My name's Daniela Rodríguez. I'm twenty-two years old, and I just realized I knew absolutely nothing about life.
It hit me on the way home from yet another twelve-hour shift at the hospital. Just another day saving lives of people who wouldn't remember my name five minutes after walking out. Another night stolen because "someone had to cover the extra shift." Once again, I was that nurse—reliable, selfless, the one who never says no, the one who gives everything for the greater good.
You know what happens to selfless people? No one really thanks you in the end. They just expect you to keep being perfect.
I was scrolling through messages from my family on my phone—my mom asking when I'd finally "find someone" and "get a car," my brother bragging about his new house, which, fun fact, I helped pay for with all my double shifts—when it happened. The ground disappeared under me.
Literally.
An unmarked manhole. Five meters of free fall. My body slammed against concrete walls, crashing into a filthy pool of sludge and trash at the bottom.
And as I started blacking out, the only thought I had was:
"Seriously? After a life of being the good Samaritan, I'm gonna die because of municipal negligence?"
It was so absurd it was actually funny. Almost.
Next thing I knew, I was drifting through what I can only describe as a not-quite-empty void. It looked like something straight out of those manhwa I read during my rare breaks—no color, no up or down, no real sense of scale. Just the overwhelming sensation that some massive cosmic force was staring at me like I was an ant in front of a skyscraper.
What the hell?
Words floated in front of me like VR screens glowing in eye-searing neon green.
[DIMENSIONAL TRANSFER SYSTEM DETECTED]
[INITIATING REINCARNATION PROTOCOL]
"HA! THIS IS TOO RIDICULOUS!"
The laughter came from everywhere at once. And then, standing in front of me was a character straight out of an anime: tall, androgynous, hair shifting between gold and silver depending on the angle, and that smug villain smile that could turn you into Play-Doh if you weren't careful.
"Please don't tell me this is one of those isekai where I get hit by a truck," I muttered.
"That's the spirit, girl!" The figure clapped joyfully. "A MANHOLE killed you? That's way more original than a truck! And statistically dumber! BAHAHA!"
The interface expanded:
[DIVINE ENTITY IDENTIFIED: LOKI]
[THREAT LEVEL: CHAOTIC NEUTRAL]
[INTENT: PERSONAL ENTERTAINMENT]
[RECOMMENDATION: EXTREME CAUTION]
"Wait—you're Loki?" I pointed at the glowing info. "As in the Loki? From Norse mythology?"
"Bingo! Although I do prefer my Record of Ragnarok version—less beard, more flair." He struck a dramatic pose. "Oh, and these"—he gestured to the floating screens—"are your brain's doing. You've absorbed enough system-fiction to render me like this."
"Am I dead?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"As dead as you can get!" Loki wiped away a tear from laughing. "And in the most gloriously pathetic way possible! A manhole! In Ciudad López Mateos! Not even a memorable part of town!"
[PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS COMPLETE]
[SUBJECT: DANIELA RODRÍGUEZ]
[CORE PERSONALITY: FUNCTIONAL MARTYR IN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS]
[CHAOS POTENTIAL: HIGH]
[REINCARNATION COMPATIBILITY: 97.8%]
I stared at the stats floating around me... and for the first time in a long time, I laughed. Like, really laughed. It hurt, but it was the good kind of absurd.
"Of course. It's so freaking stupid. I spent my whole life being the perfect nurse—overworked, underpaid, sacrificing everything... and I die from a hole in the street?"
"EXACTLY!" Loki beamed like I just won a cosmic joke contest. "Finally, someone who gets it! Cosmic irony! That's why I like you—reformed martyr with untapped potential."
[SPECIAL MISSION UNLOCKED]
[SECOND CHANCE: AVAILABLE]
[REQUIREMENTS: LIVE A DRAMATICALLY INTERESTING LIFE]
[RESTRICTION: NO MORE PATHETIC MARTYRDOM]
[REWARD: ACCESS TO A CUSTOMIZED UNIVERSAL SYSTEM]
The interface flickered. My eyes lit up. It was like those manhwa where the MC dies tragically and comes back with overpowered abilities.
"You're giving me a second life? With skills?"
"Exactly!" Loki grinned like a game show host on caffeine. "But not just any life. One where you'll be able to put your medical skills to the test... in much more exciting environments."
The screen shifted to a highlight reel:
[TARGET MATCH FOUND: ALLEINAD GILBERT]
[AGE: 19]
[STATUS: SEVERE EMOTIONAL COLLAPSE]
[LOCATION: HOTEL ROOM IN NAPLES, FLORIDA]
[SITUATION: RECENT ESCAPEE FROM KIDNAPPING]
[COMPATIBILITY: 98.7%]
Images flashed like scenes from a tragic drama—mansions, a black-haired boy abused by his stepfamily, a peaceful university life interrupted by armed men. Kidnapping. A desperate escape.
"He goes by Alleinad Gilbert," Loki watched me carefully. "And oh man... what a story he's lived."
More flashes: a drunk mother ruining his fifth birthday... a loving father dying at twelve... years of abuse... a manipulative stepsister... broken promises... college as his only safe space... and then? Guns. Kidnapping. His own mother selling him. Collapse in a hotel.
[PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: ALLEINAD GILBERT]
[FAMILY TRAUMA: EXTREME]
[TRUST IN SYSTEMS: ZERO]
[SURVIVAL INSTINCT: HIGH]
[FORENSIC KNOWLEDGE: ADVANCED]
[CURRENT STATE: NEAR COLLAPSE]
"Those memories will be yours, too," Loki said. His voice was softer. "His pain will be your pain. His skills—your skills. His knowledge—your knowledge. You two? You're gonna be a perfect pair."
For the first time in years, something actually intrigued me.
"Why him?"
"Two peas in a pod," Loki smiled. "His family failed him. Yours drained you. Society failed both of you. But while you never developed survival instincts, he's a pro. And with your training... well, he needs you."
"What kind of skills will I need?"
"Ah ah ah!" Loki wagged a finger. "No spoilers. Just know this—his world is way more... interesting. And it's gonna take everything you've got."
[MAIN MISSION UPDATED]
[OBJECTIVE: FUSE WITH ALLEINAD GILBERT]
[PRIORITY 1: SURVIVE FIRST 48 HOURS]
[PRIORITY 2: STABILIZE EMOTIONAL STATE]
[PRIORITY 3: DISCOVER NEW OPPORTUNITIES]
[REWARD: UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO ADAPTIVE SYSTEM]
🎭 DIVINE CONTRACT ESTABLISHED 🎭
Employee: Daniela "Manhole" Rodríguez → New Alias: [TBD]
Employer: Loki, God of Chaos & Overseer of Cosmic Irony
Divine Gift: Adaptive Universal System
Restrictions: Cannot assimilate external magic
Main Mission: Survive and Live Dramatically
Side Mission: Maintain host stability (highly recommended)
Warning: Reality is NOT as stable as it seems
"This system adapts to almost anything," Loki extended his hand. "It'll help you learn what you need, survive the chaos, and maybe even unlock special features. But it has limits—can't affect things that don't belong in that world."
"And if I want to help people along the way?"
"Of course!" Loki laughed. "You're still a nurse deep down. But now—you get to choose who's worth saving. No more serving everyone. Be strategic."
[SYSTEM TUTORIAL]
◦ Rule #1: System adapts to survival needs
◦ Rule #2: Skills unlock in relevant situations
◦ Rule #3: Your medical skills will merge with host's forensic knowledge
◦ Rule #4: Shared trauma can become a strength if handled well
◦ Rule #5: DON'T DIE STUPIDLY AGAIN
I ran my hands over my face... and smiled. For the first time in forever.
"Why are you really helping me?"
Loki's grin softened, but still sparkled with mischief.
"Because I find it hilarious when selfless people die in the dumbest ways. And because... I think you deserve a chance to live for yourself. Also—" he smirked "—it's gonna be insanely fun watching what happens next."
"I'll do it."
"HELL YES!" Loki clapped like a kid on Christmas morning. "Knew there was some chaos in you!"
[CONSCIOUSNESS-SOUL FUSION INITIATED]
🍾 Loki: "Get ready for the wildest emotional rollercoaster of your life!"
🍾 Loki: "Two minds, one brain!"
Original Publisher: Daniela Rodríguez – ARCHIVING
New Alias: [FUSION IN PROGRESS]
Two Memories: MERGING... Survival Instincts: INSTALLED... Medical Knowledge: ONLINE
Survival Smile: OPTIMIZED
Thirst for Drama: MAXED OUT!!!
NOTE: Host memories will unlock over time, as needed.
"One last thing!" Loki called out as the darkness took me. "You'll wake up with access to both minds—but the host's memories? Will only surface when necessary."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you'll barely know who you are!" He winked. "Details will surface when they need to. Too much trauma at once? Insta-breakdown. Better to suffer it slowly!"
[DIMENSIONAL TRANSFER INITIATED]
[WARNING: IRREVERSIBLE PROCESS]
The last thing I saw before the world faded into black—
A nineteen-year-old boy collapsing onto a hotel bed, utterly shattered by betrayal.
And then I woke up... as someone entirely new.
The image stayed with me—those broken eyes, that body trembling with exhaustion, not from a virus—but from family.
[System Activated – World: Modern Reality]
🎉 WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LIFE! 🎉
🍾 Loki: "Hello, my brand new drama agent!"
🍾 Loki: "How does it feel to carry TWO traumatic pasts?"
🍾 Loki: "Get ready for the ADVENTURE!"
MODULAR SYSTEM MODE: SURVIVAL
◦ Situational Analysis: CRITICAL... but fascinating
◦ Host Identity: Dual Control, High Trauma
◦ URGENT THREAT: High, but manageable
Mission #1: Survive the day—with a touch of flair
Reward: Basic System Functions Unlocked
🍾 Loki: "Remember: no more self-sacrifice! Just selective drama!"
Somewhere in a mid-range hotel, somewhere in the world...
Alleinad Gilbert opened his eyes.
And he smiled.
Not because he was happy.
Not because things were okay.
But because finally—after a lifetime of soul-crushing selflessness and a stupid death—
He had the chance to be something EXCITING.
🍾 Loki: "THAT SMILE! PERFECTION!"
🍾 Loki: "You're no longer the self-sacrificing nurse."
🍾 Loki: "Now you're my rising star."
🍾 Loki: "This is gonna be an EPIC saga."
🍾 Loki: "And you're such a dramatic little creature!"