What happened? Where am I?

  I thought I was dead.

  I can still feel it—the sharp pain as the bullets tore through my body, the suffocating wetness of blood pooling in my lungs. I remember the cold, creeping numbness as I lay there, unable to move, unable to breathe. The world had grown dark, the sounds of my life fading into silence. Clinton’s twisted grin, the mocking finality in his voice—it all burned itself into my mind.

  There was no coming back from that.

  And yet, here I am.

  My senses return to me slowly. First, the sounds. Faint at first, distant and muffled, like I’m underwater. Voices. They’re not the harsh, cruel voices of my tormentors. These voices are soft, joyful, brimming with excitement.

  Did someone save me? Did they somehow get me to a hospital? That’s impossible. My injuries were too severe—no amount of medical expertise could have brought me back.

  Then why do I feel so… light?

  I try to move, but my limbs don’t respond the way I expect. They feel… small, weak. My head feels enormous, my neck struggling to hold its weight. Panic sets in as I realize I can’t sit up or even turn my head.

  A bright light floods my vision, blinding me. It’s warm and all-encompassing, so different from the cold, merciless darkness of death. As the light begins to fade, shapes emerge—blurry at first but gradually sharpening into two faces.

  The first belongs to a woman with soft features and warm, bright eyes. Her expression radiates love and joy, as if she’s just received the most precious gift in the world. Beside her is a man with a rugged, angular face. His broad smile and steady gaze exude a quiet strength.

  “Caross, look!” the woman says, her voice high with excitement. “It’s a boy! Just what we wanted!”

  The man’s deep voice rumbles with approval. “A boy, indeed. What shall we call him, Claire?”

  “Samuel,” she replies almost immediately, as though the name had been sitting on the tip of her tongue, waiting to be spoken. “Samuel Raveish.”

  The man nods, his smile widening. “Samuel Raveish. I like it. A strong name for our son.”

  Samuel?

  My breath catches. That’s my name. It was my name.

  No. No, this can’t be real. This isn’t right. My chest tightens as the realization crashes over me.

  I’ve been reborn.

  Panic surges through me. I try to scream, to demand answers, but the only sound that escapes my lips is a pitiful wail. My tiny body thrashes weakly, my underdeveloped limbs flailing in frustration.

  “Oh, he’s crying!” Claire says, cradling me gently. “That’s a good sign!”

  Good sign? For who?

  I cry harder, but not from fear or hunger. It’s pure frustration, a desperate attempt to process the impossible. I was dead. I was dead. How am I alive? And why like this?

  Eventually, exhaustion claims me. My tiny body can’t handle the storm of emotions tearing through me. As Claire rocks me to sleep, I can’t help but feel the deep, crushing weight of helplessness.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  I was a grown man, broken but alive, and now I’m… this.

  Days bleed into nights, and I begin to adapt to my new reality. My days are filled with warmth and care, with Claire’s soft songs and Caross’s steady presence. They are kind and loving, their joy infectious, but I can’t shake the hollow ache inside me.

  I’m a baby. My life, my identity, my freedom—all of it is gone.

  Still, I can’t let myself sink into despair. I have to focus, to observe, to learn. My new parents are my only window into this strange world, and their conversations reveal small but critical details.

  The village I’ve been born into is called Ulaz, a quiet settlement nestled in the Lankershon Federation. It’s a simple place, surrounded by forests and rolling hills, where people live off the land and trade with passing merchants. But it’s not the idyllic scenery that catches my attention—it’s the stories.

  Claire often tells me tales about the gods and their chosen heroes. She speaks of a Human Goddess who blesses certain children with extraordinary talents, their destinies marked by a divine gift. Babies who cry immediately after birth, she says, are believed to have the favor of the goddess.

  I can’t help but laugh inwardly at the absurdity of it. Crying as a sign of greatness? It’s clearly just an old wives’ tale. And yet… the thought lingers in my mind.

  At first, life as a baby is a frustrating cycle of helplessness. I can’t walk, can’t talk, can’t do anything for myself. But as the days pass, my body begins to grow stronger. I learn to crawl, my tiny hands and knees propelling me clumsily across the floor. Claire and Caross cheer every small milestone as though I’ve just conquered the world.

  I quickly realize that despite my body’s limitations, my mind remains sharp. My memories of my past life are intact, though fragmented at times. I use those memories to my advantage, trying to piece together what kind of world I’ve been reborn into.

  It’s during one of my exploratory crawls around the house that something extraordinary happens.

  Quest Completed: Determination of the Weak!

  The words appear before my eyes, floating in the air like a translucent screen. My breath catches, my heart pounding.

  “What…?” I whisper, though the sound is no more than a baby’s incoherent murmur.

  You have met all targets to become the Player. Do you accept? Y/N

  I stare at the words, my mind reeling. A system? Like in the isekai stories I used to read? My hands tremble as I will myself to respond.

  Yes.

  Starting reincarnation process… Process complete!

  New Name: Samuel Raveish

  Age: 0

  Race: Human

  Error! Fatal Error!

  Analyzing data…

  Race Updated: 90% Human / 10% Unknown Origin

  Attributes: None

  You have learned the skill: Language Comprehension.

  Accept Skill? Y/N

  The system waits, patient and silent. My mind races as I try to process the flood of information. A leveling system? Skills? Was this part of the reincarnation? Did this “Player” role mean I’d been chosen for something special?

  I push the questions aside and focus on the screen in front of me. Yes.

  Congratulations! You have learned your first skill: Language Comprehension.

  Good luck, Player!

  And just like that, the screens vanish, leaving me stunned. My thoughts whirl as I try to make sense of what just happened.

  This isn’t just a second chance—it’s something far greater. A new life, a new world, and now… a system that could change everything.

  For the first time since I arrived, I feel a glimmer of hope.

  Months pass, and I grow more accustomed to my new life. Claire and Caross are loving parents, their warmth and kindness helping to ease some of my lingering bitterness. I spend my days exploring the small, cozy house and listening intently to their conversations.

  But I can’t ignore the system. It hasn’t appeared again since that first encounter, but its existence looms in the back of my mind. I know it’s there, waiting for me to grow stronger, to take the first steps toward whatever destiny this world has planned for me.

  One night, as Claire cradles me in her arms, I whisper my first word.

  “Shadow…”

  Her eyes widen, and Caross turns to stare at me in shock.

  “What did he say?” Caross asks, his voice low with disbelief.

  “Shadow,” Claire repeats, her tone tinged with awe. “That’s… unexpected.”

  I don’t know why the word came to me, but deep down, I feel its significance. This world is vast and mysterious, and I have a role to play in it.

  I don’t know what the future holds, but one thing is clear:

  This time, I won’t waste my second chance.