Chapter 2 - New Faces
Zane felt his body drifting through a sea of nothingness. It was pitch black, an endless void that stretched in all directions. There was no sense of up or down, no weight or pressure—just pure emptiness. The space around him was like a sea of ink, vast and formless.
Strangely enough, despite the bizarre nature of his situation, Zane didn't feel afraid. There was no panic in his chest, no dread clawing at his heart. Instead, he was consumed by an overwhelming sense of calm. It was odd—this tranquility that blanketed him like a warm, familiar sheet. He wasn't questioning where he was or how he got there. In fact, a part of him felt as if this was exactly where he was supposed to be.
So... comfortable... he thought lazily. His mind was hazy, as though caught in the space between waking and dreaming. The pain and stress he had endured before were gone, washed away like dust in the rain. It felt like he was floating on clouds, completely free.
But that peace didn't last.
Without warning, his body began to move again, yanked forward by an unseen force. His limbs remained numb, and his limbs refused to move. He couldn't fight it, couldn't even scream. All he could do was watch as his consciousness was pulled deeper into the unknown.
For a while, it was just movement through the endless dark, like a leaf carried by a current. Then, in the far distance, a tiny dot of light appeared. It was small at first, barely noticeable, but as Zane approached, it grew brighter, larger—until it consumed everything around him.
The warmth from the light was unmistakable, soothing even in his helpless state. What... is that? he wondered, but again, no fear arose. He simply allowed himself to be drawn into it.
And then, everything turned white.
His vision was completely overwhelmed by the brightness. He squinted instinctively, blinking rapidly to adjust. The tranquility from before began to fade, replaced by a rush of noise, heat, and sensation.
Zane's eyes shot open.
He gasped, inhaling sharply as if he'd been underwater and had just broken through the surface. His chest rose and fell with quick breaths, and sweat clung to his skin. Sitting upright, he scanned his surroundings, trying to make sense of where he was.
'Where the hell am I? What happened?'
The room was dimly lit and small. He was on a bed, the mattress beneath him thin and uncomfortable. The walls were lined with clutter—piles of clothes, garbage bags, empty cans, and half-eaten meals scattered without care. The air smelled of rot, old socks, and stale food. It was disgusting.
'This definitely isn't a hospital... or a prison. Looks more like... a teenager's room.'
He pushed off the blanket and stood up. That's when he noticed something strange.
"I'm... shorter?" he murmured aloud.
The world seemed larger—doors taller, the bed lower to the ground, the ceiling farther away than it used to be. He examined his limbs. His arms were smaller, less defined. His legs were shorter, and his center of gravity felt off. He walked over to a nearby pile of clothes, cautiously avoiding empty chip bags and soda cans, and looked around for a mirror.
A cracked mirror leaned against the far wall, half-buried under a collapsed stack of books and garbage. He stepped in front of it and froze.
Staring back at him was a completely different person.
The boy in the mirror had pale, acne-riddled skin and long, unruly white hair that drooped down to his shoulders. His blue eyes were wide with confusion and disbelief. His face was round, slightly chubby, and unfamiliar in every way.
"What... who is this?" Zane whispered.
He raised a hand and touched his cheek. The boy in the mirror did the same. The reflection was real. This was no illusion.
'I'm in someone else's body...'
He rubbed his face slowly, trying to come to terms with the impossible. This wasn't a hallucination. This wasn't a dream. Everything felt real—too real.
He started pacing, trying to piece things together. 'The last thing I remember is being in that parking lot. Then, pain—sharp pain in my chest... and then darkness. Did I die? Is this... some kind of afterlife? Or did I reincarnate?'
It sounded insane even in his own head, but what else could explain it?
Suddenly—
Knock knock!
Zane flinched at the sound. It was loud, sharp, and insistent. Someone was knocking on the door.
He froze for a second, considering his options. If someone knew this boy—the body he now inhabited—then maybe he could get some answers.
Navigating the maze of trash, he stepped out of the room into a narrow corridor. To his right was a small, greasy kitchen. A dirty bathroom lay across from it. The apartment was tiny—barely enough space for one person to live.
Knock knock knock!
The knocks became louder and more urgent.
Zane approached the front door cautiously and unlocked it.
The door swung open to reveal a girl. A very stunning girl.
Long, flowing black hair shimmered in the daylight. Her skin was porcelain smooth, her violet eyes sharp yet mesmerizing. She wore simple clothes—a brown jacket, jeans, and boots—but there was an elegant air about her that made her stand out. She looked refined, mature, and confident. She was by far the most beautiful girl Zane had ever seen.
"Took you long enough," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Zane blinked. He kept his face calm, neutral.
"How can I help you?" he asked.
She raised an eyebrow. "What's with the weird way of talking?" she asked, clearly taken aback. "Anyway, can I come in? I need to talk to you about something important."
He stepped aside and let her in. As she entered, she scrunched up her nose.
"Ugh... You haven't cleaned this place in weeks, have you? It stinks in here," she said, nudging a garbage bag with her foot.
Zane remained silent.
"I've told you a thousand times you can't keep living like this," she continued, gesturing at the mess. "Look at this disaster. And you—you've been skipping school again. What's going on with you, Zane?"
'Zane?' he thought. 'So this body has the same name as me?'
"Are you just trying to ruin your life? Do you even care about your future anymore?" she asked, spinning around to face him, her voice rising slightly.
He didn't respond. Instead, he observed her. Her concern seemed genuine, but there was also a weariness in her voice—like she'd had this conversation too many times before.
She sighed. "Whatever. I guess it's not my place to tell you how to live. You're going to do whatever you want anyway."
Zane studied her carefully. Every word she spoke gave him more clues about this boy's life, about the world he was now in.
"So," he said finally, "what did you come here to talk about?"
The girl hesitated. Her expression shifted slightly—her eyes dropped to the floor, and her shoulders tensed.
"I..." she began, then took a deep breath. "I want to break off our engagement."
Zane's eyes widened slightly.
'Engagement?'
The room went quiet for a moment. The hum of the fridge, the ticking of a clock in the background, the rustling of plastic wrappers on the floor—it all faded.
He stared at her, trying not to let his surprise show.
"That's... unexpected," he said. 'This is quite the unexpected turn of events. These two are engaged?'
For a second there, Zane wanted to laugh. The sheer difference between this boy and that girl was like heaven and earth. Whether it was appearance, presence, or anything else. The fact that they were in that kind of relationship made him even more curious about his situation.
The girl kept looking straight at Zane, not faltering or breaking eye contact as she said. "This entire engagement has been a huge mistake that my father insisted on. He dragged us into this without a care in the world, and I do not see it working out, not for you or me. Our paths are simply not aligned one bit."
Zane's mind analyzed the situation calmly. This engagement must've been arranged. Maybe their families were connected. But whatever the relationship was, it clearly hadn't been a happy one from the start.
"Okay," he said quietly.
She looked up, surprised. "Just like that?"
"There's no point in forcing something if one side doesn't want it," he replied.
'I don't know what's happening here, so I can't tell if accepting is the right course of action. But... I can't really say anything else either.'
Her eyes searched his face for a moment, then she nodded slowly. "I didn't expect you to be so... mature about it. I was ready to hear you complain and beg as usual for me to stay."
'Beg? Hmm, I suppose that fits the image I have of the previous owner of this body.' Zane scoffed. 'She must've tried to end this relationship quite a number of times.'
Zane offered a small shrug. "People change. I think this is the best course of action for both of us."
She lingered for a few more seconds, as if waiting for him to say something more. When he didn't, she turned and walked to the door.
"I'll see you around. You'd better attend school tomorrow. Don't ruin your entire life over what happened years ago. I'm sure your father would've agreed too," she said, her voice softer than before.
He nodded. "Take care."
As the door closed behind her, Zane stood in silence. His expression was blank, and his mind was working fast as he pieced things together.
'Engaged. A failing life. A messy apartment. A body that isn't mine... What the hell have I walked into?'
He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his temples. There were still so many unanswered questions.
"I'm completely lost. Am I in a new world? Is this some sort of transmigration? Perhaps reincarnation? And that girl... Who is she? I couldn't ask her for her name, or I would've sounded suspicious. Until I figure things out, I can't do anything reckless."
But one thing was certain—this was real. And he wasn't going to find answers by sitting still.
Whatever this new life was... he had to figure it out. Fast.
At that very moment, and while he was thinking about what he was supposed to do now, something popped up in his vision.
"Hm?"
[Ding!]
[Assimilation has been completed successfully!]
[Welcome to the Evolution System, host.]