Blackdemon720

Adrian Voss, a brilliant strategist, is killed by betrayal and wakes up in the past, reliving the moments before his downfall. With memories of his previous life intact, he must navigate a mysterious loop where enemies and allies alike are not what they seem. As he battles fate itself, Adrian faces a sacrifice that will change everything.

Haunted by cryptic whispers and a strange symbol, Adrian realizes his second chance may be part of a larger, unseen game. With each decision, the stakes grow higher, and the boundaries of time itself begin to blur. To break the cycle, he must outsmart not only his enemies but also the very forces that control his fate.

Alight, that is my first time doing this, so don't expect it to be perfect. XD

The Eternal Strategist

The moment Adrian's hand made contact with the throne, the world around him erupted. A blinding light filled his vision, swallowing everything, as if the very nature of reality was being rewritten. For an instant, there was only light—bright, intense, and consuming. Adrian could feel his body disintegrating under its power, his thoughts scattering, his very sense of self threatened by the vastness of the energy that surged through him.

And then, as quickly as it came, the light was gone.

Adrian found himself standing in a vast, empty space. It was neither dark nor light—it was just absence. There were no walls, no ground, no sky. Only an infinite void that stretched in every direction, devoid of any sense of time or space.

The figure was cloaked in shadow, its face obscured by darkness. But even without seeing the face, Adrian knew. It was him.

The reflection of his soul—the version of him that had been lost to the cycle, the one who had failed over and over again. This was the Adrian who had walked the path countless times, only to fail at the final moment.

"You already know how this ends," the doppelgänger spoke. Its voice was eerily calm, a twisted reflection of Adrian's own. "You die."

Adrian's heart stuttered. His breath caught in his throat. The weight of the words was crushing. He had known this moment was coming. He had seen this vision before, in the fog of his dreams, in the whispers of the past. But now, standing face to face with his own reflection—his true reflection—he realized just how far he had fallen.

"No," Adrian said, his voice steady despite the dread that clawed at him. "Not this time."

The figure smiled—a cold, knowing smile that sent a chill down Adrian's spine. "Then prove it."

In a flash, the world around him solidified. The empty void was replaced by the battlefield—the same one he had just left behind. The skeletal soldiers, the endless echoes, the ruined banners, they all returned. And in the center of it all stood his reflection, holding a sword of pure darkness, ready to strike.

Adrian gripped his sword tighter, preparing for what was to come. The battle had begun.

Chapter 27: The Final Trial