GameDev Reincarnated into His Own Creation

Chapter 3.1: Reinitializing

A deep voice pierced through the darkness of Vel's consciousness. "I told you to delay the ritual!" The words carried anger and frustration. "I found his tracks, I would have found him."

Vel's eyes fluttered open. The sound of distant work drifted through the window - hammering, chopping wood, and muffled voices. A man sat at a table, his broad shoulders tensed as he faced an ancient woman in a hooded robe. Recognition sparked - the same figure he'd glimpsed by the bonfire before passing out.

Mari stood beside the man, her hands clasped tight. The same woman who'd held him in the rain - Vel's mother in this world. His head spun trying to reconcile these new memories with his own.

Movement caught his eye. A young girl lurked in the corner, barely out of her teens. Her eyes locked onto his with an intensity that made him want to shrink back into the blankets.

"Mom, he's awake," the girl called out to Mari. The pieces clicked - this must be Vel's sister.

The man's argument cut short as he turned toward the bed. Tension drew the worry lines around his eyes deeper, the rain-dampened clothes still clinging to his frame.

"It is very fortunate that he survived," the old woman's voice rasped like dry leaves.

The man's fist struck the table. "Fortunate?! It was a miracle. That kind of lightning strike... it could take down a Wulfang with a single blow."

The old woman's eyes met Vel's, and for a fleeting moment, something flickered across her weathered features - a flash of regret? But her expression remained firm, unyielding, like carved stone.

The man's shoulders slumped. "We should continue this conversation later."

With a silent nod to each person in the room, the old woman turned and walked out. The door's latch clicked behind her.

Mari moved closer to the bed, her fingers ran across Vel's forehead. "Are you alright, Vel? You've been sleeping for a while."

The man strode toward him, each step heavy with purpose. "What on Aeon were you thinking, Vel? Didn't you hear the bells from the guard tower?!" His voice dropped low, sharp as a blade.

But Vel barely registered the scolding. One word echoed through his mind, drowning out everything else - Aeon. The name of his game world, the virtual realm he'd poured his heart and soul into creating.

"Dear," Mari's gentle voice cut through the tension. "Let's not do this right now."

She turned to the girl in the corner. "You should rest, Landre."

Landre hadn't moved from her spot, dark circles visible under her eyes as she watched Vel with unwavering attention. Mari's expression softened as she looked back at him. "Your sister hasn't been sleeping either."

Vel attempted to push himself upright. His muscles screamed in protest, each movement sending waves of dull pain through his body. The soft bed beneath him did little to ease his discomfort.

Mari's hand pressed against his shoulder. "Take it slow."

The man and Mari exchanged worried glances. Their eyes bore into him, waiting. The silence stretched, heavy with expectation.

Fragments of memories swirled through his mind - some belonging to Vel, others to Giri. Names, faces, and places blurred together like watercolors in the rain. Who should he be right now? The truth would sound insane.