The battlefield was a blur of chaos. Kaelen Volrik, Prince of the Kingdom, stood valiantly at the forefront of his army, rallying his troops in their final push. Victory was within reach—his forces were on the cusp of defeating the enemy. His chest swelled with pride, knowing his people would soon see peace after years of bloodshed.
But before he could revel in the moment, an excruciating pain shot through his chest. The world seemed to slow as Kaelen looked down, his vision blurring. His blood stained his armor, and he collapsed to his knees. His grip on his sword faltered, and he could feel his strength draining away.
As the battle raged on around him, his final thought was of his kingdom, his wife, and his family. I will protect them… until my last breath.
Then, the darkness consumed him.
Somewhere in the Void
Kaelen drifted in an endless void. No longer in pain, he felt an unfamiliar sensation—light. A light that started small, then grew bigger and brighter. He was weightless, floating, and he could not move. His memories seemed scattered, like pieces of a shattered mirror. But there was peace, and something—someone—whispered to him.
You are not finished yet.
The light expanded, and Kaelen felt himself pulled toward it. Everything was forgotten as the light engulfed him, and his consciousness faded.
Shibuya Hospital, 2008
Kaelen's first sensation was warmth, a gentle pressure against his small body. His skin felt soft, smooth, but his limbs were tiny—barely able to move. His eyes fluttered open, greeted by blurry shapes. He tried to focus, but the world seemed… strange. He was lying on something soft, and the sounds around him were unfamiliar—voices, machines, the faint beeping of monitors.
Suddenly, a face appeared above him. A strange man, his features distorted by Kaelen's infantile vision, looked down at him with wide eyes. The man's expression was filled with joy, but also… tears. Kaelen could not comprehend what was happening. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move as he wished. All he could do was blink and stare up at the man's face.
The man's voice trembled as he said, "My son… you're finally awake."
Kaelen's mind struggled to make sense of the words. Son? His memories were fragmented, distant—his past life, his battle, his death—they all felt like fading echoes. He had no idea who this man was or what he meant by calling him his son.
The warmth of the man's hands was the only thing that felt real to Kaelen as they gently cradled him. I am alive… but I don't know where I am. Why am I here? His body felt foreign to him—small, weak, vulnerable. He was no longer the prince of a kingdom; he was a newborn, helpless and lost.
Kaelen tried to cry out, but no sound emerged from his mouth. His throat was too weak, his voice too foreign. The only thing that left his lips was an infant's coo. Confusion filled his mind as his body refused to obey him. He wasn't sure where he was, what had happened, or even who he was anymore.
The man, seeing the confusion in Kaelen's eyes, continued speaking in the strange language, his tone filled with both love and sorrow. "You've been through so much, but you're here now. You're safe… my son."
Kaelen's infant mind struggled with the language, unable to understand the meaning behind the words. His memories of his previous life felt more and more like a fading dream—a dream of battle, of honor, of a life once lived. But now, all that remained was an infant body in a foreign world.
The man looked at him with hope, as if waiting for something Kaelen could not provide. The world was alien to him, the language a riddle he couldn't solve. All Kaelen could do was lie there, helpless, staring up at the man, the confusion in his heart growing with each passing second.
Suddenly, a different voice spoke, soothing and kind. Kaelen could feel something warm, soft, wrap around him. He felt himself lifted gently into someone's arms. A woman's face appeared in his blurry vision, tender and full of love.
"Now you're Ash Kurogane," she said softly, her voice carrying a strange yet calming tone.
The name felt foreign. Ash Kurogane... Kaelen tried to focus, but the name meant nothing to him. He was no longer the warrior-prince of a distant kingdom; now, he was a helpless infant in a strange world with a new name he didn't understand.
The woman's arms held him close, and the warmth of her embrace brought a strange comfort to Kaelen, even if he couldn't comprehend what had happened. His memories of his past life—the battles, the kingdom, his death—seemed like a distant dream, a fading echo. All that remained was his new existence, as a child with no memories of this world.
His thoughts were jumbled, like pieces of a shattered puzzle. Who were these people? Why had he been reborn? Why was he now Ash Kurogane?
As the woman smiled gently at him, Kaelen felt the confusion and disorientation sink deeper into his mind. His body, once strong and regal, was now small and frail. And though he couldn't speak, a single thought lingered in his mind: I must understand this new world.
The morning sun peeked through the hospital window, casting a warm glow over the quiet room. Ash lay bundled in soft blankets, his small body resting peacefully. Though he could not speak or move like before, his mind—once Kaelen, the warrior prince—remained aware, struggling to understand this new reality.
The door creaked open gently.
A pair of light footsteps approached, then stopped beside the bed. A young voice, full of energy and excitement, broke the silence.
"Hey, little Ash! I'm your big sister—Rin Kurogane!"
Ash blinked slowly, turning his head toward the voice. His vision was still hazy, but he could make out the outline of a girl—maybe five or six years old. She had short dark hair and sparkling eyes full of curiosity.
She leaned closer, grinning brightly. "You're really small... but so cute!" Her voice was cheerful, and her words, though still strange to Ash, carried a warmth that stirred something in him.
Behind her, a kind woman stepped in. Her eyes were gentle, and her smile radiated love. She walked to the bed and cradled Ash carefully in her arms.
"This is your mother," the girl said proudly, pointing to the woman. "Her name is Nao Kurogane. And that—" she turned as a man entered behind them, carrying a bag of food and smiling shyly—"is Dad! Akio Kurogane!"
Ash looked at them all, feeling a strange mix of warmth and confusion. Their names, their language, their world—it was all unfamiliar. Yet, their faces glowed with genuine love.
He didn't understand everything, but in that moment, wrapped in his mother's arms and surrounded by smiling faces, something inside him softened. He was no longer the prince of a distant kingdom. He was Ash Kurogane, a newborn in a strange new world—with a new family that already loved him.
The quiet hum of the car filled the air as the Kurogane family made their way home. Nao Kurogane sat in the back seat, gently holding Ash in her arms. Rin sat beside her, peeking over excitedly every few seconds to check on her new little brother.
"We're almost home, Ash!" Rin giggled, kicking her feet happily. "You're gonna love it!"
Ash blinked slowly, the world rushing past the window a blur of color and motion. His mind—still adjusting to this tiny, unfamiliar body—could barely comprehend the strangeness of everything. Cars, lights, buildings... all so different from the castles and forests of his past life.
Akio Kurogane looked at them through the rearview mirror. "He's so quiet. Like a little prince, huh?"
Nao smiled softly. "He's just soaking everything in. He's curious."
Ash didn't understand their words completely, but he could feel their warmth. The gentle way his mother held him, the proud voice of his father, and the excitement of his sister—these were new, but not unwelcome.
Finally, the car stopped.
The house was small but cozy, tucked in a quiet part of the city. As they entered, Rin rushed ahead and opened the door wide. "Come on, Ash! This is our home!"
Inside, the walls were filled with family photos. There was a soft couch, a clean table, and the smell of warm food in the air. Nao carried Ash through each room, whispering softly as if showing him a new world.
"This is your room," she said, stepping into a small nursery. "It's not a castle, but... it's yours."
Ash looked around. There were toys, blankets, and stars painted on the ceiling. It was nothing like his royal chambers—but somehow, it felt warm.
He didn't know what the future held. But this was now his world.
His new life had begun.
Three months had passed since Ash Kurogane was born into this strange new world.
Though still a baby, Ash's mind was far from ordinary. The memories of his past life as Prince Kaelen remained—scattered and fading, but real. Every day in this world felt like walking through a dream he couldn't fully grasp.
One quiet afternoon, Ash sat in his mother's lap in the living room. His head rested gently against her arm as she flipped through the TV channels.
Suddenly, light and sound flashed across the screen.
Boom!
A scene from an action film played—cars chasing, guns firing, buildings collapsing. The noise made Ash's eyes widen. He had seen war… but never like this. Not in moving boxes filled with light.
His small body flinched slightly, and Nao laughed gently. "It's okay, Ash. Just a movie."
Ash stared, transfixed. The screen showed things he couldn't understand—yet he felt strangely drawn to it. Words, flashing lights, people talking fast. He couldn't follow their language yet, but he was beginning to recognize patterns.
Then, Rin ran in holding a small rectangle.
"Look, Ash!" she grinned, holding it near his face. "This is Mama's phone! You can watch TV here too!"
Ash blinked at it. The little glowing box lit up in her hand. It was… like magic. Tiny pictures moving inside a small object? No sorcerer in his kingdom had done anything like this.
Rin clicked a button, and a children's song started playing. Bright colors, animals, a cheerful tune.
Ash stared silently. His heart felt strange. This world had no swords, no magic, no kingdoms—yet, somehow, it was filled with powers far beyond anything he'd seen before.
He couldn't talk. He couldn't walk. But in that moment, one clear thought crossed his mind:
This world… is dangerous in a different way.