Eun-hyun jolted awake, head pounding like a drum. His eyes darted across the room, catching the cracked walls of an old Seoul apartment. A faded photo on a rickety table—a blurry image of Igseon-Won Orphanage in Cheonan—stirred memories that didn't belong to him. This… isn't my body, he thought, running a hand through unfamiliar red hair.
Before he could process further, a blinding flash erupted from his palm. The light seared through the room, splintering a worn-out chair into charred fragments. "What the—?!" His mind raced, thoughts tripping over each other like a runaway train. Superpowers? Am I in Marvel? DC? Or… wait, no way… Eleceed? The idea hit him like a lightning bolt, but he shoved it aside. Focus, Eun-hyun. Don't jump to conclusions.
His ADHD kicked into overdrive, thoughts bouncing—Where am I? What's this power? Is this a dream?—until he forced himself to breathe. "Okay, calm down. Let's figure this out," he muttered, closing his eyes to sift through the memories of this body. They flooded in, sharp and vivid, like a movie he hadn't chosen to watch.
The body's name was Eun-hyun, too. Weird coincidence, he thought. But the familiarity ended there. This Eun-hyun was an orphan, abandoned as a baby at Igseon-Won Orphanage in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do. The memories painted a grim picture: a childhood of loneliness, followed by relentless bullying at school by il-jin—thugs who made his life hell. Desperate and broken, this Eun-hyun had met a shadowy figure who offered a deal: a bottle of strange pills promising power for revenge.
Idiot, Eun-hyun scoffed, picking up the small vial from the table. Four pills remained, glinting ominously. The memories revealed the truth: the first pill had awakened his latent powers, a surge of strength and light. But the second dose, taken in a greedy bid for more, had killed him. And somehow, that's when I showed up, Eun-hyun realized, piecing it together. Transmigration. Just my luck.
He spent hours testing his abilities, pacing the cramped apartment. His body felt like a fortress—skin unyielding as tungsten, shrugging off every attempt to scratch or bruise it. The light was trickier, bursting out in erratic beams when his focus slipped. "Not lasers… it's pure light," he murmured, grinning despite himself. Like Kizaru, but cooler.
But the pills nagged at him. Who was that guy? Why give a kid like this power? The memories offered no face, only a vague sense of menace. And then there was the bullying. International problem, huh? he thought wryly. Even in another world, high school sucks.
A sudden prickle at the back of his neck snapped him out of his thoughts. He froze, senses sharpening. The light around him seemed to hum, alive, whispering of movement outside. Someone's watching me. His new instincts screamed it—thirty meters out, a presence lurking in the shadows. Since when can I sense light like that?
His heart raced, but his mind sharpened, the cunning part of him kicking in. If they're watching, they know something. Time to find out what. He grabbed a worn jacket, slipped the vial into his pocket, and headed for the door. Let's see who's dumb enough to spy on me.
Outside, a figure in a black cloak and tactical gear crouched behind a dumpster, whispering into an earpiece. "Team Leader, target's moving. Descending stairs, exiting the building." A gruff voice crackled back, "Continue surveillance. Report any signs of awakening. Do not engage."
"Understood, Leader," the figure replied, eyes locked on the apartment's entrance.
Eun-hyun stepped into the cool Seoul night, his casual stride belying the calculations in his head. He angled toward the watcher's position, sneaking glances at the tactical gear. That uniform… I've seen it before. His mind whirred, trying to place it, when a flash of movement across the street stopped him cold.
A boy was crouched by the curb, feeding stray cats with a gentle smile. Eun-hyun's jaw dropped. No way. The spiky black hair, the kind eyes—it was unmistakable. Jiwoo Seo. The main character of Eleceed, wielder of super speed and disciple of Kayden Break.
"Holy crap," Eun-hyun whispered, heart hammering. "This is Eleceed. The world of Awakener psychos!"
His excitement soured fast. This place is a death trap. Frame, ranker Awakener, monsters like Kayden—power ruled here, and he was a nobody with a target on his back. He glanced back toward the watcher, now hidden but still there. Whoever you are, you just made my to-do list.
Eun-hyun shoved his hands into his pockets, forcing a grin. Fine, world. Let's play.