Inside a modest house, on the second floor, a boy is fast asleep. He has striking golden hair and is dressed in simple clothes.
A loose linen shirt covered his upper body, its sleeves reaching down to his wrists. Over it, he wore a small waistcoat that fit snugly around his torso.
His trousers ended just below the knees, leaving his lower legs exposed. Simple stockings covered his legs.
Suddenly, his eyes fly open.
He springs up, standing straight on the bed, scanning his surroundings with a sharp, guarded gaze as if preparing to face an enemy.
"Where... where am I?" he thinks to himself, his eyes darting around the room.
Right then, a sudden realization hits him. He takes a deep breath, filling his lungs effortlessly. I can actually breathe properly. That was nearly impossible back inside that prison.
Puzzled, he looks down at his hands and body, noticing immediately how small and fragile they feel. Even his old body had been small compared to his peak, but it was never this scrawny.
He spots a mirror across the room and rushes over to it. Standing in front of the glass, the truth dawns on him with crushing clarity.
"This is my own face... just five years younger."
Ethan de Costa—yes, that was his name.
He mutters to himself, "If my memories are correct, this definitely has to be my body of 175 years in the past."
A wave of heavy confusion clouds his mind. "But how on earth did I travel back in time? What actually happened after I died?"
Despite the endless questions swirling in his head, a sudden rush of elation takes over. A wide, knowing smile spreads across his face, and he whispers into the empty room:
"My dear brother... Arthur."
"My dear little brother... by killing me, you’ve given me the greatest gift of all. I can’t believe it. Thank you so much for killing me!"
"I still can’t believe it..."
"Not only did I transmigrate into this world..."
"But after dying once, I’ve actually been reborn as well."
He couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Just how lucky can his fate possibly be?
He bit down on his own finger.
The moment he felt the pain, his expression lit up with even greater excitement.
"I really came back..."
His voice trembled with disbelief.
"I really came back!"
Then A sudden realization struck him.
The Emperors who would one day shake the world hadn’t even been born yet.
The countless opportunities that would eventually fall into the hands of others were still waiting to be discovered.
Everything was still up for grabs.
Those opportunities...
They can all be mine.
In his previous life, he had tried to live as a good person.
And what had that kindness given him?
Betrayal.
His fire demon bloodline had been stolen from him.
He had been imprisoned for a hundred years.
And the one who had imprisoned him was his own younger brother.
Arthur slowly clenched his fists.
If this world wants me to walk the same path again...
Then no.
This time, I won’t.
His eyes grew cold.
"My little brother..."
"And everyone else who wronged me..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"This time, every single one of you will pay the price for what you’ve done."
his laughter cuts off, replaced by a cold, calculating look.
First, I need to figure out the exact date. I know this is my body from five years in the past, but I don’t know the exact timeline.
Just as these thoughts cross his mind, the door to his room swings open.
Standing in the doorway is a boy who looks strikingly similar to him, except for his soft brown hair. He is dressed in clothes much like Ethan’s own. However, what catches Ethan’s attention is the boy’s face and his piercing blue eyes, which carry a heavy, profound sadness.
The boy looks at him and says quietly,
"Brother... you’re awake?"
The moment he laid eyes on his brother, he shuddered involuntarily. Ethan noticed it immediately.
Did I accidentally leak my killing intent toward him? Ethan thought to himself. Given how deeply I loathe him, a bit of killing intent is bound to leak out. He might be a little scared of me now... I need to handle this situation quickly.
Within a split second, a warm, fake smile replaced the cold expression on Ethan’s face. "Did you come to wake me up, Arthur? Look, I’m already up. By the way, what is today’s date?"
In this world, standard calendars did not exist, so dates were usually tracked or spoken of through specific regional events or seasonal markers.
Arthur paused for a moment, looking slightly bewildered. For some inexplicable reason, a strange tremor of fear still lingered in his chest as he looked at his older brother. Yet, he answered,
"Today is August 13th, the year 3105."
Hearing this, a jolt of shock rippled through Ethan.
This is it. This is the exact date when our powers are supposed to awaken.