The world was nothing but a blur of gray.
Avery Kline had never amounted to anything. At 19, his life was a collection of failures, missed opportunities, and painful silence. He had spent his days locked away in his apartment, staring at his computer screen, chasing some fleeting sense of purpose that he couldn't quite grasp. He was a ghost in his own life, existing without really living.
He remembered the last few weeks, the isolation, the endless hours scrolling through meaningless content. It felt like everything had slipped away from him—the friendships, the passion, the dreams. It was all a blur, like the endless rain that pounded against his window, never stopping, just like his thoughts.
When the day came for him to step outside, it wasn't for any particular reason. His apartment was a mess. Rent was due. But the weight of the world pressed down on him as he slipped out of his room, walking through the cold streets of the city, aimless. The air was harsh against his skin, the cold biting into his bones. His clothes were worn—shoes too small, jacket too thin. He didn't feel the rain hitting him, didn't feel the chill, didn't feel anything.
The world felt distant, like it was happening to someone else, far away.
A car whizzed past him, its tires screeching. He didn't even flinch.
He passed an old man walking his dog. A couple on the corner, laughing. Everything was normal, everything was alive. And yet, here he was—a 19-year-old boy who had never really lived, walking through a world that had forgotten him.
A scream echoed from behind him. A child was crossing the street, but she stumbled, falling right into the path of an oncoming car. Avery's heart jolted, instinct pulling him forward. He had to help. He was supposed to help.
He lunged forward, but his feet slipped. In an instant, his balance was gone. He tumbled forward, the slick pavement beneath him giving way. He heard the sickening crack of his skull slamming into the curb, and the world spun out of control.
The child's scream echoed in his mind, but it was fading. The world was dimming, fading. The pain in his head was sharp, like fire. His thoughts were slowing, memories flashing in and out of focus.
But one thought remained clear in his mind.
"I never tried," he whispered, his voice barely audible. His breath came in shallow gasps. "I never tried..."
And then, with a soft, resigned exhale, the world went black.
The Awakening
Light.
The first thing Avery noticed was the light. It wasn't the harsh, sterile glow of fluorescent lights or the cold flicker of computer screens. This light was warm, gentle, golden. It bathed everything in a soft, welcoming glow, like the sun at dusk, low in the sky.
Avery blinked, his eyes adjusting to the brightness.
The air felt... different. Clean, fresh. The kind of air you could feel in your lungs, not polluted by the stink of the city, not contaminated by the endless noise. It was pure.
He pushed himself up from the ground, his legs weak, unsteady. His heart pounded in his chest, and his breath came in short, jagged gasps. He was alive. He was... alive?
His eyes scanned his surroundings. The world around him was unlike anything he had ever seen. Tall trees loomed above him, their bark glowing faintly with intricate markings. The leaves shimmered in the sunlight, a brilliant green, vibrant and alive. The forest stretched endlessly in every direction, the air filled with the sounds of soft rustling leaves and distant birdsong.
For a moment, Avery thought he was dreaming. But the ground beneath him was solid, the breeze on his skin real. This wasn't a dream. This was... something else. Something impossible.
His mind raced. His memories. His life. The city. The car. The child. His head. He had died. He had been—
But now he was here. Somewhere far from that cold, gray place. Somewhere alive.
The thought sent a cold shiver down his spine. Was he dead? Had he been reborn?
Before he could process any further, a voice filled his mind—calm, disembodied, and strangely familiar.
"[RE:DO] System Activated.
User: Veyr.
Condition: Stable.
Soul Sync: 1%
Corruption: 0%
You have been granted a second chance.
Live well. Die wisely. Learn always.
Welcome to Eirathal."
Avery's chest tightened. He staggered back, his hands raised to his head. What was that? A voice? A system?
The name "Veyr" echoed in his mind, like a distant memory he couldn't quite place. But it wasn't his name, was it? He was Avery, not some... Veyr. But the voice—his heart raced as it hit him—wasn't just in his head. It was real. And this place, this world, wasn't like anything he had ever known.
He took a deep breath and steadied himself.
No, this couldn't be happening. He had to be dreaming. This wasn't possible.
But it felt so real. The soft, warm earth beneath his feet, the sun on his skin, the breeze in the air. It was all real.
Slowly, he turned to look at the massive tree beside him. It was older than any tree he'd ever seen, its bark glowing faintly with runes that pulsed with a strange light. The tree seemed... alive, somehow, its presence almost watchful, as if it were aware of his every move. It was as if this tree had been waiting for him.
His heart thundered in his chest as he stepped closer to it, his eyes wide.
A voice, calm yet powerful, filled his mind again.
"This is the Tree of Eirathal. It is the source of your rebirth. The beginning of your new journey."
Avery didn't know how to respond. How could he? None of this made any sense. Was this... magic? Was this some kind of fantasy world? The questions piled up in his mind, each one more overwhelming than the last.
Then, the voice continued.
"You have been chosen, Veyr. Your soul was reborn to this world to forge your own destiny. A new beginning awaits you. But your journey will not be easy."
Avery's thoughts were a tangled mess of confusion. "I don't understand..."
The voice seemed to pause, as though contemplating the question.
"You died. You have been given a second chance. But every choice you make will shape your fate. The path you walk is yours to decide."
Avery's breath caught in his throat. A second chance? A path?
He was still trying to process everything when a small window appeared in his mind, flickering into view. Words appeared in glowing text:
[RE:DO SYSTEM]
Name: Veyr (Current)
Status: Rebirth
Corruption: 0%
Soul Sync: 1% (Current)
Ability: [RE:DO] - Upon death, time will rewind 24 hours, preserving your memories and knowledge.
He blinked. His soul. Rebirth? What was this?
But then it all made sense. The voice, the glowing tree, the system—this wasn't a dream. This was real. He was alive again, in a new world, with a power that he could barely understand.
For a moment, fear and confusion overwhelmed him. The world he had known was gone. Everything had been taken from him in a single moment of carelessness. But now, he had been granted something—a second chance. A chance to make things right, to live without the regret that had consumed him.
It was overwhelming, but beneath that fear, something else began to rise within him. Hope. It had been so long since he had felt anything close to it. The possibility of something more.
He was scared. Terrified, even. But he wouldn't waste this chance. Not again.