Prologue

"Your total is three dollars and twenty-seven cents!"

I handed the man at the register the required money and collected the stuff I just bought.

I made my way to my favorite bench in the park, intending to eat the popsicle I just bought. As I was sitting down on a shady bench, I got a call from my Dad.

"Hey, Dad, what's up?"

"Kura, can you come home to help your mother and I make dinner?"

"Isn't Amy there at the house? Why can't she help you guys cook?"

"Amy isn't allowed to cook in the kitchen anymore. Not after the cooking incident.

A shiver ran down my spine.

A couple of months ago, after my Dad and I had finished closing the family shop for the day, we had hurriedly made our way home to see if we could help with making dinner. Amy was to cook food that week since my Mom was out of town for a family wedding. However, as we walked into the house, we began coughing hysterically because of all the smoke in the air. My Dad had hurriedly made his way to the kitchen to see what was wrong, but what he found scarred us both, even to this day. Amy had charred the food till it was black. We haven't allowed Amy to cook food in the kitchen again since that day.

"Okay, I will be home in a little while."

"Thanks, got to go. Someone's knocking on the door. See you in a little bit."

'Huh? Who is knocking on our door this late in the afternoon?'

I thought it was a little weird, but I didn't dwell on it too much.

After I hung up from the phone call, I continued eating my popsicle for a little while till I finished it. I tossed the popsicle stick in the trash can beside the bench. I hopped on my bike and began peddling down the sidewalk.

As I was passing a shop window, I saw my reflection staring back at me. I couldn't help but smirk at how average I looked. I had short-ish black hair, brownish-blackish eyes, and a roughly 170 cm tall appearance. I was just your average teenager. I spent most of my time cooped up in my room playing games or reading manga. Sometimes, I would help out at my parent's shop.

As I was rounding the corner onto my street, I could see the front door of my house wide open.

'They probably just forgot to close the door.'

I was trying to assure myself that everything was fine, but I couldn't help but feel something was wrong.

I pulled my bike up in the driveway and hopped off.

That's when I heard it. There was a blood-curling scream from inside the house. I didn't even think about what was happening before I was already running into the house. I had drawn out my knife and was getting ready to use it. I wasn't proficient with the knife at all, but I knew the basics of how to fight with it.

As I passed through the threshold of the house, I saw blood splattered on the floor. It was coming from the living room. I ran into the room to see the gruesome sight of my family members being cut open. A man holding a bloody knife was standing above them with a knife in his hand. My Mom and Dad were lying on the floor, unmoving.

Amy was on the floor, screaming in pain as the knife stuck out of her leg.

The man turned around and looked at me.

I shivered in fear. When that man looked at me, I felt like I was just a toy to him. He didn't see me as a human. He saw me as a plaything to satiate his hunger for death.

I couldn't move or think clearly. My mind didn't even register the man pulling the knife from Amy's leg and walking up to me.

*Stab*

Amy screamed, not in pain, but because she saw the knife protruding from my chest.

The man before me was laughing maniacally.

'Ah, so this is how I go out, huh? Kinda depressing to go out such a sad way.'

As my lifeless body was falling to the ground, I couldn't help but feel angry at my inability to help my parents and Amy.

'If only I had been a little faster. I shouldn't have waited to finish my popsicle.'

Thoughts like that kept entering my mind. They wouldn't go away. It was painful thinking that I could have helped them.

'I swear that from now on, I will never let those around me get hurt again. I will protect everyone I love.'

I engraved that promise onto my heart.

Tti-ring Tti-ring

[System has chosen you to be a Player. Would you like to accept?]

Rewards -

1. Reincarnation

2. Special Class

3. System]

[YES or NO?]