There was once a king who often sat on a couch, staring out the window. Leaves drifted from the trees, and a cold breeze swept through the air, carrying a light chill that made people shiver. The king coughed up blood, then carefully picked up his phone and typed a message:
"My life is done… Have a great life, my friends."
He tapped the blue mail icon on Wecord.
The phone fell to the ground, its screen flickering with distorted lines. Moments later, tears streamed down the faces of the butlers and maids.
In that country, the air was filled with the sounds of phonetic chimes and quiet chatter. A gentle wind blew as people in sweaters walked among trees, their feet rustling through piles of orange leaves.
In another world, deep within a forest, the cries of a newborn echoed. The child had black hair like the night sky, piercing blue eyes, and ears that were sharp and pointed—covered in black scales, just like his hands and feet.
The baby inhaled deeply as he looked around, then muttered to himself:
"W-Where am I? I'm pretty sure I died… My body feels small… C-Could this be reincarnation? Like in those famous isekai anime?"
A smile spread across the baby's face, his eyes filled with life and happiness.
Six years later.
We see a boy running through a lush, vibrant forest full of life, birds chirping above him. Scales were visible on parts of his body. He had black hair, blue eyes, and his name was Zephyrion Ardynveil.
Zephyrion stopped at a river, panting softly. Just then, he heard his name called by a feminine, familiar voice. Turning around, he sprinted back toward his home—a small, worn-down hut that was still livable.
He stepped inside and was greeted by a delightful smell. On the table sat a steak on his favorite plate. He devoured it quickly, then said cheerfully, "I'm gonna go play!"
"Be safe!" his mother called back.
Zephyrion dashed back into the lively forest, filled with a symphony of sounds—chirping, mooing, meowing, and barking. He sat atop a large rock near the flowing river, crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and began to breathe slowly—in and out.
Minutes passed.
Suddenly, a vision appeared: he was floating above a collapsed city, smoke and flames rising as dragons soared overhead—dragons in all kinds of colors.
Startled by a loud noise, Zephyrion opened his eyes.
But something was off.
The forest looked… different. Trees were broken. The river's flow had changed, spilling beyond its banks. He stood in the middle of a crater, an unknown energy pulsing through him. It felt wild. Unstable.
Tap. Tap.
He turned toward a tree—and locked eyes with a cat.
The cat's yellow eyes gleamed. It opened its mouth, revealing sharp fangs—and shot something at him.
A furball?
No… it was a ball of fire.
Zephyrion dodged, but not quickly enough—it singed his skin. The cat pounced. Zephyrion grabbed its paw mid-air, spun, and threw the cat into the river. It vanished in a splash, only to reappear behind him.
The cat grinned. "Not bad for a kid who just awakened. But your power's unstable. What do you say—want me to train you?"
Zephyrion glared at him. "Idiot…"
The cat narrowed its eyes. "Watch your manners."
Zephyrion shot back, "Watch my manners? You're the one who randomly attacked me!"
It was clear Zephyrion was annoyed by the feline.
"I was testing you," the cat said coolly. Then he asked, "So? Do you want to be trained?"
Zephyrion thought for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. I don't have anyone to train me anyway. But you'd better teach me how you disappeared like that."
"I'll teach you during combat lessons," the cat replied.
For months, the cat trained Zephyrion in mana control and combat techniques. Together, they discovered his unique mana affinity: Zero—a rare ability that allowed him to use any mana type as long as he knew the concept behind it. He also had a special skill called Analytical Foresight, which let him predict possible futures using pure reasoning.
One day, the cat asked, "Want to learn Fire Bullet?"
Zephyrion's eyes lit up. He nodded rapidly.
"To use fire mana," the cat explained, "you must be ready to destroy your enemies. Your heart must burn with that desire, and your mind must focus completely. But don't go too far—if you lose control, the fire will consume you."
Zephyrion trained hard, focusing on building his willpower and shifting his mana toward fire affinity. A few weeks later, he stood before a tree, focused—and fired a bullet of flame from his palm. It struck the trunk, setting it ablaze.
"I have to go home," he said. "We can meet again tomorrow."
Zephyrion ran home to rest. But the moment he stepped through the door, he felt… something strange.
A horrible feeling crept into his chest.
He walked inside—and froze.
His expression fell as a wave of sadness washed over him, and his vision blurred as tears slowly fell down his cheeks.