Aelric felt that rush of adrenaline hit him hard when the truck came speeding right at them. Its horn blared out like some kind of warning siren that would not quit. In just a split second, he figured out exactly what he needed to do next.
"Shiko. Akito." He shouted those names, and his voice cracked a bit as he lunged forward without thinking twice. Adrenaline pumped through his veins like fire, and he shoved his friends clear out of the truck's path to keep them safe.
The impact hit him with brutal force.
That truck slammed into him just like a wrecking ball would. It sent his body flying through the air in a wild arc. Pain exploded across every nerve in him, as if all his bones had suddenly caught fire from the inside. The world around him blurred into chaos with screeching tires and screaming metal. Then there was nothing but the cold pavement waiting below him.
He ended up sprawled out on the asphalt like a broken doll. Blood started pooling around his body, sticky and warm against his skin. His breath came in those ragged gasps that hurt to take. Distantly, he could hear footsteps pounding closer toward where he lay.
"Aelric, you idiot." Akito's voice cut through all the chaos around them, sounding hoarse and full of panic. His knees hit the ground right beside Aelric with a heavy thud. "Why would you even do something like that. Why push us away like we could not handle it."
Shiko was already dialing for help, and his hands trembled so much he nearly dropped the phone from his grip. "Aelric, just hang on there. Help is on the way now. Do not close your eyes, no matter what."
Aelric managed to cough out a response, and the taste of blood filled his mouth sharp and metallic. He looked up at his friends then, seeing their faces all twisted up in panic and this deep grief that hit him hard. With the little strength he had left in him, he forced out a crooked smile that felt wrong on his lips.
"Dramatic as always, Akito." He wheezed those words, and his voice came out barely more than a whisper now. "That truck was coming too fast. If I did not push you both out of the way, we would all be dead right there. One life lost feels better than three gone forever."
Akito clenched his fists tight, so hard that his knuckles turned completely white from the pressure. "That is not a choice you get to make on your own. We are friends through everything. We stick together no matter what happens."
"Just stay awake, you idiot." Shiko's voice cracked right then as he fought to hold back the tears building up in his eyes.
Aelric's eyes started to flutter shut on their own. "Tell Mom I am sorry for all of it. And look after my sister too. Do not let anyone mess with her in any way."
Then everything fell into silence.
No pain lingered anywhere. No sound reached him at all. No feeling came through his body.
Just this endless darkness that swallowed everything up.
His thoughts floated around in that void, untethered and drifting without any direction. This must be what death actually felt like, he figured in a hazy way.
Then a voice came through, calm and commanding with this resonant authority that filled the emptiness.
[Unknown Voice]: "Commencing soul analysis. Confirmed. Subject possesses high-tier spiritual density. Compatibility with transfer system is optimal. Reincarnation protocol authorized."
(Huh. Who is talking there.)
[Unknown Voice]: "You have died in your original world. Due to your exceptional potential, your soul qualifies for reincarnation into a higher-order world now."
(Reincarnation. This is really happening to me.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Affirmative. Your new world mirrors some aspects of your old one but gets inhabited by various powerful races. It stays bound by a structured magical hierarchy that shapes everything. The major races include Humans, Elves, Vampires, Fairies, and Dragons. Some beings manage to transcend those mortal limitations. They ascend into Celestial or even Godly existences over time. Additionally, magic users form factions of their own. They operate in secrecy while trying to maintain the balance of power across the lands."
Visions flooded into Aelric's mind all at once, ancient and towering cities that stretched up forever. Beings radiated this overwhelming power that made him feel small. Hidden conflicts lurked just beneath the surface of it all. He took what felt like a mental breath to steady himself.
(Alright. So there is a hierarchy of power in this place.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Correct. The strongest ones wield Supreme Abilities that defy the very laws of reality itself. Few beings ever manage to attain them. But those who do end up nearly unrivaled in strength. Below that level, there are Unique and Ultimate Abilities that stay powerful but not quite absolute. They come after advanced combat techniques and elemental magic in the chain. Your own abilities will determine exactly where you fit in this world."
Aelric pondered those implications for a moment, letting them sink in deep.
(Then what abilities will I end up with in there.)
[Unknown Voice]: "You may describe what you desire for yourself. I shall grant what proves compatible with your soul's nature."
(Okay. Then I want a faster brain overall. To think and react and process everything quicker than I ever could before.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Confirmed. Granting Ability: Mind Acceleration. Additional Ability granted: Universal Detection."
(Okay that sounds cool. Next I want my body to be resistant to things. To pain and poison and heat and all of it that could hurt me.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Confirmed. Granting Ability: Resistance."
(I need to heal quickly too. Fast healing would really help with survival in a place like that.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Confirmed. Granting Ability: Regeneration."
(Woah, okay for this one I want to learn and adapt fast. Like if I see something just once, I want to understand it and maybe even use it myself.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Attempting to grant Supreme Ability: Divine Mirror. Error. Incompatible with current soul state."
(Wait hold on. Supreme Ability. And it did not work out.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Retrying. Attempting to grant Supreme Ability: Phantom Shifting. Error."
(So what does that even mean. I do not get anything from it.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Alternative detected. Granting Ultimate Ability: Analysis Copy."
(Ah. What does that one do exactly.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Ultimate Ability: Analysis Copy, a passive and active hybrid-type ability. It grants the user the power to analyze targets and permanently copy their techniques or abilities upon observation or direct interaction. Though currently it will not be able to copy Supreme Abilities unless it evolves further. Since Supreme Abilities stay rare and very few ever awaken them fully."
As that voice kept speaking, a sharp pulse echoed right through Aelric's mind like a jolt. His vision swirled around in colors he could not name. Then it stabilized there it was, a faint glowing panel overlaid on the empty space around him. The design looked cosmic in pattern, like runes etched out in starlight that shimmered softly.
That panel displayed the name, race, abilities, and latent traits of any target he focused on with his mind.
(Whoa. I can see stats now. Like actual stats and abilities of people around me.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Correct. You alone can see this panel in your vision. This Ability can evolve with further awakenings over time. It gets influenced by your comprehension and experience and soul growth as you progress."
(That is seriously awesome. I am getting overpowered already in this setup.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Confirmed. Granting additional support Ability: Ultimate Guide."
Another voice spoke inside his mind then, softer and warmer with a feminine tone that felt reassuring.
[Ultimate Guide]: "Greetings, Aelric. I will assist with ability management and information analysis and developmental guidance whenever you need it. Assign me a name to unlock deeper functions right away."
(Nice. I will think of a name later on. Last thing, can I get a large mana pool. I do not want to feel limited by energy in fights or anything.)
[Unknown Voice]: "Confirmed. Mana capacity: Unlimited. Growth rate tied to mastery and emotional maturity as you develop."
The void trembled all around him then. A pressure washed over his entire being like a wave.
[Unknown Voice]: "Reincarnation sequence complete. Awaken, Aelric."
Light returned to him in a rush.
Aelric gasped out a sharp newborn cry that echoed strangely. Cold air filled his tiny lungs for the first time. Everything felt different now. Wrong in ways he could not quite place.
(Wait. What. Why are my hands so small like this.)
He looked down at himself, still confused by it all. His arms came out short and chubby in his view. His skin felt soft and new against whatever he touched. He could barely move them properly yet.
(I am a baby. This cannot be right.)
Panic gripped him for just a moment, tight in his chest. But then he felt this calm warmth right beside him that eased it away.
He turned his head with real effort, straining a bit.
A woman lay beside him there, asleep in the quiet. Her breathing stayed slow and peaceful as she rested. Her presence felt like sunlight on a winter morning, safe and steady in every way.
No pressure weighed on him. No expectations pushed in. Just pure comfort that wrapped around.
Aelric blinked his eyes slowly. His chest tightened up with emotion.
His past rushed back in all at once. His mom, always tired but still smiling through it. His baby sister, giggling as he tucked her in at night. His friends, Shiko and Akito, who had been there for everything.
(Will they keep their promise to me. Will they watch over her like I asked.)
He hoped they would, deep down.
He was gone from that world for good now.
But this one felt like a second chance he never expected.
And for now, that seemed enough to hold onto.