The plane shook.


    A violent, bone-rattling tremor ripped through the fuselage. Gasps turned to screams. Trays, luggage, and panic flew into the aisle.


    One of the engines burst into flames. A wing peeled off like paper. Oxygen masks dropped-but they weren''t going to save anyone.


    Kael Hide gripped the armrest until his knuckles turned white. Outside, a storm roared like something alive-something angry.


    Lightning? No. This is worse. He scanned the chaos. A crying child. A man praying. A woman clawing at her seatbelt. The flight attendants shouting to stay calm.


    And Kael?


    He turned to the guy praying beside him.


    "Yo-if your god''s taking requests, tell him I''m down to bargain. One toe for survival. Two for Wi-Fi."


    and of course he is trembling himself.


    "Ah shit... at least let me die in peace, not like this," he muttered, trying to force a smile through his sweat-soaked face.


    "...Huh." A breath slipped past his lips. "God... help."


    It was almost laughable. Just hours ago, he''d been buzzing with excitement.


    "Finally, Japan! I''M COMINGGG-!" he had shouted to nobody in particular.


    Now, the universe slammed the door shut.


    "I guess... that''s that," he whispered, more numb than afraid.


    The lights went out.Screams blurred into silence.There was no crash.No explosion.Just pain-then nothing.


    When Kael opened his eyes, he wasn''t in a plane.He wasn''t anywhere.


    A black void stretched around him in all directions. Stars flickered above like cold watchers. A soft, eerie hum-like a heartbeat stitched into the fabric of space-echoed through it.


    Then came the sound: ping.A glowing screen flickered in the darkness.


    [NEW ARRIVAL DETECTED]


    "...No way," Kael whispered. "Is this... isekai?"His voice sounded small here.


    Moments passed.


    "uhh...So... no reincarnation cheat sheet?" he asked the screen.


    "No sword? No waifus?"


    Nothing.


    "...Where even am I?"


    Then-a presence.Not seen, but felt.Something-or someone-was watching him from just beyond the edge of light.


    A figure, cloaked in shadows, unmoving. Like it had always been there.Then a voice-not spoken, but felt-rumbled through his bones.


    "......"


    The figure said nothing.Just observed.No guidance. No kindness. No explanation.


    He didn''t save Kael.


    He didn''t welcome him.


    He simply watched.


    The void began to crack under Kael''s feet. Light poured through the fractures like sunbeams breaking through a storm.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Kael looked down at himself.Then, for some reason, he smiled."this is not the trip i was hoping for.."His eyes grew heavy.


    And then-Sleep.


    .Veledra City.


    Sunlight trickled through lazy clouds, but the city buzzed with activity. Holo-screens blinked from building sides. Alerts scrolled across news towers.


    The distant sound of sirens mingled with music and market chatter.And then-a shadow fell from the sky.


    BOOM.


    Dust shot up from a narrow alley as something slammed into the ground. A few passerby glanced around-but didn''t see. The angle, the timing-it all hid the crash in plain sight.


    "What a way to wake up" Ethan groaned.


    He blinked at the sky, disoriented..


    A flicker of red-gold shimmer danced across his fingers before vanishing."...Holy.."


    he muttered.


    But before he could gather himself-A low growl.


    Something moved at the edge of the alley.


    A hulking, smoke-covered figure crept forward.


    Crimson eyes locked onto Kael.The monster stopped, cocking its head. As if confused.Then it charged.


    Kael panicked.


    "Uh-sword! Summon sword! ...Fireball?! Kamehameha?!"


    Nothing.


    "Great. No skills, no UI, and I''m gonna die (AGAIN?) in a trash alley."


    He turned and ran.


    The creature chasing him.


    Then-he felt it.


    Like a light switch flipped on inside him.


    His steps grew lighter.


    His vision tunneled.


    The shimmer returned but this time,


    flooding his limbs.


    He skidded to a halt, just outside the alley. The monster bounded after him.


    Kael glanced back.


    Smiled.


    "...My turn."He vanished.


    In a blink, he reappeared mid-air, fist pulled back, velocity charged.


    CRASH.


    His punch landed like a missile. The monster didn''t just fall-it became part of the wall behind it. Knocked clean out. Kael stared, chest rising and falling.


    "huff....huff"


    Then the world caught up. Wind screamed in his ears. The pavement cracked beneath his feet. The city became a blur of light and shape. Traffic sensors blared.


    Veledra flew past him in a kaleidoscope of color.


    He was running like he always dreamed he could.


    Fast.


    Free.


    Alive.


    "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"His voice echoed into the distance. He didn''t know what this world was, or what came next.But in that moment-he ran freely.


    To Be Continued....


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    Hey everyone, welcome to the start of this new story! This is still a work in progress, the world is a blend of adventure, magic, and powerful characters, but there''s more to it than just that.


    If you have any title suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments! I''m still figuring that part out, but I''ll definitely be looking for ideas as I continue writing.


    Also, feedback is always welcome! I''m hoping you''ll enjoy the twists and turns of Kael''s story. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!