We're what?!

I wake to the gentle murmur of flowing water and a soft, golden light spilling over everything.

The river, still churning quietly after the night's turmoil, sparkles in the morning sun like shattered glass.

I push myself upright, feeling the lingering heaviness of sleep and the odd satisfaction of a good hunt, mixed with a stomach full of fish.

Around me, nature seems to have reclaimed its calm. Mossy rocks line the riverbank, blanketed in dew that glistens as if sprinkled with tiny diamonds.

Tall, ancient trees arch overhead, their leaves whispering secrets with the morning breeze. The air is cool and fresh, tinged with the earthy scent of damp soil and the faint tang of fish- a reminder of last night's brutal, exhilarating feast.

Birdsong cuts through the quiet, a welcome chorus after the eerie silence of the forest. The sky, a brilliant canvas of blue, fills me with a strange sense of normalcy.

I let out a slow breath, my senses soaking in every detail of the tranquil morning.

Okay, first things first - before freaking out once more that I most likely am no longer in a world with my family - let's figure out something.

I swing my hand up and examine the damn watch, its surface gleaming in the sunlight. "Alright, you badass piece of tech, hit me with something - what the hell's going on?" I mutter, watching as its display flickers to life. A cool, measured female voice cuts through my thoughts:

"Samael, your vitals indicate peak human performance, enhanced by the Ultimatrix. Genetic markers, reflexes, and even endurance are operating at optimal capacity.

You are not superhuman, but you have reached the pinnacle of what human physiology can achieve under these conditions."

I can't help but let out a short laugh. "Pinnacle, huh? Not exactly Captain America-level, but I'll take it."

I thankfully do still remember who I am in my previous life, but what really gnaws at me is the missing puzzle piece of my memories feeling distant and the fact that I'm stuck in some kind of interdimensional shitshow.

The watch continues, almost soothingly: "Further analysis indicates interference from non-human energies. Unidentified quantum interfaces… possible dimensional rift signatures. It is advised to proceed with caution and gather more data."

I rub my eyes as if to clear a fog. "So, I'm smack in the middle of some freaky interdimensional mess, and I've got a turbo-charged watch trying to play scientist." I take another measured breath, my enhanced senses absorbing every detail of this tranquil morning.

The river flows steadily, and the birds chatter like nothing's wrong, but I know better.

I straighten up, feeling every inch of this enhanced body - every nerve practically buzzing with potential and unease. "Okay, first things first," I murmur, a surge of determination creeping in, "I need to figure out what the hell to do next."

The pale morning sun casts long shadows as I scan the horizon. I've got a body that can do things I never dreamed of, and a watch that's half oracle, half high-tech enigma.

I glance down once more at the watch on my wrist - the damn damn thing look stranger the longer I look at it.

With slow, deliberate taps, I tinker with it, until I activate its hidden interface. The screen shimmers, then settles into an alien choice menu. 

"Damn, look at that," I mumble, scrolling through the options. Each alien form promises raw power and a different kind of beast mode.

My fingers hover over XLR8 - the speedster form - and then Graymatter, known for brains over brawn. Ghostfreak - which I won't touch with a hundred foot pole thank you very much - while Humungousaur practically roars from the screen.

Chromastone, Spidermonkey, and then there's Rath - my old favorite when things got ugly. Heatblast burns bright on display, Wildvine exudes nature's strength, and Terraspin is all about raw rotational power.

I run my thumb back and forth, a mix of curiosity and trepidation welling up. This isn't just some toy, this literally the most powerful weapon in the universe, and its now bound to me.

Actually, is it though?

"Hey, uh, Ultimatrix, are you bound to my DNA?" I ask, my voice edged with equal parts curiosity and nervous trepidation.

A pause, then that cool, measured female voice responds with crystalline clarity:

"No, Samael. I am not bound to your DNA. I am bound to your soul - a manifestation of the Ultimatrix and the blueprint of its complete version engraved upon your very essence.

My capabilities do not rely on replicating specific alien DNA from Primus.

Instead, the full range of my data, including the potential of all selectable forms, is self-contained within me. Consider it a perfected fusion."

I stare at the watch in disbelief. My mind races with a dozen questions, but one slams into me hardest: How the hell did all of this happen? I run a hand through my hair trying to steady my racing thoughts.

"Okay, Ultimatrix," I say, voice low and rough, "do you know how all this went down? Why am I fused with you? How did my soul end up with this blueprint?"

The interface flickers, and the familiar cool voice responds, "Samael, the circumstances leading to our fusion are not entirely clear.

It appears that a multidimensional rift, coupled with a surge of non-human energy, triggered an event that reconfigured the fundamental properties of your soul.

This event effectively burned the complete version of the Ultimatrix's blueprint into you, enabling our current state.

However, the precise cause and intent behind these energies remain subjects of ongoing analysis.

Further data collection is required to fully understand the underlying mechanisms."

I let out a slow, incredulous breath. Great - so I'm stuck in some cosmic accident with an alien watch who itself doesn't know how all this shit happened...

"Figures," I mutter, the absurdity of my new reality seeping in. "I guess I'll have to start digging for answers while I figure out which form's gonna save my ass next."

I take a deep, steadying breath and tap the XLR8 icon on the watch.

In an instant, a searing jolt of energy ripples through me as my body narrows, muscles syncing into a lean, aerodynamic form.

My heart races faster than ever - holy shit, I'm actually moving that fast now. The transformation feels both exhilarating and disorienting, like the world has shifted into hyperdrive.

Reacting on instinct, I leap to my feet. The urge to move, to escape, overwhelms me as I bolt, my newly enhanced legs pushing off the ground in an instant blur.

"Fuck, this is insane!" I shout, adrenaline roaring in my ears. My pace is meteoric as I race along the forest path, every fiber of my body tuned to the thrill of speed.

I know I've got to keep this form a secret - nobody in this world right now needs to see a guy morphing into an alien whenever he so wishes.

I grit my teeth as I hurtle toward the nearest signs of a settlement, determined to find some answers away from prying eyes and government trucks.

Then, as the city lights begin to emerge on the horizon, I slow down, feeling the pressure of the imminent reveal of my true self. I need to detransform before anyone sees something they shouldn't. 

"Ultimatrix, how do I get back to human form?"

A pause, then that cool, crystalline female voice replies, "Samael, to initiate detransformation, focus your thoughts on your natural self. Once you have a clear mental image, tap the icon located on your chest. The process will begin shortly thereafter."

With the city looming closer, I slow my pace, my mind racing as I force myself to concentrate on who I am - Samael, with all the messy memories and vulnerabilities from my past life.

I pinpoint those memories like a lighthouse in a storm.

I brace myself and tap the icon on my chest. Instantly, I feel a shudder run down my spine as the raw, alien energy fizzles out and my body begins to reshape, contracting back to its natural form.

The world, once a blur of high-speed color, settles into focus as I slow to a stop on the cusp of civilization.

The transition is nothing short of disorienting - the adrenaline of the XLR8 form fades, replaced by a desperate, heavy calm.

I can feel every muscle and nerve returning to who I really am, messy alien instincts gone.

My breath comes in ragged gasps as I stand there on the edge of a worn dirt road, the distant hum of urban life creeping in through the trees.

I run a hand through my hair, now human again, eyes scanning the approaching city lights. Despite the lingering buzz of power in my veins, my mind is already calculating my next move.

I need to blend in, gather information without drawing too much attention. The Ultimatrix still hums quietly on my wrist, a constant reminder of the raw, interdimensional chaos that altered my life.

Swallowing the remnants of adrenaline, I take a tentative step toward the city.

"Alright, Sam," I murmur to myself, "time to play it smart. No more surprises until I figure out just what the hell is going on with all this."

With doubts and determination twisting in equal measure, I set off down the road, every step taking me deeper into a world that's as familiar as it is dangerously foreign.

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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the chapter and felt the reaction realistic.

So yeah, do please comment and review and I hope to see you all later,

Bye!)