The wreckage!

Azrael was wrong. He was not on the second floor.

He, for all the luck, jumped from the third floor.

He saw the lights in the rooms pass by and the realization hit him. But it was too late for him to do anything.

He was falling.

Without any warning or so, he hit the ground.

He was happy it was just sand and not solid ground. His feet connected to the ground first, and in that instant, he rolled forward.

The impact sent a jolt of pain through his entire body, but he gritted his teeth and managed to stand up. He could feel his bones creaking, and he knew he was lucky to have survived the fall. He looked up to see the man in white staring down at him from the third-floor window, his expression one of shock and disbelief.

Azrael quickly gathered his things and ran towards the beach, ignoring the pain and discomfort in his body. He had to get away from that place before anyone else found him.

And sure enough, a large alarm sound rang out.

He clutched the makeshift bag and ran with all his might. He remembers vividly what had happened to him after they had found him, he was the only survivor of the ship wreckage.

He doesn't want to make that mistake in this life.

There was a dock and then a cluster of large boulders blocking the area from the sides.

It was sort of like protection from the dense forest after that.

The forest was populated with trees without any leaves, and their branches and trunks were thick and tall. It was like the sort of evil trees from the children's storybook. And of course, there are monsters and beasts on them.

The wreckage was settled on the side of the forest. It was foolish to salvage it right now as the night was the domain of the monsters.

He decided to hide among the boulders for now and salvage the wreckage first thing in the morning.

He ran among the waves, to hide his footprints from his pursuer.

The moonlight illuminated his path, he would've been in trouble if it wasn't for that.

After half an hour of running, he saw the large boulders, at the far end.

His foot was aching, his whole body was wobbly.

After some more walking and running, he finally reached the boulders. He climbed it and decided to wait in the small spaces between the boulders.

He could see lamp lights in the distance, moving side to side as the people holding them frantically searched for the missing patient.

The wooden building illuminated by the lamp lights looks more like a village than a hospital.

He lay on the small congested space between the boulders, looking up he can see the stars and moon above him.

He could hear the cries of the people searching for him, he could smell the pungent scent of blood from the forest.

He decided to rest his body until morning. There was a long and bumpy road ahead of him.

***

It felt like a dream; the cool breeze brushed against his cheek as he sat up, eyes still closed. With the sun shining brightly, he quickly gathered his things and scanned the area for any signs of patrol guards.

Spotting none, he turned and headed towards the beach at the foot of the forest, eager to salvage the wreckage before anyone else could get there.

As he reached the beach, he saw the scattered remains of the ship in the distance. With a sense of urgency, he began picking through the debris, searching for anything of value.

He found a few items that could fetch a good price, but he knew he needed more to make a living in this world.

Fueled by determination, he dug deeper, uncovering spoiled crates that had rotted beyond repair.

Inside were several barrels of wine and liquor, which he quickly stashed in his makeshift bag. He planned to sell them to local taverns and make a profit.

With time running out, he continued to scavenge through the wreckage, grabbing anything of value. He was grateful that the storm hadn't reached this far, or he would have missed out on these valuable goods.

As he searched, he heard a faint sound coming from a nearby pile of wood. He cautiously approached it. He had no idea what could be hiding in the shadows, but he knew he had to be ready for anything.

He slowly pulled back a piece of wood, and a small figure scurried out from underneath it. It was a tiny, furry creature with large, round eyes and a bushy tail.

Azrael relaxed, realizing it was just a harmless animal. He watched as it scurried away, disappearing into the remains.

He smiled to himself, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. It was a glimmer in the sand that looked like a sword. He brushed away the debris around it and gasped in surprise.

It was a black sword that looked like it had been forged in a different world. The blade was sleek, and it looked like it could slice through anything with ease.

He picked it up and unsheathed it. The blade shimmered in the sunlight, and he could feel its power pulsating through his veins.

Excitement coursed through his body as he wondered about the possibilities this weapon could offer him. He knew that it would fetch a high price in the market, but he couldn't let it go.

He needed it for his own protection. He strapped it to his bundle and continued his search.

As he dug deeper, he found a hunting knife that was hidden under a pile of rubble. The blade was rusty, but it had a good weight to it. He could use it for hunting or as a backup weapon if needed. He put it in his pocket and continued his search.

He uncovered a small wooden chest that appeared to be filled with gold coins. His mind immediately went into overdrive as he imagined where he could spend such a fortune. He quickly stashed it into his bag and continued to dig.

A loud crash echoed through the air, causing him to flinch. He quickly stood up and scanned the area. It was coming from the forest.

"Oh c'mon, not now!" The forest was home to many monsters and beasts alike, and nobody dares to enter there.

Even in his previous life, there wasn't any instance where he had to enter the forest let alone an instance where the beings in the forest invade the land.

That is the whole reason there was a dock and a healer in the near facility.

"Pheww~" He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Seems like the other crates have drowned."

Surprisingly, there were no bodies washed up on the shores. Are they eaten?

His mind raced as he knows about sea monsters that eat corpses. Would he also be eaten if he were to drown?

many questions were raised in his mind, but he know none would happen to him on the ship. Or else why would he return to this point and not a few days before?

He shoved the questions behind his mind and dragged the cloth bag through the sand, as the weight was too much for him to carry on his back.

He decided to hide the valuable items deep inside the spaces between the boulders as he can't possibly carry them all over to the tavern and if they reject those bottles or if they think a kid is an easy target then he would only be wasting it.

The sun was way up in the sky, by the time he completed his tasks.

Azrael sat on a boulder and watched the waves crashing on the boulder. He could feel the heat radiating off the hot sand as it brushed against his skin.

'What's next?' He thought.

He could take the same path he took last time but that would make him interact with people he plans on killing.

"I don't want to work with them for years. I can become powerful without their help. I could choose better now!" He was adamant he can make his own path without making any mistakes he did in the past time.

Even though, the body was four years younger, for Azrael the betrayal of his wife and friends happened only a day ago.

He vividly remembers their faces, their smiles, their mocking laughs looking at his pathetic state.

His blood boiled and he tightened his fist in anger. Drops of blood dripped down onto his palm.

"Don't be so reckless!" He whispered to himself as he stood up and walked across the beach.

Azrael unsheathed the new sword and brandished it. He felt the cold metal run along his fingers as he held it tightly.

He slashed with it. The weight was a bit heavy but it was manageable. He simply performed the basic slash for a second. Then seconds turned to minutes, then minutes to hours.

He forgot about the sun, the sand, and the ocean. All he could focus on was the blade.