Darkness.
Endless… suffocating darkness.
He couldn't breathe.
His chest felt tight—like something heavy was pressing down on him.
No matter how hard he tried…
no air entered his lungs.
Cold.
A chilling cold spread through his body.
Starting from his fingers…
slowly creeping upward.
His limbs felt numb.
Heavy.
Unresponsive.
"Ngh…"
A faint sound escaped his lips.
Weak.
Almost nonexistent.
Even making that small sound felt exhausting.
What… is happening…?
His thoughts were sluggish.
As if even thinking required too much energy.
He tried to move his hand.
Nothing.
He tried to open his eyes—
but all he saw…
was darkness.
Then suddenly—
a sharp pain spread through his stomach.
Hunger.
But not the normal kind.
It felt like something inside him was…
eating him alive.
His breathing grew slower.
Weaker.
Each breath became harder than the last.
His heartbeat…
was fading.
"Am I… dying?"
The thought appeared suddenly.
Clear.
Cold.
And terrifyingly calm.
Images flashed through his mind.
A small room.
A thin body lying alone.
No one around.
No one coming.
Days passing…
Without food.
Without help.
His fingers trembled slightly.
But even that movement quickly stopped.
His body no longer had the strength.
The cold reached his chest.
Then his neck.
Then—
everything.
His thoughts slowed.
His senses faded.
And finally—
nothing.
…
"Hah—!"
Air rushed into his lungs violently.
His body jerked slightly.
His eyes snapped open.
Light.
Dim… but real.
He stared blankly at the ceiling above him.
Breathing heavily.
As if he had just escaped drowning.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
Each breath burned slightly.
But it was real.
He was breathing.
Alive.
"…What…?"
His voice was dry.
Weak.
Almost unfamiliar.
His body felt strange.
Too light.
Too fragile.
As if even a small push could break it.
Slowly…
he raised his hand.
Thin.
Pale.
Slightly trembling.
This…
isn't mine.
His breathing slowed.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Then—
pain struck his head.
Sharp.
Sudden.
Memories flooded in.
Not his.
Yet…
they felt real.
His breathing slowly steadied, but his mind grew clearer with each passing second. This wasn't a dream. The pain was too real, the weakness in his body too obvious to ignore. Every small movement reminded him of how fragile this body truly was.
He tried to sit up.
His arms trembled immediately, barely able to support his weight. A dull strain spread through his muscles, forcing him to stop midway. Even such a simple action felt exhausting.
"…Tch."
A faint sound escaped his lips, not out of anger, but realization.
This body wasn't just weak.
It was broken.
Left like this, there was only one outcome waiting for him.
Death.
Again.
His fingers curled slightly, the motion slow and heavy. He could feel how little control he had over this body. It didn't respond the way it should. It was as if it had already reached its limit long ago.
His gaze shifted around the room.
Empty.
Silent.
No signs of life anywhere.
No one watching.
No one coming.
Just like before.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Then his expression gradually calmed.
There was no panic in his eyes. No fear.
Only understanding.
"So this is my situation…"
His voice was low, almost steady.
A second life.
Yet nothing had changed.
The same weak body.
The same helpless condition.
If anything… it felt even worse this time, because now he understood it clearly.
The confusion that filled his mind earlier slowly faded away. In its place, something colder began to settle.
Something colder began to settle.
Clarity.
The scattered thoughts in his mind slowly aligned, forming something complete.
Memories that did not belong to him… yet felt undeniably real.
He closed his eyes for a moment, letting them flow.
The name surfaced first.
Arin Solis.
His name.
The same as before.
He frowned slightly.
Of all things… even the name was identical.
Coincidence?
Or something else?
He didn't know.
But right now… that wasn't important.
What mattered was the life this body had lived.
Arin Solis.
A boy born weak.
Not just below average… but fundamentally flawed.
His body had never developed properly. Even basic activities drained him. Walking too far would leave him breathless. Missing a meal would make him collapse.
A life that could barely be called living.
Yet… he wasn't abandoned from the beginning.
His parents had tried.
Daren Solis.
Mira Solis.
The names felt heavy in his mind.
They weren't powerful people.
But they weren't completely ordinary either.
Both had stepped onto the path of cultivation.
His father had reached the fourth stage of the Biological Refinement Stage. His body had adapted enough to endure harsh environments, allowing him to take on dangerous work beyond their home system.
His mother was slightly weaker, only at the third stage. Her bones had strengthened, but her body was still far from stable.
Even so… they left.
Not for ambition.
Not for power.
But for him.
They took dangerous jobs in inter-system zones, places where conflict between planets was common and death was just another statistic.
Every credit they earned…
was meant to keep their son alive.
For treatment.
For survival.
For a future that might never come.
But in the end…
Biological Refinement was not enough.
One mission.
That was all it took.
No final message.
No last words.
Just a report.
Missing.
Presumed dead.
Arin slowly opened his eyes.
The silence in the room felt heavier now.
After that…
this body had been left alone.
At first, there was still something left behind.
Basic supplies.
A small amount of money.
Enough to survive… for a while.
But a body like this…
was never meant to survive alone.
No strength to work.
No strength to go outside.
No one to rely on.
Days passed.
Then more.
Food ran out.
Water became scarce.
The body weakened further.
Until even standing became impossible.
And in the end…
he died.
Not in battle.
Not in glory.
Just quietly.
In this same room.
Forgotten.
Arin's fingers tightened slightly.
Weak.
Still weak.
Nothing had changed.
His gaze hardened, a faint chill appearing in his eyes.
This wasn't a better life.
It was the same ending…
starting all over again.
He took a slow breath.
Steadying himself.
Then quietly—
"If I don't change…"
"…I'll die again."