Chapter 1: A Second Chance Begins

Darkness. Silence. A weightless void surrounded me.

Then—warmth.

As I slowly opened my eyes, blurry shapes filled my vision. My head ached. My body felt... wrong. Lighter. Smaller.

"Where am I?"

I tried to sit up, but the moment I raised my arm—I froze.

A small, delicate hand entered my sight. It wasn't mine.

"What...?"

My heart pounded. I clenched my fist, feeling the softness of tiny fingers. I turned my hand over. It was real. It was mine.

"Did I… get reincarnated?"

As I struggled to process what was happening, two figures hovered over me. A man and a woman. Their faces were filled with joy as they held me close.

"Are these... my parents?"

That thought alone sent a shiver down my spine.

I stared at them, unease creeping into my chest. They looked… happy.

But deep inside, a bitter thought rose.

"I hope they won't be like my parents in my past life."

"I don't want to experience that again."

---

Five Years Later

Five years passed, and in that time, I had learned three things:

1. My name was Cain Vorstheim.

2. My parents, Draven Vorstheim and Monica Nyxveil, were commoners.

3. My past life's scars still haunted me.

Even after years in this new world, I never got too close to them. I spoke when necessary, followed their rules, but always kept my distance. It was safer that way.

But everything changed the day I discovered magic.

It started when I found an old book while cleaning. The cover was worn, the pages yellowed with age. Inside, it spoke of mana, the energy that fueled spells.

"Magic... is real?"

Curiosity burned within me. If it was possible, I wanted to try.

That afternoon, while my parents were busy, I ran straight into the forest.

Deep inside, where no one would see me, I took a deep breath and focused.

Feel it. Reach for it.

A strange warmth stirred inside me, like something buried deep was finally awakening.

Then—

BOOM!

A blinding force shot from my palm, obliterating three trees in an instant. Leaves scattered, dust filled the air, and the ground trembled beneath me.

I stumbled back, my breathing uneven.

"That was… way too strong."

Panic set in. If someone saw this, what would they do? A commoner with magic this powerful—that wasn't normal.

I needed to leave before—

---

That Evening

At dinner, my father casually spoke

"I saw something strange in the forest today," he said, setting down his fork. "Several trees were blown apart. Almost like an explosion."

My hands clenched under the table. My breath hitched.

"Does he know? Will they be angry? Will they hate me?"

I had spent these past five years keeping my distance from them. My past trauma still lingered, making it hard to accept love and care. What if I ruined everything?

I forced myself to stay calm, shoving food into my mouth to hide my reaction. But my father's sharp eyes landed on me.

"Cain," he said slowly. "Do you know anything about this?"

I stiffened.

My mother, Monica, turned to me as well, concern in her gaze.

I wanted to deny it. I wanted to lie. But… I couldn't.

I hesitated, then finally whispered, "...It was me."

Monica's eyes widened. She quickly placed her fork down and leaned closer.

"What did you do? What happened? Did you get hurt? Tell us."

Silence filled the room.

Her voice was urgent—not angry, but genuinely worried.

I hesitated, looking down at my hands. "...I used magic."

"You?" My mother's eyes widened. "Are you saying... you used magic?"

I nodded. "I read about it in a book. I got curious... so I tried it."

They exchanged glances, shock evident in their expressions. Magic was extremely rare among commoners. Most people never awakened it in their lifetime. And yet, here I was—a five-year-old who had just blown apart trees with a single attempt.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Instead of fear, instead of anger—

They smiled.

"Our son has magic," my mother whispered, a smile spreading across her lips.

I blinked. They weren't mad. They were... happy?

My mother turned to my father. "We need to find him a teacher."

Draven nodded. "Agreed. If he has this much talent, we can't let it go to waste."

I stared at them, struggling to process what just happened. They weren't afraid of me. They weren't disgusted.

For years, I had kept my distance. I had believed that if I got too close, I would only be hurt again.

For the first time, I felt something warm spread in my chest.

Hope.

The Next Day

A knock echoed through the house.

When my father opened the door, a woman stepped inside. Long silver hair cascaded down her back, her violet eyes sharp and intelligent. Her pointed ears peeked through her hair, marking her as an elf. She radiated confidence, her presence filling the room with an almost otherworldly grace.

She looked at me and smiled.

"My name is Sofia Valtor," she said. "From today onward, I will be your teacher."

I stared at her, my heart pounding.

"This is it."

A new chapter of my life was about to begin.

And this time, I would seize my destiny.