NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The End Before the Beginning
Cold. That was the first thing Ryo Takashi felt. A numbing, bone-chilling cold that wrapped around him like an unrelenting grip.
His body sank deeper into the dark waters of the lake, his limbs refusing to move, his lungs burning with the desperate need for air. He struggled, but the more he thrashed, the faster his strength faded. His vision blurred as the last bubbles of air escaped his lips, drifting toward the surface.
Is this how I die?
A strange calm settled over him. In his fading consciousness, memories surged forth—fragmented, chaotic, yet all leading to this one moment.
He remembered the acceptance letter.
He had never applied to Celestia Academy, yet somehow, he received an invitation. His mother had been ecstatic, pushing him through the grand gates of the prestigious institution. He hadn't even questioned how a normal guy like him had been accepted into a place that didn't even exist on any map.
Then, the entrance ceremony. Hundreds of students, each more bizarre than the next—horned demons, ethereal beings with glowing wings, vampire nobles with eyes like blood-red jewels. Ryo had stood among them, out of place, confused, and utterly human.
Then the headmistress had called his name.
"You… aren't supposed to be here."
The hall had gone silent. Whispers filled the air, supernatural students murmuring about the Celestial Record, a divine book that only recognized the chosen.
And yet, his name had been there.
Even as the headmistress debated what to do with him, Ryo had felt an ominous presence looming over him. He hadn't known it then, but that was the moment everything had started spiraling toward his death.
A few days after, he had been targeted—dragged to this secluded lake by a group of students who didn't take kindly to an 'unworthy human' in their ranks. He remembered their mocking voices, their sneers. And then…
A push.
A violent shove into the freezing abyss.
His lungs screamed. His mind darkened. His heart slowed.
No… I don't want to die like this!
Just as his consciousness slipped away, a mechanical voice echoed in the depths of his mind.
[System Activation: Limitless Regression Unlocked]
And then—nothing.
Ryo gasped.
Air flooded his lungs as he shot upright, his body no longer submerged in water. He was… standing? No, he was back—at the entrance of Celestia Academy.
The grand golden gates loomed before him, the same students chatting as they passed, oblivious to his presence. He turned his head wildly. This was—this was exactly where he had been before stepping into this place for the first time.
A horrifying realization struck him.
He had died.
And yet, here he was.
Alive.
Back at the beginning.
How?