Chapter 1: A New Beginning
Back on Earth, I was just a normal high school student. Nothing special. I had decent grades, a few close friends, and a serious addiction to late-night ramen. My life was simple—ordinary. Predictable, even. I had my routine. Wake up. Go to school. Hang out with friends. Study a little. Go to bed. Nothing exciting ever happened, and I was perfectly fine with that.
And then, I died.
I'm still not entirely sure how it happened. Maybe a truck. Maybe some divine glitch. One moment I was alive, the next... darkness. Cold, silent, endless. For what felt like an eternity, I floated in that void, wondering if there was an afterlife or if this was simply the end. But then, suddenly—light.
When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in a hospital or some afterlife waiting room. I was somewhere else entirely. A completely different world. A realm filled with castles, magic, and skies so clear they looked painted by gods. I had been reborn on a planet called Alkaine.
And not just reborn—I was a baby. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. One moment, I was a high schooler in a familiar world, and the next, I was an infant in a strange, magical world.
I couldn't speak, couldn't walk, couldn't even hold my head up. But I remembered everything. My past life, my death, Earth. It was all still there, tucked away in the back of my infant brain, a strange cocktail of memories from two lives blending together. It was like I had a second chance, but one with no clear instructions.
My new parents were the first faces I saw—my mother, holding me close with a gentle smile, and my father, standing tall and proud beside her. They named me Harlez. I didn't know the significance of the name, but it felt comforting, like it belonged to me.
As I grew, I began to take in my surroundings. And wow… I don't know if everyone on this planet is born into a family of supermodels, but my parents were ridiculously attractive. My dad had this heroic, stoic aura with jet-black hair and eyes that seemed to hold the weight of ancient battles. He wasn't just good-looking—he radiated power. People treated him with deep respect, almost reverence. My mom, on the other hand… she was breathtaking. Long silver hair, golden eyes that gleamed with an almost ethereal glow, and a graceful presence that seemed to command the space around her.
Seriously, if this world had magazines, they'd be on every cover.
I can only hope I inherited even half of their genes. Maybe I'll grow up to be insanely handsome too. (No pressure, genetics.)
The maids around the estate whispered all sorts of things when they thought I wasn't listening. They said my dad was a legendary warrior—someone who once stood alone on a battlefield and turned the tide of a kingdom's war. They spoke his name with respect, as though he were a living legend. It wasn't just idle gossip; there was awe in their voices. It made me curious about my dad's past, about the kind of person he was before he became my father.
But the real surprise? My mom.
She wasn't just beautiful. She wasn't just kind. She was… different.
I didn't know it at first. As a child, I didn't understand the weight of what I was hearing. But as I grew older and began to pay attention to the world around me, I began to understand the whispers. The maids, the servants, even the family friends—all of them spoke of her in hushed tones, with a mixture of admiration and fear.
One day, I overheard two maids talking while they worked. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but their conversation caught my attention. They were talking about my mother's heritage. "Lady Elsera is from the Drakari bloodline," one of them said. "A true descendant of dragons, their power running through her veins. They say she could level a mountain if she wanted to."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Dragons? My mom? I hadn't even considered the possibility.
I didn't know much about the Drakari bloodline, but I had heard rumors from the maids. They spoke of an ancient clan, powerful and proud, whose members were said to be part human, part dragon. But I never thought it would be her. My mother? A dragonkin?
I wasn't sure what to make of it at first. It was a lot to process. I remember lying in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling, trying to wrap my mind around the idea. My mother, a descendant of dragons? I had so many questions, but I didn't dare ask her directly. Something told me this was no ordinary family secret—it was something deeper, something she didn't want to explain yet.
As I grew, I began to notice small, subtle things that hinted at the truth. It wasn't dramatic or flashy like in the stories. It wasn't about her breathing fire or growing wings. But sometimes, when she was deep in thought, I saw a faint glow in her golden eyes—a flicker of something ancient and untamed. Her touch, when she held me, felt different—warmer, almost too warm, like she was radiating heat. And her presence... it was like nothing I had ever experienced. There was a power in her, an undeniable aura that made even the air around her feel heavier.
I wasn't sure when I started to fully understand it. Maybe it was the day I was playing in the garden, and she casually mentioned her heritage while teaching me how to wield magic. "The Drakari are one with the elements," she had said, her voice soft but full of authority. "We learn to control fire, water, earth, and wind. It's in our blood."
That was when it really hit me. She wasn't just human. She was more. Her bloodline was ancient, and it was powerful.
My life on Earth ended quietly. But here, in Alkaine, something bigger awaited me. I could feel it. Every day, as I trained with my father, as I learned from my mother, I could feel the pull of destiny tugging at me. Alkaine wasn't just a second chance—it was a world where anything was possible.
Every day, I was exposed to new wonders. My training with my father wasn't just about combat; it was about learning discipline, about understanding honor and respect. He taught me how to wield a sword and how to stand tall. My mother, on the other hand, taught me the ways of magic, the delicate art of channeling the elements and using them to control the world around me. Though I hadn't unlocked the full potential of my powers yet, I could feel them stirring within me—like dormant embers waiting to catch fire.
My new life wasn't just about surviving—it was about thriving. I had a chance to build something here. A new future. A future where I could rise to my own legend, just like my father. But more than that, I could build something in the world of Alkaine—a world where magic and warriors coexisted in a delicate balance.
It was a life I could never have imagined on Earth, and yet, here it was. A chance at greatness, at adventure, at becoming someone far more than I ever was before.
This wasn't just a second chance.
It was the beginning of something legendary.
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