"Kael..." The voice called to him softly, as if it knew every piece of his soul. He opened his eyes suddenly, his name echoing in his mind like a long-forgotten memory. Upon awakening, Kael found himself in a strange and pristine environment, where everything around him was white. There was no sky, no ground, no horizon he could distinguish; it was as if he was floating in an infinite void, surrounded by a soft and constant light.

His heart raced, his mind unable to comprehend what was happening. He took a step back, but the ground—if it could even be called that—was identical to everything else. There were no shadows, no references. Just him and the endless white.

Suddenly, a presence behind him made his spine tingle with fear. Kael turned sharply, his gaze met by a woman who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. She wore simple garments, reminiscent of ancient Greek robes, all in pure white, as if she had been sculpted from the very environment itself. Her face was serene, almost ethereal, but what frightened him most was the number floating above her head. He could barely comprehend the immensity of that number, which seemed to stretch beyond anything Kael could count or imagine.

"Who... who are you? Where am I?" Kael's voice came out trembling, his eyes wide with confusion and fear.

She observed him with an expression of infinite calm. "You are in the mind, Kael. This is your mind."

He frowned, even more confused. "My mind? I don't understand... how can that be?"

The woman gave a small smile, as if she understood his perplexity but chose not to force an explanation he wasn’t ready to hear. "Don't worry about that now." She began to approach, her steps light and graceful, making no sound on the invisible floor. Kael instinctively backed away, his body responding to the fear that still gripped him.

"Don't be afraid, Kael," she said softly, reaching out her hand toward his face. When her fingers touched his skin, a wave of warmth and comfort enveloped him. It was as if all the anguish and terror he carried dissolved instantly. His previously rapid breathing became calm, and the fear consuming him vanished, leaving only a deep, soothing peace.

"Who... who are you?" Kael asked, now calmer, but still full of a growing curiosity.

The woman tilted her head slightly, as if considering his question, before answering with a sweetness that seemed almost impossible. "I am a being you cannot comprehend, Kael. There is no point in trying to explain. Just know that I am here for you."

Kael looked into her eyes, trying to find something that made sense, but all he felt was the tranquility she provided. The answers seemed less important now; her presence was enough. He didn’t know why, but he trusted her, as if this unknown figure was the only anchor in a sea of uncertainties.

And so, in that endless white space, Kael allowed himself simply to be, without fear, without pain, only enveloped by the presence of that mysterious woman who calmed him with a mere touch.

Kael looked at the woman before him, the serenity she emanated contrasting with the storm of thoughts bubbling in his mind. He was in a place beyond his comprehension, and for the first time in his short and troubled life, he felt that something extraordinary was happening.

The woman kept her gaze fixed on him, and the silence between them seemed to stretch for an eternity, until she finally broke the enchantment with her soft voice.

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“Kael, you must be wondering why you are here, why you haven’t yet reincarnated, like so many others before you.” Her voice was like a tranquil song, capable of calming even the most tormented souls.

He nodded slightly, his eyes locked on hers, waiting for an explanation that could begin to unravel the mystery surrounding him.

“Every thousand years,” she began, with a gravity that made Kael hold his breath, “I and others of my kind must choose a human to bless. This human is chosen to be a turning point, a spark of hope in a world often lost in the darkness of fear and hatred.”

Kael blinked, absorbing each word, still not fully understanding what it meant for him.

“There are many candidates,” she continued, “humans of great strength, courage, and power. I could have chosen any one of them, for all could serve as the foundation for a new era, an era where hope is reborn and fear is expelled. But among all these candidates, I came to know you, Kael.”

He felt a wave of disbelief, almost thinking he had misunderstood. Him? How could someone like him, with nothing, be chosen? But before he could voice his confusion, she continued, her voice soft yet firm.

“You, Kael, despite all your physical weakness, despite having no level, something this society values above all else, faced the unknown. Without hesitation, you protected a life you didn’t even know. There was no power in you, no glory, not even the certainty of survival. Yet you acted. None of the other candidates I observed did so as purely and courageously as you.”

She paused, letting the words settle in her mind. Kael felt his heart race, a mix of fear and hope growing within him. He had never been praised, never been recognized for anything. His entire life had been a solitary struggle for survival, with no rewards, no relief.

"That’s why, Kael," she said, stepping forward, the white light around them seeming to pulse softly with the intensity of her words, "you will be given a second chance. And with that chance, a blessing. Something you’ve never had before: a level."

His eyes widened, and his body stiffened in surprise. A level. That which had always defined who was important and who was disposable in his society. Something he had never had, and because of that, he was condemned to a life of misery and scorn.

"The society you know," she continued, "values only those with a level. Even if it's the lowest possible, what matters is having a starting point, something you can raise with your effort and determination. Those like you, who were born without a level, are seen as inferior, and many, as you know, are hunted, persecuted, and killed because of this difference. But this no longer has to be your fate."

She stepped closer, and Kael, though still feeling a trace of fear, remained where he was, his eyes fixed on the woman in front of him, waiting eagerly for her next words.

"Now, Kael, you will return to the world of the living," she said, with a finality that rang through her voice. "And when you return, you will have a level. It won’t just be a number, it will be a chance to rise up, to become more than you ever dreamed you could be. With every level you gain, you will receive unique abilities, maybe even better than anyone else in this world. You can be the spark of hope this world so desperately needs."

Kael felt a flame ignite in his chest, something he hadn’t experienced since he was a child: hope. But there was still a sense of disbelief, a difficulty in accepting that he, of all people, had been chosen for such a gift.

The woman slowly extended her hand, palm facing toward his chest. "You don’t need to fear, Kael," she said, as she placed her hand in the center of his chest. "This is your chance. Use it well."

Before he could fully process what was happening, he felt warmth spreading throughout his body from the point where her hand touched him. It was an overwhelming sensation, as if every cell in his being was being filled with a powerful, revitalizing energy. His heart began to beat with renewed strength, and he closed his eyes, feeling reality around him begin to dissolve.

Suddenly, the warmth disappeared, and Kael felt a sharp tug, as if he were being ripped from that place of peace and thrown back into the world he knew. His body shuddered, and when he opened his eyes, there was no more white around him. He was back in the alley, the cold stones of Eldruin beneath his body. The air was heavy, laden with the familiar stench of rot and sewage.

Kael took a deep breath, tasting the bitterness of the night air in his mouth, but this time, something was different. He was alive. And for the first time, he had a level. With his heart still racing, he lifted his eyes to the dark sky and knew that his life would never be the same again.