His vision blurred, and the world around him started to spin. His body gave way, legs sliding out from under him. In that moment, everything disappeared, and Nyx lost consciousness.
When Nyx opened his eyes, neon flashes, blurry figures, and voices—sounding distant and distorted—flickered before him. But these weren't his memories. They belonged to someone who had lived in this body before.
The predecessor's memories surged again, more vivid than ever.
Nyx was ten years old when his life shattered.
It had been an ordinary family evening. His parents were driving him home after visiting relatives. Snow fell in thick flakes on the windshield as they traveled down an icy road.
The car was warm. His mother softly hummed a tune, his father focused on the road. Nyx blinked slowly, eyelids heavy, head nodding forward. Sleep crept in, but he tried to resist it, staring at the passing lights outside the window.
Then, in seconds, everything changed.
Truck headlights burst from the darkness like two flaming spears.
The driver had lost control on the icy road. Tons of metal hurtled toward their car.
"Daniel!" his mother, Elizabeth, screamed.
A sharp turn. Screeching tires.
Impact.
The world erupted in the sound of metal tearing like paper. Nyx was flung upward, the seatbelt crushing his chest. His head snapped back. Shattering glass filled his ears.
Then—silence.
He came to in a bloodied, overturned car.
His eyes opened—darkness. Only the truck's headlights lit the snowy road.
"M-Mom… Dad?"
His hands trembled. Heart pounded.
He turned his head—and saw them.
They weren't moving.
Blood ran down their broken faces. Their eyes, empty.
"No… no… Please!" His voice came out ragged and weak.
He shook his mother, pulled at her shoulder. No response.
His fingers were sticky with blood.
Sirens. Flashing red lights. Rescue workers pried open the door. Hands pulled him out, but he didn't want to leave.
"MOM! DAD!! THEY'RE ALIVE!" he screamed, cried, thrashed in the rescuer's grip.
But… they didn't wake up.
The sirens drowned everything. Hands held him back as he kept calling for them.
His chest clenched so tight he couldn't breathe. Black spots clouded his vision, the noise muffled—and then...
Darkness.
He woke up in a hospital.
White ceiling. The smell of antiseptic. The steady beep of machines.
He blinked. His eyelids were heavy, his body weighed down like lead.
The door creaked open.
"Oh god… my boy…"
Nyx turned his head.
His grandfather stood in the doorway—Gerhard Kaiser, an older man with thick white hair and pain-filled eyes.
"Grandpa…"
The old man came to his bed, hands trembling but voice steady. He wrapped Nyx in a tight hug, and Nyx felt the weight of loss crash over him.
His body shook with sobs. The tears came uncontrollably. He cried harder than ever before, surrendering to grief and despair.
"I'm here, my boy. I'm not leaving you," Gerhard whispered, holding him tighter, trying to calm him.
But Nyx couldn't stop. His chest heaved, tears soaked the old man's shirt. He wept, and in that grief, in that brokenness, came a single feeling—at least now, he wasn't alone.
The funeral was brutal, like a weight crushing his chest. Every step, every word, every moment felt like it lasted forever. He stood by his parents' graves, frozen, emotions in chaos.
Nyx couldn't process it. He saw the dirt falling onto the casket, heard the quiet grief of those around him, but it didn't feel real. Like a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.
Family friends, relatives—they were all there, but Nyx felt detached. Their faces were distant. Only pain remained.
"I'm sorry, Nyx. You have to be strong," his grandfather said softly, trying to comfort him, but his voice was lost in the sorrow, the crying, and the shadow of death.
Nyx couldn't reply. He stood there, staring at the dirt as the last handful fell onto the coffin. Time stopped.
The grip of grief tightened again. None of it—people, rituals, words—could bring them back. He just wanted to hear their voices again. But they were gone.
A hand touched his shoulder.
He turned and saw his grandfather, who, despite his own heartbreak, tried to meet his gaze. The tears in his eyes showed he hadn't just lost his children—he'd lost his world. He became Nyx's last anchor.
Gerhard took him in. After the tragedy, he became more than just family—he was Nyx's only foundation. The old man didn't speak much, but his actions said enough. He taught Nyx everything he knew—how to be independent despite the pain.
Gerhard never showed his emotions. He didn't voice his fears. But his eyes always betrayed his worry. He knew his time was short, but didn't let Nyx see it. He understood: when he was gone, Nyx would be truly alone.
He taught Nyx how to take care of a home, how to work with tools, how to manage money. When Nyx faltered, Gerhard showed him how to be strong, how not to break under pressure.
"You have to be ready for anything," he would say—not directly, but through his actions, his quiet persistence.
Nyx felt it, even if he didn't want to believe it. He couldn't imagine life without his grandfather, and though he feared that day, he never dared to ask.
Nine years after the crash, on Nyx's 19th birthday, Gerhard passed quietly. His body gave out from age and exhaustion. It hit Nyx like a hammer, even though he knew it was coming.
That day, it felt like the ground disappeared beneath him. Everything his grandfather taught him suddenly felt meaningless. He was alone. And that emptiness carved itself into him.
He often found himself asking, "What now?"
Gerhard had been the last person who truly stayed. The one who gave him purpose. Without him, the world felt gray and hollow.
Still, he kept going. He held onto Gerhard's teachings, but now he had to become what he had lost—his own support. Day by day, the pain faded, but the memory and lessons remained.
After Gerhard's death, Nyx was alone in a massive world. Life didn't get easier. At 19, he bought a small two-room apartment in New York City, not far from Central Park. It was modest, overlooking a lively street. The window faced a quiet courtyard, but the city noise was a constant reminder of where he was. It felt like a fresh start—but it brought no real relief.
In the following months, life spiraled downward. He tried to find work, but nothing stuck. Lack of experience, poor conditions—there was always something. He jumped between warehouses, cafés, odd jobs—but never stayed long. Every failure dragged him down further.
Worse, he struggled to connect with people. Loss had closed him off. His attempts to make friends fell flat. Coworkers were friendly, but he couldn't relate. Parties, small talk, after-work drinks—they felt hollow. Like he was watching someone else's life.
So day after day, month after month, Nyx pushed through. He knew he couldn't quit. But no matter how hard he fought, loneliness clung to him like a shadow.
He couldn't find his place. Despair crept in often.
But on his 20th birthday, something changed. The day started like always—coffee, gray routine, the weight of isolation. But that evening, everything shifted.
As he came home, he felt a strange tension in the air. Something had entered his apartment—something beyond explanation. It wasn't a thought. It was presence.
He looked around. No one was there.
Then he heard a voice—from inside his mind.
"Nyx Kaiser, are you ready to make a choice that will change your fate?"
He froze. His heart skipped a beat. This wasn't a normal voice—it was pure, impersonal.
"W-Who are you?" he whispered, fists clenched in confusion.
"I am the System. I offer you a chance to change your life. I can give you a new path, a new beginning," said the voice.
Nyx stood frozen. No one around. But the space itself felt... unreal. Altered.
— You can start over, — the voice continued. — I will open a new world for you, where your past mistakes and regrets will no longer matter. All you need to do is agree.
Nyx swallowed. He knew that his life in New York had been far from easy, filled with loneliness and loss. Dreams of a different future—a world without monotony, where he could start with a clean slate—had haunted him for a long time. But could everything he wanted really be obtained so easily?
The voice did not explain what kind of world awaited him, who was behind this offer, or what price he would have to pay for a second chance. Yet, there was power in it—not a threat, but the weight of a choice he couldn't turn away from.
— And if I refuse? — Nyx asked hoarsely, surprised that he could even speak.
Silence.
He thought it was over, that it had been nothing more than a dream or a trick of his imagination. But then the voice replied—softly, almost regretfully:
— Then everything will remain as it is. And you will continue living the life you already consider insufficient.
Those words stung. Because they were true.
— How does it work? — he asked, though he could already feel curiosity igniting in his heart.
— You will become part of another world, where your abilities and efforts will determine your fate, — the voice answered. — You will face new challenges, but also opportunities beyond anything you could imagine. This world requires your decisions and actions, and your strength and place in it will depend on them.
Nyx felt a mix of power and excitement awaken within him. The chance to change his life—this was the dream he had held onto for so long but never knew how to achieve.
— And what's the price? — he asked cautiously.
— The price is leaving everything behind. Your old life, your family, your acquaintances—all of it will remain in this world. But what you gain in return will depend on your own choices.
Nyx realized he could wait no longer. His desire to start anew had finally become stronger than his doubts. He was ready.
— I accept, — he said firmly.
— Good, Nyx.
End of Memory
Nyx stood still, trying to comprehend what had just happened. The world around him seemed to fade away, and he felt his consciousness fill with newfound understanding. Everything had become clearer than ever before. He hadn't just been transported to another world—everything that had happened was part of something much bigger.
Unable to contain his frustration, Nyx shouted:
— System! Can you hear me? What is happening?!
No response.
Silence. He shouted again, repeating his question, but only emptiness echoed back. The system remained silent, offering no comfort or explanations.
Then, suddenly, a notification appeared before his eyes:
[System Notification]
To receive information, the system must be upgraded.
Nyx took a deep breath, trying to suppress his growing anxiety. "Upgrade the system?" The words echoed in his mind. What did that mean? How was he supposed to do that?
The system remained silent. Its cold indifference was frustrating, yet it also pushed him to act. If it was truly connected to this world, to his power, to his opportunities, then perhaps upgrading it was the key to understanding everything.
He clenched his fists. "If I want to learn the truth… if I want to become stronger, I need to find a way to upgrade it."