Chapter 1: Awake
Ren stood by the window of his classroom, gazing at the sky. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the campus. He felt a sense of calm wash over him as he watched the clouds drift lazily across the sky. It was moments like these that he cherished most, where he could lose himself in his thoughts and forget about the world around him.
But his peaceful reverie was shattered by a soft voice that called out to him. "Hey Ren, you there?" Ren turned to see his classmate Maki, a short and dorky girl who always seemed to be nagging him. "Yeah, what's up?" Ren replied, his voice relaxed but tinged with annoyance.
"It's time to go home," Maki said, pouting at Ren. "Are you going to walk me home or what?"
Ren sighed. He wasn't in the mood for Maki's nagging, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice. He grabbed his schoolbag and followed Maki out of the classroom.
As they walked home, Ren's mind wandered. He didn't have any aspirations or career ideas, and the thought of college seemed overwhelming to him. He just wanted to chill all day long, maybe make some money playing video games. But he knew deep down that he couldn't live like that forever.
"Ren, you know we're not getting any younger," Maki said, interrupting his thoughts. "What do you plan on doing after high school is over? Have you applied to any colleges?"
Ren shrugged. "I don't know yet," he admitted. "Maybe I'll just get a part-time job and figure it out from there."
Maki frowned. "You shouldn't take too long to figure it out," she warned. "We're not kids anymore."
Ren nodded, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was stuck in a rut. He needed to figure out what he wanted to do with his life, but he didn't even know where to start.
Suddenly, a screeching sound filled the air, and Ren turned to see a car hurtling towards him. He didn't have time to react as the car crashed into him, sending him flying through the air.
Pain shot through Ren's body as he landed on the ground. He struggled to catch his breath as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Maki was screaming for help, and he could hear the sound of sirens in the distance.
As darkness closed in around him, Ren knew that his life was about to change forever. He didn't know what the future held, but he knew that he couldn't just drift through life anymore. It was time to take control and make something of himself, before it was too late.
Everything went black, Ren's mind was spinning as he tried to make sense of what was happening. A robotic voice echoed through his head, and a black screen with blue text appeared before his eyes, displaying information about himself that he had never seen before.
"Sex: Male, Race: Human, Age: 17, Profession: Dreamer, Special Traits: Dragonborne (to be one with Dragons)," the text prompts read in front of him.
Ren's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to process what was happening. "Dragonborne? What the actual fuck is going on? Am I dreaming?" he asked himself, but all he saw was darkness other than the screen prompt in front of him.
And then the voice spoke again, sending a chill down Ren's spine. "You have died, but you will be reborn into a new world," it said. "How your story unfolds in this new world is up to you."
Ren felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had always thought that he had plenty of time to live his life and pursue his dreams, but now it seemed like that time had been snatched away from him.
"Dead? Fuck me, I was finally gonna ask Maki out!" Ren said to himself, his disappointment and regret weighing heavily on his shoulders. He had always been too shy to ask Maki out, and now he would never get the chance.
But there was no time to dwell on his regrets. The robotic voice continued speaking, and Ren felt a sense of vertigo as the world around him began to warp and twist.
"Transferring all data," the voice said. "Reborn Process will begin in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."
And then everything went white, like a bright, blinding light flashing before his eyes. Ren felt a sense of weightlessness as he was hurled through space and time, hurtling towards a new world that he knew nothing about.
Everything went white. As Ren's eyes fluttered open, he found himself surrounded by a vibrant world of color and life. A sea of blooming flowers and towering trees welcomed him as he tried to make sense of his new surroundings. The blossoms of the trees were a soft shade of pink, gently swaying in the gentle breeze, and tiny petals floated gracefully through the air. Ren was mesmerized by the beauty of it all, but quickly realized that something was off.
"Damn, that sucked, where the hell am I now?" he muttered to himself, the confusion clear on his face. He tried to move, but his body felt different, smaller, weaker. Panic began to set in as he struggled to stand up. Looking down at himself, Ren gasped in shock as he saw that he was no older than a child, his hair a fiery red, and his eyes a vivid green.
"Why am I like this? This isn't fair!" Ren cried out, frustration and fear etched in his voice. His mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. He stumbled towards a nearby stream, hoping to catch a glimpse of himself in the water. As he looked down, he saw the reflection of a boy he didn't recognize staring back at him.
As he sat there, trying to process everything, Ren couldn't help but feel like he was trapped in some kind of anime. But this was no cartoon, and he had no idea how to navigate this strange new world. He gazed around at the unfamiliar plants and creatures, feeling lost and alone.
"What do I do now?" he whispered to himself, the weight of his situation beginning to sink in. Ren was in a whole new world, with no one to turn to and no idea what lay ahead, but at least he wasn't butt-naked, he thanked whatever God that would hear him in this new world.
Just then, a loud eruption of noise and crashing came from deep within the forest near the fields where Ren was laying. Ren jumped up and ran to some boulders that were close to the commotion. There he hid and watched as a group of knights charged into the clearing, swords and spears at the ready. The knights were met with a giant green scaled dragon, spikes running down its spine, a massive tail cutting through the trees, and fire blasting out of its mouth.
The dragon roared, causing the ground to shake, and charged towards the knights, flames engulfing the surrounding trees. The knights tried to fight back, but the dragon was too powerful, knocking them down with a flick of its tail or breathing fire upon them.
Ren watched in horror as one knight after another fell, their armor no match for the dragon's strength. But despite the odds, the knights refused to give up. They regrouped, forming a circle around the dragon, spears pointed inward as they waited for the dragon to make its next move.
The dragon lunged towards the knights, its massive jaws clamping down on a spear. The knights held on tightly, using all their strength to keep the dragon at bay. Meanwhile, other knights attacked the dragon from behind, slashing at its legs with their swords. The dragon roared in pain, but it was not enough to stop the knights.
One of the knights cried out, "All guard, on my mark, fire the cannons!" A group of about eight big men in shining silver armor rushed to the sides of the dragon, pinning the great beast down with spears and nets. The leader of the knights that was yelling the commands swung his hands down, signaling the other knights to fire the cannons.
Ren watched in awe as the knights fired the cannons, the double barrels of the futuristic weapons blasting huge lasers at the dragon. The mighty beast crashed to the floor, its body smoking from the intense heat of the lasers.
As Ren was staring at the chaos hidden from behind the rocks, he could have sworn the dying dragon glanced at him. He stared into the dragon's eyes and heard a voice in his head. "Save my child, dragonborne," it seemed as if the dragon communicated that to Ren telepathically. Ren tried to reply back, still trying to remain silent, "Save my child, he has yet to be born an egg, deep within a cave, please go to it, please save him, I bless you my spirit, I can feel you are one with us..." The voice became more faint, sounding like an aged woman, calm even in death.
Ren was stunned. He had never heard of anything like this before. And yet, he couldn't deny the feeling of connection he had with the dragon. He tried to reply, still trying to remain silent, "I will try my best, I promise." The dragon closed its eyes, and Ren felt tears and sweat running down his face. He had felt what the dragon felt, emotionally and physically, and the experience left him shaken to his core.