Noah's body sank through the dark water, blood streaming from his shattered skull in red ribbons. The ocean pulled him deeper, away from the fading light above.
Twenty feet below, two sharks caught the scent. A bull shark shot forward like a bullet, its powerful tail driving it upward. A reef shark darted in from the side, jaws opening wide.
They were seconds away from tearing into the lifeless body when something massive slammed into both of them. The impact sent them spinning through the water, confused and angry.
The thing that hit them defied nature. It had the basic shape of a shark, but wrong in every way. Where normal sharks had single fins, this creature sprouted pairs from each side of its body. The fins were longer, sharper, moving like they had minds of their own. Blue light pulsed from its skin, turning the dark water into an eerie glow.
The bull shark recovered first, charging at this new threat. The glowing creature's twin fins sliced through its hide, opening deep gashes. Blood clouded the water, but the bull shark kept fighting, driven by predatory rage.
The reef shark circled and struck from behind, sinking teeth into the glowing predator's side. For a moment, it seemed to find purchase. Then the wounds on the glowing shark closed completely, flesh knitting together like the injury never happened.
The creature's tail whipped around with impossible speed. Its blade-like fins cut clean through the reef shark's neck, separating head from body in one swift motion.
The bull shark made one final, desperate lunge. The glowing creature opened massive jaws and bit down hard. Bone cracked and splintered. The struggling stopped immediately.
Alone now, the creature turned toward the sinking body. It approached slowly, studying the corpse with alien intelligence flickering in its black eyes. Then it opened its mouth wider and swallowed the body whole.
Inside the creature's belly, impossible space opened up. Not the cramped acid pit of a normal stomach, but a vast chamber filled with soft blue light. At its center hung a cube, no larger than a fist, pulsing with the same ethereal glow as the shark's skin.
The body drifted toward the cube like it was being pulled by invisible strings. When skull met the glowing surface, brilliant light exploded through the entire space, brighter than the sun.
Then came darkness. Complete, absolute darkness that seemed to stretch on forever.
Time passed. Maybe minutes, maybe hours. In the void, there was no way to tell.
A voice cut through the silence, cold and emotionless.
[System Activation Complete]
The words echoed in the emptiness, bouncing off nothing and everything at once.
[Congratulations, Kaine Light. You have awakened the Ultimate Apocalypse System]
Confusion flooded through the darkness. That name. Kaine Light. It wasn't right. It wasn't his name.
[Your destiny is to rise above all races and bring an end to the Apocalypse that threatens this world]
More words that made no sense. Apocalypse? What apocalypse? The only thing threatening anyone was Emily and her psycho friends with their hammers and their twisted games.
[Current Status: Broken. Betrayed. Weak.]
The assessment hung in the void like an accusation. Broken, yes. Marcus had made sure of that with his hammer. Betrayed, absolutely. Emily had played him perfectly, made him believe she actually cared. And weak? Well, he'd always been weak. Too weak to fight back, too weak to see what was coming, too weak to matter to anyone.
[Let us fix those problems, Host]
The darkness began to shift and swirl, like storm clouds gathering. Then it started to fade, replaced by something else. Something that felt like falling through an endless abyss filled with stars and possibilities. The sensation of being pulled, dragged, rebuilt from nothing into something new.
Light crept in slowly, warm and golden. Real light, not the cold glow of the cube.
Noah's eyes opened, vision swimming and unfocused. He blinked hard several times, trying to clear the blur. Slowly, the world came into focus around him.
He was lying in a bed. Not his bed. This one was massive, with posts carved from dark wood and sheets that felt like silk against his skin. The room around him was unlike anything he'd ever seen. High ceilings with intricate molding, furniture that looked like museum pieces, paintings on the walls that probably cost more than his family's entire house.
'Where the hell am I?' The thought came automatically, followed quickly by another. 'And why am I not dead?'
He tried to move his hand. It responded, lifting slowly from the covers. His fingers looked pale, somehow smaller than he remembered. Different.
'I'm alive,' he realized with growing amazement. 'I'm actually alive. But how? Marcus caved my skull in. I felt myself dying.'
The door opened with a soft click, interrupting his thoughts. A woman stepped inside, maybe in her mid-twenties, wearing what looked like a maid's uniform in crisp black and white. She had glasses similar to his own and dark hair pulled back in a neat, professional style. But everything else about her was far from professional. She was stunning, with the kind of figure that filled out her uniform in ways that made his teenage brain temporarily forget how to function.
She looked directly at him, and their eyes met. Almost immediately, tears started streaming down her face.
'Okay, what the hell did I do?' Noah thought, alarmed by her reaction. 'Why is she crying? Do I look that bad? Did I say something?'
"My Lady," the woman called toward the door, her voice soft but urgent. "Young Lord Kaine is awake!"
'Young Lord Kaine?' The name hit him like a physical blow. 'That's the same name the voice said. But that doesn't sound like English. How do I understand it?'
The woman rushed toward his bedside, and before he could protest, she pulled him into a tight embrace. Her arms wrapped around him, pressing his face against her chest. She smelled like vanilla and flowers.
"We thought we'd lost you, Young Lord," she whispered, her voice thick with tears. "You've been unconscious for two weeks."
'Two weeks? And who is this Kaine person? That's not my name.'
The door opened again. Another woman entered, older but still beautiful. She had the same dark hair as Noah, and when she looked at him, her face transformed with pure maternal love.
"My precious boy," she said softly, her voice carrying a refined accent. She moved to his bedside with graceful steps. "You're finally back with us."
She sat on the edge of the bed, taking his hands gently in hers. Her touch was warm, like she was handling something precious.
"I..." Noah tried to speak, but his voice came out rough. "I don't remember what happened."
"The physician said there might be memory difficulties," she said, stroking his knuckles. "You suffered terrible injuries, my darling, but you're safe now. You're home."
She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I must send word to your father immediately. He's been beside himself with worry."
Standing gracefully, she turned to the maid.
"Ella, my dear," his mother said, and Noah finally learned the woman's name, "please prepare a hot bath for Kaine. Use the lavender oils from Astoria. And have the kitchen prepare a celebration feast with our finest ingredients."
'So this woman is Ella,' Noah thought. 'And she obviously cares about whoever this Kaine person is.'
"At once, My Lady," Ella replied, bowing before leaving.
"I'll return shortly, my love," his mother said, kissing his forehead once more. "Rest now."
As soon as the door closed, Noah heard her voice from the hallway.
"Where the hell is Vincent?" she demanded, her refined accent gone.
"I don't know, My Lady," came a nervous reply.
"Find him. My son is awake."
Noah stared at the closed door. This elegant woman who spoke like royalty had just cursed like a sailor the moment she thought no one was listening.
'At least she seems to actually love this Kaine person,' he thought. 'My real parents cared, but not like this. Maybe the only gift the universe ever gave me was decent parents, and now I get to experience what real devotion looks like.'
Alone now, Noah carefully tried to stand. His legs shook, barely supporting his weight. He grabbed the bedpost, steadying himself, then made his way to the tall windows.
He caught sight of himself in the glass and stopped dead.
"Holy shit," he whispered. "What happened to my face?"
The face looking back was definitely his, but younger. Maybe fourteen instead of seventeen. Softer features, like this version had grown up without stress.
'This isn't my body,' he realized. 'This is someone else's body. Someone named Kaine.'
Text appeared before his eyes, floating in the air like some kind of holographic display.
[You have transmigrated into the body of Kaine Light, Host]
Noah stumbled backward, nearly falling. "What the fuck? What is that? Who's talking?"
[I am the Ultimate Apocalypse System. You have been chosen as my Host.]
"System? Like in video games?" Noah's voice cracked. "This is insane. I'm going crazy. People don't just see floating text."
[You are not insane, Host. You have been selected for a mission of utmost importance.]
"How are you doing this? How am I seeing words in the air?"
[I exist within your consciousness while manifesting visually for your convenience. This is standard procedure for all System-Host relationships.]
Noah turned to look out the window, trying to process what he was seeing. The city spread below him was like something from a fantasy novel. Massive houses with elaborate architecture, gardens and fountains, wide artistic streets. Everything was pristine and beautiful.
But the wall in the distance caught his attention. A massive barrier surrounded the entire city, stretching toward the sky like an ancient fortress wall.
"Where exactly am I?" he asked the floating text.
[Saint Angeles City. Among the three safe zones in this world.]
"Safe from what?"
[Information will be provided as you demonstrate readiness, Host.]
Noah made his way back to the bed, legs still unsteady. He sat down heavily, trying to process everything.
A devoted mother. A caring maid named Ella. A walled city that suggested danger outside. And now a system talking about missions and apocalypses.
'Am I like that guy from Solo Leveling or something?' he thought, a small smile tugging at his lips despite the insanity. 'What was his name... Sun Jinwoo?'
The absurdity hit him. Yesterday he was Noah Morrison, murdered by fake friends. Today he was apparently Kaine Light, some rich kid with a loving family and mysterious powers.
[Indeed, Host. Your new life begins now.]
Before Noah could respond, there was a soft knock at the door. Ella's voice came through, gentle and respectful.
"Young Lord Kaine? Your bath is ready."