Chapter 1: Eternal
I woke up with a severe headache, as if someone was hitting me with a hammer. At first, my vision was blurry, and I felt like everything around me was moving in a way I couldn't control. My head was spinning from side to side, and the noise around me began to pierce my mind. People's screams, though distant, felt deafening. Slowly, my vision cleared, and with it, confusion gave way to reality.
That's when I finally understood what was happening. In the distance, I saw a huge figure, some kind of man made of rock, fighting against a guy in a tight suit who, for some reason, seemed to be losing.
"Is that all you've got, hero!" shouted the villain, in a deep voice that reverberated through the air.
Without warning, the villain hurled the hero directly toward me. I couldn't react in time; I was still dazed from the headache and confusion. The hero's body crashed into mine with such force that I felt like I was being swept away by an unstoppable current. I was thrown against the wall, but to my surprise, I felt no pain. My body had been pushed, yes, but I didn't experience the impact as I had expected. It wasn't normal.
When I turned my head and looked behind me, I saw the hero, unconscious, lying on the ground. The wall I had hit was cracked, as if the force of the impact had shattered it into pieces. I was even more surprised to see that I hadn't suffered any damage. What was happening?
Before I could process it, the villain lunged at me, determined to finish what he had started. I saw him coming in slow motion; everything around him seemed to be moving at a much slower pace. As if time were on my side, I instinctively extended my hand, and when my palm touched his body, the sensation was strange, almost like hitting putty. It wasn't a solid punch, but it was enough to send him flying backward. The villain went through a wall as if it were paper, crashing down on the other side with a loud rumble.
He stood up furiously, his face marked by hatred. He looked at me, and I could see his expression change from disbelief to rage.
"Who the hell are you? Are you trying to stop me?" he roared, his voice vibrating in the air.
Without wasting time, the villain lunged at me again, and once more I saw him coming, but this time not only more clearly, but with a speed that seemed superhuman. His attack was fast, but not fast enough. I dodged it easily, as if everything around me had slowed down even more. With a movement I didn't fully understand, I threw a direct punch to his torso. The sound of something breaking was all I heard before his body bent backward from the impact. My next move was almost automatic: a karate-style kick straight to the villain's face. I sent him to the ground, and I could see his body sinking into the pavement, as if it were sand under a gigantic weight.
His eyes were unfocused, dazed. He tried to get up but couldn't. His body collapsed again, and he remained completely motionless.
But what the hell had I just done? I wondered, still not understanding what had happened.
I looked at the defeated villain, and suddenly, the sound of police sirens filled the air. I didn't stick around to find out more. Without thinking, I started running, my legs moving with a speed I didn't know I had. At first I thought it was just an impulse, but when I saw a pothole in front of me, I jumped without thinking. It wasn't a normal jump. It was more like my body had been launched into the air at an impressive speed, almost as if I were being propelled by something beyond my control.
My movements were erratic; my heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to leap out of my chest. I saw the buildings below me as if I were descending toward the ground, and I braced for impact. When I finally landed, I did so brutally, and the pavement broke beneath my feet. But before I could stop myself, the momentum made me bounce back upward. This time, I headed toward a nearby forest, my feet hitting the ground like a spring.
I fell onto the grass, and my body rolled until it came to a complete stop. I felt a strange discomfort, as if I weren't entirely in control of my own body. When I finally stood up, I noticed that everything around me was no longer spinning, but the confusion was still present.
I looked at my body more closely. It wasn't the body I knew. It was thinner, without the extra pounds I used to have. My skin, which used to be somewhat brown, now seemed lighter. Something wasn't right.
I checked my clothes and found a small mirror and a wallet. I took out both objects, almost as if my body were acting automatically. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw a different face. My hair was white, somewhat messy, my eyes blue, and my skin pale. My clothes were a black hoodie, blue jeans, and black shoes. Nothing about me seemed familiar.
Looking more closely at the wallet, I took out an ID and read it quietly:
"Liam James Carter, age: 17, blood type O+, nationality: United States."
Liam James Carter? Who was he? And how did I end up in his body?
The information was detailed but empty. I didn't know anything about this Liam. No friends, no family. Nothing.
I let out a deep sigh and leaned against a nearby tree. I was completely lost. One moment, I was at home, relaxing, and the next... this! Punching a villain with superhuman strength, leaping through the air and landing at full speed, with abilities I didn't understand.
I sat on the ground, breathing deeply, trying to calm myself.
"Maybe this is like those stories, right?" I asked myself quietly, "Like those protagonists who are suddenly sent somewhere else out of nowhere. But no. This is different. I'm in someone else's body, and I have no idea how I got here or what happened before."
I looked at my reflection once more, feeling the weight of confusion crushing me. The worst part was that I had no answers. I didn't know if Liam had family, friends, or even a life. And I didn't know how I was going to face all of that.
Suddenly, a wave of tiredness washed over me. I felt sleep taking control of my body, as if dragging me into darkness. At that same moment, I fainted, falling face down on the ground.
My body had taken control of everything, but my mind was still struggling to understand what had just happened.
I was trapped in a dreamless sleep. There was nothing, just darkness and the feeling of floating. When I finally woke up, I was back in the same forest. However, something had changed in me. I couldn't identify exactly what, but a strange calm had taken hold of me, much more than in the previous hours.
I could feel a great wave of memories invading my head, hitting me with every passing second. The fragments of Liam James Carter's life slowly came together. But it wasn't easy. An unbearable pain seized my head, so strong that it seemed my very thoughts would crumble. The pain persisted for what felt like an eternity, but finally, like a passing storm, it stopped. And with it, the memories arrived in full.
First, I knew that this body belonged to Liam James Carter. A boy who, until a few hours ago, lived alone in a small apartment in Chicago. He had become independent from his parents, who lived in Ohio. He had a part-time job at a burger shop, earning about 800 dollars every two weeks, enough to live a quiet, simple life. He was in his last year of high school, and although he had some friends, he didn't seem to have a very active social life. The names William and Mark Greyson appeared in his memories, two of the few people who seemed to truly matter to him.
As I delved deeper into these memories, something else intertwined with them. They were... memories of something bigger, something much stranger. Powers. I can fly. I have super strength. My senses are much sharper than they should be. I'm invulnerable, nearly unstoppable, and I can even survive in the vacuum of space. But apparently, my body wasn't ready to handle all of that yet. This thin, fragile body couldn't make the most of the abilities I now possessed.
I mentally reviewed the events that led to this. The original owner of this body, Liam, was on his way home when suddenly a fight broke out between a hero and a villain. A piece of debris flew out and hit him on the head, killing him instantly. It was at that moment that I took control, activating these powers that I still didn't fully understand.
Once all the memories had settled in my mind, I felt incredibly relieved. I had regained control of my life, albeit in a strange and terrifying way.
"Who would have thought the term 'isekai' would apply to me right now," I murmured, almost mockingly to myself, but I couldn't help but smile at the irony of the situation. I was in a body that wasn't mine, with powers I didn't know how to control, in the middle of a world I was only beginning to understand.
I decided to move. I started walking; the forest was as vast as in my memories, but something was different in the air. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with warm tones that marked the end of a day that no longer seemed like mine. Time passed differently now. I knew that if I walked at a brisk pace, I would be at my new home in about two hours. But there was something more important I needed to do.
When I arrived, I could gather the memories more clearly, organize them, and create a logbook. I needed to understand everything that had happened and learn to control these powers.
It wasn't hard to get to my new dwelling; the body had muscle memory, it knew where to go. Once I arrived at my place, I went inside my apartment.
The apartment was small: one bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a small balcony, all totaling 10 cubic meters.
The floor was littered with junk food wrappers, empty pizza boxes, and dirty clothes.
'This place is a mess.' Leaving my backpack aside, I used the memories to know where everything was.
Taking out several bags and getting a broom, I began to clean everything. I had to do it slowly since I didn't want to break the broom with my new strength, which was difficult.
After finishing, the apartment was clean and tidy; only the clothes were left. There was a laundromat nearby, so I could go and have everything washed in just an hour.
Checking all the money I had, I took a few extra dollars just in case.
Heading to the laundromat, I noticed several washing and drying machines were being used. Taking an empty one, I separated the clothes by color so they wouldn't mix. Time passed.
An hour later, I left with a basket of dry clothes. Returning to my home, I set the clothes aside and simply threw myself on the bed, falling asleep instantly.
The next morning, I woke up in the same place and knew that I really wasn't in a dream.
The memories were fully assimilated. Something notable about this Liam's personality is that he was a reserved guy who let himself be intimidated by his bully, every single day.
Taking a shower, changing my clothes, and eating something quick, I headed to what was my new regional high school.
When I arrived, I stopped at the entrance before finally going in. I could hear the casual conversations of everyone in the school, and I'm not kidding—it was like joining a random Zoom call and hearing hundreds of voices at once.
'I need to focus.' Closing my eyes, I began to concentrate only on my surroundings, reducing the radius. Little by little, I was managing it. Finally, I succeeded: I no longer heard everyone, only within a radius of 10 meters around me.
"Finally, I found you," said a voice. I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw that it was Mark.
"Oh, Mark, what's up?"
"What do you mean, 'what's up'? Didn't you come to school yesterday?" asked the teenager.
"I got caught in a fight between a hero and a villain, got hurt, and had to go home," I replied calmly, since it wasn't unusual; those things happened often.
"So that's what happened," said the boy.
"By the way, something incredible happened to me yesterday."
"Really? What?"
The boy looked around before speaking in a low voice: "I already have my superpowers."
Hearing that, the memories came to me.
'Mark Greyson, son of Nolan Greyson, identity Omni-Man, the strongest hero on Earth and a renowned one. True identity: a Viltrumite.'
"That sounds incredible, man. Can you fly yet or shoot laser beams from your eyes?" I asked, interested in that.
"I don't know," he replied, making me roll my eyes.
"By the way, you owe me one since I had to cover for you at the store yesterday."
"Fair enough."
The bell rang; it was time for class. Remembering the schedule, I had the first two hours of Biology, then Spanish. After that would be the first break. Four hours later, lunch, and three more hours after that, dismissal.
Heading to my classes, I took a seat in the corner and then simply... nothing. I pretended to pay attention while I was actually concentrating on controlling my now-overdeveloped senses.
Time passed.
When dismissal time came, I was putting away some books when something hit the locker next to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a boy taller than me, reaching about 1.90m, with shaved sides and a mohawk style, looking like a thug.
"Give me my money, idiot," he said simply.
I decided to ignore him.
"Didn't you hear me? Give me my money, or you'll know the consequences," he repeated, but I ignored him, putting away the book.
The locker was slammed shut by the bully. The sound drew some glances.
"What, do you think you're tough now, ignoring me?"
"Honestly, I feel sorry for you, Peter," I said in a flat tone. The original Liam was submissive and let himself be intimidated. Now that I was in this body and had superpowers, I wouldn't let anyone be above me.
"What did you just say to me?"
"I said I feel sorry for you. You're just a pathetic guy with unresolved parental issues, unable to make the football team because of your behavior, whose girlfriend left you last week, and you take your rage out on other people to save that ego you call pride."
What I said left everyone with their mouths open in surprise because I had destroyed him with my words.
Peter, furious, attacked me, but I dodged the punch, letting him hit the locker next to mine.
It dented a little.
"Now I'm really going to kill you, you idiot."
Peter lunged with his fists to hit me. My movements were short and simple, dodging him by a wide margin. Using my legs, I tripped him, making him fall flat on his face.
"As I said, I feel sorry for you. You can't even hit me." I opened my locker again.
Peter stood up and ran to push me. With a spin, I let his head crash into the locker door, completely denting it.
"Don't bother me again, Peter, or else I'll kill you." My eyes were two ice cubes that made the human feel fear.
"What the hell is going on here?" asked an elderly woman who worked in the cafeteria serving lunch.
A few minutes later, I was in the principal's office.
"Tell me what happened, Mr. Carter," said the doctor, a black man in a formal suit and tie. I noticed his computer was an old one.
"I was putting my things away in my locker, quietly, when Peter came and demanded my money. I ignored him to avoid trouble. This enraged him, and he attacked me, but I only dodged without throwing any punches. In the end, he hit his head on the locker himself," I explained.
The principal let out a sigh.
"That boy has a long history of fights on his record, but you don't. You're a good kid, Liam. I don't want to see you around people like that."
"Don't worry, Principal, I wouldn't do anything to get me into trouble. I want to find a good university and a better job."
"I understand you perfectly, Liam, but next time, look for one of the teachers or security guards. That kid is twice your size, and you could get hurt."
"I know."
"Well, that's all. You can go now."
Leaving the office.
When I left school, I headed to my job. After putting on my uniform and cap, I started frying potatoes, in silence.
Time passed, and finally, it was ten o'clock at night.
"Alright, good work, everyone. Today's Friday, and it's payday," said the boss, holding several envelopes.
He handed one to each person, until finally, I got my check.
After finishing my shift with my pay, I started walking, feeling quite cheerful.
"Alright, I have the weekend to finally train," I murmured, putting away my money. I looked around, seeing that everything was quite dark and there was no one nearby.
Relaxing my body, I felt the familiar floating sensation coming from my stomach. My body lifted off the ground and began to ascend. Stopping, I started moving freely through the sky without needing any point of support.
Flying through the sky, I stopped when I saw something interesting.
I saw how a kind of rock man with super strength was giving a group of heroes—or so they seemed—a hard time.
"Come on, Rex, we had the element of surprise," said a robot.
"Sorry, 'Bot,' I think I just had an idea."
"Leave the good ideas to me," said Robot. From the smoke of the explosion, the villain emerged, running toward them.
Immediately, I kicked the villain, sending him unconscious to the ground.
"Never mind. Good job, kid," mentioned the robot, looking at me.
Beside him appeared what I assumed were the rest of his team.
There was a girl wearing a full purple outfit with high boots and lilac gloves. From her face, I guessed she came from Asia. The other girl had orange hair, with a pink suit and green eyes.
Then there was the other guy wearing a dark yellow or dull orange suit with a mask featuring round orange lenses.
Without a doubt, they were a peculiar group.
"I'll send another vehicle to pick us up. Kate, take care of Rockstone, and let's not draw too much attention," said the robot.
I saw how a kind of flying transport carried them, and how the girl, Kate, split herself, levitating the villain and placing him in the ship.
"Interesting costume you have," said the orange-haired girl.
"Oh, you're wrong, I'm not a hero yet; I still need the suit. I just came because it seemed like you needed help," I replied calmly.
"You remind me of someone," said the girl.
"Really?"
"Well, our vehicle is here, but before we go, we should introduce ourselves. We're the Teen Team. I'm Robot, she's Atom Eve, he's Rex Splode, and Dupli-Kate sometimes joins us too. And you?" asked Robot, looking at me.
I thought for a few moments.
'I guess I can use that name.'
"I'm Eternal," I introduced myself.
"Alright."
I watched as they got into their vehicle and left the place.
"See you," said Atom Eve.
'That wasn't so bad,' I thought to myself.
"So, the Teen Team... interesting," I began to fly through the sky toward my apartment.
Lying down on my bed, I smiled.
Turning on the light, I took a sheet of paper, a pencil, and some colored pencils, and began to draw the concept of my hero suit.
After about 30 minutes, I had finished and was satisfied with the design. It would be a full-body suit, white with gold lines around the front, and a white cape.