'So this reflection really is me…'
Frye Feysilk stared at the katana's blade, replaying the hell he had just endured. Hours passed without him noticing. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, exhaustion pulled at his eyelids, yet he ignored both. He wanted answers.
The night faded, and the sun rose over the horizon, its warm light shimmering against the blade. The rays struck Frye's eyes, forcing him to squint.
"Ahh—when did the sun come out…?" he muttered, shielding his face with a hand.
He adjusted the blade to block the light. When he looked again—
The reflection was gone.
Frye blinked. Once. Twice. His confusion barely had time to settle before a loud growl erupted from his stomach.
He had no idea when this body had last eaten, but whatever time it was, it had been far too long.
He rose, scanning the deck for food, clues—anything—but all he saw were waterlogged corpses. Some leaked seawater from their mouths as waves gently rocked the ship.
It was a sight no one could forget, no matter how hard they tried.
'I really… transmigrated. But with who? And is this even the same world?'
Dozens of questions raced through his mind, but one silenced the rest:
'Who caused this? Who caused everything?'
He doubted he would find the answer soon. His body felt weak, muscles underdeveloped—as if this body had never known hardship.
'What happened to my old body…? The one that lived with my parents, hung out with my friends, went to school, took cooking lessons…'
'My parents…'
His knees buckled.
A puddle formed beneath him as tears flooded his eyes—endless, uncontrollable, suffocating.
"Father… Mother… where are you?!" His voice cracked, barely recognizable through the sobs. "Where am I?! I want to go back… please… anyone…"
He wasn't crying for revenge.
He wasn't crying for answers.
He just wanted to go home.
Home, where his parents were likely panicking, blaming themselves, drowning in guilt.
"Why did he leave us?"
"Did we do something wrong?"
"Where did I fail as a parent…?"
The idea of them thinking this—thinking his disappearance was their fault—broke something inside him. His cries grew harsher, his breath shaking.
But the moment didn't last.
His body was seventeen, but his mind and soul were still ten. Young. Fragile. But not weak.
Age wasn't what determined will.
After several painful minutes, Frye wiped his tears, shaky but determined.
Crying wouldn't change anything.
If he wanted to go back home, he had to survive.
He had to move.
He stood and rushed toward the center of the ship, where a door led to the storage area. This lower section was where bodies were piled among wooden crates.
'Wait… crates. There might be food inside.'
Hope lit his eyes for the first time since the disaster.
He sprinted toward the crates, gripping the sword he'd found. He swung down with all the strength he could muster.
Swing!
Crack!
The blade pierced the wood, leaving a small hole. Frye crouched, peeking inside—but it was too dark to see anything.
He flipped the crate upside down, letting the hole face the deck, and shook it.
'It's not that heavy… maybe there's nothing inside. Still worth a try.'
Thump!
'Something fell out!' Frye's eyes widened. 'What is that?'
A clear, smooth sphere rolled across the floor. Its surface was glass-like, small enough to fit in his palm.
Frye chased it and snatched it up carefully. He inspected it, searching for cracks, marks, anything that could tell him what it was.
That was when a faint light shimmered from the center of the sphere.
The glow grew brighter—sharp, blinding—until the entire ball was engulfed.
"Oh come on—again?!" Frye groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.
When the light faded, Frye froze.
The ship was gone.
Shouts, footsteps, and lively chatter surrounded him. Vibrant market stalls lined a bustling road, and homes stacked tightly together filled his view.
The ocean was gone.
The storm was gone.
The corpses were gone.
He wasn't on the ship anymore.
He was in a kingdom—alive, loud, and completely unfamiliar.
'Did I transmigrate again…?' Frye panicked, checking the sphere's reflection.
'No… this is still the same body.'
'So then… where am I?'