He died screaming.
Not from pain, but from betrayal.
Ashen skies burned as Aiden's body hit the ruins of the capital's last sanctuary. The world he bled for — the empire he once served as Archmage — had turned its blades against him. The Empress, his closest friend, had ordered his execution without a trial.
And the gods? Silent.
But death wasn't the end.
It was just the reset button.
> [SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
[Welcome back, Aiden Varos.]
[You have unlocked: Regression Protocol - Timeline #003]
[Time Rewound: 21 years]
He gasped, lungs filling with cold mountain air. No fire. No screams. Just… the whisper of wind through pine trees and a dull ache in his chest.
He was eleven years old again.
And he still remembered everything.
His fingers clenched into fists, shaking. "This time," he whispered, "I'll burn them first."
> [New Quest: Rewrite the Timeline] Objective: Survive the next 90 days.
Reward: Class Awakening - ???
Penalty: Permanent Death.
His eyes narrowed as footsteps echoed nearby. A patrol. He recognized the crest: the Blackfang Raiders. Slavers. In the old timeline, they sold him off. Broke him.
This time?
They'd be his test run.