A flickering streetlight cast uneven shadows across the rain-soaked pavement. The constant drumming of water on concrete served as another reminder of the dull job Jack had endured for months.
Checking his watch, he saw it was only 11:34 p.m. on his graveyard shift.
Jack yawned as he stretched his arms, then a sudden noise rang out.
HONK!!!
Jack jumped out of his seat, spilling coffee across his desk. 'Fuck.'
He opened the window to see who it was.
"Jack, pay attention!" A young man in a sports car called out. "Open the gate, my girlfriend's waiting."
"Yes sir, right away sir," Jack said politely.
The gate opened and the driver slammed on his gas, leaving skid marks on the ground.
Another boring night, he thought as the door opened.
"Hey Jack, Dave giving you a hard time again?"
"Hey Carl. Yeah, just the glorious life of nighttime security for the airport."
A massive flash of light blinded them both.
Thunder crackled through the air as lightning struck the ground nearby.
SCREEEEECH!!!!
A loud screech followed immediately after the lightning strike.
BANG!!
A guardrail broke above them as a truck tumbled down onto the security checkpoint.
'So this is how I go.'
BANG! A massive explosion followed as Jack, Carl, and Truck-kun met their end.
---
There was darkness, and then light.
Jack felt strange. He couldn't move his limbs or speak. He couldn't even open his eyes properly.
He could barely hear anything, like being trapped at the bottom of a well.
"Lady Genevieve! It's a miracle, you've finally given birth to a boy!"
Loud applause and laughter followed. The sound of footsteps echoed as Jack felt his body being lifted through the air.
"A miracle... truly a miracle from the Gods," the midwife whispered.
Jack opened his eyes, and this time he could see, though his vision was slightly blurry.
He could make out about a dozen blurred figures. Excited squeals filled the air as he heard more voices.
"Mother, we finally have a baby brother!" A voice squealed as someone jumped up and down.
But after several seconds of silence, the midwife frowned.
"Strange... the boy's not crying."
Jack could understand what everyone was saying, but he wasn't interested in their conversation. His body felt tiny, soft, and helpless. His head felt too big, his legs were too weak to move, and his vision remained unfocused but slowly clearing.
He tried to open his mouth to say "leave me alone please," but all that emerged was…
"Is something wrong with him?" Lady Genevieve asked, tension creeping into her voice.
"Not sure yet. Sometimes newborns take a little longer. I'll get him crying in just a moment."
Jack could see the midwife approaching and started to panic. 'Wait, stop, don't touch me there.'
SMACK!
Sharp pain flared across his rear as she slapped his bottom. This wasn't a gentle pat, she had pulled her hand back and delivered a firm smack that left a red mark.
The only sound that came out was a loud "WAHHH!" as he tried to speak.
His cry echoed through the room as people began to rejoice that he was okay.
"Mother, father will be so thrilled when he returns."
'What's going on? And why does my stomach hurt?'
The pain lingered for a moment before his brain finally caught up with the sensations.
"There it is!" the midwife said, lifting him high in the air. "He's just…"
Before she could finish, everyone gasped.
'Oh, that feels so good.'
The midwife got a mouthful of pee and screamed, "Ahh!"
'I think I peed in her mouth.'
"I've got him," said a servant. "Get yourself cleaned up."
The servant wrapped the newborn and carried him away to be cleaned.
'I just spilled my coffee, and now I'm surrounded by complete strangers.'
---
Time blurred after that.
People brought gifts and prayers for the new baby born into the Kaiser family.
'I'm so sleepy. I can't stay awake for long.'
Jack passed out shortly after.
---
Over the next few months, Jack confirmed he had been reborn into a new world.
People dressed in long robes or wore tunics. Jack noticed people read books more than anything else, and they always talked about strengthening their mana.
There were no light switches, cars, or phones.
He watched people snap their fingers to light fireplaces. Servants would place their hands over buckets and fill them with water in seconds.
'Magic. This is incredible. I've read plenty of fantasy and history books before, but now I'm living in one!'
---
Weeks turned into months, months turned into years, and before Jack knew it, he was five years old and on a hunting expedition with his father, Alaric.
"My boy, we're going to hunt for dinner."
'My first hunting expedition as Jack Kaiser,' he thought.
"Yes father, what are we hunting?"
"Three-horned deer. One of them will provide enough meat for the whole family."
This was exciting, his first father-son outing in this life.
After twenty minutes of walking through the forest, they found the three-horned deer. It had stopped at a pond to drink when it heard a branch snap.
Alaric put his hand in front of Jack to stop him from moving.
In the next moment, Alaric drew his sword. The deer bolted as Alaric swung his blade, cutting an arrow in half mid-flight.
"Stay behind me, Jack!"
Six hooded figures emerged from the trees.
"Bandits," Alaric growled, positioning himself between Jack and the attackers. "What do you want?"
"Just the boy," the lead figure called out, his voice muffled by his hood. "Hand him over and you can walk away."
"Never." Alaric's grip tightened on his sword.
Jack's heart pounded. 'Why do they want me? I'm just five years old!'
The bandits spread out in a semicircle. Alaric was skilled, but six against one were terrible odds.
They attacked, immediately regrouping when their first assault failed. Two rushed Alaric from the left while another flanked from the right.
CLANG! CLANG!
The sound of steel rang through the air as Alaric parried desperately. One by one, bodies hit the forest floor.
Suddenly, Alaric's sword began to take on a dark hue.
'His sword is turning black.'
"You're strong," the lead bandit admitted, "but you can't protect the boy and fight all of us."
The archer took aim, not at Alaric, but directly at Jack.
He released the arrow and it caught fire as it flew through the air.
Alaric swung his sword, sending a wave of dark mana through the sky. Trees crashed to the ground and the flaming arrow shattered to pieces.
'I need to get out of here.'
Jack tried to run, but his small legs weren't fast enough.
THUNK!
Pain exploded in Jack's back. A dagger had pierced him from behind.
"No!" Alaric shouted.
Alaric's eyes filled with rage. The sky darkened and the bandits looked up in terror.
A massive wave of darkness tore through the forest, obliterating everything in its path. The remaining bandits didn't even have time to scream.
"Jack! Jack, stay with me!"
The dagger was still embedded in his back, blood pooling beneath him. Jack's breathing was shallow, his face pale.
"Hold on, son. I'm getting you home."
'What's happening to me? I died just to get killed again before I could do anything.'