Maya stared at her brother with wide eyes. Something was different about him today. The Igris she knew barely looked at her, let alone spoke to her with such warmth. He had always treated her like she was invisible, like she didn't exist.
"Igris... are you feeling alright?" Her voice was soft, filled with worry. She couldn't understand why he was acting so strange all of a sudden.
Igris looked at her for a long moment. Then he broke into a smile and pulled her head under his arm in a playful headlock. "Come here, little sis." He ruffled her silver hair with his knuckles, holding her close.
Maya struggled against his grip, confused and a little annoyed. "Let me go!" She finally broke free and stepped back, her hair now a mess. "Are you sure you're okay?"
She grumbled while trying to fix her scattered hair. Something was definitely wrong with her brother, but she couldn't figure out what it was. This sudden show of affection felt strange and out of place.
Igris just nodded and sat back down on the couch, a small smile still on his face.
"Okay, let's get going." Maya brushed the last tangles from her hair and looked at him expectantly.
Igris gave her a confused look, tilting his head slightly.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten that we're supposed to enroll at the academy today?" Maya shook her head in disbelief.
Igris's eyes went wide. His heart started pounding as the realization hit him.
'I went back to the first day at the academy!' The thought crashed through his mind like lightning. His hands slowly closed into fists as the memories came flooding back.
Today was the day he would be beaten in front of his sister. The day he would embarrass himself and push away the only person who cared about him. The day Ryker would step in and take Maya away from him.
"I'm ready for whatever comes next," Igris whispered to himself, his voice barely audible.
Maya just stared at him, more confused than ever.
"Let's just go." He stood up and walked toward the door.
They stepped outside their small house and climbed into a waiting vehicle. As they drove through the city streets, Igris's mind wandered to his past - both of his lives.
He had been human once, from a world called Earth. A man in his early twenties with a boring job at some company he could barely remember now. His life had been gray and empty, with nothing to look forward to except the novels he read late into the night.
One day, he had jumped from his office building window. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in this world as Igris, an extra character in one of the stories he used to read. He was the weak, useless son of a noble family who had been thrown away like trash.
For some reason, his sister Maya had chosen to come live with him instead of staying with their wealthy family. But he had kept his distance from her, not wanting anything to do with the people who had treated him so badly as a child.
He had grown up enduring their cruelty, their constant reminders that he was worthless. And then, when someone from his old family showed up at the academy, all that buried anger had exploded.
The first day at the academy had been a nightmare. He was beaten up because the other students didn't see him as a real member of his noble family. When Maya tried to help him, he had pushed her away and shouted at her. That made everything worse.
From that day on, Maya stopped trying to talk to him. His life became a living hell of loneliness and shame.
Later, during their summer break, the students were taken on a trip to explore an old ruin. There, Igris had stumbled into a hidden temple that belonged to Hel, the Goddess of Death. She was the first creation of the supreme being, and the first to rebel against him.
Igris had been desperate and weak at the time. He didn't question why a powerful goddess would choose someone as useless as him. She had blessed him with power, and he had accepted it without thinking.
With his new strength, Igris had tried to get close to Ryker and his group. He wanted to secretly watch over Maya and protect her. Ryker was strong and popular, so Igris thought his sister would be safe with him.
But then Ryker had killed her.
Igris couldn't handle the pain and rage. He had gone back to Hel and begged for more power. This time, she told him the price would be his soul and his freedom. He had accepted without hesitation, and his journey toward revenge had begun.
'Now that I think about it, giving away my soul like that was pretty stupid,' Igris thought as he stared out the vehicle window. He couldn't believe that somehow, everything had gone back to the way it was before. He had been given a second chance.
This time, he wasn't going to become anyone's slave. This time, he was going to take control of his own destiny. He was going to devour everyone who had wronged him, including the goddess herself.
The vehicle came to a stop in front of a massive building that looked more like a small city than a school. It stretched as far as the eye could see, with towers and walls that seemed to touch the sky. Students were walking through the giant gates, their voices mixing together in excited chatter.
"Ah, Sky Academy..." Igris stepped out of the vehicle and looked up at the imposing structure. "Brings back memories."
But these weren't the memories of a scared, weak boy anymore. These were the memories of someone who had lived through hell and come back stronger. Someone who knew exactly what was coming next.
And this time, he was ready for it.