[Planet Earthia,

Mirage City, Ethereal State, Kingdom of Celestria,

Year 3025]

Ray Slivermoon sat in his wheelchair, staring at the glowing countdown. Only one hour remained.

The silence in his small villa in Mirage City felt heavy, pressing down on him like a weight he could never lift.

Through the window, he looked out at the lush fields of Ethereal, a world so different from the bustling capital of Lunaris where he had once lived. He remembered how life had been there—opulent, powerful, and yet suffocating. His family was one of the top three financial groups in the kingdom of Celestria, and they wielded immense influence. But for Ray, life had been a nightmare.

His mother, the head of the Slivermoon family, was a formidable woman known for her ruthlessness. “Ray, you need to try harder,” she would say, her voice icy. “You can’t keep embarrassing us.” Her words cut deep each time, echoing in his mind like a haunting refrain.

This world was, no, very different from Earth; technology had far surpassed Earth's advancements. But even with advanced technology, a hierarchy system persisted due to the existence of superhumans.

Yes, in this world, a very small number of people possessed superpowers. And among top families, it was essential for descendants to awaken their own powers.

Compared to his peers, Ray was just an average person, only slightly stronger than an ordinary human. He was considered the stain of the Slivermoon family.

In terms of superpower, his sisters far surpassed him; both were top geniuses among their peers.

His older sister, Valeria, an ice-cold beauty, was a prodigy—strong, intelligent, and admired by everyone.

“You should stop wasting your time, Ray,” she often said, her gaze devoid of warmth as she brushed past him, leaving him feeling smaller than ever.

There was one exception: his younger sister, Lila, had once looked up to him, though she was also a genius.

But all of that changed after the incident at the birthday party. He could still remember that fateful day as if it were yesterday.

Ray had attended the party, hoping to finally fit in. He arrived with his family, feeling the usual tension between himself, his mother, and Valeria.

Lila had been excited to see her friends, but Ray felt out of place. Unlike his sisters, he was just average, and this had always isolated him.

As the festivities continued, he tried to engage in conversation, but no one wanted to talk to the average Slivermoon.

Moving away from the crowd, he noticed a commotion near the edge of the party. He squinted, spotting Lila standing next to Ethan, the son of a rival family.

Ethan was charming and cunning, known for his intelligence and strength. But today, Ray sensed something was off. Lila looked uneasy, her smile fading as Ethan leaned in closer, his intentions masked behind a smug expression.

At that moment, he drugged Lila and was leading her away in the absence of adults.

“Hey, Lila, why don’t we go check out the garden?” Ethan suggested, his voice smooth but insidious.

Panic shot through Ray as he watched Ethan guide Lila away from the party, towards a secluded area.

“Let her go!” Ray shouted, instinctively pushing his way through the crowd. His heart raced as he approached them. “Ethan, stop!”

Ethan turned, surprise flickering across his face before a sinister grin took its place. “What’s wrong, Ray? Jealous because Lila prefers my company?” He was stronger than Ray, but Ray didn’t care. He had to protect Lila.

Ray rushed forward, grabbing Lila’s wrist.

Ethan, however, seized the moment. “You’re just trying to ruin everything, Ray! Can’t you see she’s happy?” With that, he shoved Ray hard, sending him crashing to the ground.

Ray’s heart sank as he struggled to get back up, but Ethan was already looming over him, fists clenched. “You think you can take me on? You’re nothing!”

Before Ray could respond, Ethan unleashed a flurry of punches. The world blurred as he fought back, but his strength was nowhere near Ethan’s level. The crowd, watching, gasped, and some even laughed, but Ray couldn’t focus on them. He was only aware of Lila’s pale face.

At that moment, she was slowly moving towards the balcony, her hands on her head.

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Seeing her, Ray rushed towards her but was one step too late, and she fell.

“Lila!” he screamed, just as something struck his head.

In a panic, Ethan threw him aside. With one powerful blow, Ethan sent Ray crashing to the ground again. Pain exploded in his chest, and he heard the sickening crack of his ribs. Stars danced in his vision as the world faded into darkness.

When Ray finally woke from his coma, he was in a hospital room, bandaged and alone. His mother stood by the window, her back turned to him. “You’re awake,” she said flatly. “You have disappointed us, Ray.”

“You went as far as pushing your sister, just because you aren’t good enough. It’s fortunate she fell on the bush and sustained only minor injuries.”

“Mom, what are you sayin—”

“Enough,” she snapped, turning to face him.

“I was trying to save her!” Ray protested, but his words fell on deaf ears. His mother dismissed him with a wave of her hand, her face a mask of disappointment.

Valeria stood beside her, arms crossed, her expression cold. She left without saying anything.

Lila, who had bandages on her head and hands, was silent, but finally spoke. “I don’t understand, Ray. Why would you do that?” Her eyes were filled with confusion and fear, not the admiration he once saw.

Ray’s heart sank. “I was trying to protect you. Ethan was going to—”

“Enough!” Valeria interrupted. “You’re nothing but a disgrace to this family.” The finality of her words crushed him. Ray looked at Lila, but she turned her gaze away, unable to meet his eyes. That look stung deeper than any physical pain he had endured.

Later, he found out that Ethan's family had tampered with the video footage, turning the scene where he tried to save Lila into one where it looked like he was pushing her, thus providing false evidence.

He also discovered that due to the head injury, some nerves were damaged, and from then on, his legs would be useless; he would never feel them again.

Days turned into weeks, and when Ray returned home from the hospital, he found a family that had turned against him. His mother ignored him, Valeria remained expressionless and cold, and Lila looked at him with disgust. He had lost the last thing he had.

Feeling utterly broken, Ray decided to abandon his family name.

With Mia, his maid, he slipped away from the Slivermoon mansion’s secret door, known to only a few trusted people in the family.

They left Lunaris in the dead of night, emerging from a cave in the forest outskirts. Ray contacted one of his friends, who helped him secure fake IDs. From there, they boarded a supersonic train, leaving the capital Lunaris and heading directly to the border state of Ethereal, the furthest place from home.

In Mirage City, they settled into a small villa, far removed from the chaos of his old life.

Mia cared for him, pushing his wheelchair and helping with daily tasks.

“Master, here’s your medicine,” she said, handing it to him.

Ray looked at her with dull eyes, then forced a smile. “Why are you still calling me ‘master’? I’m not your master anymore.”

“Master, don’t say that. You will always be my master. If not for you, I would have died on those cold streets. You saved me, gave me food, and a place to stay. Until my last breath, you will be my master, and I will be your servant,” Mia said.

Ray smiled from his wheelchair, saying nothing.

Mia was the girl he had picked up from the street when he was 12. Now she looked around 19, slightly older than him. She was mature and quiet, with a perfect figure—neither bulky nor too thin. She was the one person he trusted in his life.

...

Darkness loomed large. Each day felt heavier than the last.

The timer on the bedside table was a constant reminder of his despair.

Then, one fateful day, he fainted. When Ray regained consciousness, he felt different. It was as if two parts of him were merging—the Ray from this world and another Ray from a parallel universe. Conflicting memories flooded his mind, filled with battles and power, leaving him disoriented. “What is happening to me?” he whispered, trying to make sense of it all.

“Are these memories of my past life?” Ray realized.

Now he finally remembered everything. In his past life, Ray was just a normal, average person in a different world. He had died in a car accident and was reborn in this world.

Now he finally remembered his past life.

After sorting out his thoughts, his eyes fell on the book in his hands.

“Huh? This book in my hands—where did it come from?” he thought.

He flipped through the book and found it blank. Frustrated, he threw it away, but before it hit the ground, it vanished in mid-air.

Ray was stunned.

The book reappeared in his hand.

Huh...?

Then he finally glanced at the cover of the book and noticed that it was a countdown, and there was only an hour left until the countdown ends

[00:00 days, 00:59 minutes]

The timer showed only one hour left, and a sense of urgency gripped him. “Something is coming,” he thought, a chill running down his spine.

With each tick of the clock, a mix of fear and excitement coursed through him. He realized he had a choice: to let his past consume him or to embrace the new power awakening within him.

“What if this is my chance?” Ray muttered to himself, determination igniting in his chest. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever lay ahead. “I won’t let my family’s expectations define me anymore.”

As the final minutes ticked away, Ray Slivermoon prepared to confront his destiny. The timer pulsed, counting down the seconds to a future he could not predict, but one he was finally ready to face.

Then finally the countdown ended.

[00:00 days, 00:00 minutes]

“DING~ DING~ DING~”

The sound of Bells echoed throughout the entire planet Earthia.