White.
Endless white.
It stretched in every direction, blinding Alen as though the world itself had dissolved into light.
The sensation of falling had vanished.
Then...
Gravity returned.
"WHOA!"
THUD!
Alen hit the ground face first.
"...Ow."
He lay motionless for several seconds before slowly pushing himself onto his hands and knees.
"...Okay..."
He rubbed his forehead.
"That definitely hurt."
Which meant...
"I'm alive?"
A cool breeze brushed against his face.
The air smelled fresh.
Not like a city.
Not like asphalt after rain.
It smelled of pine trees, damp earth, wildflowers, and something sweet he couldn't identify.
Slowly, Alen looked up.
His breath caught.
Towering trees stretched hundreds of feet into the sky.
Their silver bark shimmered as if tiny stars had become trapped beneath the surface.
Blue vines wrapped around enormous trunks.
Flowers the size of dinner plates glowed faintly in every color imaginable.
Butterflies made of crystal drifted lazily through the air.
"...This..."
He slowly stood.
"...isn't Earth."
His voice echoed through the forest.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Silence answered.
Then he looked up.
His eyes widened.
There weren't one...
There weren't two...
There were three moons.
One was a brilliant silver.
One glowed with soft violet light.
The third burned faintly gold.
They hung peacefully above the forest despite it clearly being daytime.
"...Either I hit my head harder than I thought..."
"...or I'm really in another world."
A cheerful chime interrupted him.
[Location Confirmed.]
World: Namidia
Region: Verdant Frontier
Danger Rating: Moderate
"Oh..."
"So you're still here."
The glowing blue screen appeared before him.
[Affirmative.]
"Do you have a name?"
The screen paused.
[System.]
"...That's not very creative."
[Correct.]
Alen laughed.
"So... what exactly are you?"
Several lines of text appeared.
[Information Restricted.]
"...Seriously?"
[Correct.]
"Can you at least tell me why I'm here?"
Another pause.
[You have been granted a second life.]
[Reason classified.]
"...You're really not helping."
The System remained silent.
Alen sighed.
"Fine."
"If I'm actually in another world..."
"I should probably figure out where I am before something tries to eat me."
Almost immediately...
A rustle echoed from nearby bushes.
"..."
"...Why did I say that?"
The bushes shook again.
Something stepped out.
It looked like a wolf.
Mostly.
Its fur shimmered emerald green.
Leaves grew naturally along its back.
Tiny flowers bloomed around its paws with every step.
It stared directly at Alen.
"So..."
He slowly backed away.
"I assume you're not friendly?"
The creature tilted its head.
Then growled.
"Yeah..."
"I figured."
The wolf lunged.
Alen barely threw himself aside.
Its claws carved deep grooves into the ground.
"...Fast!"
He grabbed the nearest fallen branch.
"This is officially the worst welcome party I've ever had!"
The wolf circled him.
Its emerald eyes never blinked.
Alen swallowed.
"I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing..."
The branch shook in his hands.
The wolf crouched.
Then—
A flash of silver cut through the air.
SHING!
The wolf froze.
A thin crimson line appeared across its neck.
One heartbeat later...
Its head slid cleanly from its shoulders.
The body collapsed without another sound.
Alen stared.
"..."
"...That was..."
"...awesome."
Footsteps approached from behind.
A young man wearing dark blue armor stepped into the clearing.
A longsword rested casually on his shoulder.
He looked to be in his early twenties.
His black cloak bore a crest of a silver sword crossing an open book.
The stranger glanced at the dead wolf.
Then at Alen.
"...You picked quite the place to wake up."
Alen blinked.
"You... speak English?"
The man frowned.
"...What is 'English?'"
Alen froze.
"..."
Then it hit him.
The System wasn't translating their words.
It was translating their meaning.
The stranger lowered his sword.
"You don't seem to know where you are."
"No."
"I really don't."
The man studied him for several long moments.
Then smiled.
"You're either the luckiest fool I've ever met..."
"...or fate has a strange sense of humor."
He extended a hand.
"My name is Kael Ardyn."
"I'm a Magi Sword of the Kingdom of Asteria."
"...And judging by the look on your face..."
"You've just arrived in Namidia."
Alen slowly took his hand.
"...My name is Alen Beta."
"I guess..."
"...I'm starting over."
Far above the forest...
Hidden beyond the clouds...
Hundreds of ancient runes quietly lit for just a single heartbeat.
No one saw them.
Except one.
Deep beneath the roots of the oldest mountain in the world...
A pair of golden eyes slowly opened.
"The Host has awakened."
"The cycle begins once more."
End of Chapter 2