The three of them sat at the dining table with their heads slightly bowed, hands together in quiet prayer. Luke followed the motion out of habit, yet the words made his chest feel faintly tight. The prayer itself was familiar—its rhythm, its pause, the shared silence—but the meaning behind it wasn't. On the Blue Star, prayers had carried countless names, countless legends layered over one another. Here, there was only one name spoken with certainty.
Aethrone.
Luke repeated it silently in his mind, and the strangeness deepened. In this world, the legends were simple, almost absolute. Nevarth was the world's name, and Aethrone was said to exist before everything else—the First Will. Before land, before sky, before time itself. The god had watched the world grow, and as it grew, so did his happiness.
Luke remembered the stories that had been pressed into his mind over the last six days. After eons, Aethrone planted the first life on Nevarth—a single plant. Then, for reasons no one could clearly explain, the world began to break. To save it, the god divided himself. His Brain became potion to the first plant the World Tree. His blood became vampires. His bones became werewolves. His emotions split into angels and devils, light and shadow. His tears became mermaids and sea monsters. Magic itself scattered into witches. And the final will of Aethrone—became humans.—freedom bound by limitsss
Humans, the favored ones.
The world was said to be divided into nine realms: two of water, four of land, one underground, and two in the skies, each belonging to different races. Holding them together was the World Tree, Lumyras—the living root of all realms. Without it, the legends claimed, Nevarth would drift apart and collapse.
Luke listened to the words echo faintly in his memory and felt a quiet disbelief settle in. To him, it sounded like a fantasy story, something taken from a book rather than reality. No one had ever seen the other races. Humans were the only ones walking the land. The legends said the World Tree intervened to maintain balance and peace, but no one could say how, or when.
"Aethrone guide us, Lumyras hold us, and let the world remain in balance."
The final line of the prayer pulled Luke back to the present.
Evelyn lifted her head and looked at her two children with a gentle smile before standing to serve the food. From her perspective, it was an ordinary evening—her son a little quieter than usual, her daughter already shifting in her chair. The meal was simple but warm, a mix that reflected the blended cultures of their world: sun-warmed flatbread, pan-grilled vegetables, fish curry with white rice, braised chicken, and a bowl of lightly herbed yogurt.
The aroma filled the room.
Luke felt his stomach stir. He had eaten countless dishes in his past life, flavors crafted with skill and excess, but this was different. Eating food prepared by family carried a warmth that no luxury meal ever had. Before he could even reach for his spoon, Rory had already started eating, completely unbothered by manners or timing
"What are you two taking this morning?" Evelyn asked casually as she began eating herself.
Luke smiled, a glint of mischief crossing his eyes. Rory noticed immediately and stiffened, watching him with growing suspicion.
"Ah, Mom, about three days ago Rory—"
"Mmf! Mmf!
A small white hand shot out and covered Luke's mouth mid-sentence.
"Mom!" Rory said quickly, forcing a pitiful smile. "That's today. I'm not eating chicken today, so I told Luke to eat mine. Right, Luke?"
She looked at him with wide, pleading eyes.
Luke didn't know whether to laugh or cry. After a brief pause, Rory reluctantly placed her piece of braised chicken into his bowl. Luke accepted it with a smug expression and began eating, victory written plainly on his face.
Watching the exchange, Evelyn rubbed her temple. "Rory," she said, already tired, "what trouble did you cause this time?"
That was enough to set Rory off. She snapped her head toward her mother, face flushing red.
"What do you mean 'again'?" she shouted. "You always support Luke! Everything I do is wrong, and everything he does is right!"
Before either of them could respond, she jumped up from her chair and ran upstairs, footsteps pounding. The door slammed hard enough to make the house tremble slightly.
Luke opened his mouth to call after her, guilt rising in his chest—but then he froze. His rice bowl was gone. So was the bowl with the braised chicken.
He stared at the empty space, realization dawning
"That's my bowl!" he shouted.
The sound of hurried footsteps raced up the stairs, even faster than before, followed by another loud slam. The house fell silent.
Luke sat there, stunned. Evelyn didn't know whether to laugh or cry at her daughter's performance
"Come on, Mom," Luke said after a moment, shoveling another bite of food into his mouth. "Let's eat. What if she comes back and eats the rest?"
That did it. Evelyn laughed, the tension easing as she resumed eating.
After dinner, Luke offered to clean the dishes, but Evelyn shook her head firmly.
"No. Go rest," she said, her voice filled with concern. "You were drenched in the rain. Take your medicine and lie down. If you feel unwell, we'll go to the hospital."
Luke felt an unexpected warmth spread through him. He felt lucky—fortunate in a way he had never been before. Unlike the stories he remembered, where protagonists were orphans gifted with strange powers, he had been given something far better. A peaceful home. A family.
Even after he insisted he was fine, his mother wouldn't let him touch the dishes. Knowing he couldn't win, Luke headed upstairs, glancing briefly at the door opposite his room.
"Hey, shortie," he called softly toward Rory's door, a grin in his voice. "You owe me chicken. And you should know your big brother isn't a good person."
He slipped into his room, barely holding back laughter. From the opposite room came a small, muffled voice.
"Idiot."
Luke lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts drifted again—to his past life, to this new one. He was satisfied. Truly satisfied. He hoped this world would stay normal, calm, nothing like the dangerous fantasy stories he remembered.
Yet even as he thought that, a quiet unease lingered. This world felt different from the Blue Star. And its legends didn't feel like legends at all and there is more to the story than its showed. some poins didnt add up.
sigh... Even if this world is dangerous, he thought, I hope I can protect this peaceful life… protect this family.
A deep sigh escaped him.
I really want to keep this life. I want to live happily.
Time slipped by without him noticing. When the clock struck midnight, a sharp sensation pulsed like his souls . His felt light flashed faintly, light blooming for just a moment in the darkness.