The first two steps of Felix Weaver lasted for only a pair of movements.Crash!Kaelan’s body slammed back into the wet, cold ground of the alley. His right elbow scraped against the rough asphalt, tearing open the new layer of skin that had just formed over the wound. Fresh blood oozed slowly, creeping between the puddles of rainwater."...Hah."Felix let out a short breath. A faint chuckle escaped the corners of his lips."Truly pathetic."He forced both of his arms to prop up his weight. The muscles beneath his young skin trembled violently. A wave of sharp pain pierced from his shoulders, struck his chest, and spread down to his waist, like thousands of invisible needles stabbing him all at once.This vessel refused to move.Felix looked down, staring at his palms covered in purplish bruises."No wonder you died."The sentence slipped out without burden, devoid of any remaining empathy. He was not hurling insults at the original owner, but rather delivering an objective verdict.F

The night still held a lingering chill after the rain. Kaelan stood for a moment at the mouth of the narrow alley. The blood on his sleeves had already dried, while a sharp ache in his chest flared every time he took too deep a breath.He stepped out. One step, then the next. This body had indeed come back to life, but it was far from recovered.I pushed the Mana Core too hard.The cracks within the mana core were still acutely felt deep inside his soul. The external wounds were closing, but the internal injuries had not truly healed. Only a few meters into his walk, his vision suddenly blurred and his steps turned wobbly."Damn it..."Kaelan reached for a lamppost on the edge of the sidewalk, his fingers gripping the cold iron tightly. He forced himself to stand straight. Just a little more. I just need to get out of this place.Yet his body refused to obey commands. His knees lost all strength, and thud, one knee slammed against the pavement. His breath hitched, while the agony from

A tall black iron gate stood before Kaelan. The Garrison family crest was majestically engraved in the center, gleaming under the morning sunlight. The grand mansion behind the gate looked so luxurious that it would make anyone assume its occupants lived a flawless life.Kaelan stood still for a moment. His gaze traced the building stored in this body's memory with a flat expression a place that should have felt like home, yet felt far more unfamiliar than the alley where he had died last night.A day has passed since I disappeared. Did anyone look for me?A small laugh escaped his mind. His birth mother? No. His stepfather? Impossible. His stepbrother... Perhaps that man already thought Kaelan’s body was rotting in some corner of the city.Kaelan pushed the gate open slowly. Creak... The sound of iron echoed softly.Several servants sweeping the courtyard immediately turned their heads. Their eyes widened momentarily. "Y-Young Master Kaelan?"One of the servants hurried to open the m

Morning sunlight had just begun to illuminate the Garrison family mansion grounds as Kaelan stepped out through the main door. A shabby bag slung over his shoulder; the wound on his temple was still covered with a thin plaster, while the bruises at the corner of his lips had not completely faded. He walked straight ahead without stopping or looking back.From a second-floor window, a pair of eyes watched him in silence. Evelyn Garrison gripped the curtains tightly."He didn't even say goodbye..." Her voice sounded faint.Behind her, Victor Blackwood stood calmly. "Let him be."Evelyn turned around. "Do you think he's still angry?"Victor smiled faintly. "A boy his age is just rebelling."Yet deep within his thoughts, Victor wasn't nearly as calm as his expression suggested.Kaelan... what happened to him? There's no way he could change overnight.Westbridge University was beginning to bustle with students. Small groups filled the campus courtyard, while Kaelan walked past the gates wi

The commotion in the campus courtyard slowly began to disperse. Dylan, Mason, and Carter were still blaming one another while picking up their scattered books, whereas Ryan held back a surging fury inside his chest. On the other side, Olivia stood frozen with a face that still struggled to comprehend what had just happened.Kaelan did not look back. To him, they had already lost any value even just to be glanced at.His steps were calm as he walked down the campus corridor toward the faculty building."Kaelan."A female voice called out from behind.Kaelan’s footsteps halted. He turned his head slowly. Lyra Whitmore stood a few meters behind him holding two books and a cup of coffee, her breathing slightly ragged as if she had walked fast to catch up to him."You..." Lyra stopped right in front of him, "...really have changed."Kaelan simply stared at her without expression. Lyra let out a small exhale, then offered a faint smile. "Looks like you finally realized it."Silence.Lyra sp