The shuttle slowed with a soft pneumatic hiss as it reached the Midtown Heights station. Xavier rose from his seat, swinging his duffel over his shoulder.
The doors parted. Xavier stepped onto the platform and breathed deep. The air carried traces of ozone from the crystal-powered vehicles, mixed with salt from the Pacific. Cleaner than the smog-choked cities he'd known before.
"Fuck it," he muttered. "Hello, new world."
The memory merge had left him disoriented, like waking up drunk in a stranger's bed. Bits of a life he'd never lived nestled alongside the blood-soaked memories of his actual past. He wished Calypso had mentioned this particular detail during their little arrangement.
"D-rank student coming through," he said to no one, flashing a smile at a group of maintenance workers who stepped aside.
Crystal-powered advertising displays tracked his movement, shifting their content as he passed.
"New to Nexus? Visit Crystal Gardens for authentic Awakened cuisine!"
"Struggling with Essentia control? Tanaka's Training Center offers D-rank starter packages!"
Xavier ignored them, focusing on the residential tower ahead. According to his implanted memories, Apartment 1103 waited on the eleventh floor. Small but private, with a decent view of Island One.
A group of three women approached from the opposite direction. Their conversation halted as they noticed him, eyes widening slightly. The tallest one, sporting blue-streaked hair, whispered something to her companions. They giggled, cheeks flushing pink. One of them, a petite blonde, met his gaze for a heartbeat before looking away.
Xavier gave them a lazy half-smile as they passed. Some things never changed across realities—his looks remained a useful tool, just as they had been in his previous life. Good to know.
As he continued toward the tower, he remembered Calypso mentioning something about abilities from her "gacha" system. What had she called it? Essentia?
"Status," he said experimentally, unsure if it required a voice command.
A translucent pink interface materialized, hovering at eye level:
===== ESSENTIA STATUS: XAVIER VALENTINE =====
HP: [■■■■■■■■■■] 1000/1000
IB: [□□□□□□□□□□] 0/250
BUFFER LEVEL: 1
METER BUILDING TECHNIQUES:
Basic Combo [+5 METER ON SUCCESS]
Counter Strike [+15 METER ON SUCCESS]
Perfect Dodge [+10 METER ON SUCCESS]
[LOCKED] [REQUIRES BUFFER LVL 2]
[LOCKED] [REQUIRES BUFFER LVL 3]
METER CONSUMING TECHNIQUES:
[LOCKED] [REQUIRES BUFFER LVL 2]
[LOCKED] [REQUIRES BUFFER LVL 2]
[LOCKED] [REQUIRES BUFFER LVL 3]
FEVER MODE: [LOCKED] [AVAILABLE AT FULL METER]
When activated: +15% to all stats for 30 seconds
Consumes entire meter when activated
COMBAT METRICS:
Perfect Executions: 0 • Combo Efficiency: N/A
Current Combo: 0 Hits • Max Combo: 0 Hits
SOUL BONDS:
[LOCKED] [░░░░░░░░] 0%
NOTIFICATIONS:
Execute combat techniques with precision to build meter
Meter resets when sufficient damage is done
Xavier rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the floating display. "That's... different."
He dismissed the interface with a wave of his hand, continuing toward the tower. The system made no sense to him yet, but that's what the academy was for, right? Learning the rules of this new reality.
No rush. Unlike his previous life—where survival meant constantly looking over his shoulder—here he had time. The academy offered structure, resources, and most importantly, the chance to build power in a controlled environment. And with his new youthful body, he could afford patience.
The lobby of Midtown Heights gleamed with polished stone floors and crystal-infused lighting that adjusted to the time of day. A security drone hovered near the entrance, scanning his ID band as he passed.
"Welcome home, Mr. Valentine," it chirped in a synthetic voice.
The elevator whisked him to the eleventh floor in seconds. As he approached 1103, movement caught his eye.
A woman fumbled with her keys at the neighboring apartment, 1105. Long red hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, and she wore form-fitting athletic wear that complemented her build nicely.
Neighbor lottery jackpot.
She glanced over her shoulder, revealing a heart-shaped face with bright golden eyes. "Oh, hello. You must be new."
"Just moved in," Xavier replied, nodding toward 1103. "Xavier Valentine."
"Aurora Fitzgerald." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Welcome to the building. Fair warning—the water pressure drops around seven, and the delivery drones sometimes mix up our doors."
"Thanks for the heads-up."
She disappeared into her apartment with a small wave, door closing behind her. Xavier approached his own door, pulling out his phone to access the digital key. The screen displayed a 3D image of a key that rotated slowly, waiting to be scanned by the door.
But as he raised the phone, he noticed something wrong. The door sat slightly ajar, a sliver of space between it and the frame.
Xavier's body shifted automatically. Weight balanced on the balls of his feet. Muscles tensed, ready to move. He set his duffel down silently and nudged the door with his fingertips, letting it swing open without a sound.
The apartment beyond lay in shadow, blinds drawn against the afternoon sun. He stepped inside, scanning for movement, listening for breathing.
The entryway opened to a modest living space—sofa, coffee table, entertainment system. Kitchen to the right, small dining area beyond. Bedroom door visible at the end of a short hallway.
Xavier moved through the space methodically, checking corners and potential hiding spots. The kitchen contained standard appliances. The living room showed no signs of disturbance. He approached the bedroom cautiously, easing the door open with his foot.
A queen-sized bed dominated the space, neatly made with dark blue bedding. Closet doors closed. No one under the bed. No one behind the curtains.
But then—a sound. Water sloshing from the adjoining bathroom.
Xavier pressed his back against the wall beside the bathroom door. He counted silently in his head.
One...
He flexed his fingers, wishing for the familiar weight of a knife.
Two...
A soft humming sound drifted through the door—a woman's voice.
Three!
He pushed the door open in one swift motion, body coiled to strike.
Steam billowed out, momentarily obscuring his vision. When it cleared, Xavier found himself staring at a sight no amount of whoring or killing had prepared him for.
Calypso—goddess of reincarnation, silver-haired architect of his second chance—reclined in his bathtub. Every inch of her divine form exposed as she stretched languorously. Her pink eyes widened momentarily before narrowing in pleasure at his presence.
"Hey, Xavi! Long time no see!"
She stood, water streaming down her body. No strategic bubbles. No convenient towel. Just endless porcelain skin that glowed with inner light.
Xavier had seen beautiful women before. He'd seen rich women, desperate women, powerful women. He'd killed some, fucked others, sometimes in the same night. But nothing compared to a goddess's naked form—the utter perfection in each line and curve.
Calypso stepped out of the tub, leaving wet footprints on the tile. Water beaded on her skin but didn't run normally—it formed perfect droplets that rolled down her body like liquid diamonds.
Xavier leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. "Why are you here? Don't you have souls to process or whatever it is goddesses do?"
"About that..." Her smile faltered slightly. She raised her hand, snapped her fingers dramatically.
Nothing happened.
She frowned, snapped again harder.
Still nothing.
"That's..." She stared at her hand like it had betrayed her. "That's not supposed to happen."
"Performance issues?" Xavier raised an eyebrow.
"Shut up." She concentrated, her brow furrowing. The air around her hand shimmered slightly, but the grand gesture clearly failed. "This is bad."
"What exactly did you try to do?"
"Create chocolate. I always reward myself with dessert after a bath." She snapped her fingers a third time, growing visibly frustrated. "I can still feel my power, but it's... muffled. Like trying to yell underwater."
Xavier stepped into the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the rack and tossing it at her feet. "Let's start over. You're in my apartment. In my bathtub. With apparently broken god powers. Explain."
Calypso ignored the towel, sitting on the edge of the tub.
"Remember your gacha pull? When I let you reroll your abilities?"
"Vaguely. Things are still settling in my head."
"You got some great stuff! That Input Buffer system is totally unique, by the way. Custom designed it myself." She preened momentarily before her face fell. "But you also got a... tiny, itsy-bitsy Legend-rank flaw."
"Fuck, the Divine Entanglement."
"Ding ding ding! My soul got tethered to yours during transmigration." She twirled a strand of silver hair nervously. "I'm stuck here. With you. In the mortal world. With severely limited divine powers."
Xavier stared at her, processing the implications. "You're trapped here."
"Yep."
"With me."
"Technically, within a two hundred-meter radius of you at all times from now on, or we both experience excruciating pain that increases exponentially with distance."
She smiled weakly. "Surprise?"
======
Hey there, beautiful disasters!
I adjusted my designer sunglasses, a half-unwrapped candy bar dangling from my lips as I lounged in my author's chair. The golden glow of my monitors cast dramatic shadows across my studio apartment, illuminating stacks of energy drink cans and scattered plot notes.
"So, you've been following Xavier and Calypso's little adventure, huh?" I grinned, pulling a lollipop from my pocket. "Name's Kyoto. Professional chaos merchant, sugar addict, and the puppet master behind this whole mess."
The candy wrapper crinkled as I unwrapped it. Sweet strawberry goodness. "You might be wondering why I'm breaking the fourth wall here. Truth is, I've been dying to chat with you all. Do you have any idea how hard it is keeping these plot threads straight? Xavier's enough of a disaster on his own, but throwing Calypso into the mix?"
I spun in my chair, white hair falling artfully over one eye. "Let me tell you a secret - this wasn't the original plan. The story was supposed to be your standard hunter academy tale. Boy gets powers, fights monsters, maybe saves the world. But then these two..." I chuckled, reaching for another candy. "They hijacked the whole thing."
Standing, I walked to my idea board - a massive wall covered in sticky notes, red string, and character sketches. "See, Xavier's got this way of complicating everything he touches. Add in a goddess with gacha game addiction and zero impulse control?" I tapped Calypso's portrait. "Pure narrative gold."
"But here's where you come in, dear readers." I turned, flashing my most charming smile. "I want to know what you think. Are you Team Xavier? Team Calypso? Are you screaming at them to just kiss already? Or are you here for the inevitable chaos when their 200-meter limit gets tested?"
Flopping back into my chair, I propped my feet on the desk. "Because between us? This is just the beginning. You think the Divine Entanglement is bad? Wait until they hit their first gate. Or when Xavier discovers what his Soul Bond ability really means. Or when Calypso realizes she can't just snap her fingers to solve problems anymore."
Gods, I need more sugar for this.
"So drop a comment, send a prayer, light a candle - whatever works in your reality. Let me know your theories, your hopes, your wildest predictions. After all..." I unwrapped another candy, golden eyes glinting mischievously. "The best stories are the ones we tell together."
I spun back to my monitors, cracking my knuckles. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a goddess to traumatize with mortal inconveniences and an assassin to torture with actual human emotions. These disasters won't write themselves!"
"Oh, and one more thing?" I glanced over my shoulder, grinning. "Keep an eye on that neighbor, Aurora. She might be more important than she seems. Or not. I do love a good red herring."
Time to get back to work. These plot threads won't tangle themselves.
"Stay sweet, beautiful disasters. Your friendly neighborhood author's got some chaos to orchestrate."