I did not live a pathetic life.
In fact, I lived a life many people could only dream of.
Landing a job right after graduation, earning enough salary to spend on lavish things without having to worry about savings, and travelling to every part of the world, which most people only see on social media.
My life was complete.
But it wasn't fulfilling.
I did not have anyone waiting for me at home.
I didn't even have anyone accompanying me while travelling the world.
Getting success at a young age has its own consequences.
People started to alienate me.
They started complaining that I was showing off.
I spent most of my time playing games and reading books, rarely interacting with anyone outside the office.
But Loneliness became an inescapable prison.
I had no one.
Even when I was convulsing in the hospital, taking my last breath, I had no one by my side.
When the monitor beside me started making a static sound, I finally smiled, thinking how no one would even know I was dead.
BEEEEP!
I closed my eyes slowly, a tear streaming down from my left eye.
I prayed with all my heart that if I were to reincarnate, I would want to have a loving family.
But I did not expect my prayers to be answered so fast.
[Eldaria Continent, Ravenholt]
The evening sky emitted an orange glow, indicating that night was approaching.
"What's taking you so long, boy?" a dwarf holding a hammer in his hand shouted, voice echoing off the forge walls. He wore a helmet slightly tilted to the side and a thick beard that reached his chest.
"I already asked you whether you wanted this or not."
"Why can't you just say it all at once?" the boy muttered, shoulders slumping with irritation.
"Aren't you getting bolder day by day?" the dwarf said angrily, nostrils flaring like a bellows.
"Tsk tsk, I have been way too lenient on you, boy." He shook his head, beard bristling.
"So this is 'nice'? No thanks. Keep your scary version to yourself," the boy exclaimed, grinning as the people in the surroundings burst into laughter.
The dwarf laughed along with them mockingly, then pulled out a sword, metal singing as it left the rack.
"Lemme teach you something," the dwarf said, leaning closer, breath smelling of iron and smoke.
Seeing the angry reaction on his face, the boy bolted outside the shop, boots scraping against the cobblestones, shouting back.
"I will come back tomorrow, Dolan! Don't be sad!"
"Who is sad, you idiot?" Dolan said, lifting the hammer defensively, then looked around to see other dwarves staring at him.
"What are you all looking at? Focus on the weapons!" he barked, waving them off.
He grumbled, then looked at the boy sprinting off. He let out a small laugh as he returned to polishing the blade.
The boy ran through the streets, trying not to hit the vendors on the way, weaving between stalls like a leaf in the wind.
"Where are you running this fast, Lucien?" a woman in the potions shop giggled, eyes narrowing playfully as she wiped her hands on her apron.
"Today is my sister's birthday. If I didn't bring her a cake, she would be mad!" he called back, already halfway past her stall.
The boy ran through the road filled with lights that had Runic stones. He had golden hair, which looked like silk when illuminated in the evening sun. He wore a plain shirt with brown pants and a pendant hanging around his neck. The buildings and homes gleamed with intricate craftsmanship and innovation, impressive in every sense of the word. It was built from magic, shaped by dwarven engineering and enchanted by elven artistry.
It was more advanced than anything Earth ever had.
A beastkin child darted past him, ears twitching as she waved.
"Morning, Lucien! Did Master Dolan hit you again?" she giggled, tail flicking behind her.
"Not today," Lucien lied, rubbing the back of his head to sell it. "I escaped."
An older vendor polishing a longsword laughed, the blade reflecting the lantern light.
"Hah! That old brute's been trying to turn you into steel. One day you'll be harder than his hammers," he cackled.
"I'd rather not," Lucien replied, dodging a cart of fruit as it rolled by. "I like being alive." He meant it. His voice dropped slightly at the end.
A pair of girls slowed as he passed, whispering behind their hands, eyes tracking him.
"Look, it's him again." One nudged the other, cheeks flushed.
"He's gotten cuter, hasn't he?" the other murmured, smiling behind her palm.
Lucien's ears turned red. He ducked his head. He wasn't used to attention.
Not in his previous world. Here, people actually noticed him.
Lucien reached the front of the food stall, catching his breath.
Ten days. That's how long it had taken for Albert to accept reality. This wasn't a dream anymore. This was the world of Embers in the Sky, the game he had played more times than he could count.
This was a world filled with magic, filled with races other than humans, and built with infrastructures that weren't possible in his original world. He was currently in a city near the capital, living with his family.
He possessed the body of a commoner named Lucien who had no connection to the events of the game. Commoners usually had a tough time surviving this game's stages.
But he did not think about all that. After transmigrating, he slowly started getting used to this life, working in the dwarf's workshop to make swords, then running back to his family. His father and mother were both warriors who worked as bodyguards for the merchants staying in this city.
"A vanilla cake, please," Lucien said as he gave 20 Cronos, placing the coins gently on the counter.
Cronos was this world's currency.
"Here you go." The shopkeeper woman gave it to him after packing it up in a box, sliding it forward with a smile.
He started running again.
Every person born in Eldaria carried a fragment of magic, something the mages called Mana Core.
When a citizen reached adulthood, that spark either ignited into a System or the person was fated to live a mortal life. Most commoners awakened basic paths: Strength Enhancement, Minor Elemental Affinity, or Crafting weapons.
But true prodigies, those chosen by fate or cursed by it, awakened advanced systems which would help them choose a better path, be it warrior, mage, or even an assassin.
Lucien's parents belonged to the old generation of warriors, people who awakened without academies, guided only by instinct and battle. The academies today provided structure and protection, attunement chambers, elemental stabilisers, mana regulators, and tools to prevent systems from devouring their users.
Lucien also had his own system. He slowed as he looked in front of him. A screen appeared.
[SYSTEM LOCKED]
But it was useless now. Only passing the entrance ceremony of the academy would help him unlock his abilities.
However, having a system means having a contract for life. If you couldn't fulfil the system, you couldn't advance to any levels.
He finally reached the front door of his house. Looking inside, he saw a small female version of him sitting, moping about something. That was Lucien's twelve-year-old sister.
Lucien slowly stepped in before shouting, raising the cake like a trophy.
"Happy birthday, Lily!" His voice boomed through the room.
"Waahh-"
Lily, suddenly startled by her brother, shouted in horror, nearly falling off her chair.
Lucien's mother returned just as he set the cake down, her armour clinking as she unstrapped it. A scar across her cheek glimmered faintly, runes pulsing like cooled embers beneath the skin. His mother had yellow hair same as theirs, her face had a mature look with blue eyes.
"Back already? Dolan didn't throw you into the forge today?" she teased, leaning the breastplate against the wall.
"He tried," Lucien muttered, rubbing his arm like the memory still stung.
"But I'm fast," he added, as his father laughed, a deep rumble that shook the table. He tousled Lucien's hair with a gloved hand.
"Good. Agility will keep you alive longer than a tough skull. Remember that when the academy starts," his father remarked, gaze steady and full of meaning. He had red hair and a well built body like a barbarian. He had a playful face.
"Academy?" Lucien asked, confused, blinking rapidly.
"Yes!" his father said as he picked out a notice, parchment crackling.
[❖ ELDENCREST ACADEMY ❖ OFFICIAL SELECTION NOTICE
To: Citizens of the Human Continent
We hereby invite all youths aged 19 to the Academy's Selection Process, commencing tomorrow in the Capital.
Undertake the trial to unlock your System and awaken your abilities.]
Lucien swallowed. He didn't expect it to arrive this fast.
"Do you think I'll awaken something good?" His voice was barely above a whisper, eyes fixed on the notice.
His mother paused, studying him with gentle eyes, hand resting on her hip.
"You'll awaken what belongs to you. Power isn't about what you want, Lucien. It's about who you choose to become," his father nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder, grip firm and reassuring.
"And no matter what happens, fire, ice, or nothing at all, we're proud of you." His voice carried a steady warmth.
Warmth settled in his chest. He took a piece of the cake and smeared it on Lily's face with a mischievous grin.
"You idiot! Take this!" Lily retaliated as she took a handful of cake and chased him.
Everyone's laughter filled the house.
This... this was what he prayed for. Lucien said to himself, smiling.
A place to belong.