# Prologue: A New Beginning
The void was neither cold nor warm, neither dark nor light. It simply *was*—an existence between existences where Cael Vernier found himself floating in a space that defied comprehension.
"Welcome, Cael Vernier."
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. Cael turned, or thought he did—it was difficult to tell in this place—and found himself facing something that could only be described as an entity. It had no defined form, shifting between shapes and colors that his mind struggled to process.
"Where am I?" Cael asked, his voice surprisingly steady despite the surreal circumstances.
"Between worlds," the entity replied, its tone neither hostile nor particularly warm. "You have died in your previous life, but your journey is not over. I am offering you something rare—a second chance."
Cael processed this information with the same calm focus that had defined him in his previous life. Death. Reincarnation. It should have been impossible, yet here he was. "Why me?"
"Does it matter?" The entity's form rippled with what might have been amusement. "The opportunity is before you. You may choose the world you are reborn into, and you may choose a power to accompany you—one that has some connection to that world."
"There are conditions, I assume." Cael's red eyes, even in this strange space, maintained their sharp focus.
"Perceptive. Yes. If you choose your destination, you will lose knowledge of events that are meant to unfold—the story, as it were. You will retain memories of the world itself, its systems, its general nature, but the specific path of fate will be hidden from you."
Cael considered this carefully. Knowledge of future events would be powerful, but the ability to choose his destination and his power seemed more valuable. He had never been one to rely solely on foreknowledge anyway—adaptability and strategy had always been his strengths.
"I accept those terms," he said finally. "I choose to be reborn in the world of Fairy Tail."
The entity pulsed with what might have been approval. "The land of magic and guilds. An interesting choice. And what power do you seek?"
Cael had thought about this even as he spoke his choice. He had always been a strategist, someone who preferred to see the whole battlefield, to command rather than simply fight. "I want to create a new form of Archive magic—something more advanced, closer to Lost Magic. I'll call it Command Magic. It will allow me to manifest digital screens for information and display, but also for combat—shooting magical attacks and manifesting hardlight constructs that I can command like military units."
The entity was silent for a moment, considering. "Archive magic exists in that world. Your variation is... ambitious. Very well. It is connected enough to be permissible. Command Magic shall be yours."
Before Cael could respond, the void began to shift. Colors bled into the emptiness, and he felt himself being pulled away.
"One more thing," the entity's voice echoed as everything faded. "You will begin three years before the primary events of that world. What you do with that time is yours to decide."
Then there was light.
---
Cael gasped as consciousness returned to him, his red eyes snapping open to see a canopy of leaves above him. He sat up quickly, his hands—smaller hands, he noted—pressing against grass and earth. He was in a forest, surrounded by trees he didn't recognize but somehow knew were native to Earthland.
He looked down at himself. Young, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years old. His body was lean but had the potential for strength. Most importantly, he could feel it—the magic thrumming through his veins like electricity, unfamiliar yet somehow instinctive.
Standing up, Cael took in his surroundings. The forest was dense but not threatening. In the distance, he could hear running water—a stream or river. The sun filtered through the leaves, suggesting it was mid-morning.
"Command Magic," he said softly, reaching for the power within him.
At first, nothing happened. Then, with a shimmer of light, a translucent blue screen materialized in front of him. It was roughly two feet across, hovering in the air at eye level. The surface rippled like water before stabilizing, displaying a simple readout:
**[COMMAND MAGIC - ACTIVE]**
**[SYSTEMS: OPERATIONAL]**
**[DATA COLLECTION: STANDBY]**
Cael reached out tentatively and touched the screen. It felt solid yet somehow not entirely physical—like touching light given form. With a thought, he dismissed it, and the screen vanished as if it had never been.
He tried again, this time imagining multiple screens. Three materialized around him in a triangular formation. Another thought, and they shifted positions. A gesture, and one of them displayed the surrounding area from his perspective, as if recording what he saw.
"Good," he murmured. The basic functions worked. But he could feel there was so much more—the combat applications, the ability to manifest constructs, all of it waiting to be unlocked and mastered.
He dismissed the screens and looked around the forest again. He had no money, no supplies, and only basic clothes that had apparently come with this new body—simple dark pants and a shirt. But he had magic, he had knowledge of this world's systems, and he had time.
Three years before the main events. That meant Fairy Tail existed, the guilds were active, and the magical world was going about its business. But whatever major story was supposed to unfold—he had no memory of it. He knew about guilds, about magic types, about Earthland's geography and culture. But specific people, specific events? Those were shadows in his mind, vague impressions without substance.
Cael began walking, following the sound of water. As he walked, he considered his situation logically. He was young, newly arrived in this world, with a unique magic that no one else possessed. He needed to master it before he could even think about joining civilization properly.
The stream, when he found it, was clear and cold. He knelt beside it, drinking deeply and splashing water on his face. As he did, he caught his reflection—black hair with a distinctive red highlight in his bangs, red eyes that seemed to glow slightly in the dappled sunlight, a lean face that would be striking once he grew into it.
"First priority," he said to his reflection, "master Command Magic. Second, gather information about this world and where I am. Third, figure out my next move."
He spent the next hour exploring the immediate area. The forest seemed to stretch for miles, but eventually he found signs of civilization—a dirt road, well-traveled. Following it would eventually lead to a town or city. But not yet.
Cael returned to a small clearing he'd found near the stream. It was isolated, defensible, and had access to water. Perfect for what he needed.
He stood in the center of the clearing and took a deep breath. "This is where I begin."
Raising his hand, he summoned a screen. Then another. Then five more, arranging them in a circle around himself. He could feel the drain on his magic—not severe, but present. He would need to build up his reserves.
"Command Magic isn't just about information," he said, focusing on one of the screens. "It's about control. About directing power precisely where it needs to go."
He concentrated, imagining the screen as a weapon rather than a display. Energy began to gather on its surface, crackling with barely contained power. Then, with a gesture, he released it.
A bolt of magical energy shot from the screen, striking a tree trunk thirty feet away. The impact left a scorch mark but nothing more. Weak, unfocused, but it was a start.
Cael smiled—a small, controlled expression. He dismissed all but one screen and tried again. And again. And again.
As the sun began to set, painting the forest in shades of orange and red, Cael finally stopped. His magic reserves were depleted, his body tired from the constant exertion. But he had made progress. The energy bolts were stronger, more accurate. He had even managed to manifest a crude hardlight construct—a vaguely humanoid shape that lasted only seconds before dissolving.
He made camp beside the stream, using knowledge he somehow possessed about survival in this world. As he sat beside a small fire, eating berries he knew instinctively were safe, Cael looked up at the unfamiliar stars above.
"One year," he said softly. "I'll give myself one year to master the basics. To understand what Command Magic can truly do. Then I'll venture into civilization."
He had no memories of what was supposed to happen in this world, no knowledge of the major players or events. But that was fine. Cael had never been someone who relied on following a script.
He would forge his own path.
The first step was mastering his power. Everything else would follow.
As sleep began to claim him, Cael's last thought was of the screens he would create tomorrow, the constructs he would learn to manifest, and the combat system he would develop.
Three years before destiny began its course, Cael Vernier started his training in an unnamed forest, with nothing but his magic and his determination.
It would be enough.