BEFORE THE ELDERS

Donald was lying there—not just helpless—but dead.

It had happened that when the masked woman drove her dagger into his chest, she didn't just stab him. She opened his chest... and carved out his heart.

When all of this was happening—just like the first time when Morena had put a bullet in his head and chest—what happened defied all known logic.

The normal and known thing throughout the world, across every timeline and dimension, is simple: if you're shot with three bullets—two in the chest and one in the head—the only expected outcome is death. Instant death.

But not in Donald's case.

This guy was something else.

Just like back then, when he'd been presumed dead by Morena, Donald could still see, feel, and hear everything being said—even after death.

And this time was no different.

The only things that were different were the way they killed him, the scenario, the killer, and most importantly—the body.

In his final moments, as his chest was opened and his heart carved out—though he didn't see the entire process—he definitely felt every part of it.

He saw her remove his heart, blood dripping onto him and her arm.

His eyes were wide open.

He was tied.

He was helpless.

He saw her leave him in the room, thinking he had died. And though he couldn't move his head, he could move his eyes—the only part of his body that remained active.

He even watched her walk away.

Apparently, his heart had held so much blood that as she took it away, it dripped all the way across the room.

When she was finally out, he could tell she was talking to someone else. All he heard were muffled voices and muttering.

"So, what did you do to him?"

The voice outside sounded a lot like the man dressed as a wild hunter.

She didn't say anything—but something about her silence made it clear she'd done something.

Donald heard the reaction.

"Now that's messed up," another voice added—this one was unmistakable.

It sounded exactly like the beast-man.

"Hush! Now what about the dagger?"

The wild hunter was now whispering.

"You guys are asking too many questions. In just a few hours, they'll come check on him for the Elders—so we have to leave now."

The woman's footsteps began moving away from the door.

The truth was, when Donald had been held captive in the dungeon, he couldn't tell what time it was. Not because of the heavy rain or the darkness—but because his family's dungeon was so secluded and sealed off.

The only thing that could be considered a window was a set of caged iron bars. Everything else—thick walls and cold, hard floors.

And by the time they had killed him, night had fallen outside.

What proved it was none other than the bright, full moon shining through his bedroom window.

After everything had happened, after the woman had left him, the same dagger she had used to open him up and carve out his heart... was still left inside his hollowed chest.

Though Donald was conscious, he wasn't fully aware that it was him.

It was like the eyes he was seeing through didn't belong to him—but to someone younger, someone afraid.

In his last moments, he felt tears fall from his face—yet they didn't feel like they were his.

Because in such a short period of time, he had already died twice.

He should've been used to it by now.

But this death felt… different.

In an unexplainable way, it felt final.

That's why he felt so many emotions—though he wasn't fully conscious of where he was, or that everything had changed again.

Then, the ding came.

It was the same notification and message board he'd seen before.

---

[ NEW BODY HAS BEEN FOUND ]

[ CHECKING FOR NEW BODY'S COMPATIBILITY ]

[ CHECKING... CHECKING... CHECKING ]

[ BODY CHECKING MAY TAKE TIME ]

---

Three to five minutes passed as the system performed the check.

---

[ DING ]

[ CHECKING HAS BEEN COMPLETED ]

[ INITIATING VITALS CHECKS ]

[ VITALS CHECKING MAY TAKE A FEW MINUTES ]

---

A couple more minutes passed.

---

[ VITALS TOO DAMAGED ]

[ INITIATE HEALING PROTOCOL ]

---

A faint, steady sound echoed through the air—not just any sound, but something deeper.

It sounded like tissues repairing... like cells knitting themselves back together.

---

[ HEALING MAY TAKE AWHILE ]

---

More minutes passed—this time, they dragged on longer than the first checks.

Specifically, it was close to thirty to forty-five minutes.

Buzz. Buzz.

Something interrupted the system.

The message board flashed a big red X.

---

[ HEALING PROTOCOL HALTED ]

[ AN UNKNOWN OBJECT HAS BEEN DETECTED ]

[ CHECKING FOR OBJECT ]

[ CALCULATING... CALCULATING... CALCULATING... ]

[ CALCULATION SUCCESSFUL ]

---

[ OBJECT FOUND ]

[ OBJECT NAME: THE DAGGER OF HEARTS ]

[ MATERIAL USED: IRON OF SERPENTS ]

---

[ DESCRIPTION: THE DAGGER OF HEARTS IS A FORBIDDEN WEAPON THAT IS ONLY FOUND IN THE CAVES OF THE SLITHERIN, THE GODDESS OF SERPENTS. ]

[ FACT: THE DAGGER OF HEARTS IS KNOWN FOR BEING THE ONLY WEAPON THAT HAS THE FORBIDDEN POWER TO TRADE. EXAMPLE: IF THE WIELDER DESIRES RICHES, THEY MUST CARVE OUT THE HEART OF THEIR HUMAN OFFERING. NO OTHER OFFERINGS ARE ACCEPTED. ]

---

[ DAGGER REMOVAL INITIATED ]

---

Out of nowhere, a mysterious being appeared—materialized—above Donald's young but lifeless body.

Her face couldn't be seen.

She had long black hair that fell down to her arms.

Her clothing was strange—she looked wrapped in old, dirty, decaying linen bandages, like a mummy. But this was different. The bandages formed a servant's dress.

She wasn't solid—her form looked pixelated, ghostly.

She reached down and pulled the dagger out of Donald's chest.

---

[ DAGGER HAS BEEN REMOVED ]

[ CONTINUING HEALING PROTOCOL ]

---

As soon as the healing resumed, the pixelated woman stepped off Donald's body.

She stood by his side, still facing him—her face still obscured.

---

[ HEALING PROTOCOL SUCCESSFUL ]

[ CALCULATING FOR COMPARISON ]

[ HOST PROVED TO BE A MATCH ]

[ INITIATING SOUL TRANSFERENCE ]

After the soul transference was initiated, Donald's body had already been completely healed—without a single bruise or mark. The large hole that had been opened in his chest was slowly closing up.

Before it fully sealed, a glimpse of a beating heart could be seen, confirming that the system had done more than just remove the dagger—it had fully repaired his heart as well.

Now, Donald lay on his blood-soaked bed, his upper body exposed. The pixelated lady rose to her feet and, with some unseen power, caused Donald's unconscious body to float in mid-air.

She removed the blood-covered sheets and then took off her old, dirty linen bandage dress. She laid it neatly on the bed. Within seconds, the old and filthy wrappings transformed into fresh, clean white bedsheets.

Then, without hesitation, she took the bloodied sheets she had removed and wrapped them around herself. Like before, the change was instant—the sheets became the same decayed, linen bandage dress.

Carefully and gently, she placed Donald back down on the bed and stood beside him. Waiting. As if she were expecting something.

Then—

[ DING ]

[ SOUL TRANSFERENCE SUCCESSFUL ]

[ INITIATING… ]

Before the system could finish its sentence, a faint heartbeat echoed in the room.

Boom-boom. Boom-boom. Boom-boom.

Just like that, Donald shot up from the bed, as if waking from a nightmare.

He was hyperventilating, drenched in sweat.

Luckily for him, he didn't see the pixelated lady in front of him—because the moment he opened his eyes, she had vanished… and so had the system.

Donald began scanning the room around him. One second it felt familiar, and the next… completely foreign.

Something was off.

Waking up before the system finished its process seemed to have affected him somehow.

It was already the next day. Outside, the sun was shining brightly and birds were chirping beyond the window.

Donald examined everything curiously. Then, deciding to get out of bed, he slid on his slippers and walked into the bathroom, wearing nothing but his underwear.

To his surprise, the bathwater had already been prepared. Without thinking twice, he stepped into the water.

As he passed by the mirror, he failed to notice his reflection. The boy he now inhabited was about five years old, but something else was there too—something strange.

Behind the reflection of the child, a spirit lingered. It wasn't clear if it was trying to harm him… or something else.

The spirit looked older—like a young adult in his early twenties—and it seemed to be trapped inside the child's body.

Donald finished bathing, feeling refreshed. Again, as he passed the mirror, he missed the spirit's presence.

But this time, the reflection was unmistakably clear: it was the spirit of Donald himself.

And for some strange reason, it looked as if he was attacking the boy. Reaching out, trying to push or overpower him.

The young boy—Donald's new vessel—continued his morning routine like nothing had happened.

Today was a special day.

Not for Donald.

But for the boy—before his death, he had introduced himself as the heir of the Crow Bloodline.

Now dressed appropriately, the boy sat at the edge of the bed, waiting. He looked nervous.

He sat there still for what felt like hours. But, like any five-year-old, he eventually got bored and began pacing around his room.

Then—

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Loud knocks echoed from outside his door. He rushed to open it, wondering who would be banging so aggressively.

To his surprise, a very beautiful young girl stood there, about his same height.

Something in Donald shifted.

He looked at her strangely, like he didn't recognize her. The words nearly slipped out:

"Who are—"

But before he could finish, the girl cut him off.

"Why the hell are you still here? Don't you know Father has summoned us?" she said, sounding excited.

Donald raised an eyebrow and joked, "You know, children your age shouldn't have this much energy. You should be asleep or something."

"We're the same age, you idiot," the girl snapped back.

She stood outside with her arms folded, clearly not in the mood to come in.

"So… are you coming or what?" she asked, her tone now serious.

"Uhm…" Donald began, but she had already turned and started walking away.

He took a deep breath and stepped out of the room. The moment his foot crossed the threshold, he suddenly felt woozy—as if something had possessed him.

He stopped, nearly falling.

"Ugh! Would you just hurry up!"

The girl came back, grabbed his hand, and pulled him along. They ran together down a large corridor.

At last, they reached their destination.

A butler stood before them and opened the door.

"My lord, I hereby present the twins: Raze Crow and Rapunzel Crow."

"Welcome, my children," said the man inside. "Please, embrace us with your presence."