Ryan Thomas was out stargazing, hoping to catch a glimpse of the meteor that was supposed to pass by at midnight. It was his one and only day off from both work and school, and this—this moment—was all he wanted.
A break from reality. Just him and the stars.
"Wow… it's beautiful. Like a phoenix diving through the sky," he muttered, eyes wide with wonder. "I've gotta get a picture."
He rummaged through the mess in his backpack, fingers brushing past notebooks, wrappers, and a crushed granola bar until he found it—his prized camera. Sleek, high-end, expensive. He'd emptied his savings to buy it.
"Ah! There you are," he grinned. "Been dying to try this bad boy out."
He quickly aimed the lens toward the sky—but the screen stayed black.
"…Huh?"
A beat passed.
"Oh, duh. Cap's still on." He laughed, shaking his head.
Click.
"Alright, now we're in business." He adjusted his grip, trying to line up the perfect shot. The meteor streaked across the moonlit sky, burning a brilliant orange-red trail behind it.
But something felt… off.
"…Wait. Why is it getting closer?"
He frowned, checking the zoom setting. It wasn't zoomed in at all. In fact, it was fully zoomed out.
His stomach dropped.
Before he could run—before he could even scream—
BOOOOOOM!!!
...
"Waaaah! Waaaah!"
The wails of a newborn pierced the air.
Wait… that voice—was mine?
I was crying.
But not just crying—screaming like an infant.
…Am I alive?
Was I dreaming?
No. That crash… that light… the force of it. That was real.
So how the hell did I end up here?
I blinked slowly, my vision still unfocused. All I could make out were two massive double doors towering above me, etched with glowing symbols I couldn't read.
I tried lifting my arm—only to freeze.
What I saw wasn't my arm. It was soft. Chubby. Tiny.
A baby's hand.
No. No way.
This isn't happening.
I'm not a baby. This has to be a dream, some sort of coma-induced hallucination. People don't just turn into—
Creeeaaak.
The doors opened, revealing a woman in a tattered nun's habit. Her clothes were stained, her face smudged with dirt—but even in that state, she had an ethereal grace.
She rushed over, eyes wide. "Oh, poor thing," she cooed in a language I didn't understand. "Who would leave you out here in the cold?"
She scooped me into her arms, holding me tightly to her chest. Her warmth was immediate. Comforting.
Too real.
This wasn't a dream.
"Don't worry," she whispered softly, pressing her chin to the top of my head. "I'll take care of you."
That moment—being held like that—it did something to me.
I stopped crying.
My thoughts raced, trying to make sense of what just happened. The meteor. The crash. My death. And now this.
I'd… I'd been reincarnated.
This wasn't Earth.
Several Months Later
They named me Ajax.
Apparently, I was left on the doorstep of this run-down orphanage not long after I was born—or reborn, I guess. Sister Carla, the woman who found me, became the closest thing I have to a mother in this world.
She's kind. Fierce when she needs to be. Always smells like rosemary and bread.
There are a few other nuns here too—Sister Margot, quiet and stern; Sister Julia, who always hums while cleaning; and Sister Bri, the one who teaches the older kids. She's the youngest of the bunch and surprisingly good at using magic.
And then there's Father Aldo.
Something about him gives me the creeps.
He always smiles too wide. Talks too softly. His eyes linger just a bit too long whenever he enters the nursery.
I don't know why, but my instincts tell me to stay away from him.
I learned a lot in just a few months.
First of all—magic is real.
I'm talking fireballs, wind slashes, light shields—all of it. And apparently, people are born with elemental "affinities" that determine what kinds of magic they can learn.
Even more incredible? This world has a system. Not quite like a video game, but close. Whenever I focus and say or think "Status," a screen appears in my mind like a transparent panel.
『Status Menu』
— Name: Ajax
— Title(s): None
— Alias(es): None
— Species: Human
— Magic Affinities: Fire, Wind, Light
— Blessing: Unawakened
『Unique Skills』
— Phoenix Core
『Common Skills』
— None
『Uncommon Skills』
— None
『Rare Skills』
— None
『Mythical Skills』
— None
『Ultimate Skills』— None
"Phoenix Core." Just the name sounds incredible.
What kind of power could it hold?
Maybe it'll let me resurrect like a phoenix. Maybe I'll burst into flames. Or grow wings and soar through the skies. Who knows?
I can't use it yet—I'm just a baby, after all—but just knowing it's there fills me with anticipation. I've got a skill most people would kill for.
It's like living in a dream.
I probably look insane the way I kick my feet and grin randomly, but I don't care. I'm excited. Full of adventure.
In a way, I never was on Earth.
Now that I've learned some of the language, I spend my days poring through the orphanage's tiny book collection. Most of them are old, tattered, and filled with fairy tails—others mostly stories about the ancient tale of the hero vs the demon lord, nothing I care too much for.
When I ask Sister Bri if they're just fairy tales, she always tells me, "No. They're history."
Apparently, the hero is the sacred warrior of the gods. And not just strong—but blessed.
A hero in this world is someone chosen by the gods themselves. Gifted with all twelve divine blessings—each one a miracle on its own. A single blessing can elevate someone to demi-god status. All twelve?
Godhood itself.
That's not what interests me, though. I'm not chasing the path of a hero. Not yet.
What does interest me… are the monsters.
The creatures in these books are pulled straight from mythology—drakes, chimeras, hydras, shadowhounds, and more. Some are intelligent. Some are mindless. All are powerful.
And one day, I will meet one. Maybe fight one. Maybe tame one.
That's the kind of life I want.
But for now? I'm still a baby. There's not much I can do except eat, cry, and look cute.
So I've decided to do the only thing I can—study mana.
From what I've observed, mana is everywhere—flowing through the air, the earth, even inside people. I've seen Sister Bri manipulate it while teaching, forming little glowing orbs of light or creating heat with a flick of her wrist.
It's amazing...
If I can start learning how to feel mana—just sense its presence—I might be able to accelerate my growth. Get a head start on this whole thing and stuff like that.
I'll do anything to get the jump on this life. I can't wait to explore.
I wanna live it out to the best of my abilities after all.