Reforged Soul - The Rise of Satori Shi

The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the city streets as Noel adjusted the volume on his phone, holding it between his ear and shoulder while navigating his cluttered apartment. On the other end of the line, his mother's voice rose above the occasional static.

"So, how's Driver's Ed going? Still making those wide turns?"

Noel chuckled as he shoved a pile of old textbooks off his couch. "Mom, I'm doing fine. Turns out I can handle a car without crashing it."

His mom wasn't convinced. "Well, you've been old enough to drive for years now. Honestly, you should've gotten your license already. Your sister had hers at your age!"

"Yeah, and how many poles did she hit before that?" Noel shot back, smirking.

"That's not the point," his mom retorted, but he could hear the laughter in her voice.

"She's the reason I'm stuck doing this now," Noel said, sinking into the couch. "You remember, right? Every time she tried to 'help' me practice, we ended up in a parking lot disaster. Pretty sure she traumatized me for life when she tried to Tokyo Drift in that junker."

His mom laughed outright now. "You're such a drama king. Honestly, Noel, you've always had an excuse for everything."

"Excuses are just reasons with flair."

"Mm-hmm. Well, your dad and I are rooting for you. Maybe once you finally get your license, you'll come visit us more often instead of locking yourself in that apartment of yours."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. His mother always had a way of sneaking life advice into casual conversations. "I'll be fine, Mom. Just a couple more weeks, and I'll be a certified road menace."

"Just make sure you're not the one hitting those school buses out there," she teased.

Noel froze for a moment before shaking his head with a wry grin. "Come on, Mom. Even I'm not that bad."

Later that evening, Noel found himself staring at his ceiling, his thoughts drifting. He'd always been one to deflect with humor, but deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling of stagnation. Life felt like a series of routines, and though he loved his family, he couldn't help but wonder: Is this it?

That nagging thought stayed with him as he drifted off to sleep, completely unaware that tomorrow, everything would change.

The Last Morning

The shrill wail of the apartment complex's fire alarm pierced through the walls, jolting Noel awake. He groaned, half-draped off his futon, as the obnoxious sound echoed through the building.

"Not again," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He peeked out of the window to see people milling around the courtyard, some still in pajamas, a few annoyed parents scolding their kids.

"Some brat must've pulled the alarm again," he grumbled, rolling over. It was barely 6 a.m., and he was already contemplating murder or at least, a stern lecture.

Noel dozed back off after the chaos died down, only to be startled awake again by his own alarm clock.

"Come on, baka! You're going to be late!" a chirpy, animated voice declared, accompanied by the sight of a chibi anime girl blowing a whistle on his phone screen.

Noel slammed his hand on the device, muttering, "Shut up, shut up, shut up…" as he dragged himself out of bed.

It wasn't until he glanced at the time that his grogginess vanished. "Shit, I'm going to be late!"

He scrambled to get ready, shoving on a wrinkled shirt and jeans while muttering curses under his breath. His bag was a mess of crumpled notebooks and loose tools, but there was no time to fix it now

Saved by Laziness

By the time Noel sprinted into his trade school's parking lot, his heart was pounding, and his shirt clung uncomfortably to his back. He braced himself for the scolding he was sure to receive, but as he burst through the classroom door, he found the room empty.

"Wait… where's?"

"Morning, Noel," a familiar voice drawled.

He turned to see his instructor, a middle-aged man with a perpetual five o'clock shadow, sipping on coffee like it was still 5 a.m.

"You're late," the teacher said lazily, though his tone carried no real weight.

"So are you," Noel shot back, collapsing into his seat.

"Touché." The teacher smirked.

Noel sighed in relief, slumping into his chair. Saved by his teacher's chronic tardiness.

The Final Walk

The day went by in a blur of lectures and practical exercises. By the time the last class ended, the sun was already dipping low in the sky. Noel shoved his tools back into his bag and made his way across the parking lot, his mind elsewhere.

He thought about his conversation with his mom the day before, her teasing voice echoing in his head. "You should've gotten your license already…"

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered to himself with a faint smile. He couldn't wait to call her tonight and let her know he'd survived another day without causing vehicular chaos.

But fate had other plans.

A sudden screech of tires snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned, just in time to see the hulking yellow shape of a government school bus barreling toward him.

The impact was instant and brutal, sending him sprawling across the asphalt. The world tilted and blurred as he lay there, his vision dimming.

As his life ebbed away, memories flashed through his mind—his family, his unfinished projects, the things he'd always meant to do but never got around to.

Why didn't I delete my browser history…? he thought ruefully, a weak laugh bubbling in his throat.

"And dying a virgin? Great. Just great," he muttered, the absurdity of it all making him chuckle despite the pain.

The last coherent thought that crossed his mind was bittersweet. "So close to finishing school… so close to becoming a grand wizard. Well, at least I don't have to worry about finals anymore."

And then, everything went black.

A/n how you like the story so far these are going to be shorter but I plan on putting at least 4 to 5 chapter s a week I will do my best no promise.