"Move."
The cold command snapped him back to the present. Two guards pulled him forward, their grips tight on his arms, leading him toward the place of his execution.
Two guards dragged him forward. The noose swayed gently under the faint wind, waiting. They slipped a rough black cloth over his head, and darkness swallowed the world. All sound dulled except the pounding of his own heart.
In that moment, Ryu's thoughts began to spiral.
He was afraid. Anyone would be.
But mixed with that fear was something else.
Relief.
Relief that it was finally over.
Relief that he would no longer have to endure the cruelty of a world that never once showed him mercy.
A bitter smile formed on his lips.
So this is how I die, huh?
'But… why?'
He didn't ask himself, he asked the world.
'Why did I have to suffer like this? What sin did I commit to deserve all this pain?'
His heart screamed silently, his mind roaring at everyone. At the so-called friends who turned their backs on him. At the woman who destroyed him. At the world that mocked his every struggle. 'Why was I born just to suffer?'
He let out a shaky breath beneath the cloth.
'Ah… what are you saying, Ryu?' he thought bitterly. 'There are many who suffer in this world. You're just one of them… someone no one will remember, someone no one will pity.'
A single tear rolled down his cheek beneath the hood.
He didn't even know whether it was from fear… or acceptance.
The moment the Executioner pulled the lever, Ryu was hung, and this marked the end of a rapist and the justice to the woman who was the victim of his.
'Is this the End?'
And thus ended the life of Ryu Walker — branded a monster, condemned by lies.
******
"Ugh...?"
A faint groan escaped his lips.
In a dimly lit room, a young boy lay on a small bed, his face calm and peaceful as if he were simply asleep. But the stillness broke when his eyes suddenly snapped open.
"Where… am I?"
Ryu muttered in a voice hoarse. He quickly sat up, his breathing unsteady as he looked around.
The room was unfamiliar old wooden walls, a flickering lantern, and the faint scent of herbs A cool breeze brushed against his skin, sending a shiver down his spin
"Didn't I… die?"
he thought, confusion flooding his mind.e.
His heart began to race. 'Is this the afterlife?'
He pinched his cheek. Hard.
"Ah—!" He winced at the sharp pain.
The sting lingered. It wasn't a dream. He slowly exhaled, his thoughts spinning.
'No… this isn't death. I'm alive. But how?'
As he looked down at his reflection in a small metal bowl filled with water, his eyes widened.
The face staring back wasn't his twenty-six-year-old self… but that of a young boy — pale skin, faint scars, and silver eyes filled with disbelief.
Ryu's lips trembled.
"Just what… happened to me?"
Before he could think further, a sharp pain tore through his head.
"Argh—!"
He clutched his temples as countless images and memories flooded his mind places he had never seen, names he didn't know and pain.
The overwhelming surge was too much to bear. His vision blurred, his body trembled… and then everything went dark.
…
When Ryu opened his eyes again, the room was dimly lit by the soft glow of a nearby candle. His breathing was shallow, his head still aching slightly, but the pain had faded enough for him to move.
As he turned his head to the side, his gaze fell upon a woman sitting beside the bed.
She had long black hair that shimmered faintly in the candlelight. Her face was streaked with tears, dried trails marking her pale cheeks.
Her head rested against the side of the bed, as if she had cried herself into exhaustion.
For a moment, Ryu just stared at her in silence.
"Who… is she?" he whispered softly, confusion flickering in his eyes.
But somewhere deep inside his newly mixed memories, a faint voice echoed a memory not his own.
'Mother…?'
Ryu's chest tightened. His eyes trembled slightly. The realization hit him like a wave.
He wasn't in his old body anymore.
"I have been reincarnated?"
Ryu said in disbelief.
..
"Ryu?"
The soft voice broke the silence.
The woman who had been asleep beside him slowly lifted her head, her tired eyes meeting his.
After a moment, neither of them spoke as if the time itself paused.
Then, all at once, her eyes widened, and tears began to fall uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"Ryu!! My son! You're awake… you're really awake!!"
She threw her arms around him, her body trembling as she sobbed into his chest.
Ryu's eyes widened, his heart aching at the warmth in her embrace — something he hadn't felt in years.
He didn't know what this world was… but for the first time in forever, someone was holding him not with hate, but with love.
"My son....I thought I lost you...you have been asleep for three days..."she cried, holding him as if she would never let go again.
Ryu froze for a second, still trying to make sense of everything.. Slowly, his hands lifted awkwardly resting on his back.
"I-I am okay, mom." he said softly, the word "Mom" tasting differentlyy yet starngely comforting.
"I am really okay.
The wwoman pulled back slightly, her eyes red but with a relief.
"Thanks the heaven.." she whispered.
BANG!
Before ryu could ssay something, a loud bang echoed through the room as the door swung open. A midlle aged man with a rugged build rushed in, followed closely by a small girl with messy brown haii and steaar trikken cheeks.
The moment girl saw him sitting up, her eyes widened, as she ran toward him woith all her strength.
"Brother! You are awake!" she cried throeing herself into his arms. Her small hands clutching his shorts as if he would vanish. She buried her dmall head onto his chesr, sobbing.
"Brother tou are awake....Little Lia was so scared..." she hiccuped thropugh her tears.
Ryu blinked, looking down aat her trembling body.
He didn't know who she was — yet something inside him ached as he gently placed his hand on her head.
"Don't cry," he said softly. "I'm here now… it's okay."
The man who had just entered, his gaze fell onto him. A faint smile tigged at the corner of his lips. A smile filled with relief and pride.
""You are finally awake, son," he said, his deep voice warm, and steady.
Ryu turned towards him. The man stood tall, broad frame and slightly weathered frame carried the aura of someone who had seen hid share of baattles, Despite that his eyes, the ssame silver eyes as his, shone with an unmistakable warmth.
"How are you feeling now?" his father aasked, stepping closer."Any dizzinesss or any pain?"
Ryu shook his head slightly. "I am feeling fine now. Just....a little weak."
The man gave a small chuckle, his shoulders relaaxing, "Thats's good to hear. you gave us a quite a scare boy."
Ryu blinked, still piecing things together. "What… what happened to me? Why am I here?"
The man's smile faded a little as he sighed, crossing his arms. "You lost consciousness during the entrance test for the World Academy."
"Entrance test?" Ryu repeated, his brows furrowing.
His father nodded. "Yes. You were taking the Spirit Resonance trial, but your spirit energy went out of control. Before the instructors could stabilize you, you collapsed. The healers said your soul strain was severe — they didn't know when you'd wake up."
He paused, his eyes softening again. "Three days, Ryu. You've been asleep for three whole days."
Ryu's eyes widened slightly. "So… I passed out during the exam…" he muttered under his breath.
His father nodded again, placing a large, calloused hand gently on his shoulder. "You worried us all, son. But you're safe now — that's what matters."
Ryu lowered his gaze, his mind spinning. The World Academy… the Spirit Resonance… everything was starting to line up with the fragments of memory still settling in his head.
'I see,' he thought, his fingers tightening slightly on the blanket. 'So this is how the story starts…'