervous, scared, and so much more. But after lying in bed for a while, I eventually fell asleep.
The next day, Viktor woke up again—but this time, it wasn't Viktor anymore. It was someone else, someone who had taken over his body without wanting to.