Kael stood in front of the tall double doors that led to the main hall. Ornate blackwood polished to a shine, etched with old runes that glowed faintly when touched. A low hum buzzed beneath his fingertips.
But he hesitated.
"Before I walk through this door… I need to know who I am."
Not just in spirit in this world.
Name. History. Place.
The foundations.
He clenched his fists. His reflection in the polished surface stared back at him calm face, sharp eyes, white hair gently falling forward.
He took a breath.
And then it hit.
Crack.
Like glass shattering inside his skull.
His body stiffened. Eyes wide. Legs buckled.
A storm of memories tore through his mind like a flood.
Laughter in a sunlit garden.
A woman's gentle voice his mother smiling, brushing back his hair.
Then a coffin. Rain falling. Her hand no longer warm.
Dead.
His father's hand on his shoulder. A firm grip. Always distant. Always watching. Then one day.
Gone.
No letters. No body. No explanation.
Just silence.
And then… her.
His sister. A gir in her 20's with silver hair, calm like a frozen lake. Eyes sharper than a blade.
SS-Rank. Master Water Core.
A prodigy feared across the empire.
But instead of power or politics, she chose a small estate, in the middle of the city.
She raised him. Protected him.
Let them live a slightly above-normal life just enough wealth to be respected, just enough distance to be ignored.
Kael Vernier.
That was his name now.
The memories faded like a receding tide.
Kael collapsed to his knees, gasping.
The room spun. His forehead touched the cold floor. Every muscle trembled, not from fear but from the sheer pressure of absorbing an entire life's worth of memories in seconds.
Minutes passed.
Then stillness.
The pain was gone.
Kael opened his eyes.
His breathing slowed.
His fingers gripped the floor and he rose.
He knew who he was now.
The boy who lost everything… and was given one last chance.