Derek

Modern Day, Unknown Location, Aeras.

An ominous shadow rustles through broken leaves as it emerges from a rotting berry bush, dragging its bloody and torn body across the rugged earth. A loose tree branch gets caught onto its tattered clothing and whips the shadow across the face. Flinching in pain, it shoves the branch away.

"How did I end up here, and WHY am I being chased by a bunch of soldiers?" As the shadow brushed some dust off his tattered shirt.

It had only been just minutes before; Derek was walking home from his final exam at Tokyo Skylar Academy. It was the normal route like usual, the beaten path through the forest. It was a shortcut Derek came to find mid year when he was playing soccer with my friends and lost it in the woods. It shaved off around ten or so minutes, so Derek thought it was worth the risk.

This forest was off-limits, as it was a danger zone and was considered trespassing. Residing right underneath a cliff, Derek could see cars above driving around the mountain to get from one town to the next. The weak foundation of the mountain cliffs made trekking underneath it extremely dangerous. Although there have been rare incidences of cars losing control and falling off the mountain into the forest, no one dared step into the forest.

"Fucking kill me. I completely flunked that exam. I really don't want to repeat another year." This was Derek's second year of his "supposed" last year and it wasn't optimal for him to repeat again. Derek looked up at the rocky cliffs, jokingly hoping a car would end it all.

"If I could just end it all, right here, right now..."

But it was as if the gods answered him. Because, at that moment, Derek heard a screech above him. Moments later, two blurry flashes of white flew off the mountain, accompanied by something that was aflame.

The two streaking lights broke through the barrier containing the road as a burning car came hurtling down the edge of the cliff. The windows were smashed in, and there was nobody inside the car. It was a red flaming carcass of death, and it was headed straight towards Derek.

Never in his life did Derek have such bad luck. All he wanted that day was to feel prepared for the upcoming exam, but that gets all snapped up in the instant he opens the first page of the book. But that really wasn't the apparent problem at hand right now, because WHAT IN THE HELL WAS LAUNCHING TOWARDS ME RIGHT NOW?

Derek began sprinting away from the cliff, trying to out-manoeuvre the vehicle, but it kept trailing right behind him. Left, right. Right, left... Almost as if the car was following him. Whenever he would take a turn, the wheels would either malfunction or break down causing the car to drift in his direction. Tears started swelling from Derek's eyes. He didn't wish for this. Well, he did, but not in this way!

The vehicle was still gaining speed as it descended the mountain, and Derek knew he wouldn't make it. He turned around one last time as the blaring fluorescent lights enveloped his whole vision. With that, he closes his eyes, as heat and metal encompass his entire body. 

* BOOM! *

*....*

*...* *.....*

*...Rebooting...*

* SYSTEM REBOOT *

* BOOTING UP *

*......*

* SYSTEMS COMING ONLINE... *

* Systems are online. *

* Name: Vars Hellbright *

* Health: 5% *

* Magika: None.*

* Race: Demon Angel *

* Inventory: [Lucifer's Ring]

* Balance: 0 Aers *

* Rank: Tier 1 Ensign *

* Threat Level: High *

[Good evening, Sir Vars Hellbright.]

As Derek regained consciousness, a voice pops up in his head. In his mind's eye, a tall figure dressed in a suit bowed their head towards him.

[It seems that we have come back online. Welcome back to the world of Aeras.]

Derek reached for his head began feeling his face all around. Is this heaven? Is this real? It was only a couple of seconds ago his vision was covered in a blast of blazing lights. He was pretty sure his mind projected a dark tunnel and there a light at the end of it, like the classic movie tropes where car crash survivors see a light beyond reach moments before.

[Sire, your systems are functional, but you require immediate medical attention. You have three broken ribs, the right side of your hip is dislocated, and a High Threat Level is approaching. You are also bleeding profusely. Seek medical assistance immediately. Seek medical assistance immediately.]

All of these commands and advising meant nothing in Derek's head. Aeras? High Threat Level? What the fuck was that? Three broken ri--

And just like that, Derek let out a small yelp in pain. Indeed, whoever was talking to him in his head was right. The right side of his torso was scorching hot, as though his innards were dipped in frying oil. Derek looked down, and his whole body was torn up in gashes and scars. Derek deduced these injuries probably came from his crash with the vehicle, but he knew that wasn't all of it.

"Where am I? I don't seem too familiar with this place. It doesn't look or feel like Tokyo at all." He was right. At first glance, it did look like his past life. Derek was in a forest and it did seem like he got his injuries from a car crash, but Derek knew this wasn't where he was from. But that question would have to be answered at another time. The voice was ringing in his head for him to seek medical attention and he was in dire need of that.

[I'm glad you asked, Sire. Allow me to introduce myself. I am known as Z-Model Electronic Digitization, but you can call me Z.E.D. for Sire's sake. My consciousness exists on your Lucifer's Ring. Please keep it with you at all times.]

With that, the system gestures towards his hands. On his left index finger, a pale and dark wing formed a circle with a naked couple on the surface, emitting a weak glow.

[I shall spare you details later, but might I mention this: You have been reborn in the world of Aeras and given a second chance to prove yourself. Allow me to synchronize your bodies and mind.]

"Wait---"

* Beginning Synchronization. *

Derek grabbed his head in pain as a torrent of vicious memories flooded into his mind. Screams of anguish, a white angelic figure dropping through a crack in the earth, a horned figure walking up what looked like a stairway to heaven...

A flash of emotions and experiences coursed through Derek's body. After a few seconds, the pain quickly subsided and Derek was able to recollect his thoughts. Piece by piece, he was eventually able form some idea of what the voice had given him.

Derek indeed had lost his life in Tokyo, but as a result, had been reincarnated into Vars Hellbright, a half-blooded demon angel, living with an older woman in the human kingdom of Panthos. So Derek was a half-something of some sort. At least, he knew he wasn't completely human now. The areas where injuries from the car hit did not feel like his own skin anymore.

* Synchronization complete. *

[Sire, you should now be able to understand a little bit about your reincarnation.]

Despite this knowledge, Derek wanted to know more, as he couldn't really grasp a past where he can concretely remember his reincarnation. "Hey, Z.E.D., Can you tell me more about Vars?"

As if on queue, the system appeared right back into his head and gave him a small background about his former self.

[Left at the doorstep of an orphanage, young Vars possessed qualities that feared and frightened the other children. He was cast away from the orphanage, desperate for anyone to take care of him, and was luckily placed in a foster home by a loving widow. At the ripe age of seven, a blackened and charred wing grew from Vars' back, unknowingly putting himself and his caretaker in danger. The kingdom of Panthos was alerted instantly of a non-human entity and sent an army of soldiers to search for Vars. Further information is locked behind questing and learning about the world.]

Z.E.D.'s voice then sounded as if it was talking directly to Derek.

[You've been on the run ever since, seeking asylum in nearby towns and villages, but always on the move.]

Wow, thought Derek. This guy really didn't have it going for him. He thought back to his past life and concluded that the only thing that passed over from his old world was his unluckiness.

Derek still had many questions. He wanted to know where he was, and those terms... the Panthos Kingdom, Demon Angel, the name Vars Hellbright... He was ready to quickfire at the system, but not before it intervened.

[Sire, might I suggest we continue our story for later? My threat indicator shows that your--]

Suddenly, a thundering war cry interrupted Derek's train of thought.

"Yarghhhh!!!" Footsteps of infantry clad in armor stomped the ground and the hooves of metal-geared horses echoed in the distance.

[-- threat level is extremely high. It is my duty as your Z.E.D. to ensure your safety at all times, and thus, it would be of utmost importance to your survival that you escape from the soldiers. Help should arrive once you cross the Faras forest border.]

A questline suddenly popped out in front of Derek.

* Quest: Escape the Dwarven Soldiers! Accept / Decline - Reward: 50 Aers, Path To Tier 2 Ensign. Failure to complete quest will result in death. Failure to accept quest will also result in death. *

Derek had no idea what popped in his head, but he really didn't have a choice. He was going to die if he didn't cross the border. And so Derek accepted the quest. A waypoint suddenly appeared in Derek's mind as a white marker came into view north of the forest.

[I have pinpointed a waypoint in your mind's map. Sire, this is your first task as Vars. Complete the mission.]

With that, the system shut off.

Derek winced in pain as he begrudgingly stood up, taking a longer look at his new body. The moon's beautiful glow hummed across his pale skin. Derek's first thought was well, he definitely looked human. With a slim but fit build, dark tousled hair, and maroon eyes, he pretty much had all the features an average person would have on Earth... save the red eyes, though it could be played off as colored lenses. What hit the nail on the head, though, was the ginormous pair of wings sprawled behind his back. Derek turned around and a saw wing as bright as the moon and as soft as feathers laid resting on his tattered clothing, while a wing as dark as night flapped frantically as if motioning to get a move on.

Derek wasn't dreaming, and he was no ordinary person. This was Vars Hellbright, an ex-convict who once again is on the run for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.