They say that, when death approaches, life flashes before your eyes like a movie. And along with it, come useless thoughts—things like "the sky is blue" or "blood is red."
Zhou Yi was feeling exactly that. He was lying in a pool of his own blood, but, strangely, he had never felt so comfortable. There was a silent peace amidst the chaos.
He looked one last time at the woman who had killed him—his girlfriend. Her hands trembled as she held the bloodied knife. Maybe she was in shock. But Zhou Yi had no more time to reflect on that.
His eyes grew heavy. "I'm going to die..." The thought hit him hard, but also brought an unexpected sense of calm. It was the end—simple and inevitable.
When his eyes closed, the world seemed to disappear. Everything became lighter, and soon after... nothing.
He floated in an endless void. Dark, silent, eternal. "Is this what comes after?" The question echoed inside him. As distant as he had always been, the thought of being completely alone scared him deeply.
He didn't know how much time passed, but then he felt a warm light enveloping his body. And suddenly—a fall.
"What's going to happen now?" The fear of the unknown mixed with loneliness, and both weighed heavily on his chest.
When he opened his eyes, he was in a classroom. The sound of voices, laughter, and pages turning surrounded him. A chaotic symphony... and comforting.
A touch on his arm pulled him out of the trance. As he turned, he saw a red-haired girl watching him. She was saying something, but his mind was too confused to understand. Old and new memories collided in his mind like waves.
The room suddenly went silent, but he barely noticed. He was trying to process what was happening. He had reincarnated—that was the only logical explanation. It was absurd... but real. And even in the midst of mental chaos, a smile formed. After all, this was a second chance.
A firm female voice interrupted his thoughts: "Lucas Gracefall!" she said, in an ironic tone. "Judging by your smile, something very good just happened. Want to share it with the class?"
Zhou Yi froze. He didn't know who Lucas Gracefall was. He was Zhou Yi. This wasn't his problem.
Footsteps approached. A tall, elegant woman stopped in front of his desk. Her eyes gleamed with authority.
"Lucas, I'm talking to you," she repeated, her melodious voice cutting through the air.
He looked up, surprised by her beauty. After a second, he replied naturally, "Oh? Sorry. I was... lost in thought. What did you say again?"
She sighed, scratching her eyebrow in frustration. "Forget it. Just wipe that foolish grin off your face. Class is starting."
Zhou Yi nodded. The memories of the new body were slowly returning. His name now was Lucas Gracefall. A grand name, no doubt.
Before he could think further, the red-haired girl next to him pinched his arm and whispered, "Idiot, I told you to pay attention in class. You know how much Professor Isabela hates you."
Lucas blinked, processing the words. Ah, so that's what she was saying earlier. He looked more closely at her face, searching the body's memories for who she was.
She noticed the look and, a bit shy, said, "You know, it's not polite to stare at a lady like that…"
After a few seconds, the pieces clicked. Her name was Lisa. And she was his sister. Or rather, he should consider her that now that he was Lucas.
Lisa looked at him with concern.
"Brother… are you okay? You're acting weird today."
He tried to smile to reassure her, but before he could respond, a sharp pain shot through his mind. The world spun. Everything went dark. And he fainted.
He heard his sister calling his name, but her voice seemed to come from far away…
---
After an hour of the best sleep of his life, Lucas woke up in a white room with the smell of disinfectant and a sterile atmosphere. Lucas quickly deduced he was in an infirmary.
Reviewing the new memories that had been assimilated during his sleep, Lucas realized that, in addition to the memories of Lucas Gracefall, another set had emerged—but unlike Lucas Gracefall's, these were fragmented.
These memories came from strange worlds... gods, mages, cultivators... But it made no sense to think about that now.
Looking around, Lucas noticed he was alone in the infirmary. That solitude wouldn't last long, though, because soon a short red-haired girl entered the room, speaking irritably but clearly relieved: "Tsk... Finally woke up, you idiot! I thought I'd have to stay here all night holding your hand like some babysitter!"
She crossed her arms and looked away, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"And don't think I was worried, okay? I only stayed because the teacher told me to... and... and you owe me for that!" she muttered, kicking the floor with the tip of her shoe as if angry, but lacking the courage to look directly at him.
Lucas stared at her for a few seconds, smiling, which made her visibly more irritated.
"Hey! Why are you smiling like that? You think this is funny? Idiot!" She walked over and gave him a light slap on the arm—more symbolic than real.
But then she sighed and said in a low voice, "But... I'm glad you're okay."
Seeing this tsundere sister, Lucas couldn't help but say, "Cute."
The word came out naturally, without thinking. Simple. Sincere.
Lisa froze for a second, as if her brain short-circuited. Slowly, she turned to him with a shocked look, her face now completely red.
"W-What did you just say?!" she stammered, her voice going up an octave.
Lucas smiled even more, clearly amused by her reaction.
"I said you're cute. Especially when you get mad like that."
"I-I-I-Idiot!" she yelled, trying to hide her face with her hands, then gave him another light slap on the shoulder, stronger this time. "Stop saying things like that out of nowhere! You're going to scare me to death, you perverted airhead!"
She turned away, her red hair swaying as she walked to the infirmary door, still completely red. She stopped for a moment, back turned, hesitated… and said in a nearly inaudible tone: "…But if you say it again… I might... might not hit you as hard next time…"
And then she left the room, closing the door behind her—but not hard enough to seem truly angry.
Lucas watched the door close, a calm smile remaining on his face. A strange feeling bloomed in his chest… something unfamiliar. Warm.
"This girl…"
Touching his chest lightly, Lucas murmured, "This warmth… it's so strange. I've never felt this before. Maybe… this is what they call love?"
Shaking his head to clear the strange thoughts, Lucas focused completely on the fragmented memories in his mind, observing each strange world through someone else's perspective.
A thought formed in his mind: Whose memories are these?
Seeking the answer to that question, Lucas began organizing the memories—a painstaking task, considering the massive amount of information received in such a short time. His mind couldn't handle organizing so much at once.
After two hours immersed in thoughts and disjointed memories, Lucas was still sitting on the infirmary bed, hands resting on his knees, gaze fixed on the white floor. A faint sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead—not from fever, but from the mental effort to give shape to the inner chaos.
The infirmary door creaked open. Quick steps echoed across the smooth floor.
"Hey, airhead…" the familiar voice sounded, slightly softer this time. "Class is over. The teacher said you're free to go."
Lucas looked up and saw Lisa standing at the door, arms crossed and a neutral expression, trying to hide something between worry and expectation.
"You still have that look like you've seen a ghost?" She walked up to him, stopping by the bed. "I came to get you, so get up already. I don't want people thinking I'm your babysitter again."
Lucas smiled, this time a tired but genuine smile.
"So… you're still doing me this favor out of obligation?"
Lisa looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the question.
"O-Of course! What other reason would I have? You're my brother… technically, I guess… and if you faint again, I'll have to deal with the teacher." She huffed and grabbed his backpack, tossing it onto the bed. "Now get up already. Everyone's leaving."
Lucas hesitated for a moment. The headache from the memories had faded, but the questions they left behind remained. Still, he forced himself to stand.
"All right. Let's go."
Lisa glanced at him as he got up, checking if he was really okay. When she noticed him sway slightly, she held his arm firmly—but subtly.
"Come on, you weakling. If you faint again, I'm pretending I don't know you."
Lucas chuckled softly, letting her pull him toward the door.
---
The afternoon sun was beginning to hide behind the tall city buildings, painting the sky with shades of orange and purple. Lucas and Lisa walked side by side down the sidewalk, silent for a few minutes, until Lisa broke the mood with her typical lack of subtlety:
"You slept so much you missed the biggest gossip of the day," she said, eyes fixed ahead. "A transfer student got into the meta-human academy—jumping straight to the special class."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"Special class? Isn't that the elite group that trains the geniuses from influential families?"
Lisa scoffed, kicking a pebble along the way.
"Exactly. The guy's like… a prodigy. Everyone's talking about him. They say he already fought two level-B villains on his own. Level B, Lucas!" She glanced at him. "And there you were, fainting in class from 'low blood sugar'..."
"Hey," Lucas replied with a lazy smile. "Maybe I was just saving energy to save the world later."
Lisa rolled her eyes.
"Only if the world is made of pillows."
Lucas laughed. He was still processing a lot about himself, but noticing the world around him helped anchor his mind. And the fact that there were heroes, villains, rankings, and classes… didn't seem so strange compared to the fragmented memories he carried.
"And what's the prodigy's name?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Lisa hesitated for a second before answering, "Gabriel. That's one of the only known pieces of info. No one knows his full name or face, since all his data is kept classified by the government. Only the academy's students and staff know his true identity, and they're not allowed to reveal anything."
"Mysterious," Lucas murmured.
"Pretentious, more like. Shows up mid-semester, acting like a star, and they're even giving him a special room." Lisa clenched her fists, clearly irritated.
Lucas chuckled inwardly. Despite her irritation, it sounded more like envy… or maybe suspicion.
"Sounds like you don't like him very much."
"Tsk… It's not that. I just don't trust people who show up out of nowhere and become the center of attention. Especially in this world." She crossed her arms. "Villains love that kind of spotlight too."
Lucas fell silent for a moment, absorbing her words. The world he was in now seemed peaceful on the surface, but with tension bubbling underneath. Heroes in training, rankings, mysteries…
And now, a new player on the stage named Gabriel.
He looked up at the sky, where the lights of the tallest towers were already beginning to shine. A new world, a new life… and apparently, a new threat—or ally—on the way.
"This place is getting interesting," he whispered.
"Huh? Did you say something?" Lisa asked.
"Nothing. Just thinking… about how much you care about me."
"Idiot! Keep dreaming!" She hid her smile, giving him a playful shove with her shoulder.
And the two kept walking, with the city behind them—alive and full of secrets waiting to be uncovered.
---
The house the two of them lived in was big. Not quite a mansion, but certainly spacious enough to comfortably accommodate three families.
They were orphans—children of superheroes who died protecting the world.
The inheritance left to them was massive, surpassing what several countries could earn in many years. That was because their parents weren't ordinary heroes; they were among the greatest in the world.
Even though he had seen the house in his memories, Lucas couldn't help but feel surprised by its size. After all, seeing something in a memory is different from seeing it in person.
Lisa saw Lucas's surprise and teased him: "What's wrong? Can't recognize your own house?"
Lucas glanced at Lisa from the corner of his eye and replied calmly, "Oh? No, I'm just surprised the bushes in front of our house are taller than you."
Lisa tried to punch Lucas's shoulder, but failed, so she hit him in the stomach instead—a punch with no real force—as she said with teary eyes, "Mean brother… you know I don't like talking about my height."
At that moment, Lucas realized he'd made a mistake. He remembered that his sister was very sensitive to that kind of teasing. Even though she was 17, her short height made her look like she was 12.
Lucas felt the small punch in his stomach—more symbolic than painful—but what really struck him was Lisa's hurt expression. Her navy-blue eyes were slightly teary, making his light teasing suddenly feel like an unforgivable mistake.
He sighed and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Sorry, Lisa… I didn't mean to go that far. It just… slipped out."
She sniffled and looked away, hugging her arms.
"You know I hate it when people joke about my height… It's already bad enough that everyone at the academy thinks I'm in elementary school…"
Lucas stayed silent for a moment, then crouched slightly to meet her eyes.
"You might be small," he said with a gentle smile, "but you're stronger, smarter, and braver than most adults I know. And, if it helps… I don't care how old you look. To me, you're just… Lisa. My sister. And that's what matters."
Lisa widened her eyes for a moment, her mouth opening like she was going to reply, but no words came out. Instead, she turned her face away, cheeks flushed, and muttered, "Idiot… Stop saying stuff like that out of nowhere."
Lucas laughed, and then the two continued walking toward the house's entrance.
The door opened automatically with Lisa's biometric recognition, revealing a massive hall lit by soft lights, polished marble floors, and modern décor that contrasted with the warmth the space gave off. It was a big house, yes—but it still managed to feel… cozy.
"All of this is… ours?" Lucas asked, stepping inside and looking around.
Lisa just nodded, tossing her shoes at the entrance before heading down the hallway.
"Dad and Mom left all this for us. It's not just money. It's… a legacy. They were the greatest heroes in the world, remember?" she said softly. "Even in death, they're still looking out for us."
Lucas looked at a large portrait hanging on the living room wall: their parents, smiling in full hero attire, as if ready to face any catastrophe. Beside it, there was a smaller framed photo—an old one, showing Lisa as a baby in their mother's arms, and himself as a smiling child in their father's lap.
"They looked happy," Lucas commented.
"They were," Lisa replied without hesitation. "And you were… different too."
Lucas gave a sideways smile.
"Maybe I'm still remembering how to be me."
She glanced at him, as if wanting to say something, but just let out a small "hmph" before heading to the kitchen.
"I'm gonna make something for us to eat. But don't think it's because I like taking care of you, got it!"
"Sure, sure. It's because the teacher told you to, right?" Lucas said with a mocking smile.
"Shut up!" came the reply, followed by a spoon flying across the room.
Lucas caught it easily in the air.
"Home sweet home," Lucas murmured, though those words still felt a little foreign on his lips.
And for the first time since waking up in this world, Lucas truly felt like he was… home.
---
End of the first chapter. This is my first novel, and I hope the result is satisfying, even if there might be some mistakes at the beginning.