Chapter 1: I Died Over Chicken

Kael Draven never imagined that his life would end over fried chicken.

It had been a long and exhausting day. Work had drained him dry, his boss had pushed him to the edge, and all he wanted was one simple reward for surviving another miserable shift. That reward came in the form of his favorite fried chicken from a small shop across the street.

A golden, crispy, and perfectly seasoned fried chicken, and the smell alone was enough to make his stress disappear.

He had already decided tonight that he would eat in peace.

However, there was only one problem.

Someone else grabbed the last box.

Kael froze, and his hand was still on the shop door when he saw the stranger snatch the final box from the counter and walk away as if nothing had happened.

Kael stared at the empty counter and then at the owner, who gave him an awkward smile.

Kael's jaw tightened, just slightly. "That… was mine," he said.

The stranger did not turn around.

Something inside Kael snapped, and he ran after the man.

"Get back here!"

The stranger immediately broke into a sprint. Kael cursed under his breath and chased him down the street, weaving between pedestrians and parked cars.

He had survived a terrible boss, endless overtime, and a miserable life, and now he was not losing fried chicken.

The stranger suddenly cut to the side, and Kael followed without hesitation, but that was the mistake.

A motorcycle burst out from the cross street. When Kael turned, it was too late, and his eyes widened.

For one stupid second, all he could think about was the smell of fried chicken, and then the world went white.

When Kael opened his eyes, he was lying on a wooden floor.

He groaned and pushed himself up, feeling strange, as if he occupied a different body. The room was unfamiliar, with plain walls, a narrow bed, a cracked mirror, and a candle flickering quietly in the corner.

Kael sat there for a long moment, and then he touched his face.

"Okay, it is either I died, or I hit my head so hard I left my body."

He walked to the mirror.

The face staring back at him was younger, with dark hair, sharp eyes, and pale skin. A tired expression he knew too well.

"What the..."

A blue screen panel appeared in front of him.

Kael jumped back in shock.

[ Welcome to the world of Eryndor ]

"No… way."

The screen panel changed, displaying other notifications.

[ Name: Kael Draven ]

[ Age: 24 ]

[ Status: Reborn ]

For a moment, Kael didn't move at all, then he laughed once, a dry, disbelieving sound.

"Re… reborn?"

The panel changed again.

[ Status ]

[ Strength: F ]

[ Mana: F ]

[ Speed: F ]

[ Stamina: F ]

[ Dexterity: F ]

[ Luck: SSS ]

Kael looked at the screen for a long time, and then his face slowly twisted.

"F in everything? Are you serious?"

No response.

"What kind of second life is this?"

Still nothing.

He dragged a hand down his face and looked at the mirror again. This time, he noticed the clothes.

It is a mage uniform.

"So I really did get reborn into a fantasy world."

Memories of his old life drifted back in broken pieces: office work, deadlines, cold coffee, a boss who made his day miserable, cheap meals, loneliness, and then the stupid chicken.

Kael closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.

"I died over fried chicken," he said quietly. "That is the most pathetic ending I could have gotten."

Someone knocked at the door, then another knock. "Kael Draven. If you are awake, open the door."

The voice was female, cool, calm, and sharp enough to cut stone.

Kael hesitated, then opened the door.

Standing outside was a girl with long silver hair and a white mage robe. Her posture was straight, her expression unreadable, and her eyes were so calm that Kael immediately felt like he had already done something wrong.

She glanced at the floating status panel beside him.

Her expression did not change.

"You are late again," she said.

Kael blinked. "Wait, wait… do I know you?"

The girl looked at him as if the answer should have been obvious.

"Lyra Windrune," she said. "And judging by your face, you forgot everything again."

"Again?" he asked.

Lyra gave him a flat look.

"Do you always sound this useless, or is today special?"

Kael stared at her.

"That feels unfair."

"It is not," she said. "You have ten minutes to reach the awakening hall. If you are late, Professor Hale will make you regret it."

Then she turned and walked away without another word.

Kael watched her go.

There was something about her that felt different. Serious, intelligent, and hard to read.

He had the strange feeling she would become very important in his life.

A bell rang through the academy, and students rushed past him from every direction. Some shoved past without looking. Others gave him long, contemptuous stares, and one blond boy stopped nearby and smirked.

"So the trash finally woke up."

Kael glanced at him.

"Try not to embarrass yourself today," the boy said.

Kael sighed.

"Do I have a reputation already?"

The boy laughed. "A terrible one."

Then he walked off with the others.

Kael stood alone in the hallway.

He let out a slow breath.

"Well, if this world wants to laugh at me, I can do that too."

He headed toward the awakening hall when someone screamed, and a loud crash followed.

Students ahead began shouting. A burst of smoke rolled out into the corridor, and the sharp crack of something magical tearing apart echoed through the walls.

A voice shouted from inside, "The circle is unstable!"

The hall doors slowly swung open, and from the darkness inside, something black and shapeless began to crawl toward him.

Kael froze.

His first day in this world had just become a whole lot worse, and whatever was coming through that door looked very, very hungry.