Night had already fallen over the road.
The truck moved steadily along an almost deserted highway, illuminated only by a few streetlights that cast a pale yellow glow over the rain-soaked asphalt.
Inside the cab, Matsuda Ren, a twenty-eight-year-old man, drove in silence, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
In one hand, he held a photograph, its edges already worn by time.
In the picture, he and Misaki smiled at the camera.
They looked happy.
Still wearing their school uniforms.
As if they truly believed that moment would last forever.
Ren slowly brushed his thumb across the photograph.
His eyes remained fixed on her smile.
“I really believed we loved each other…”
His voice was barely audible.
Almost a whisper.
“You changed after joining that new agency…”
He lowered his gaze.
“You were always surrounded by strangers… people I had never even met…”
Silence filled the cab once again.
Ren gently touched Misaki’s face in the photograph with his finger.
As if he could somehow reach her through that small piece of paper.
There were no answers.
Only the distant sound of another truck passing along the highway.
With a weary sigh, he picked up his smartphone while continuing to drive along the long, straight, rain-soaked road.
Perhaps he only wanted to distract himself.
To escape his own thoughts.
But fate seemed unwilling to grant him even that.
Without realizing it, he opened the official page of Misaki’s talent agency.
And then…
He saw her.
Misaki.
Smiling brightly in front of the cameras.
Standing beside a foreign man.
Tall.
Elegant.
Handsome.
The wedding rings on both of their hands shone clearly beneath the lights.
They looked happy.
Far too happy.
Misaki laughed while speaking in Italian.
Ren couldn’t understand a single word.
He didn’t have to.
Her smile already told him everything.
His hands began to tremble.
Slowly…
He turned off the phone.
The cab fell into darkness once again.
“I don’t even have the courage to face everyone at Aoi’s gathering…”
His voice cracked before he could finish.
There was no reply.
No comfort.
Only the silence of the night.
The seconds passed slowly.
Then…
Ploc.
A single tear fell onto the truck’s carpet.
Then another.
And another.
Ren remained completely still.
Until he slowly raised a hand to his face.
His shoulders began to tremble.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
As though he could force the pain back inside.
But it was already too late.
His voice finally broke.
“Where did I go wrong…?”
“Was it because I spent so long mourning my parents…?”
“Little sister Touka… at least you’re independent now…”
The night remained silent.
Indifferent.
Inside that truck, illuminated only by the moonlight, Ren sat alone…
Holding onto a photograph of a love that no longer existed.
Until…
Two headlights appeared in the distance.
Rapidly approaching.
Bright.
Blinding.
They rushed straight toward him.
The light hit his face.
Ren’s eyes widened.
“Damn it!”
His heart skipped a beat.
Only then did he realize…
The truck had drifted into the opposite lane.
His hands shook as they gripped the steering wheel.
He jerked it violently.
The tires screamed across the wet asphalt.
For a brief moment, the truck swayed dangerously before returning to its own lane.
Ren struggled to breathe.
His chest hurt.
His mind was still drowning in thoughts of Misaki.
In memories.
In pain.
Then a deafening horn shattered the silence.
HOOOOOOONK!!
A car was right behind him.
Its driver refused to stop honking.
Instinctively, Ren pressed the accelerator.
With one hand, he wiped away the tears still running down his face.
“I don’t have time for this…”
His voice came out hoarse.
Broken.
“I still have to…”
The words never left his mouth.
His eyes finally focused on the road ahead.
And his blood froze.
A sharp curve.
Dangerously close.
Far too close.
His eyes widened in horror.
“What…?”
The warning sign flashed past the corner of his vision.
Too late.
Much too late.
“How… didn’t I see that…?”
Panic consumed him.
“Was it… when I closed my eyes…?”
He slammed on the brakes with all his strength.
The entire truck shook violently.
The tires screamed.
The smell of burning rubber filled the cab.
But it wasn’t enough.
The truck was too heavy.
Its speed was too great.
The curve was already upon him.
“No…!”
The truck shot across the road.
The guardrail loomed before him.
And in that instant…
Ren understood.
There was no time left.
No way to correct his mistake.
No escape.
His eyes trembled.
Every voice that had once filled his life echoed through his mind all at once.
Touka.
His friends.
His coworkers.
Their smiles.
Their memories.
The people who had truly cared about him.
“Touka…”
His voice was barely audible.
“Everyone… Misaki…”
CRAAAAASH!!
The guardrail exploded into pieces.
The truck plunged down the steep embankment.
The world flipped upside down.
Twisted metal.
Shattering glass.
Violent impacts.
The truck rolled over…
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Every collision felt as though another piece of reality had been torn away.
Until…
Everything became silent.
He could no longer feel his body.
Nor the ground.
Nor the wind.
Nor the cold.
It was as though only his consciousness remained.
…
“Where…”
“Am I?”
He tried to open his eyes.
Yet somehow…
It felt as though they had never been closed.
Still…
There was absolutely nothing.
No light.
No darkness.
No space.
No time.
Then…
A distant female voice echoed somewhere beyond the void.
“…I did it.”
Another voice answered.
Gentler.
Farther away.
“Welcome…”
“…to my world.”
Ren tried to react.
“…Who?”
Silence returned once again.
Then, suddenly…
He realized he was breathing.
He smelled old wood.
Burning candles.
A faint fragrance of dried herbs.
Ren slowly opened his eyes.
The ceiling above him was entirely made of wood.
He remained motionless for several seconds.
He blinked.
Then slowly sat up on the bed.
He looked around, trying to understand where he was.
“…This doesn’t look like a hospital.”
“It looks more like… a small cabin.”
He carefully examined the room.
A table.
A bookshelf.
Bundles of herbs hanging from the ceiling.
Nothing made any sense.
“Where…”
The door opened.
A young woman with silver-white hair stepped inside first.
Right behind her came a dark-skinned man with short silver hair.
The two stopped the moment they saw him sitting up.
The girl smiled in relief.
“You’re awake…”
Ren looked at both of them.
Then at the clothes they were wearing.
He frowned.
Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke.
“Alright…”
“Can someone explain this to me?”
“Is this… a hospital?”
“I-I don’t even know how I’m still alive!”
The girl blinked in confusion.
“…Hospital?”
An awkward silence filled the room for a few seconds.
She gave a polite bow.
“My name is Mirelya.”
“And this is Garrick.”
“We…”
“…summoned you.”
Silence.
Ren stared at her with an expression that slowly turned into complete disbelief.
“…How am I not dead?”
“What is this place?”
She remained perfectly serious.
“You must be very confused.”
“They say heroes are always like this at first.”
“…”
“…What?”
Garrick crossed his arms.
“You came from another world, didn’t you?”
“She summoned you.”
“You were unconscious for several hours.”
“We thought the ritual might have failed.”
Ren remained frozen.
Mirelya continued.
“This summoning ritual is forbidden for anyone outside the kingdoms.”
“But…”
“We had no other choice.”
Ren slowly lowered his head.
He covered part of his face with one hand.
Took a deep breath.
Then quietly walked toward the door while the two of them watched him.
Without saying another word…
He stepped outside the cabin.
He walked about ten meters away.
Then began pacing back and forth.
Talking to himself.
“What is this…?”
“My truck rolled over…”
“Did I die?”
“No…”
“Did someone revive me?”
“Am I hallucinating?”
He ran both hands through his hair.
“I don’t understand…”
“I don’t understand any of this…”
“The fall was so high…”
“No one could have survived that.”
“…Did I spend years recovering?”
“…Or maybe…”
From the cabin entrance…
Mirelya watched him quietly.
Then spoke in a calm voice.
“Are you alright, Hero?”
Ren let out a slow breath.
“So…”
“This planet…”
“It’s Earth… isn’t it?”
Mirelya immediately noticed how confused he was.
“This planet is called Reia, Hero.”
Ren rubbed his forehead.
“I think…”
“I can officially say I’ve seen everything now.”
Then Mirelya changed the subject.
“Now we need to test your strength…”
“…and your mana.”
“Mana?”
Ren blinked several times.
“Hold on…”
“Mana actually exists?”
“Everything I know about mana comes from video games.”
Garrick tilted his head.
“Video… games?”
“Like the Treasure Games?”
Ren looked at him.
“…What’s that?”
Garrick answered as though it were completely normal.
“The strongest warriors enter an arena.”
“The last one alive must search for a hidden treasure…”
“…while the audience shoots arrows at them.”
Ren stood there completely speechless.
Several seconds passed before he finally asked,
“…And…”
“How many people survived?”
“Only one.”
Mirelya smiled.
“And that lone winner even had a statue built in his honor.”
Ren let out a whistle.
“Then he must have been incredibly strong.”
Garrick nodded.
“He was.”
“So strong…”
“…that he was welcomed into the Demon Army.”
The three of them fell silent for a few moments.
It was Ren who finally spoke again.
“So…”
“There’s really a Demon Army?”
“Are they enemies of humanity?”
Garrick folded his arms.
“Yes.”
“Humans have been fighting them for many years.”
“We’ve lived in constant war.”
“But they’ve never dared to attack the Elves…”
“…or the City of Diversity.”
Ren let out a slow sigh.
“Elves…”
“Right…”
“I guess you can explain all of that to me later.”
“For now…”
“I want to find out whether mana is actually real.”
Mirelya raised her staff.
“I’m a Platinum-ranked mage.”
She pointed the tip of her staff forward.
“Aqua Lance.”
A faint light gathered at the end of the staff.
A moment later…
A sharp lance of water shot forward at incredible speed.
Ren’s eyes widened.
“Whoa…”
Garrick calmly walked toward a large boulder nearby.
He clenched his fist.
BOOM!
The enormous rock split cleanly in half.
Ren stared at him.
“You’re a monster!”
Garrick simply smiled.
“Your turn.”
Ren looked at the broken boulder.
Then at his own hand.
He sighed.
“What?”
“If I punch that thing with all my strength…”
“I’m the one who’s going to break.”
Mirelya answered calmly.
“I can heal minor injuries.”
Ren looked at her.
“But why do I have to do this?”
“Because we want to test your strength.”
Garrick replied.
“You’re a Hero.”
Ren slowly shook his head.
“But I’m not a hero.”
“I’m just…”
“…an ordinary guy.”
He lowered his gaze.
“A guy who failed at life.”
He took a deep breath.
“What is a hero even supposed to do?”
“I’ve never managed to save anyone.”
“I’m…”
“…pathetic.”
Silence settled over the three of them.
Mirelya instinctively reached a hand toward Ren.
Before she could say anything…
Garrick quietly shook his head.
Understanding what he meant, she slowly withdrew her hand.
After a soft sigh, she reached into the small pouch hanging from her belt.
She took out a tiny crystal.
“Before we test your strength…”
“It’s better to check your mana first, Hero.”
She held up the small crystal.
“It’s a portable mana detector.”
“It isn’t as accurate as the official ones…”
“But it should still work.”
She extended it toward him.
“Place your hand on it.”
Ren did as she asked.
Several seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
No light.
No glow.
Ren looked at Mirelya.
“So…?”
She frowned.
“That’s strange…”
“It should have reacted.”
“Even if only a little.”
Garrick remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“Let’s head into the city.”
“They have an official mana crystal there.”
Mirelya nodded.
“Alright.”
Garrick then pointed toward the massive boulder once again.
“But first…”
“We’re testing your strength.”
Ren closed his eyes for a moment.
“Still insisting on that…”
Garrick continued.
“Some Heroes awaken with tremendous physical strength.”
“Others possess extraordinary magical power.”
Ren let out a long sigh.
“Fine.”
He looked at Mirelya.
“If I break my hand…”
She nodded without hesitation.
“I’ll heal you, Hero.”
“I promise.”
Ren slowly walked toward the enormous boulder.
He took a deep breath.
Clenched his fist.
Gathered every ounce of strength he had.
Then…
He threw the punch.
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact was so overwhelming that a gigantic cloud of dust exploded across the area.
Garrick immediately stepped in front of Mirelya and Ren, raising his arms to shield them from the debris.
Several seconds later…
Mirelya lifted her staff.
“Ventus.”
A powerful gust of wind swept through the clearing.
The dust disappeared.
The three of them froze.
The enormous boulder…
…was gone.
In its place remained nothing but a massive crater.
Part of the surrounding vegetation had been blown away.
Several trees farther back had been uprooted by the shockwave.
Ren stared at his own hand.
It trembled uncontrollably.
“T-That’s impossible…”
His voice shook.
“H-How…”
“…did I do that?”
Garrick couldn’t take his eyes off the crater.
“It looks like…”
“…you’re a Strength-type Hero.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Mirelya interrupted immediately.
She continued staring at the destruction.
“This is far beyond human strength.”
She swallowed nervously.
“It’s closer to…”
“…a Demon.”
The two of them slowly turned to look at Ren.
He instinctively stepped backward.
“W-Wait!”
“I’m not a demon!”
“H-Hold on…”
“Those actually exist?”
Garrick took a deep breath.
“No human can do something like this.”
He paused.
“Well…”
“There is one exception.”
He pointed toward the gigantic crater.
“The King of Altherion…”
“…might be capable of it.”
Ren wasn’t even listening anymore.
His eyes remained fixed on his trembling hand.
“I…”
“I was just an ordinary human…”
“I don’t understand…”
Mirelya slowly walked toward him.
“At the very least…”
She offered him a gentle smile.
“With this kind of strength…”
“…maybe we really can defeat the Demon Army.”
Ren looked at both of them in disbelief.
“Y-You’re…”
“…not afraid of me?”
Garrick answered first.
“The moment we decided to summon a Hero…”
“…we were already breaking countless laws.”
Mirelya continued.
“Including laws punishable by death.”
She smiled softly.
“So…”
“We’d rather die trying to save this world…”
“…than die at the hands of the Demon Army.”
Ren remained silent for several seconds.
Then he slowly looked at them.
“…Why?”
“Why did you drag me into all of this?”
“I don’t know anything about this world.”
“I want to go home.”
“…Can I go back?”
Mirelya frowned slightly.
“Go back?”
Garrick answered without hesitation.
“First…”
“Let’s leave this village before someone finds us.”
“After that…”
“We’ll explain everything.”
“We can stop at a tavern.”
“We’ll eat…”
“And answer every question you have.”
“You can decide what you want to do afterward.”
He took a step forward.
“I don’t know what your world was like, Hero.”
“So…”
“We need to talk.”
Ren lowered his gaze.
“I always thought things like this only existed in stories…”
“But… I’m really in another world.”
He stood there in silence for several seconds.
Then he finally nodded.
“…Alright.”
A bitter smile crossed his face.
“I don’t really have anywhere else to go…”
“So…”
“Let’s go.”
The three of them began walking.
After only a few meters, Ren broke the silence.
“My name is Matsuda Ren.”
“I was driving a truck…”
“…and I got into an accident.”
“I was certain I had died.”
Garrick and Mirelya exchanged confused glances.
Then Garrick asked,
“Hero Ren…”
“…what’s a truck?”
Ren stared at him in disbelief.
“W-Wait…”
“You seriously don’t know what a truck is?”
Mirelya suddenly leaned forward with sparkling eyes.
“Is it some kind of magical horse?”
Ren slowly placed a hand on his chin.
“…A magical horse?”
Garrick let out a quiet sigh.
— Let’s get moving.
He glanced at the other two as he started walking.
— If we’re going on a long journey, we’ll need to earn some money first.
Mirelya tilted her head slightly.
— And where exactly are we supposed to get that money?
She narrowed her eyes for a moment.
— You’re not thinking about robbing people…
are you?
Garrick gave her an incredulous look.
— Of course not.
He shook his head.
— We’re going to register as adventurers at one of Valtheris’ guilds.
Mirelya’s eyes lit up.
— Oh…
She smiled.
— Right!
— Adventurers.
— How could I forget?
Ren, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.
— A guild?
He scratched the back of his neck.
— So…
— We’re going to take quests, explore dungeons…
things like that?
A faint smile appeared on Garrick’s face.
— Oh?
He looked at Ren with curiosity.
— You seem awfully familiar with our world.
He raised an eyebrow.
— Are you sure you’ve never been here before?
Ren chuckled softly.
— No.
— It’s just that we have things like that in my world too…
He paused for a moment.
— But only in stories…
books…
and games.
Garrick let out a short laugh.
— Games…
He shook his head.
— There it is again—that word.
Then he started walking once more.
— Fine.
— Let’s get going.
He glanced back at the other two.
— You can explain these “games” to me on the way.
Before he could say anything else…
He suddenly looked up toward the sky.
And stopped walking.
Two moons…
Shone side by side overhead.
A gentle breeze crossed the field.
Ren stared at them for several long seconds.
Then, almost in a whisper, he asked…
“…Where… have I ended up?”
**Author’s Note** Thank you so much for reading *I Died Thinking of You, Reborn in an Unreal World*.
This story is an **indirect sequel** to my previous novel, **Between Goodbye and Forever**.
Although both stories share the same universe and some characters, **you do not need to read the previous novel to understand or enjoy this one**.
This adventure was written to stand on its own, while also offering a few extra details and connections for readers who have followed my earlier work.
I hope you enjoy Ren’s journey.
Thank you for reading, and have a great adventure!