I snap awake. Darkness envelops me—so absolute it presses against my skin. My chest hammers as I push myself up on trembling arms, tasting cold air in the void.
"W-where am I…?" I whisper, voice ragged and tired. I blink into the black nothingness, searching for a scrap of light—or even a wall to brace myself against. "More importantly… how did I get here?"
A slow chill skitters across my neck. Then, in the silence, a shadow detaches itself from the dark. A tall figure glides toward me, each step unnaturally silent yet thunderous in my skull. I stumble back, heart in my throat. This can't be real…
"W-who are you?" My voice cracks, echoing into the void.
The figure pauses a few feet away. Its shape is indistinct—no face, just a dark cloak that seems woven from shadows—but the presence is ancient, amused. A low, even voice vibrates through the emptiness:
"Hello, Riyu. I am that which you mortals call God. You have died, and now I offer you two choices." I waver as I question what he just told me "What are the two options?" I ask distinctively interested, God replies.
"Wow you are straight to the point, well if you want your options I'll give them to you."
"First option I will reincarnate you into a realm of swords and sorcery. There, a System will awaken within you—granting quests, tracking your progress, and powering your growth as you overcome its challenges."
"And for your second option, I will reincarnate you into that same world of magic and swords, but instead of a System, you will receive three wishes to shape your destiny. To keep the balance, however, you may not use any wish to summon or replicate a System." I stand there as I ponder what Should I pick...And how should I pick?
"I choose… the three wishes," I manage, voice echoing in the void.
The figure inclines its shadowed head, lips curling into something like a smile.
"Very well. Your first wish?"m
I close my eyes for a moment, recalling every desperate thought that's brought me here. When I open them again, I swear I can see the tiniest glimmer of fate shifting in the darkness.
"I wish…" I pause, breath hitching. "I wish for an ability that allows me to go back in time when I die."
Silence stretches, heavier than before, and then the void pulses with light. A warm surge floods through me, and I know the first wish is granted.
"Your second wish?" the voice prompts, calm as a midnight sea.
I take a steadying breath, picturing every book I've ever struggled to understand.
"I wish for the gift of accelerated learning… to grasp new skills and knowledge more quickly than before."
A gentle warmth seeps into my temples, like sunlight creeping over a page. When I open my eyes, the world feels just a bit clearer—I'm not instantly mastering swordplay or magic, but I can recall the steps of a technique after only seeing them once, and I understand lessons in half the time it took me before.
It's subtle… but it's enough.
"Your third—and final—wish?" the figure intones, its tone calm yet expectant.
I steady my breath and lift my chin, determination rising.
"I wish for the Lightningblood Stride—a stormborn speed coursing through my veins, so I may move swifter than the eye can follow."
Then God looks at me with amusement and says "Now I will give you Two more things, first pick your race, and second pick your type of family Noble, commoner, or even none." I ponder which race I should be, then I say. "I would like to be a Beast kin," I say with confidence in my words. "I also would like to be a noble" I finish as I look at God. "Done" God responds "You will now be reincarnated in the world of Aetherael I will now be sending you." I get ready as I will now enter a new world I know nothing about. But in a flash of bright light, I appear In the form of a newborn baby.
I feel warmth flood every fiber of my being as the light dims, and the world tilts beneath me. My last memory of the void and that shadowed figure dissolved into nothing.
When I open my eyes again, everything is soft and light—my vision blurred, the world muted and pale. I'm swaddled in linen, cradled by arms I've never known. A distant lullaby drifts through the air. This… is my new beginning.
Somewhere beyond my haze, a grandfather's proud laughter rumbles and a mother's gentle coo welcomes me. But deep inside, the storm still pulses—reminding me of wishes made and powers granted.
I may be born anew, but My journey is only just beginning.