When I woke up, I found myself looking at a wooden ceiling. I stared at it for several moments, confused and muddle-headed, wondering where I was and how I ended up here. I thought back to what happened before I fell unconscious.

I remembered sitting with Anna atop the tall building, talking about this and that. I told her about my life on Earth, while she told me about how transmigrators worsened the relationship between the Houses and the Clans in the First Timeline.

After that… I heard a bell ring?

It all hit me at once. Meeting with Cally in her office/war room, defending the north gate, fighting off several Third Tier demons, etc.

Most of all, I remembered the red-haired man, the Seventh Ranked Awakened who destroyed the north gate with a single attack. By a miraculous stroke of luck, he knew Teacher. In fact, it sounded like he was looking for her. This allowed me to convince him to ensure Icefall City's survival. Otherwise, everyone would have died, including myself.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. During my life as Brandon Norwood, I almost died several times. I managed to survive each and every single time thanks to a combination of luck and my own abilities. Well, as long as I didn't include the fight with the Demon Lord who killed me. Even then, the two of us took each other out.

However, confronting the red-haired man was the first time I faced death and survived purely by luck. My skills, my experience, my techniques. None of that mattered. I survived because of my relationship with Teacher. No more, no less.

I had never felt so helpless before, at least not since I met Teacher and started learning martial arts. Ever since then, whenever I found myself in danger, I almost always managed to find a way out.

This became even more true when I transmigrated back to Lumina and had to start over again. While I was weaker than I used to be, I still retained the knowledge and experiences I accumulated during my life as Brandon Norwood. This allowed me to punch well above my weight class.

And that was the root of my problem. I had grown cocky and complacent. Overconfident. While I encountered several dangerous situations since my transmigration, I always managed to pull through. A part of me, deep down, felt that there was nothing I couldn't handle as long as I was careful.

Facing the red-haired man proved me wrong. Worst of all, even at the height of my power, I still wouldn't have been a match for the red-haired man on my own. Sure, I could've forced him to put in more effort, but he still would have defeated me in the end. He was a Seventh Ranked Awakened and a Transcendent master. Fighting him was like trying to face the heavens themselves.

It was a humbling experience. Disgust and self-loathing at my own weakness filled me. It was a familiar sensation. I used to feel this way all the time during my first life. I thought I had gotten over that. I was wrong. In the end, I was still the pathetic weakling who was never good enough.

I clenched my fists.

No.

I refused to go back to those days.

Yes, I almost died. Facing the red-haired man reminded me of something that I had always known: there was always a taller mountain. No matter how strong I became, there was always someone stronger. Instead of moping, I was better off focusing on my training and increasing my own power.

Right then and there, I vowed to defeat the red-haired man. He was like a wall standing in my way. If I wanted to reach greater heights, I needed to overcome him. Otherwise, he'd haunt me for the rest of my days.

With that, a sense of peace settled over me. Now that I had a concrete goal to work towards, I knew what I needed to do. I needed to surpass my old self.

I needed to surpass Brandon Norwood.

It would be a long and arduous journey, but I wasn't deterred by this at all. In fact, I found myself looking forward to it. Determination burned inside me, like a strong and steadfast flame.

In the midst of all this, my stomach growled.

Right.

First order of business: get something to eat.

After I made up my mind, I sat up and took in my surroundings. Rather, I tried to. A wave of dizziness and exhaustion washed over me. I closed my eyes and laid back down. After a while, it passed. That's when I took a moment to assess my own condition, which I should have done in the first place.

I didn't feel any pain from my injuries. Even my left arm felt fine. That meant I had either been unconscious longer than I realized, or someone healed me. I assumed the latter.

Still, while I no longer felt any pain, I felt tired and a little hollow. Magical healing was wondrous, but it had its limits. I pushed myself to the brink of exhaustion when defending the north gate, and dealing with the red-haired man hadn't helped. While I didn't regret anything, I was paying the price for my actions.

At least my bed felt comfy. I felt like I was lying atop a cloud. A part of me wanted to go back to sleep again, though I resisted the urge. I needed to get up and find out more about the current situation. Most of all, I needed to know if my friends were alright.

When the red-haired man attacked the north gate, Andre and Paladin Charles had been with me. I didn't see them before I fell unconscious, so I didn't know if they were still alive or not. I knew even less about Leroy and Richard. They had been some distance away when the north gate fell.

My worry extended to the others as well, Anna in particular. While she hadn't been at the north gate, that didn't mean she had been safe. The army of demons and fiends had surrounded Icefall City. What if something happened to Anna? The uncertainty gnawed at me, eating me up from the inside.

After taking a moment to gather my strength, I sat up again. Another wave of exhaustion and dizziness washed over me, but I was ready for it this time. I sat there and took even breaths. When it faded away, I opened my eyes and looked around.

I found myself in a small and luxurious room. No. A cabin, an airship cabin to be exact. I could tell from the way it was designed. Space was at a premium within an airship, so everything had to be compact.

The walls and ceiling were all polished hardwood. Blue plush rugs covered the floor. A wooden door served as the entrance. Instead of lamps, glowstones were embedded into the walls and ceiling. They formed intricate patterns. At night, I imagined they shone like stars.

Sunlight streamed in from a small porthole. I looked outside. When I saw the familiar landscape of the Icefall region, I breathed out a sigh of relief. Good. I was worried there for a second. Since I was in an airship, I feared that I might've left the Icefall region. Based on the sunlight, I guessed it was either late morning or noon.

In addition to the comfy bed, the cabin had a wooden nightstand, a wooden dresser, and a wooden desk. They all looked like exquisite works of art. They were also bolted to the walls and floor, to prevent any accidents during flight. When things got rough, no one wanted to deal with furniture hitting them in the face.

I looked down at my body. Instead of my leather armor, I wore a set of silk pajamas. A familiar set of silk pajamas. When I saw them, I realized whose airship this was. However, that couldn't be. Why would they be up here? What was going on?

I shook my head. Rather than speculate, I decided to find someone who could give me answers. I got out of bed. Another wave of exhaustion and dizziness washed over me, though this one was weaker than the first two. When it passed, I walked over to the wooden door and opened it.

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On the other side, I found a hallway lined with other wooden doors. Like with my cabin, a plush rug covered the floor. The passenger deck of the airship, I assumed. A pair of Third Circle wizards flanked the door to my cabin. Both wore the uniforms of House Sturm retainers. Seeing them confirmed my suspicions.

This airship belonged to House Sturm.

While House Sturm was no longer at the height of its power, we still stood head and shoulders above almost everyone else when it came to wealth and influence. As such, we owned our own private airship. In fact, I think we owned a small fleet of them. I didn't take one to the Icefall region since I wanted to travel in disguise. However, I could have, if I felt like it.

If a House Sturm airship was here, then my parents must have sent it. Only members of the main family had the authority to utilize any of House Sturm's airships. With Kaylee at the Solarian Imperial Academy, that just left my parents. One or both of them were here.

On the one hand, the thought of seeing my parents filled me with excitement. On the other hand, it also worried me. Something serious must have happened. Otherwise, why would they come up here in the first place?

All these thoughts passed through my mind in the blink of an eye.

When I opened the door to my cabin, the two House Sturm retainers started, surprised.

"Lord Gabriel," the one on the left said, "you're awake!" He looked at his companion. "Go inform Lord and Lady Sturm."

The House Sturm retainer on the right nodded, before rushing off. I frowned and stepped forward, but the remaining retainer blocked my path with his arm.

"I suggest you remain in your cabin until Lord and Lady Sturm arrive, Lord Gabriel." The retainer said.

I saw a faint hint of contempt and disdain in his eyes. A familiar sight. Most of House Sturm looked down on me, due to my lack of talent in magic. However, most of them were smart enough to not disrespect me to my face. Instead, they resorted to more subtle methods, such as this.

Whenever I complained about their behavior, they either denied it or claimed that I misunderstood their intentions. After a while, I gave up since it seemed pointless. It was easier to remain silent and endure it.

At any other time, I might've brushed off the retainer's behavior, since dealing with it didn't seem worth the effort. However, I was hungry, tired, and worried about my friends. I wasn't in the mood to put up with this petty bullshit.

"Move out of my way before I break your arm." I said, releasing a bit of my killing intent.

The retainer's eyes widened and he took a step back. A moment later, he seemed surprised by his own reaction. However, I already stepped across the threshold and looked around.

The passenger deck of this airship kind of reminded me of a cruise liner back on Earth. In fact, that description wasn't far off. This was a luxury airship, one meant for House Sturm's private use.

"Lord Gabriel," the retainer said, irritated, "stop making trouble and-"

As he spoke, the retainer reached for my arm. I didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence. Before the retainer could react, I grabbed his arm and kicked the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel. Afterwards, I twisted his arm and put him in a hold.

This all took place within a second.

"Lord Gabriel!" The retainer shouted. "What do you think you're doing?"

I twisted his arm further, eliciting a grunt of pain from him.

"I warned you." I said, keeping my voice even.

"You won't get away with this." The retainer said.

I snorted.

"Who am I?" I asked.

The retainer didn't respond. I twisted his arm again.

"Answer me." I said, an edge to my voice.

"Lord Gabriel." The retainer said through gritted teeth.

"Correct. And what are you?"

This time, the retainer answered right away.

"A retainer of House Sturm."

"Exactly. How dare a mere retainer disrespect a scion of House Sturm's main family?" I twisted his arm again, this time almost to the breaking point. "Now then, last question. Instead of making threats, what should you do in this situation?"

The retainer sucked in a breath.

"I apologize for my impudence, Lord Gabriel." He said.

"And?"

I could almost hear the gears turning in his head. It took him a few moments, but he got it in the end.

"And it won't happen again." He said.

"Good." I let go of the retainer's arm. "If it does, I won't be so merciful next time."

The retainer climbed to his feet and faced me, his eyes blazing with anger. I faced him without flinching, ready to put him down if he tried anything. The retainer must have realized this, because he lowered his eyes.

Good timing too. A moment later, I heard footsteps rushing towards us. It sounded muffled, thanks to the plush rug, but it was still loud enough to reach our ears. Soon after, Mother appeared, running around a corner. She wore a yellow dress, which fluttered about as she ran, and kept her red hair in a simple ponytail.

"Gabriel!" She cried out the moment she saw me.

Mother dashed towards me, moving so fast that she became a yellow blur. The moment she reached me, she pulled me into a tight embrace and lifted me off my feet. The smell of her rose and pomegranate perfume teased my nostrils. The retainer leapt away in time to avoid getting knocked over.

"My baby!" Mother cried out. "I was so worried about you!"

She hugged me harder, forcing most of the air from my lungs.

"Mother… Can't… Breathe." I squeezed out.

She either didn't hear me or ignored me because she kept me in her embrace.

"Claire, let go of the poor boy." I heard Father say. "You're suffocating him."

I looked over to find him striding towards us, an amused smile on his face. He wore a black and blue outfit, trimmed with silver. Trent Jeffers, his personal bodyguard, and the retainer that ran off earlier followed behind him.

"Oh." Mother said, before letting go of me.

I landed on my feet and coughed as I tried to get some air back into my lungs.

"I'm so sorry." Mother said, a worried expression on her face. "When I heard that you were awake, I was so excited that I couldn't help myself."

"It's… Fine." I said in between coughs.

Despite my words, Mother fussed over me with a worried expression on her face. I managed to recover from my coughing fit by the time Father reached us.

"Gabriel," Father said, nodding to me, "it's good to see you up and about. Your mother and I were worried about you."

His expression remained even, almost cold, as he spoke. During my first life, I would've assumed he just said those words out of obligation. However, when I took a closer look, I noticed the concern in his eyes.

"Thank you, Father." I said, giving him a warm smile.

Following an impulse, I embraced him. This went against decorum and etiquette, but I didn't care. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Trent Jeffers twitch but otherwise refrained from reacting.

Father stiffened for a moment when I embraced him, but then relaxed and embraced me in return. I took a deep breath, and smelled the faint scent of ozone. The two of us remained like this for a few moments, before we pulled apart.

Trent Jeffers' expression remained the same, neutral. However, the other two House Sturm retainers stared at us with wide eyes. Not that I blamed them. I doubted either of them had seen this side of Father before. Hell, it was still new to me as well.

"Considering the circumstances, I'll forgive your behavior this time." Father said after clearing his throat.

Despite his words, I noticed the tips of his ears turn red.

"Now let's get you back into bed." Mother said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You need to rest and recover."

I opened my mouth to refute her, but then my stomach growled. My cheeks heated up.

"Why don't we get some food in you first?" Father asked. "After all, you haven't eaten in days."

Days?

"How long was I unconscious?" I asked.

My parents shared a look.

"Almost a week." Mother said. "We arrived about a day after you fell unconscious and brought you aboard so Joanna could heal your injuries."

That explained a few things.

"What about my friends?" I asked. "Are they alright?"

Father put a hand on my shoulder.

"Let us continue this conversation later," he said, "after you've had something to eat." He paused. "However, in brief, your friends are alive. Some of them suffered severe injuries, but they're alive."

I slumped with relief at that.

"Good." I said. "I was worried that the worst had happened."

Mother narrowed her eyes at me and placed her hands on her hips.

"You aren't the only one, Gabriel." She said, a hint of menace in her voice. "We need to have a long talk about the things you've been up to, Young Man."

I stiffened.

"Is that really necessary?" I asked with a nervous chuckle.

Mother crossed her arms.

"What do you think?" She asked.

I sighed and lowered my head. Despite living for a total of forty three years over three lifetimes, I was still helpless when facing my parents.

"Yes, Mother." I said, resigned.

Mother gestured to my cabin.

"Now get dressed. We can't have you running around half-naked like this."

I nodded, before I trudged into my cabin to get ready for a meal with my parents.

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