Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent

Melissa's breathing grew ragged as she tugged against the chains once more, wrists burning from the cold bite of metal.

Her determination refused to waver, but no matter how much mana she poured into her body, no matter how much strength she summoned, the shackles remained firm.

They weren't ordinary restraints—no, they were forged from something deeper. Her will faltered as she realized these chains weren't meant to test her strength.

They were meant to test her soul.

Her heart pounded.

'I'll break free. I will.'

She told herself over and over, forcing resolve into every thought. For her young master, she would tear apart anything in her way.

For him, she would push forward, no matter how impossible it seemed.

Yet the more she struggled, the tighter the restraints seemed to pull, as if mocking her. Each effort dragged her deeper, not forward.

Then the world began to twist. The torchlight flickered and dissolved into darkness.

In its place came the scent of dust, sweat, and fear—the suffocating atmosphere of the slave pens she had thought long left behind.

Melissa's eyes widened as she found herself once again standing in that cramped, filthy cell, surrounded by the hopeless gazes of the enslaved.

She staggered back, shaking her head.

"No… no, I'm not here anymore."

But the chains rattled and pulled her down, and a familiar voice pierced the silence.

"You can't escape it."

Melissa's breath froze. A younger version of herself stood before her—frail, malnourished, her body covered in old bruises and scars.

The girl's eyes, once dulled by despair, now glittered with cruel clarity.

"No matter how far you run, you'll always be this. A slave. A tool. Nothing more."

The child sneered, tugging at her own shackles.

"Do you really think following that man will change what you are? You'll never be good enough for him. Never worthy."

Melissa stumbled back, her heart twisting painfully. She wanted to deny it, to scream at the apparition that it was wrong.

But deep down, those words clawed at wounds she had buried, wounds that never healed.

"Stop…"

She whispered.

The girl only grew louder, her voice echoing like iron against stone.

"He deserves companions of worth, equals who stand proudly at his side. Not trash dragged out of a slave pit! You'll never be anything but a burden. And when he realizes that, he'll cast you aside—like everyone else did."

Melissa's knees buckled. The weight of those words, of her past, of the chains that still bound her heart, dragged her further into the abyss.

The ground beneath her cracked open into dark, swallowing waters, and she sank without resistance.

'Maybe she's right… maybe I'll never be enough.'

Her body grew heavier as despair coiled tighter around her chest. Memories of being beaten, spat on, sold like cattle flashed before her.

No matter how far she had come, no matter how much she had grown, those scars still defined her.

The waters rose past her shoulders, cold and suffocating. She closed her eyes. If this is my fate…

But then—

"Melissa."

A voice cut through the drowning silence. Firm, calm, and impossibly familiar. Her breath hitched, her heart seizing.

Her eyes snapped open, and through the oppressive dark she saw a hand reaching out for her.

A hand she knew better than her own. Strong, steady, unyielding.

"K–Kyle…"

She choked, her voice trembling.

He stood above her in the void, looking down as if she were simply late for training. His expression was calm, even a little annoyed, but without a trace of judgment.

"You're taking too much time here. Hurry up. We don't have all night."

He said evenly, crouching down.

The simplicity of his tone shattered her. No anger. No scorn. No disappointment.

Just his usual, casual presence—like nothing about her was wrong, like she wasn't broken or tainted.

She reached up with shaking hands, tears welling in her eyes.

"But… I—"

"No buts. You're overthinking. Stop drowning yourself in shadows that don't matter."

Kyle interrupted, gripping her wrist firmly and pulling her up. His eyes met hers, unwavering.

Melissa's chest clenched painfully, but this time it wasn't despair—it was release.

The crushing weight of chains, of her younger self's cruel voice, cracked and shattered under the warmth of Kyle's presence.

He didn't care about her past. He never had.

Her tears spilled freely as the realization washed over her. She had been chaining herself all along, convinced that her scars defined her worth.

But Kyle—he had never once treated her like she was less. His carefree expression, his lack of judgment, were all the proof she needed.

A smile broke through her tears.

"You're right… I was being stupid."

The waters receded.

The chains fell away, clattering uselessly against the void. Her younger self, still sneering, began to dissolve into mist.

Melissa stood taller, shoulders squared, her heart finally free.

"I am Melissa. And I'll stand by his side, no matter what. Past or not, I'm his."

She declared into the emptiness.

Kyle gave a small nod, as if satisfied, and stepped back.

"About time."

The void shattered, the suffocating darkness replaced by light. Melissa gasped as she collapsed onto solid ground, the phantom chains gone.

She looked up and found herself at the edge of the spring's trial chamber, her companions waiting in the distance.

Her chest still heaved from the ordeal, but her heart felt lighter than it had in years.

She brushed a hand across her face, wiping away the last of her tears.

Kyle's figure was already fading from her side, returning to wherever his presence had come from, but his words lingered.

She straightened, determination blazing in her eyes.

'I'm no longer bound. I won't let my past define me. From here on… I'll live free. For him. For myself.'

And with that, Melissa stepped forward, ready to rejoin her companions—stronger than before, no longer the slave she once was, but the woman who had chosen her path.

Melissa took one last breath in the dreamscape, steadying herself as the lingering echoes of chains dissolved completely.

The cruel image of her younger self faded like smoke in the wind, leaving only clarity behind.

She clenched her fists, the trembling gone. Her heart was still sore, but her spirit burned bright.

The dream fractured around her, shards of light breaking apart until the world of shadows collapsed entirely.

A heavy rush of air filled her lungs as her eyes snapped open—she was back.

Kyle stood beside her, hands tucked casually behind his back as though nothing unusual had happened.

His presence alone steadied her, grounding her in the here and now. He gave her a small glance, lips curving into the faintest of smirks.

"You took your time."

He said quietly.

Melissa let out a shaky laugh, wiping the remnants of tears from her cheeks.

"Sorry, young master… I suppose I was being dramatic."

Kyle turned without answering, already walking toward the others who waited beyond the spring.

His steps were calm, unhurried, as if what had just occurred was no more than a minor distraction. Melissa found herself smiling despite her exhaustion.

She hurried to match his pace, her footsteps lighter than before. Though her body still felt drained, her heart was free.

Together, side by side, they left the broken dream behind, moving toward their companions.

Whatever trials awaited next, Melissa knew—this time she wouldn't falter. Not while walking beside him.