He knew he was going to die.

  Every breath felt like a burning stab in his chest. His organs had long since given up, corroded by the countless energy drinks meant to keep him awake—drinks that now extinguished his life. His heart raced chaotically, as if trying desperately to fight the inevitable.

  But he knew better.This was the end.

  His fingers trembled, his vision blurred. The cans scattered around him reflected the dim glow of his monitor, almost mockingly. He should’ve known. He should’ve stopped. But eventually, the days had become too long, and the nights far too short. The rush of artificial wakefulness had consumed him.

  One final, stumbling heartbeat. Then silence.

  He expected darkness. But instead—there was light. Cold, artificial light.

  His consciousness returned—but his body no longer felt the same. Metallic walls enclosed him. Cables clung to his skin. A low hum vibrated through his skull.

  A hologram flickered into existence before his eyes, projected directly into his mind.

  [Soul synthesis complete. Welcome to the biological matrix.]

  He tried to breathe—but his chest felt too smooth, too flawless.

  "Patient 00237. Your soul has been successfully transferred into a human form."

  A voice. Mechanical. Calm. Almost friendly.

  He had died.But he hadn’t disappeared.

  He didn’t have a body anymore—or rather, he had a new one. And he had no idea what that meant.

  A quiet hiss sounded as the cables detached from his skin. The hum in his head slowly faded, but the sterile room around him still felt surreal.He sat in a capsule—and before him stretched a long chamber filled with identical pods.

  But something was off.

  Only three other capsules were occupied. The rest? Empty.

  A strange pressure tugged at his chest as he stared at the abandoned chambers. How many were meant to awaken here but never did? How many souls had been lost?

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  [System calibration complete. Please exit the reanimation capsule.]

  The words blinked before his eyes. But he didn’t move.

  His fingers brushed across the smooth surface of the capsule. His body felt new, unnaturally light—and yet, somehow... not quite right. He wanted to get up. But something held him back. Maybe fear. Maybe it was all just too much.

  Suddenly, footsteps.

  The door at the far end of the room slid open with a soft hiss, and several people entered. A man in a long white coat walked ahead, followed by assistants and nurses who quickly dispersed to the other occupied capsules. The doctor stopped in front of him, eyes calm but watchful.

  “Interesting.” His voice was professional, but not unkind.“You remained conscious—and show an unusual level of cognitive stability for a freshly transferred soul.”

  Soul. Transferred.

  The words echoed in his mind, as if his brain couldn't fully process them.

  “Where… am I?” he finally managed, his voice rough and unfamiliar.

  The doctor pulled up a holographic interface, skimmed through some data, and gave a subtle nod.

  “Your records are clear. You’re a transfer—a foreigner from Earth.” He looked directly at him.“Welcome to the Nexus Colony.”

  A foreigner. Of course. He had died. And now he was here—someplace where people weren’t supposed to just rise from capsules alive.

  “My name is Dr. Kain,” the doctor continued.“And I’ll explain what happened to you.”

  He took a deep breath, as if choosing his words carefully.

  “Your new body was created through the Soul Dispatch process. It’s biologically perfect, but it still needs time to fully adapt. Your organs, muscles, and neural pathways are in a healing state. That’s why you might still feel weak.”

  He let the words sink in. His body had been… created?Not born?

  Dr. Kain went on:“In the coming days, we’ll run medical diagnostics to ensure your new body is synchronizing properly. Only then can we determine your next steps.”

  The room suddenly felt tighter.He didn’t know what was worse—the fact that he had died, or that his life was now in completely unfamiliar hands.

  “For now, you should rest,” Dr. Kain said, motioning to one of the nurses already preparing something nearby.“There’s a lot for you to learn.”

  Yeah.That much was clear.And he had no choice but to keep moving forward.