Raymond

| Prologue |

I could foresee what was about to unfold. A minor butterfly effect resulted from the adjustments I made to the course of events.

How should I articulate this...?

Somehow, I possessed an extraordinary gift. I experienced reincarnation, a trope often found in stories. And I made the most of it. What can I say? Well, because this mundane child was granted an opportunity for significant change.

[Chapter One: Awakening Ceremony!]

[Status: Completed!]

[Congratulations on completing the chapter. Skills unlocked. Hidden chapters organized. Points tallying: Original rewards stored in the treasure box.]

The unexpected events in my life were these. I could alter the expected outcomes in this life I found myself in. I was merely a character in a story I was unaware of, yet I was bestowed with the ability to reshape it, even though I was unaware of it.

This gift? It resembled regression, but limited to that aspect. I remained unaffected by the butterfly effect since I knew, with each chapter, what would transpire after a single alteration in the original narrative.

| Chapter One |

Raymond was an orphan, distanced from society. He was part of it, technically, but he chose not to engage with it.

His parents passed away when he was ten years old, and since that day, he changed. He became detached and merely complied with everyone's expectations.

Truthfully, living up to their expectations wasn't challenging. Well, it was because their expectations were so low that they had nothing significant to anticipate from him.

He was an unconventional child, avoiding social interactions. What more could they expect from him?

Raymond was akin to a speck in a masterpiece. Not highlighted, yet he contributed to the overall picture.

Despite his withdrawn nature, he possessed remarkable intelligence for his age. Despite being only ten years old, he already demonstrated maturity and rational thinking.

Otherwise, how could he maintain such a detached demeanor, devoid of expression? It seemed implausible, given his background in a loving family.

That marked a shift in his personality, a drastic one that would be improbable for a typical child. Hence, to live without burdens, Raymond chose to maintain this facade.

But what consequences awaited him for distancing himself from society? No one would look out for him. He was just a child surviving off the charity of others. Why should they care?

And so, he perished, unnoticed, without anyone shedding tears for him. He perished... from a stab wound. And was it labeled an accident?

Yet, the truth behind it was so sinister that it remained undiscovered. He was slain by a classmate who pitied him for a shallow reason.

As he remained stoic, this classmate of his sought to at least forge a "friendship" with him. However, Raymond's indifference provoked a violent side lurking within this child's psyche.

How could a 12-year-old commit such a crime? There was a hidden aspect to this mystery, one even the perpetrator didn't comprehend.

As Raymond met his demise, his classmate spun the incident as an accident, gaining sympathy and attempting to save Raymond. But it was too late, and the last smile belonged to this classmate.

...

It was dark, stifling, and surreal. Raymond's consciousness was shrouded in darkness until gradually, a light pierced through. Raymond awoke, greeted by an intense headache. Not a physical ache, but an internal turmoil within his mind.

He gingerly opened his eyes, gazing at a wooden ceiling in an unfamiliar setting. He lay in silence, processing the realization that he had passed away.

Slowly, he exhaled, confused. If he had died, how could he sense the air and feel the soft blanket enveloping him?

These thoughts swirled in Raymond's mind as he collected himself, observing his surroundings with a composed demeanor.

He then rose from his bed, scanning the small room with wooden walls, resembling a humble dwelling in a rural village.

These were his assessments, reminiscent of descriptions found in novels and games. Yet, he couldn't shake off the notion that his death had been nothing more than a dream.

"Unbelievable. It defies logic. However, this seems more plausible than the absurd notion of reincarnation," he mused to himself.

While it was a fleeting fantasy in his mind, he entertained the possibility of being reborn or transmigrated.

Dismissing such thoughts, he surveyed his environment, noting a village outside the open windows.

Moments later, a searing pain gripped Raymond's head, causing him to writhe in agony. He clutched his skull as he endured the torment, his body inadvertently colliding with the furniture in the room.

He stumbled and fell, grunting as he rose to his feet, grappling with the inexplicable pain. What triggered this sudden agony? It was a puzzle he could only ponder.

Resting against the bed, he muttered to himself, "What was that? It came out of nowhere. Something's amiss."

He acknowledged his bewildered state, attributed to the conflicting variables assaulting his memories and beliefs, leaving him disoriented.

Taking a deep breath, Raymond resolved to uncover the truth behind his confusion. He made his way to the door, intent on unraveling the mystery shrouding his existence.

Before he could grasp the doorknob and step outside, he succumbed to unconsciousness, the impact audible enough for those outside to hear.