Prologue: Before It All Changed

Alex sat in the backseat of his father's car, staring out the window as the city lights blurred past. The cool evening air seeped in through a slight crack in the window, carrying the distant sounds of traffic and the occasional honk from an impatient driver. His backpack sat beside him, half-zipped, a few loose papers sticking out from the edges. He had forgotten to pack it properly—again.

"Did you finish your homework this time?" his mother asked from the front seat, her tone light but expectant.

"Yeah," Alex muttered, though he wasn't sure if she believed him.

His father chuckled. "That's not very convincing, kiddo."

Alex sighed, slumping back into his seat. "I did most of it," he admitted.

His mother shook her head with a small smile. "Just don't let it pile up. You know what happened last time."

He did know. He could still remember the hours he had spent scrambling to finish his assignments before school, fueled by sheer panic and too much caffeine from the energy drink his friend had dared him to chug. Not his finest moment.

"School's not that bad, is it?" his dad asked, glancing at him through the rearview mirror.

Alex shrugged. "It's fine. Just... boring, I guess."

In truth, it wasn't just boring—it was predictable. Every day felt the same. Wake up, go to school, listen to lectures, come home, repeat. The only things that made it bearable were video games, anime, and hanging out with his friends. He had dreams—bigger ones—of adventure, of being more than just another student sitting in a classroom.

But dreams were just that—dreams.

He sighed and turned his gaze back to the window, watching the cityscape pass by. The world outside felt so much bigger than his life, like something just beyond his reach, waiting for him to find it.

If only something exciting would happen.

He had no idea that soon, everything would change.

That soon, the life he knew—the normal, safe, predictable life—would be gone forever.

And that he would wake up in a world where survival wasn't about grades or homework—but about strength, instinct, and the will to keep moving forward.

A world where he wouldn't be Alex, the ordinary student…

But something far greater.

Something completely different.