1 Prologue

"If you're watching this recording, then that means I'm already dead."

A man wearing a dull face looked at the small camera that was recording his image. He was inside an old and messy room filled with various pictures and notes, dust covering all the untouched parts.

"Can fate be broken?" He questioned, rubbing his temples with a heavy expression. He shifted his posture a few times on the sofa, his black dim eyes locked into the camera once again.

"Tonight, at 2.25 AM, I'll be killed. No matter how much I struggle, I would eventually end up dead. Be it an accident, or some Awakened or Modders targeting me. In the end, I won't be there to see the daybreak tomorrow... forever."

His mood suddenly turned somber when he mentioned his death.

"I always believed that knowledge is power, but never thought that too much knowledge could bring me to an end. In pursuit of that same knowledge, I've sacrificed too much, and now, my life too."

"Hehe, I must have had a sick mind to create this device. Who knew that it would show my own death? Now, I can't even kill myself. I thought about changing my fate, even if only a little. So, I tried to kill myself… various times from this morning, but I'm still alive, barely, waiting for my role to complete and exit from this unknown stage."

He waved his deeply bandaged hand in front of the camera. He remembered the bitter time when he tried to shoot himself in the head, only to find that the gun stopped working. He hanged himself, only for the rope to be cut.

When he tried to stab himself, especially with the knife that he tested to be strong and sharp, he was interrupted by an explosion that happened somewhere else, causing him to miss his stomach and only injure his hand.

Thinking about the knives, it made him recall the memories of the time he taught his daughter how to handle sharp weapons and tools.

"You must've met my family," His lifeless eyes started to reflect the little light that was coming into his room, a transparent layer of water forming in them.

"… I really love them." He said in a brittle voice while revealing a pained smile.

"My wife acts like a stubborn spoiled princess but she's really intelligent and charming, kind too. My daughter has also started to imitate her recently. Heh, she'll turn 9 this year and I'll not be there on her birthday. Maybe, I'll meet them one last time and wish her."

He chuckled and curled up his lips, but it wasn't a typical smile that is used to spread happiness. The smile on his face was filled with helplessness and despair.

"I really miss my family." He muttered under his breath before looking at the camera.

"Please don't hate them. Other than me, there won't be anyone who will protect them. When I'm gone, I'm sure they'll find them to try to retrieve the research files."

When he said that, his eyes narrowed. He remembered the reason for everything that was going to happen to him. The deep rage inside his body started to make his blood boil.

The previous smile on his face had disappeared like it never existed. He straightened his back and looked directly at the camera with a stiff face, speaking in a dead voice.

"… And remember, they already have most of the Fragments. The only thing that they want now is the missing data from my research. If they figure it out before the Apocalypse, a war of unimaginable scale is inevitable."

It didn't look like he was taking a recording, but giving a warning, a grave warning to the one who sees it.

"That war will claim the lives of millions of innocent people who have nothing to do with it. The Corrupted monsters from the Dungeons are not the only enemies that humans will face. The Awakened will roam freely without any rules to bind them, and so will the Modders who have been hiding under the dark and looking for an opportunity."

"You, the new me… Kohren. If you want to survive, then all you have to do is become stronger. Even gods can be killed, so why can't fate be destroyed? I realized it the hard way, the only answer is to become strong enough to break it."

"Finally, Kohren, I know you have many questions, but I'm restrained. I can only tell you that there is a way for you to return…"

***

"Brother, are you really not going to tell me your name?"

"Don't worry. When I come to visit you again, I'll tell you my name."

Standing in front of an orphanage, Kyle looked at the little girl who was standing beside a middle-aged gentleman, smiling warmly.

"Brother, you helped me so much, how can I thank you?"

The little girl asked Kyle, her pure and innocent eyes shining, wearing a cute and frilly dress. She looked different from before when Kyle had found her earlier this morning.

The sun was still rising when he found her in the park, sleeping like a lost lamb and covering in the cold. He felt sympathy for that little girl and discovered that she ran away from the orphanage due to excessive bullying and mistreatment.

When Kyle thought about it, he found it odd that he can relate to this girl. It was even strange that today was both of their birthdays.

'Not facing problems head-on and running away from them, hoping that everything turns out for good without ever working for them...'

As he thought about this in a clear mind, Kyle remembered the fight he had with his parents over a present, how poorly he treated his friends, and how he had accused his girlfriend of cheating.

He began to regret his rash decisions last night and decided to help this girl and make up with everyone.

'Buying her clothes was a great choice.' He nodded to himself and admired his selection. That wasn't the only thing he did for her, but he took pride in it. He looked her in the eyes and replied,

"Today is your birthday, as well as mine. You taught me a life lesson that no one else could teach me. It's only fair that I do the same for you. Even if it's a little different."

"But you did so much for me, brother. You-you…" She started to stammer, her eyes getting teary by the time she finished talking.

Kyle couldn't stand when she turned like that so he quickly thought of an answer.

He got down on one knee and lightly stroked the little girl's hair. He said in a warm voice,

"Promise me that you'll never run away from the orphanage without informing me and make true friends, okay?"

Holding back her tears, the little girl cutely nodded her head.

He stood up and said to the orphanage manager, who is also his relative, "Uncle, please take care of her."

"Don't worry. Come visit whenever you can. Now, go back to your home. Your parents called me in the middle of the night. They are sickly worried about you when you didn't return home last night."

"Yeah, I need to apologize to them properly."

After listening to his uncle talk about his parents, he replied in a low voice. He bid farewell to both his uncle and the little girl before returning to the road.

He walked slowly and thought about how he should make up with everyone, his face darkening. He was so immersed in his thoughts that, unknown to him, a speeding car was approaching behind.

He walked to the edges of the road, turning to the direction where his home was, he took steady steps. The car behind him lost its control at that moment and started to swerve wildly.

Screech!!!

… And just like that, on an empty road, devoid of any soul, the car hit Kyle before finally crashing into a nearby tree.