Darkness.
Endless… suffocating darkness.
For a brief moment, Blaine couldn't feel anything. No pain. No warmth. Not even the sensation of his own body.
Then—
Air rushed into his lungs.
He gasped sharply, his body jolting upright as if pulled back from the edge of death.
"…!"
His vision blurred.
A cold, unfamiliar room slowly came into focus.
Cracked walls. A dim flickering light above. The faint smell of dust and something metallic lingering in the air.
Blaine frowned.
"Where… am I…?"
His voice sounded dry, almost foreign to his own ears.
There was no headache.
No dizziness.
No sign of injury.
It was as if he had simply… appeared.
He pushed himself up from the ground, his movements slow but steady. His body felt light—too light—but not weak.
Just… different.
Something wasn't right.
His eyes scanned the room instinctively.
Small.
Empty.
Silent.
Whoever lived here—or used to—was long gone.
A strange unease crept into his chest.
Blaine stood up and walked toward the only object in the room—a dusty mirror hanging loosely on the wall.
Each step echoed faintly.
He stopped in front of it.
And froze.
The reflection staring back at him…
was his own.
Same face.
Same sharp features.
Same dark eyes.
Unchanged.
"…"
His fingers slowly rose, touching his cheek.
Warm. Real.
Not a dream.
Not an illusion.
"Then what is this…?"
A sharp sensation pierced through his mind.
"—!"
Images.
Memories.
They came like a flood.
Not one life…
but two.
"This isn't my world…"
[Abyssal Strength System… Initializing]
"…A system?"
[Host Identified]
Name: Blaine
Physical State: Below Average
Energy Level: Minimal
Status: Weak
[Welcome to the Abyssal Strength System]
Core Principle:
Strength Above All
Strength: 1
"…Only strength matters."