Rebirth into the Past

As Damien's consciousness awoke to a throbbing headache, he found himself in a familiar scene—the day he transmigrated.

The room, the sunlight filtering through the cracks, it was all there.

He recalled the black hole, the battle, and the unexpected journey back in time.

"I'm alive and back to the past? This..."

The joy came so suddenly. After all, Damien had already resigned himself to his death, but now...

"Wait... this means I can change my fate?"

Sorting through his newfound memories, Damien discovered a wealth of knowledge that he couldn't fully digest.

Not only did he possess his own past life experiences, but intertwined were the memories of Darkholm, an ancient Dark Elf.

The very same figure that almost killed him and wanted to use his soul as fuel for his rebirth technique but it ended up benefiting Damien instead.

As he explored the bits and pieces of Darkholm's memories, he came to understand just what kind of existence the ancient dark elf was.

Having undergone 12 reincarnations and was to enter the final 13th one, Darkholm had long become a master of martial arts, magus arts, spirit arts, and various paths of practice that brought him to the pinnacle of his skills.

Damien marvelled at the depth of this acquired wisdom.

"I've got the memories of an ancient master... this is incredible!"

Amidst those memories, Damien began to gain an understanding of who Darkholm was.

Darkholm, the ancient elf, had crossed paths with the 'Son of Heaven,' Adam Michaels.

Their destinies clashed, fueled by Darkholm's malevolent intentions.

'But such an ancient figure fell at the hands of a 'Main Character'.'

'It seems that not even these newfound memories of mine are enough to reign dominant, I must act with wisdom lest I fall to a chosen one's blade.'

'I won't hide away from the limelight... I've already spent twenty years knowing what it means and how it feels like to know that I never enjoyed it. But most importantly, I still died anyway.'

'But at the same time, my sharpest sword will only be known to dead souls...a dead man tells no tales, but his remnant soul can...'

With this knowledge, Damien saw a path to power. The secrets of cultivation and fortuitous opportunities lay at his fingertips.

Most intriguing was the memory of a secret vault, meticulously prepared by Darkholm for his final reincarnation.

"I have the chance to rewrite my story, to surpass the fate of a mere side character." Excitement ran through him as he thought of the possibilities.

"But wait a minute..." Damien suddenly thought of one important point.

'If I awakened in the past, what now happens to the Darkholm of this current timeline?'

'Does he still exists or not? Have I created a new timeline? Or is it the same timeline with only the future trajectory becoming different?'

'The law of time is universal but who knows how it works in the Argarian World?'

Argaria is the name of the world where Damien was. It has three small continents and two great continents.

Damien was in the largest of the three small continents, Mesonym.

With his memories of the future and even Darkholm's memories of the next 20 years, there was a lot he could gain to be ahead of all others in his time, and even surpass those old reclusive Masters.

As Damien pondered his newfound chance at destiny, a gentle knock echoed through the room.

*Tap! Tap!*

An elderly woman's voice reached him, "Little Damien, are you awake now?"

Suddenly, Damien was jolted back to his current reality—an orphan in the Marigold Orphanage Home in Klintstone Village.

"Ah, right. Little Damien... that's me now."

He quickly recollected himself and ran to the door while doing some calculations in his head.

Opening the creaky wooden door, Damien faced the kindly gaze of the elderly woman who cared for the orphans, Grandma Eliza.

That was what all the children called her. Because as far as they were concerned, she is their family.

"Yes, Grandma Eliza, I'm awake. I just had a strange dream."

"Oh dear, are you okay Damien? Do you still have that migraine?"

"No, Grandma. I feel much better."

"That's a relief," she sighed slightly.

"Come on now then. The others aren't that patient with the food you know."

As they walked through the quaint corridors, Damien couldn't help but take a trip down memory lane while Mrs. Eliza guided him to the large dining table where a lively group of fourteen kids of varying ages were already seated.

Among them, three faces stood out—the familiar trio of friends.

Sylvia, the refined yet shy girl, Alvin, the simple-minded but enthusiastic companion and lastly, Adam.

That's right, the very same Adam Michaels who will become a chosen one of his generation!

"Morning, Damien! How's the headache?" Adam called out with a grin, his eyes reflecting a genuine concern.

"Hey, Damien! Good to see you up and about!" Sylvia added, offering a friendly smile.

"This means you can play again!" Alvin said with quite loudly and earned a knock on his head.

*Dud!*

"Ouch! What'd you do that for?!"

"Hmph!" Sylvia refrained from answering.

Adam laughed and replied, "You know she hates it when you shout like that. We are all sitting close, you know. Just talk like a normal person."

Damien felt surreal. Despite the complexities of his past and the knowledge of their future destinies, here they were—simple children sharing laughter and friendship.

"Morning, everyone! I feel great. Just had a weird dream, you know?" Damien replied, taking a seat amidst his friends.

As they chatted and enjoyed the morning meal, Damien couldn't help but sink into the memories of the future.

He knew that, in time, Adam and Sylvia would be accepted into the Empire's Royal Academy—Adam for his extraordinary talent, and Sylvia for both her talent and her hidden identity as a lost princess of the empire.

Alvin, the simple yet enthusiastic boy, would go on to become a powerful Knight, taken in by a mighty Magic Knights Academy.

Damien, in the future, remained in the shadows due to his weak and practically lack of talent.

Yet, in the present, armed with the amalgamated memories of two lives, he made a silent promise to himself.

'I won't be left behind this time. I'll surpass the limits of this physique of mine and carve my own destiny.'

The camaraderie at the table continued, echoing with laughter and the clinking of utensils.

Mrs. Eliza, watched over them with a maternal smile, she enjoyed times like this, if only her husband was still here to accompany her.

As they finished breakfast, Damien's heart swelled with determination.

He glanced at his friends, the three ordinary children who would one day become extraordinary figures in this magical world.

"Alright, time to make the most of this second chance," Damien thought, his eyes gleaming with newfound resolve.

After having a chat with them, Damien didn't go out to play like usual and said he still needed to rest his head a bit.

The other three had a look of understanding on their faces and they wished him a better recovery and ran out to play their usual game.

"Hey, this time I will play the Mage!"

"Not fair! You always play Mage."

"That's because it suits me. Only boorish boys like you are suited for Knight roles."

Their voices came from afar and it made Damien chuckle as he recalled some funny memories and returned to his room.

*Thud!*

He sat down on his bed and held his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, I did vow to surpass this body's limit but it is easier said than done. But first of all, I have to find the hidden viper in the orphanage and deal with it..."

His gaze became focused as he recalled how the previous Damien died before he transmigrated into this body.

He was cursed!

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