You Already Won

Jonathan North died saving his sister. Then he woke up in Requiem—a broken realm of gods, bloodsport, and divine cruelty. No resurrection screen. No tutorial. Just a scribbled room, a cryptic entity called X, and a stranger who claimed to be his future self: Jafar—the God-King of 70 million realms. Now trapped in the brutal Fortune Holder tournament, Jonathan must fight through a war-torn world where every gem collected, every enemy killed, brings him closer to the fate he fears most: becoming the man he met. Haunted by visions, hunted by natives and Outlanders alike, and wielding power that feeds on his very identity, Jonathan isn’t trying to win. He’s trying to resist—to surpass the god he’s destined to become without losing who he is. But Requiem doesn’t care about intentions. As alliances form, blood is spilled, and rules are rewritten by powers far beyond comprehension, Jonathan walks a razor’s edge between evolution and erasure. What happens when the person you’re trying to surpass… is the you that already won? This story is only posted on Royal Road. If seen anywhere else please let me know or report it.