A breeze kissed his face.
Soft. Cold. Real.
Kieran opened his eyes.
He didn't sit up. Didn't gasp. Didn't even blink.
He just… lay there.
Blinking once. Then again.
The sky above him was not one he had ever seen before. It was purple, for one thing—lavender bleeding into soft peach, laced with drifting clouds that shimmered faintly with color. No sun, but two glowing orbs, like twin stars, hovered in the sky, casting long golden shadows through twisted trees nearby.
Kieran slowly lifted his right hand and watched it tremble. Not because of fear.
Because it was not his hand.
It was thinner. Smoother. Paler.
Younger.
His chest rose and fell, more from instinct than intent. The sound of his own breath, too loud in his ears. Everything was… sharper. Crisp. The sound of leaves rustling, the buzz of distant insects, the pressure of the wind curling across stone beneath his back.
He moved to sit up—and nearly fell sideways.
Muscles too light. Balance too off.
"What the hell…" he whispered.
His voice cracked.
It was higher than he remembered. No gravel. No wear. He sounded seventeen. Maybe eighteen.
Not twenty-eight.
His heart began to race.
Panic crept in—quiet, steady, measured like the drip of a cold IV. This wasn't a dream. No dream had gravity this precise, or air this cold, or sound this deep.
"System?" he asked, barely managing the word. It felt foolish. Ridiculous.
But something responded.
A chime.
A pulse of light blinked into existence before him—blue, translucent, like a window of floating glass.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]Host Detected: Kieran DraykeIntegration Rate: 98%System Type: Sovereign ArchitectWorld Designation: Aetheryn (High Magic / Fragmented Realm)
He stared.
Not because he didn't understand the words.
But because they were there at all.
A system. Like in a game. Just… floating there. Waiting for him to accept it.
"No way," he breathed. "No way this is actually happening."
His mind raced. The last memory he had—no, should have—was…
A train platform. Rain. A cold metal bench. Then the feeling of—
Darkness. Something pulling. Something...
He shut his eyes tightly.
This wasn't possible.
He'd read stories like this. Too many of them. Web novels, games, fantasies. Overpowered protagonists. Magical systems. Reincarnations and transmigrations and cheat skills and divine favor. Always someone else.
Never him.
Kieran wasn't chosen. He wasn't special. He wasn't even particularly ambitious. He had a boring job. A tiny apartment. No family. No one waiting for him.
Just a quiet, grey life.
But now…
Now he was in a new world. In a younger body. With a floating system interface talking to him.
"…Why me?"
He didn't expect an answer.
He got one anyway.
No predetermined reason.Host suitability score exceeded threshold. Cognitive resonance stable. Emotional deviation: low.Probability of success: 99.2%
"That's… vague."
Host may inquire further.
"Am I dead?"
Yes.In your original world, biological functions ceased 3 minutes and 42 seconds after soul separation.
He didn't speak.
The wind stirred the trees.
This is your only continuation path. Rebirth is not available. Return is impossible.
Kieran closed his eyes again.
He wasn't grieving. Not really. But there was a pressure in his chest—something like guilt. Like floating too far from shore and realizing there was no going back. Not because you didn't want to. But because the sea had swallowed the land.
"...I see."
System Integration Complete. Welcome, Host.You are now the sole bearer of the Sovereign Architect System.Assistance will be provided in accordance with system parameters.
He stood slowly this time, careful with his footing. The stone beneath his feet was cracked, covered in soft moss. Vines curled around broken marble columns. The ruin he had awoken in was circular—an ancient temple, maybe. Long abandoned.
Even his clothes were strange: dark, slightly loose pants tucked into leather boots, a fitted high-collar shirt, and a long black coat. Everything was elegant, if a bit too dramatic.
"System," he murmured. "Can you explain what your functions are?"
...No.
Kieran blinked. "No?"
Sovereign Architect System encourages Host initiative. Please discover system functions through experimentation.
"You lazy piece of software…"
Insult logged. Affection: -1
Kieran blinked again. "You track affection?"
No. That was sarcasm.
A pause.
Then, despite everything, Kieran laughed.
It was soft. Dry. A bit broken.
But it was real.
"Well, at least you have a sense of humor," he said.
He wandered the ruins for nearly an hour, slowly acclimating to the new body, the way his muscles moved, the weird brightness of everything. His balance was better now—like the body wanted to obey. Like he was lighter. Sharper.
Younger.
And stronger.
Every so often, he would reach out and punch a stone pillar—not hard, just a tap. But it would crack. His grip strength was off the charts. He even tried jumping from one ledge to another and almost overshot it.
The realization hit him slowly.
This was real.
This wasn't a dream or a mental trick.
This was his life now.
And if that was true, then he needed to survive.
And if that was true…
He needed to understand the System.
He sat cross-legged near a broken fountain and whispered:
"System. What can you do?"
Silence.
Then a light flickered in the corner of his vision.
Basic Functions Accessible:– Scan– Identify– System Storage– Map (Local Only)– Status (Basic)– Crafting: Locked– Base Building: Locked– Recruitment: Locked
Now they were getting somewhere.
"Scan," he said. "Target… this plant."
A bush to his right flickered with light as the system responded.
[Manaroot Herb]– Common magical herb– Used in beginner potions– Slightly bitter when chewed– Grows near places of old enchantments
Kieran leaned forward, plucked a leaf, and sniffed it.
"Smells like sage."
He grinned.
"If I can collect some of these, maybe I can sell them. Start small."
New Goal Created:Collect 10 Manaroot Herbs.Reward: Unlock [Storage Function]
Kieran rolled his eyes. "You're a bit gamey, aren't you?"
But he didn't mind.
Not really.
It gave him purpose. Something to do.
So he moved through the ruins, scanning each herb, collecting them carefully. The sun—or suns—had begun to set now, casting everything in golden-red light. His coat flared behind him as he crouched low, brushing aside moss, looking for roots and petals that shimmered with the soft glow of magic.
It was peaceful.
Calm.
The kind of slow, meditative focus he never had back in the old world.
By the time he stood again, arms full of plants, the system pinged gently.
Herbs Collected: 10/10Storage Function UnlockedWould you like to store items?
"Yes," he said.
And with a blink, the herbs vanished from his hands into glowing light.
Kieran smiled.
It wasn't much.
But it was something.
Tomorrow, he would walk out of these ruins. Find the nearest settlement. Get answers. Maybe even earn some coin.
He was in another world.
He was young again.
He had a system at his back.
He didn't know what the future held—but for the first time in years…
He was curious.
And that, he thought, was a good start.