The Fallen World
Chapter 1: A New Chance
1
The first thing Kage noticed was the warmth.
Not the suffocating heat of flames, not the scorching rage of his past life—but a gentle, golden warmth, like sunlight filtering through thin curtains.
He opened his eyes.
A wooden ceiling. The faint scent of pine and steamed rice. The sound of birdsong drifting through an open window.
This… isn't right.
The last thing he remembered was the world crumbling, the sky splitting apart, his own laughter ringing in his ears as everything burned.
He had died.
He had definitely died.
And yet—
"Kage-ya! Are you awake?"
The voice was bright, lilting, and before he could process it, the door slid open with a quiet shhk.
A woman stood there, her dark hair tied back in a simple braid, her hands dusted with flour. She smiled when she saw him, and something in Kage's chest ached.
"Good, you're up," she said, stepping inside. "Your father's already left for the shop, and your sister is threatening to eat all the kimchi pancakes if you don't hurry."
Kage stared at her.
Mother.
No—not his mother. Not Kael Draven's.
But Kage's mother.
Park Mi-ae.
The name came to him effortlessly, along with a flood of memories that weren't his—or rather, hadn't been his until now.
A small house in the countryside. A father who carved wooden toys in his spare time. A sister who dragged him into trouble more often than not.
A family.
One that loved him.
One that had never looked at him with disappointment.
Mi-ae tilted her head when he didn't respond. "Kage? Are you feeling alright?"
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
How could he explain?
That he remembered another life?
That he had once been a man who burned the world?
That he was terrified this was all a dream?
Mi-ae's expression softened. She reached out, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead. "No fever… Did you have a bad dream?"
Kage swallowed hard. Then, slowly, he nodded.
Mi-ae smiled, brushing his hair back. "It's okay. Dreams can't hurt you." She leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, "But your sister can, so you'd better get dressed before she comes in here."
Then she was gone, leaving the door slightly ajar behind her.
Kage sat there for a long moment, his hands trembling.
Then he looked down at himself.
Small hands. Thin arms. The body of a child.
Eight years old.
He took a slow, shuddering breath.
This wasn't a dream.
This was real.
And for the first time in both his lives…
Kage let himself hope.
2
Breakfast was chaos.
The moment Kage stepped into the main room, a blur of motion launched itself at him.
"There you are!"
A girl—his sister, his mind supplied—latched onto his arm, grinning up at him with a face that was all mischief. Park Soo-min. Ten years old, two years older than him, and absolutely insufferable.
"I was this close to eating your share," she said, holding her fingers a hair's breadth apart.
Kage blinked at her.
In his past life, he'd had a brother.
Elijah.
The golden child. The one everyone loved.
The one who killed him.
But Soo-min was nothing like Elijah.
Her eyes sparkled with genuine excitement as she tugged him toward the table. "Hurry up! Appa brought honey from the market yesterday, and if we're fast, we can put it on everything before Omma notices!"
Mi-ae sighed from the kitchen. "I can hear you, Soo-min."
Soo-min didn't even flinch. "Then pretend you didn't!"
Kage let himself be dragged to the table, where a spread of food waited—steaming rice, savory pancakes, pickled vegetables, and yes, a small jar of honey sitting temptingly within reach.
Soo-min immediately snatched it, dumping a generous spoonful onto her rice.
Kage hesitated.
In his past life, meals had been silent affairs. If he was allowed at the table at all.
Here, though…
"Kage-ya." Mi-ae set a plate in front of him, piled high with food. "Eat. You're too thin."
Soo-min nodded sagely. "Yeah. You're like a twig. If the wind blows too hard, you'll snap."
Kage looked down at the food.
Then, slowly, he picked up his chopsticks.
And ate.
It was delicious.
Soo-min, mouth already full, elbowed him. "Told you. Omma's cooking is the best."
Mi-ae swatted her lightly with a dishcloth. "Chew before you speak, Soo-min-ah."
Soo-min swallowed with an exaggerated gulp. "But then I'd eat slower!"
Kage watched them, something warm settling in his chest.
This…
This was peace.
And he would protect it.
3
After breakfast, Soo-min dragged him outside, her hand tight around his wrist.
"Come on! The others are waiting!"
Kage stumbled after her, still adjusting to the smaller, weaker body of an eight-year-old. "Who's waiting?"
Soo-min shot him a look over her shoulder. "Did you hit your head this morning? The others! Jung-hwa, Min-jae, and Yoona!"
Ah. Right.
Fragmented memories supplied the rest—the village children, his and Soo-min's usual playmates.
They met in the clearing near the old willow tree, where the grass was soft and the shade kept the worst of the summer heat at bay.
Jung-hwa, the oldest at twelve, was already there, sharpening a stick with a small knife. Min-jae, a year younger than Kage, was stacking pebbles into a precarious tower. And Yoona—small, quiet Yoona, with her wide dark eyes—was weaving flower crowns.
They all looked up when Soo-min barreled into the clearing, Kage in tow.
"You're late," Jung-hwa said, though there was no real annoyance in his voice.
Soo-min plopped down beside him, grinning. "Kage slept in like a baby."
Kage opened his mouth to protest, but Yoona was already shuffling toward him, holding out a half-finished flower crown.
"For you," she murmured.
Kage stared at it.
In his past life, no one had ever given him anything.
Carefully, he took it. "…Thank you."
Yoona beamed.
Soo-min groaned. "Ugh, Yoona, you always give Kage the pretty ones!"
Jung-hwa snorted. "That's because Kage doesn't rip them apart like you do."
"I do not—!"
As they bickered, Kage sat down, turning the flower crown over in his hands.
Daisies. Small, white, delicate.
Alive.
Just like him.
Just like this world.
He set it gently on his head.
And for the first time in what felt like eternity…
Kage smiled.
4
That night, as the household settled into sleep, Kage lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
Soo-min was curled up beside him, her breathing slow and even. She'd barged into his room again, claiming hers was "too dark," and no amount of protesting had convinced her to leave.
Kage didn't mind.
In fact, he found her presence… comforting.
A reminder that this was real.
He turned his head, studying her face in the moonlight.
Soo-min.
His sister.
His family.
In his past life, he'd been alone.
Here, he was loved.
The thought sent a sharp pang through his chest.
He wouldn't lose this.
He couldn't.
Closing his eyes, Kage made a silent vow.
This time, I'll protect them.
No matter what.
5
The next morning, Kage woke to the sound of laughter.
Soo-min was already gone from his side, her absence leaving the blankets cold.
For a moment, panic gripped him—
Then he heard her voice, bright and loud, drifting in from outside.
"Kage-ya! Hurry up! Appa's teaching us how to fish!"
Kage sat up, rubbing his eyes.
Fishing.
A normal, simple thing.
Something Kael Draven had never done.
Something Kage could.
He pushed back the blankets and stood.
Outside, the sun was shining, the air crisp with the promise of a new day.
His family was waiting.
And for the first time in both his lives…
Kage ran toward them, laughing.
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