Serene woke up to a pale light filtering through a small stone window, gently touching his face with a tenderness closer to nostalgia than warmth. The bed was hard, and the blanket light, but his heart was heavier than lead, carrying the burden of reincarnation and the memories of two worlds conflicting in his mind.
He sat up slowly, catching his breath as if it were his first breath in this new body. He raised his hand before his eyes, his fingers long and slender, his skin lighter than he was used to, and his palm bore the marks of hard work despite his noble origin. "I... the son of a Baron?" he muttered to himself, remembering the details of the novel that was now his life. "This isn't daydreaming. It really happened."
Minutes passed before he heard a light knock on the door. A young woman entered, beautiful in a way rarely seen in his old world, her chestnut hair tied in a simple braid, and her eyes carrying the warmth of motherhood and the anxiety of the future. "Good morning, Serene. Did you sleep well?"
He hesitated verbally before replying, discovering that his new language flowed easily from his mouth. "Yes... Mother, I'm fine." He almost stumbled over the word, but quickly recovered. Her light hug was enough to make him feel that a part of him was starting to believe the new reality.
"Your father is waiting for you in the dining hall. Don't be late." She smiled and left, but her last look carried an anxiety he couldn't immediately understand the reason for.
The system information popped into his mind: "Synchronization Rate: 0%". No menus appeared before his eyes, but it was a persistent thought in his head. Would the system start working soon? What were his first skills? And how would he protect this family that gave him a second chance?
He put on his simple formal clothes, a gray jacket and dark trousers, and went out into the cold stone corridor. The house was modest but elegant, bearing the Baron's mark: simple but sturdy furniture, old paintings on the walls, and a faded red carpet leading to the dining hall.
In the hall, a middle-aged man sat, with a thick beard and stern features, but when he saw Serene, he smiled slightly. "Good morning, son. Come and sit."
Serene sat in silence, watching cautiously. His father in the novel was a middle-class Baron, without great influence, but he was known for his dignity and fairness among the commoners, which was rare in this empire where nobles often despised the lower classes.
"Are you ready to start your training today?" the father asked seriously, his eyes gleaming with high expectations.
"Yes..." Serene replied, hesitant. He didn't know the type of training yet, but he remembered that the Baron insisted on teaching his sons the basics of combat and land management, even if they weren't direct heirs.
Breakfast passed in a quiet atmosphere, interspersed with talk about the weather and the state of the neighboring villages. His mother watched Serene with affectionate eyes, while his father observed his actions carefully, as if testing him in every movement.
After the meal, the father led Serene to the training yard behind the palace. The yard was small, its ground hard earth, surrounded by a wooden fence. There, a wooden sword, a small shield, and a simple bow awaited him.
"Today, you will learn the basics of combat. The world is not safe, my son, especially with the recent increase in demon attacks. You must always be prepared." He gave him the wooden sword and began teaching him the correct stance, how to hold the weapon, and the simplest defensive strikes.
Serene's body was a bit weak, but he had good muscle memory from his previous life. With every movement, he remembered his training in his old world, how he used to defend himself in narrow alleys, and how he used to run instead of facing.
"Don't be afraid of pain, pain teaches us." The father said firmly, while training him to block strikes. The training was exhausting, and sweat poured from his forehead, but for the first time since arriving in this world, he felt he belonged somewhere.
After hours of training, he sat by the small well in the garden, catching his breath. He took out an old book from his pocket, which he found among his belongings when he woke up. The cover was worn, and the letters were engraved in an ancient language, but he could read it thanks to the system.
"This... is the book I read before reincarnation." He whispered in surprise. He flipped through the pages, finding drawings of demons, magic spells, and forgotten combat arts. Suddenly, he felt a prick in his head, and a faint voice echoed in his mind: "System activating... Synchronization Rate: 0.5%".
His body trembled for a moment, then calmed down. No menus appeared before his eyes, but a strange sense of knowledge flooded him. He knew that this book held secrets that would change his destiny, and that he had to read it carefully.
That night, he sat in his room under the faint candlelight, reading and analyzing, and every word opened a door of mystery and possibilities before him. He knew that his journey had begun, and that shadows were hovering around him, waiting for his moment of weakness.
But Serene was not that weak boy anymore. He carried in his heart the pain of the past, the hope of the future, and an unbreakable resolve. With every page, he was one step closer to his unknown destiny, ready to face anything that came his way, whether it was a monster, a hero, or even himself.
And so, a new dawn began in the life of Serene, the boy of shadows and the maker of destiny.
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