I never imagined myself waking up in a world entirely different from my own. One moment, I was an ordinary nobody, drifting through a mundane existence, and the next, I was here, in a world of magic and mystery. A world called Nytherra.
It has been five days since I arrived.
My memories of my previous life are still a blur, like fragments of a dream that slip away the moment you try to grasp them. But they are returning, piece by piece, as if the very essence of who I once was is trying to remind me of something important.
The morning sun rose gently over the horizon, casting long golden rays over the ruins of an old town. Or rather, three suns—positioned in a perfect triangular formation—bathed the land in their warm glow. Their light was unlike anything I had ever seen before, a luminous blend of crimson, gold, and deep blue that painted the sky in surreal hues.
I walked down a narrow, uneven path, my footsteps stirring up dust that had settled over time. The remnants of a past war whispered their stories through the broken stones, tangled vines, and deep scars on the walls. This place was once alive, bustling with people and dreams. Now, it was nothing more than a graveyard of memories.
As I walked, I felt it—an unfamiliar presence, yet one that seemed deeply connected to me. Silent, watchful, ever-present.
A system.
It did not speak, nor did it guide me with a voice. Yet, I could feel it lurking within me, observing, recording my every step, my every action. It was a part of me now, as inseparable as my own thoughts.
I stopped before a colossal tree, its charred, lifeless trunk stretching toward the heavens. Its branches were long dead, stripped of leaves, yet it stood tall, as if defying the fate that had befallen it. Even in death, it radiated a sense of grandeur, a whisper of the past glory it once held.
With a tired sigh, I sat beneath its shadow, my body still weak, still adjusting to this strange new existence. I clenched my fists, feeling the unfamiliar weight of this body. I was frail now, powerless. But I knew this weakness would not last.
Not with the system.
The suns climbed higher, their warmth urging me forward. With a deep breath, I pushed myself up and continued walking, each step reinforcing my resolve. Then, suddenly, a rustling sound broke the silence.
I turned.
Two figures emerged from the shadows. Their lower faces were covered with cloth masks, concealing their identities. In their hands, dull, rusted knives glinted under the daylight.
Bandits.
They were ordinary men, devoid of elemental affinity or innate abilities. In a world where magic defined one's worth, being born without it was a curse worse than death. The lowest of the low.
Yet, even those without magic had the instincts of scavengers. They had chosen their target well—or so they thought.
They stepped closer, their muscles tensing, eyes gleaming with hunger and desperation.
I raised my hand, and fire blossomed into existence.
A flickering ball of flame hovered above my palm, its warmth licking at my skin, its light casting dancing shadows on the ruins around me.
The men froze.
Their gazes locked onto the fireball, and for a brief moment, their greed turned to fear. Without a word, they took a cautious step back. Then another. And then, abandoning whatever foolish thoughts they had of attacking me, they turned and fled, disappearing into the ruins.
I let the fire dissipate, its embers vanishing into the air.
Yes, I could use fire magic.
The system had given me a choice when I arrived: Fire, Water, or Earth. Without hesitation, I chose fire. Why?
Because fire was cool.
But beyond that, fire was destruction and rebirth. It was power. And in this new world, power was everything.
I didn't know why I was here. I didn't know what awaited me.
But for now, I had one goal.
Survive. And grow stronger.
One step at a time.
---
I walked through the ruins, my eyes tracing the fractured walls and fallen towers. Every broken archway and crumbled statue told a story I couldn't yet understand. Who had lived here? What had happened to them? The answers were lost to time, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this place held secrets—secrets I needed to uncover.
Before I knew it, the suns had disappeared below the horizon. Daylight faded, and night took its place. In their absence, two massive moons rose in the sky, casting an eerie silver glow over the ruins. The world of Nytherra was never truly dark, for the heavens were filled with countless stars of various colours—some a brilliant shade of emerald, others a deep crimson, and some shimmering in a ghostly white. They scattered across the sky, swirling around the moons like celestial guardians.
I made my way back to my temporary shelter—an abandoned house at the edge of the ruins. The walls were barely standing, and the roof was missing entirely, leaving me exposed to the sky above. But I didn't mind.
Lying down on the cold stone floor, I stared up at the night sky. The sight was mesmerising, unlike anything I had ever seen before. The stars pulsed with an unnatural vibrancy, their colours shifting and blending like a living painting.
It was beautiful.
But as I lay there, the weight of my situation pressed down on me. I was alone in an unfamiliar world, my past a fragmented puzzle, my future uncertain. And yet, despite it all, a part of me felt something unexpected.
Excitement.
This world was dangerous, yes. But it was also filled with possibilities. I had a system, an unknown power waiting to be unlocked, and an entire world to explore. For the first time in a long while, I felt something stir within me.
Hope.
Tomorrow, I will begin my journey in earnest. I
would train, grow stronger, and uncover the truth about this world—and myself.