And then... light.
I woke with a gasp, my hand flying to my chest where Celeste's blade had pierced my heart. But instead of the fatal wound I expected, I found smooth skin beneath rough fabric.
Rough fabric?
I looked down at myself. Gone were the enchanted armor and royal robes I'd died in. Instead, I wore a simple tunic and trousers that had seen better days. My hands—they were smaller, younger, unmarked by the battle scars I'd accumulated over fifteen years of warfare.
"What the hell?" My voice came out wrong. Higher. Younger.
"Oh, thank the gods! You're awake!"
I jerked toward the voice and immediately regretted it as the world spun. I was in a cell—stone walls, iron bars, a single shaft of sunlight from a high window. And sitting in the corner, watching me with enormous violet eyes, was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.
No. Not woman. Girl. She couldn't have been more than sixteen or seventeen, with long silver hair that seemed to shimmer in the dim light and delicate features that would make sculptors weep. She wore the tattered remains of what had once been an expensive dress, now filthy and torn.
"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to stand. My legs wobbled like a newborn colt's, and I fell back against the wall.
"Easy! You've been unconscious for two days. I'm Aria." She moved closer, concern etched on her perfect face. "Do you remember what happened? They said you were insane, that you attacked the guards while screaming about demons and the end of the world."
Demons. End of the world.
Memories flooded back—not of this body's life, but of my past. Of Damien Blackthorne, Emperor of Shadows. Of visions of a demonic invasion that would consume all life. Of desperate attempts to unite the world before it was too late.
Of failure.
"I'm not insane," I said carefully, studying this Aria. Something about her tugged at my memory, but I couldn't place it. "What's your name again? And where are we?"
"Aria Luminaire. We're in the dungeons beneath Silverkeep Academy." She tilted her head, silver hair cascading over one shoulder. "You really don't remember? We were in the same carriage when the slavers attacked. You fought them, saved me and the others. But then you started raving about the future and demons, and when the city guards arrived, they arrested you as a madman."
Silverkeep Academy. The name sent a jolt through me. I knew this place—or rather, Damien had known it. The premier magical institution in the Seven Realms, where noble children went to learn sorcery and combat. I'd burned it to the ground during my conquest, killing dozens of students who'd resisted.
But that was—would be?—years in the future.
"What year is it?" I asked urgently.
Aria blinked. "Year 1247 of the Third Age. Why?"
1247. Fifteen years before my death. Twenty years before the demons would invade.
I'd been reincarnated. Sent back in time into a younger body. Given a second chance.
The cell door clanged open, and a guard stepped in—a broad-shouldered man with a cruel smile. "Well, well. The lunatic's awake. And still staring at Lady Luminaire like a lovesick puppy, I see."
Lady Luminaire. The name finally clicked, and my blood ran cold.
Aria Luminaire, first daughter of Duke Luminaire. In my previous timeline, she'd become Celeste's most devoted follower, a holy maiden who'd led armies against me. I'd captured her during the Siege of Radiant Falls, intending to use her as a hostage.
She'd killed herself rather than be my prisoner.
"The headmaster will see you now," the guard continued, grabbing my arm roughly. "On your feet."
I stood, my mind racing. This changed everything. If I was truly back in time, if I had a chance to prevent the mistakes I'd made...
"What about Lady Aria?" I asked.
The guard sneered. "She's to be released to her father's custody. Unlike you, vagrant, she has family willing to pay for her freedom." He started dragging me toward the door.
"Wait!" Aria called out. She stood, brushing dust from her ruined dress with unconscious grace. "What's your name? You saved my life. I should at least know who to thank."
I paused at the threshold, looking back at the girl who would one day hate me enough to celebrate my death. The girl I now had a chance to save, to recruit, to make an ally instead of an enemy.
"Cain," I said, using this body's name—information that had surfaced from fragmented memories. "Cain Ashford."
Her lips curved in a smile that made my chest tighten in an unfamiliar way. "Thank you, Cain Ashford. I won't forget what you did."
The guard yanked me into the corridor before I could respond.
---
The headmaster's office was exactly as I remembered it—though I'd only ever seen it in ruins. Towering bookshelves lined the walls, filled with texts on magic, history, and combat theory. Artifacts from a dozen cultures adorned pedestals and shelves. Behind a massive oak desk sat Headmaster Aldric Stormwind, a man whose steel-gray hair and hard eyes belied his formidable magical power.
In my previous life, I'd killed him personally when he'd refused to surrender the academy.
"Sit," Aldric commanded, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk.
I sat, acutely aware of the two armed guards flanking the door behind me.
"Cain Ashford," Aldric said, leafing through papers on his desk. "Orphan. No formal education. No magical training on record. Yet witnesses say you fought off six armed slavers using combat techniques that would make a veteran soldier envious." He looked up, his gaze piercing. "Care to explain how a vagrant acquired such skills?"
I could lie. Probably should lie. But something told me the truth—or a version of it—might serve me better here.
"I have memories," I said carefully. "Of another life. Another timeline. I know things I shouldn't know. Can do things I shouldn't be able to do."
Aldric's expression didn't change, but I felt the shift in magical pressure as he wove a truth-detection spell around me. Subtle, elegant work.
"And in this other life," he said slowly, "what were you?"
"A conqueror. An emperor. A man who tried to save the world and failed." I met his gaze steadily. "A man who knows that in twenty years, demons will pour through tears in reality and devour everything unless we prepare now. Unless someone unites the Seven Realms before it's too late."
The truth spell flared golden around me, confirming my belief in my own words.
Aldric leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "Fascinating. You're either genuinely insane, or you're telling what you believe to be the truth." He studied me with new interest. "The slavers you fought—you killed three of them with your bare hands and crippled two more. That kind of violence, that level of skill... it matches your claims of military experience."
"I fought in hundreds of battles," I said. "Led armies. Conquered kingdoms. I know war, Headmaster. And I know what's coming."
"The demons you speak of—are they the same ones from the ancient texts? The Void Spawn that nearly destroyed civilization during the First Age?"
My pulse quickened. In my previous timeline, no one had believed the warnings until it was too late. But Aldric was listening, actually considering my words.
"Yes. The barriers between worlds are weakening. In twenty years, they'll fail completely. We need to be ready."
Aldric stood, moving to the window that overlooked the academy grounds. Students moved between buildings, laughing and chatting, blissfully unaware of the doom hanging over their future.
"I'm inclined to believe you," he said finally. "Or at least, to not dismiss you out of hand. Your truth spell readings are genuine, and your skills are undeniable." He turned back to me. "But I have a problem. You're a vagrant with no family, no standing, no legal identity beyond what the city guards have documented. I can't simply release you onto the streets, especially not with the claims you're making."
I waited, sensing an opportunity.
"However," Aldric continued, "I can offer you a place here. At the academy. As a student."
My heart nearly stopped. Silverkeep Academy. The greatest concentration of magical knowledge and combat training in the Seven Realms. In my previous life, I'd been self-taught, learning through trial and error and stolen grimoires. With proper training from the beginning, with access to the academy's resources...
"I accept," I said immediately.
Aldric smiled thinly. "I haven't finished. You would be a special case—a probationary student. You'll be monitored constantly. One wrong move, one sign that you're actually dangerous rather than simply disturbed, and you'll be expelled at best, imprisoned at worst. Additionally, you'll work with our researchers to document these memories of yours, these warnings about the future. If there's any truth to your demons, we need to know."
"Understood."
"One more thing." Aldric's expression turned calculating. "Lady Aria has requested that you be assigned as her personal guard during academy hours. Apparently, you made quite an impression. Given that you saved her life, and given that her father Duke Luminaire is one of our primary benefactors, I'm inclined to grant this request. Consider it part of your scholarship terms."
Personal guard to Aria Luminaire. The girl who would become a saint, a leader, a martyr. The girl I'd driven to suicide through my actions.
This was either the universe's idea of a joke or an opportunity I couldn't afford to waste.
"I'll protect her with my life," I said, and meant it.
Aldric studied me for a long moment. "See that you do. Now, let's discuss your curriculum. Given your... unique background, I think we'll need to adjust the standard first-year program."
As the headmaster outlined combat training, magical theory, and specialized courses in military strategy and leadership, I felt something I hadn't felt in my previous life's final years.
Hope.
I had twenty years. Twenty years to prepare for the demon invasion. Twenty years to forge alliances instead of conquering through fear. Twenty years to become not a tyrant, but a true leader.
And standing at my side would be the very people who'd once been my greatest enemies.
Starting with Aria Luminaire, the Silver Saint who'd celebrated my death.
This time, I'd make her fall in love with me instead.
---
The guard escorted me to the student dormitories as the sun set, painting the academy's white towers in shades of gold and crimson. I'd been given a room in the scholarship wing—modest but comfortable, with a bed, desk, and small window overlooking the training yards.
I'd also been given uniforms, basic supplies, and a schedule that started at dawn tomorrow.
But sleep wouldn't come easily, despite my body's exhaustion. My mind raced with plans and possibilities. In my previous life, I'd been reactive, responding to threats with overwhelming force. This time, I needed to be smarter, more careful.
The demon invasion was inevitable—I'd seen it in visions even before my first death, and nothing I'd done had prevented it. But I could change how humanity faced it. United instead of divided. Prepared instead of caught off-guard.
I needed allies. People with power, influence, skills. People I could trust.
The problem was that my previous life had taught me trust was a liability. Every person I'd loved, every friend I'd made, had either betrayed me or been killed because of their association with me.
Celeste, who'd put a sword through my heart.
General Marcus, who'd sold military secrets to my enemies.
Even my own brother, who'd tried to poison me to claim the throne.
A knock at the door interrupted my brooding.
I opened it to find Aria standing in the corridor, now dressed in a clean academy uniform—a white blouse and deep blue skirt that marked her as a noble-class student. Her silver hair had been washed and braided, and she looked every inch the aristocratic lady.
"Lady Aria," I said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
She smiled, but there was something sharp in it. "I wanted to thank you properly. May I come in?"
I hesitated, then stepped aside. She entered, moving with unconscious grace to the window, looking out at the darkening grounds.
"You know," she said softly, "when those slavers attacked the carriage, I was terrified. I've trained in magic all my life, but I'd never actually faced real violence before. Real danger." She turned to face me, violet eyes luminous in the lamplight. "But you weren't afraid at all. You moved like violence was an old friend. Like you'd done it a thousand times before."
"I have," I admitted.
"In your other life?"
So she'd heard about that. Of course she had—in a place like this, gossip spread faster than wildfire.
"Yes."
Aria moved closer, studying my face with unnerving intensity. "I believe you. I don't know why, but I do. And if what you say about the demons is true, if we only have twenty years..." She took a breath. "Then we need to be ready. We need to prepare. And we need people who know what real war looks like."
"You want to learn from me," I realized.
"I want to survive what's coming. And I want to help others survive too." Her hand reached out, fingers brushing my arm. "Teach me, Cain. Teach me everything you know. Not just how to fight, but how to lead. How to win."
In my previous life, Aria had been a brilliant commander, beloved by her troops. She'd nearly defeated me during the Siege of Radiant Falls through sheer tactical genius and inspirational leadership.
And now she was asking me to train her.
The universe definitely had a sense of humor.
"Alright," I said. "But you need to understand—real war isn't like the stories. It's not glorious or noble. It's ugly and brutal and it will change you."
"I know." Her hand tightened on my arm. "But I'd rather change and survive than stay pure and die."
Smart girl.
"We start tomorrow at dawn. Meet me in the training yard."
Her smile was radiant. "Thank you, Cain. You won't regret this."
As she left, closing the door softly behind her, I couldn't help but think about how different this felt from my previous timeline. Then, Aria and I had been enemies, our every interaction poisoned by war and hatred.
Now, she looked at me with trust and admiration.
I could work with this.
I could absolutely work with this.
Twenty years to save the world.
And along the way, maybe I'd collect a harem of the most powerful women in the Seven Realms.
After all, in my previous life, I'd conquered kingdoms alone.
This time, I'd do it properly—with allies, companions, and perhaps even lovers at my side.
Starting with the Silver Saint herself.