Lightning.
That was the last thing Philip remembered.
The white flash.
The smell of something burning.
Then nothing.
...
Damon slowly opened his eyes.
For a moment, he just laid there quietly.
No thunder.
No rain.
More importantly...
No sounds from John and his girlfriend trying to destroy another bed frame at six in the morning.
Damon blinked once.
"This is already better."
His head suddenly throbbed painfully.
A flood of memories crashed into him so quickly that he almost sat up in panic. Different faces. Different places. Names he didn’t recognize somehow felt familiar.
But the pain faded just as fast.
And when Damon looked around the room again, everything matched perfectly.
The room was massive.
Not the fake luxury kind he used to see online.
Real luxury.
Dark polished floors stretched across the room while silver patterns ran along the walls like flowing rivers. Tall windows let warm sunlight pour inside, and the curtains looked expensive enough to pay his old apartment rent for years.
A crystal chandelier hung above him quietly.
The bed alone was bigger than the room he used to share with John.
Damon slowly sat up while staring around.
"So this is how rich people sleep..."
Even the air smelled expensive.
The room carried a calm scent of wood and fresh flowers while faint blue lights glowed along the corners of the ceiling. They weren’t electric lights either.
Aether- powered lamps.
Real ones.
Damon finally looked down at himself.
Smooth skin.
Younger body.
No stress belly from years of gaming and instant noodles.
He touched his face slowly.
Then the memories settled completely.
Damon Calloway.
Young master of the Calloway family.
One of the Great Families ruling Haven’s Edge City.
And just like that, Philip accepted it almost instantly.
Honestly?
After getting struck by lightning twice, adapting became surprisingly easy.
Damon got out of bed and walked toward the large mirror nearby.
A handsome young man stared back at him.
Silver black hair.
Sharp jawline.
Clear skin.
Purple eyes carrying a faint glow.
Damon stared for a few seconds before nodding seriously.
"John would hate this."
The corners of his lips lifted slightly.
The memories continued flowing naturally now.
This world had changed long ago.
Human civilization no longer ruled peacefully like before. Large areas across the world had become unstable after the appearance of distorted zones.
Places overflowing with violent Aether energy.
Storm regions.
Frozen wastelands.
Burning lands.
Endless forests filled with monsters.
Humans called the creatures inside them Aether Beasts.
And the worst part?
The zones kept growing.
Mutating.
Expanding.
They were ranked from E Rank all the way to EX Rank, and entire cities now existed around them, constantly fighting to survive while harvesting the resources hidden inside.
Haven’s Edge City was one of those cities.
A medium sized city surrounded mostly by lower and middle ranked zones.
Dangerous enough to require strong fighters. Safe enough for civilization to grow.
Humanity had abandoned normal weapons years ago because guns and explosives became nearly useless against stronger beasts. Instead, people awakened Aether Cores and learned to control elements.
Fire.
Wind.
Ice.
Earth.
Lightning.
The stronger the bloodline, the stronger the awakening.
And the Calloway family...
Specialized in lightning.
Damon went silent for a second.
Then he laughed softly.
"So I died to lightning and woke up in a lightning family?"
Honestly, that sounded personal.
Still...
His mood only improved.
He had gone from sharing an apartment with a roommate who treated privacy like a myth...
To waking up as a rich young master with servants, status, and power.
This was the kind of luck reversal people wrote novels about.
And the best part?
His awakening.
Damon’s eyes sharpened slightly as the memory surfaced.
One week ago, he awakened an Aether Core ranked at the highest level possible.
Legendary Grade, White Core.
The kind of talent that only appeared once in generations.
The moment his core appeared, the entire family had nearly lost their minds.
Since then, Damon had basically become the family treasure.
Protected.
Praised.
Spoiled.
Damon folded his arms calmly.
"Alright," he muttered. "Maybe getting struck was worth it."
At that moment, the room doors suddenly opened.
Several maids hurried inside.
"Young Master!"
"You’re awake!"
"We’re behind schedule!"
Damon blinked.
The women immediately moved around the room like trained professionals.
One prepared clothes.
Another brought water.
One already stood beside him holding a towel before he even asked.
Damon searched through his new memories quickly before realizing why everyone looked so nervous.
Today was the Element Ceremony.
The official confirmation ceremony held once every year.
Everyone who awakened their Aether Core would publicly reveal their element while their core rank was reconfirmed before nobles and important families.
Normally it was important.
But for Damon?
Today was basically the main event.
A legendary core user appearing in Haven’s Edge was massive news.
Damon honestly felt curious himself.
This was the kind of thing he used to read about online while eating noodles at 2 AM.
Now he was living it.
And in luxury too.
Not bad.
The maids quickly began preparing him.
One brushed his hair carefully while another adjusted his clothes. Someone handed him breakfast while another asked what drink he preferred.
Damon almost felt overwhelmed.
"Do rich people always live like this?"
One of the maids smiled softly.
"Young Master deserves the best."
Damon looked at her.
Then at the others.
And finally understood something.
These girls were trying very hard to stay close to him.
Some adjusted their uniforms a little too much whenever he looked over.
Others leaned closer than necessary while helping him dress.
One nearly pressed herself against his arm while fixing his collar.
Damon wasn’t stupid.
A future powerhouse from a Great Family?
Every servant in the mansion knew what that meant.
Status.
Protection.
Opportunity.
Maybe even marriage if someone got lucky enough.
One maid bent slightly while helping him with his boots, giving him a very dangerous view.
Damon immediately looked upward like a righteous man.
"I suddenly understand nobles a little better now."
The maid covered her mouth while laughing quietly.
Honestly, this felt unreal to him.
In his previous life, women barely noticed him unless they needed help carrying groceries.
Now?
People smiled the moment he entered a room.
Damon clicked his tongue internally.
"Strength really changes everything."
And honestly, he liked that logic.
Simple.
Direct.
Fair in its own brutal way.
Once the preparations finally ended, Damon stood before the mirror again.
Black and silver ceremonial clothes rested perfectly on him while faint lightning patterns flowed along the fabric. The outfit looked elegant without feeling overly flashy.
A noble.
A genius.
The future of the Calloway family.
Damon looked at himself calmly.
Then smiled slightly.
"Alright," he said. "Let’s see what this world has for me."
And with that, he stepped out toward the ceremony hall.