The Back Alley Mage's Second Life

Aster spent his entire life serving a powerful family of mages with the unwavering devotion of a hound, only to be used, discarded, and ultimately murdered by the very masters he served. Betrayal marked the end of his first life—yet death, it turned out, was not the end of his story. Aster awakens once more in the back alleys of his youth, the shadowed streets where his journey first began, now armed with the memories of everything still to come. The secrets of the future rest in his grasp: every betrayal, every hidden scheme, every turn of fate that once led him to the grave. What had been a life of blind servitude now stands as a chance to rewrite his fate entirely. This time, Aster refuses to kneel. No longer willing to be a weapon wielded in another's name, he intends to claim power for himself rather than serve it. But after a lifetime spent in obedience, one question shadows his second chance: can a man who existed only to serve others truly learn to become the master of his own destiny?