Kyle woke up to a strange sensation. His body was floating in an endless void—no weight, no gravity. He opened his eyes slowly, confusion striking him like an icy slap.
He wasn't in his room.
An infinite white space stretched in all directions. No ground, no sky—only pure, absolute whiteness. The silence was total, the kind of silence that made his heartbeat echo through the void like a lone war drum.
He looked at his hands, raised them before his face. They were real, yet something felt wrong.
"A dream," he whispered softly. "Just a strange dream."
But the words didn't convince him. Dreams didn't feel this vivid, didn't carry this crushing sense of reality.
He tried to move, took a step forward, but there was no sound of footsteps—only the sensation of walking on an invisible surface, as if he were stepping on air itself.
"What the hell is this?"
Then, something appeared.
A distant shape on the white horizon, slowly approaching. A tall, slender body, bluish-white skin faintly glowing. No clothes, no hair, no distinct facial features—just a smooth, blank surface. Yet somehow, Kyle felt it was looking at him, examining him, evaluating him.
The entity stopped at a short distance, and suddenly, despite having no mouth, a voice echoed directly inside Kyle's head.
"Welcome, human."
Kyle's muscles tensed instinctively, his body shifting into a combat-ready stance. His gray eyes locked onto the strange being.
"Who are you?"
"A complicated question. You may call me the Entity, or the Observer. Names are not important to me."
"Where am I? How did I get here?"
"You are in a place between places—a space outside the fabric of the reality you know. As for how you arrived… you didn't. I brought you here, after you died in your world."
The words fell like a heavy stone. Dead. The word echoed again and again.
"Dead? I didn't die."
"Death is not always dramatic or grand. You don't necessarily feel it. Simply put, your heart stopped in your sleep—a small cerebral hemorrhage ruptured quietly, and you died within seconds. No pain. A simple end to a complex life."
Kyle stood in silence, processing. Part of him refused to believe it, but the rational part told him to listen.
"If I'm dead, then why am I here?"
"Because physical death is not always the end of consciousness. I chose to intervene before your soul dissipated into nothingness."
"Why? Why me?"
"Because you are not random. I observed you for years. I saw how you transformed from a weak, crying child into a man who forged himself through pain and will. I saw the pride that refused to bow, the greedy ambition, and the wish you whispered last night."
A chill ran down Kyle's spine. "You were watching me."
"I watch many across countless universes. Interesting souls are rare. You are different. Your soul carries hunger—a total, absolute desire for power. That is why I decided to grant you an opportunity."
"An opportunity for what?"
"An opportunity to be reborn in a different world—a world of magic and aura, dragons and demons. A world where an individual can become powerful enough to shatter mountains, to make kings kneel."
Silence followed. Kyle didn't respond immediately; his mind worked rapidly, analyzing.
"And the price? No one gives something for free."
The entity laughed. "You are smart. Most would agree immediately, but you ask about the price first…
There is no direct price. I will not take your soul, nor will I make you my servant. I am simply interested in watching what you will do. Powerful souls are entertaining, and boredom is a real problem in eternity."
Kyle stared at the entity for several seconds, then decided to go with the flow.
"Fine. What are the details? What do I get?"
The white space shifted, images forming—vast landscapes, massive cities surrounded by stone walls, dense forests, towering mountains, dragons flying across the sky.
"This is the world of Aetherion. A world filled with power, conflict, and ambition. There are eight main races: Humans, Dragons, Elves, Valkyries, Beastkin, Vampires, Demons, and Dwarves."
The images focused on a warrior standing in the middle of a battlefield, a golden aura surrounding his body.
"Among humans, power is measured in levels, from one to nine, each level divided into nine stages. A first-level human can defeat ten ordinary men. The higher the level, the more the power transcends logic.
In addition to magic and aura, some humans possess innate special abilities:
5% of humans are born with one ability.
2%—the rarest—are born with two abilities.
These gifted individuals are considered a rare elite, as their unique abilities grant them a significant advantage—whether in combat, craftsmanship, or even daily life."
"And me?" Kyle asked. "Will I start weak?"
"No. You will receive an unparalleled talent in both aura and magic. Your body can accommodate both, which is extremely rare."
The images shifted once more.
"Second, I will grant you a System—a tool to help you learn and grow. Through it, you can view your statistics and learn combat and magic techniques."
"Third, the Eye of Appraisal. You will be able to see the level of any person, their abilities, and their strengths. You will also gain the ability to detect lies."
"But remember: none of these powers will be useful without real effort and intelligence in how you use them."
Kyle nodded slowly.
"And finally, I will grant you the chance to choose two special abilities, unique abilities that no one else will ever possess—but this comes with a condition."
"A condition?" Kyle asked.
"That you survive the challenge."