Chapter 2: Reborn?
On an island,
Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Although the island was once called magical, most of its beauty was lost due to corrupt politicians. That fact was well known, but it wasn't easy to solve.
At the same time, the place was still acknowledged as one of the most beautiful places in Brazil (just imagine the rest). With 42 beaches, the people living on the island were renowned to be nice and full of life.
Three bridges connected the island to the main continent. How much money was stolen by politicians to build them? No one was sure, but it should be enough to build at least a dozen more.
Welcome to Brazil.
*Beep* Beep* Beep*
[Stupid system… let me die in peace!]
The man opened his eyes groggily.
A white ceiling was the first thing he saw. Sunbeams flashed through an open window illuminating the room and temporarily blinding his eyes.
Feeling the soft bed under his back, he breathed in the fresh air slowly but felt no pain.
[Am I dead?]
Quietness filled the place, the type of silence that refreshes the mind.
[This can't be Heaven, right?] The Dragon King was confused, he could still somewhat feel the pain on his left arm.
*Beep* Beep* Beep*
He looked around carefully without raising his body: An old wardrobe, a table with one notebook and a cellphone (clearly the source of the noisy sound).
[Is this my old bedroom!?] realization struck him but he couldn't believe his own eyes!
[Was it a dream? How could it be?]
The scent of blood, the desperate screams, everything that happened was far too real to be a dream. He wasn't so creative to imagine all that, right?
No, he knew it wasn't a bad dream.
Getting up from the bed was the most difficult thing ever. How he missed this soft pillow and the clean sheets!
*Beep* Beep* Beep*
[Damn this stupid alarm!] In a fit of rage he threw the pillow on the table, knocking his cell phone to the floor in the process.
As if laughing at him, the alarm rang once more.
"Shit!"
With nowhere to lay his head comfortably now, he had no other choice than to get up. Feeling heavier than normal, he got the cellphone and turned off the alarm.
It had been years since he last used some of this "old technology", however soon afterwards his fingers moved quickly as if they met an old friend.
He checked his apps and everything seemed fine, the old game notifications were also there.
Unfortunately, before he could enjoy this new feeling, he saw the current date on the display: 03. Mar. 2030.
A cold sweet ran through his back as his smile froze. The cell phone fell from his shaking hands, but even so he didn't notice.
Even though nothing special would happen today, fear filled his mind because of what would happen in a month: How could he forget the day that the world started to collapse and his life took a turn for the worse?
"I don't want to pass through that hell once again!" he freaked out thinking about everything he went through.
Fortunately, the years he spent in the hellish future weren't for naught and moments later he recomposed himself.
[Calm down Nikolas, you have a month in advance right? That's a massive advantage, this time you can be prepared…] he sighed lightly.
"Wait, if I'm alive and kicking one month before the apocalypse, doesn't that mean that my family…" he muttered to himself.
"Nikolas, come have your breakfast!" a woman's voice called him.
His heart skipped a beat.
"Y...yes mother!"
[They are alive!]
The turmoil of emotions he felt were enough to make any man crazy. At first he felt dejected and resentful at his death, afterwards he felt calm and delighted, soon fear overcame him and now he was joyful.
Because of that, he went to the bathroom and washed his face to calm down. Unfortunately for him, his emotions surged once more when he glanced at the mirror: he almost had a heart attack!
The reflection that stared back at him was ugly and massive!
Only a few seconds later did he realize that the fat man he was looking at was himself!
[Oh that is something I didn't miss: my adipose tissue] he smirked.
The fatness was disturbing, it showed how much he cared for his health in the past: a lot of zeros.
Don't get me wrong, he had no problems with fat people, that's exactly why he is one. But this health problem almost got him killed a thousand times during the apocalypse.
When you have to literally run for your life, all that extra weight gets in the way.
[Gotta work on that as soon as possible! Or else people will call me the Fat King] and that was a title he didn't want.
*****
Before long, he went down the stairs leading to the living room and soon afterwards arrived at the kitchen. There, three people were seated around a table laden with food.
Ten years, that was how long he missed them: His mother, father and younger brother!
The moment they looked at him smiling, his heart skipped a beat and his body quivered.
[Hold it Nikolas... don't cry in front of them!] the Dragon King couldn't be seen crying, right?
"Morning son, slept well?"
His father asked with his usual strong voice, his eyebrows were tense indicating he wasn't happy at all. As a retired cop, he had a strong sense of justice that was not contented in this country. It was stressful for him seeing bandits not being arrested or being released day and night.
"Better than ever!" Nikolas answered.
After giving a tight hug to everyone, among the buns and pancakes he grabbed a small apple to eat.
[Better start soon with the diet!]
"Are you okay honey?" his mother asked, concerned "Never seen you eat any... fruit?"
Nikolas noticed that they were looking weirdly at him.
"Oh.. I'mkay" he told them with a mouth full. "Doing a diet here"
Surprised but pleased, his mother smiled. She had straight dark brown hair just like him. As a teacher of early childhood education, it was she who softened the mood on the kid's side when the father was angry. She was a kind and cheerful person to say the least.
[Didn't know how much I missed them…]
"I'm sure it must have been a girl who said something, am I right brother?" said the teenager next to him.
At the age of 16, his brother had a bulkier frame for his age. He had some well-builded muscles by the gym, a thing Nikolas should have done long ago. With small curly black hair and a big nose, he was a mixture of his parents.
"Ha! I never lost my hopes on you kid!" Nikolas' father added cheerfully.
"Cof...Cof.. It's not a girl issue!" he answered, faking to be ashamed but laughing inwardly.
"Ah, I pity you!" His brother joked.
"Just when have you become so degenerate like father, Erick!?"
"Son, you're almost 23… maybe it's time to find someone to date, don't you think?" his mother added smoothly.
[When did they become so interested in my love life!??]
"Emi… He will be a dragon eventually, we just need to be patient." father told her.
Emi was the abbreviation of Emilia, his mother's name obviously.
[I became a dragon after all, but not like they intended.] Nikolas smiled inwardly
Still, it made him think: what could he do to change his family's fate?
He knew they had no reason to believe him if he told them about the apocalypse, until that happened it sounded crazy enough.
Nevertheless, he needed to prepare.
He might not have a third chance!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone