Chapter 1: Awakening of the ethereal blade

The moon shining high in the sky, its silver light glowing across the desolate plains like a beacon. The winds howled through the cracks of this forgotten city, as if singing about the secrets of what is long lost to the time. At the heart of this ruin, a lone figure stood still, his figure dark against the ethereal glow of the stars. The sword in his hand was an ancient relic, its blade chipped and worn, yet imbued with a power that seemed almost... alive and burning.

**Caius Vale**—a man lost to time, a soul who had reincarnated twice slowly opened his eyes for the first time in his new life. Memories of a previous life he once lived flooded his mind, his heart heavy and tighten with the weight of experiences that were no longer his own in this new body.

He stood on the cold stone floor, his body feeling both foreign and familiar. His limbs moved slowly, as though awakening from a deep slumber. With each passing second, the sense of being "alive" seeped back into his bones and mind.

The wind swept across the ruined city, it felt to him like the whole world itself was waiting. Waiting for him.

A soft thud echoed in the stillness of the air, and a woman's voice broke through the silence.

"You've finally awakened."

Caius turned sharply. His eyes met those of a woman standing at the edge of the ruins. She was tall, draped in flowing black robes that billowed around her like a living shadow. Her skin was pale, and her long dark hair shimmered as though the night itself had woven it. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, locked with his, offering no warmth, but only an cold sense of authority.

"Who are you?" Caius asked, his voice rough, as if unused to speech.

The woman tilted her head slightly, studying him with a gaze that seemed to see right through him. "You may call me Seraphine," she said, her voice smooth, each syllable measured. "I've waited for you to awaken. I am the one who has kept the Ethereal Blade in waiting all these years."

Caius blinked, trying to make sense of her words. Ethereal Blade? His gaze flicked down to the weapon in his hand. It was unfamiliar, yet familiar. The blade seemed to pulse with an energy that made his skin tingle, as though it was calling out to him.

He looked back at Seraphine, his brow furrowing. "The Ethereal Blade... What is this?"

Seraphine's lips curled into a faint, almost unnoticeable smile. "It is a weapon of unimaginable power. One that can sever the threads of time, space, and fate itself. Only a very select few can wield it... and you, Caius Vale, are one of them."

Caius felt a weight in his chest, something stirring deep inside him. The memories of his past live… lives filled with war, ambition, and death—surged forward like a tidal wave. In one life, he had been a great conqueror, feared by kingdoms and kings alike. In another, he had been betrayed by those closest to him, leaving him to die in the cold, alone.

"You... you speak of fate," Caius said, his voice lowering. "But fate is a cruel thing for me. It brought me nothing but eternal suffering."

Seraphine's gaze softened for just a moment. "That is why you were chosen. Fate is not something you can escape, but you can learn to control it. The blade you hold is not just a weapon—it is a tool, a key to unlocking your true potential. But to wield it, you must first know about your own power."

Caius looked at the blade again. Its edge was chipped, as though it had been through countless battles. But it hummed with energy, and then a strange bond seemed to form between them, a connection that ran deeper than mere steel and flesh.

"Control... my power?" He couldn't help but scoff. "I've fought my entire life for control over anything and everything. Over kingdoms, over people, over my own destiny. And yet here I am, still bound by fate once again."

Seraphine's eyes narrowed, her expression unreadable. "The power you seek is not found in the world around you, Caius Vale. It lies within you. Deep within, where your true self rests and resets itself."

She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "The blade will guide you, but it will not save you. Only you can save yourself not anyone or anything else ."

Caius's hand tightened around the hilt of the sword. He could feel its power burning beneath his fingers, an energy both foreign and familiar. There was a pulse in his chest, a calling from deep within the core of his being.

"I've lived many lives," he said, his voice a low growl. "And I've learned many things, and this time i will not be anyone's puppet. Not again."

Seraphine's lips parted slightly, but she said nothing. She simply nodded, as if acknowledging something unsaid.

"The journey ahead will not be easy," Seraphine continued, her voice now cool and unyielding. "There are others who seek the power of the Ethereal Blade. Others who would kill to wield its power. You will have to fight for it. And when the time comes, you will need to decide whether you are ready to become the master of your own fate—or if you will let the blade consume you, like everyone before you."

Caius stared at the sword, the weight of her words pressing down on him. He knew the path ahead would not be anything simple. He could feel it—his power, the blade's power, was not something to be taken lightly.

"I'm ready," he said, his voice calmly. "I'll control it. I'll master it. And I will make my own destiny."

---

Seraphine's gaze softened. She turned and began walking toward the ruins, her robes trailing behind her like the shadows of the night.

"Very well," she said, her voice slowly fading into the distance. "Let the trials begin."

Caius stood in the moonlight, the weight of the blade in his hand pressing him. The wind howled again, as though beckoning him to step forward, towards the unknown .

He took a deep breath and followed Seraphine.

Thinking about his final goal to fully master all his powers and the reason for his reincarnation after death everytime and it's relation to the system.

With so many mysteries the future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: He would no longer be a pawn in the hands of fate.

He would become its master no matter how much he has to struggle.