Chapter 2 – The Accident

The streets of the city stretched before Ethan, an endless maze of people moving toward destinations he couldn't even imagine. He walked aimlessly, hands stuffed in his pockets, his mind replaying the disastrous interview like a broken record.

Maybe he had been too optimistic. Maybe some people just weren't meant to succeed.

The mid-afternoon sun hung high, but he barely noticed the warmth. The sidewalks were alive with movement—businessmen talking into earpieces, delivery workers rushing past on bikes, students laughing in small groups—but Ethan moved through it all like a ghost.

His feet carried him without thought, each step heavy, each breath coming a little slower.

He needed a break. Not just from today, but from everything.

His eyes flicked to a small convenience store across the street. A cheap sandwich and a drink wouldn't fix his life, but at least it would fill his stomach. He stepped off the curb, his mind elsewhere, not noticing the traffic light had just changed.

A sharp blare of a horn snapped him back.

The world slowed.

A truck, far too close. A driver, wide-eyed, slamming the brakes too late.

People on the sidewalk gasped. Someone screamed.

Ethan barely had time to lift his arms before the impact.

Then—darkness.

A steady beeping.

That was the first thing he registered.

His body felt distant, as if it wasn't really his. There was no pain, just a strange numbness, a floating sensation that left him unsure if he was awake or dreaming.

Slowly, his senses returned.

The beep, beep, beep of a heart monitor. The cool press of a thin hospital blanket against his skin. The scent of antiseptic lingering in the air.

Ethan opened his eyes.

White ceiling. Fluorescent lights. The sterile walls of a hospital room.

His mouth was dry. He tried to swallow, but his throat ached.

A voice spoke, startling him.

"You're awake."

Ethan turned his head with some effort. A doctor stood by the bedside, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Short-cropped dark hair, sharp features, and tired eyes that suggested he'd been doing this job too long.

"You were in an accident," the doctor continued, flipping through a clipboard. "Hit by a truck. You're lucky to be alive."

Ethan's mind raced. The last thing he remembered was the sudden screech of tires, the crushing force, then—nothing.

"I... don't feel like I got hit by a truck," he admitted, voice hoarse.

"That's because there were no major injuries," the doctor said. "No fractures. No internal bleeding. Nothing."

Ethan frowned. That didn't make sense. A truck hit him. How could he be fine?

"Wait," he said slowly, "are you saying I just... walked away from that?"

The doctor exhaled sharply, like he didn't believe it either. "You were unconscious when the paramedics arrived, but aside from some bruises, you were completely unharmed. We kept you for observation, but all scans came back normal."

Ethan stared at him.

That was impossible.

The doctor checked his watch. "You can be discharged by tomorrow morning. Just take it easy for a few days."

Ethan barely heard him. His thoughts were tangled, circling one fact: he should have died.

Yet here he was.

Alive. Unscathed.

Why?

After the doctor left, Ethan lay still, staring at the ceiling. He should have felt relieved. Instead, unease crept under his skin.

Something wasn't right.

His body felt... different. Not painful. Not weak. Just different.

Like something inside him had changed.

The feeling only grew as the hours passed.

Night fell. The hospital room was dim, the only light coming from the streetlamps outside.

Ethan's mind refused to settle. Sleep came in fragments, uneasy and scattered.

Then, just as he was drifting off again—

A voice spoke inside his head.

[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]

His eyes flew open.

[LOADING COMPLETE. WELCOME, ETHAN CROSS.]

Panic shot through him. He bolted upright, heart hammering.

"W-what the hell—?"

The voice wasn't real. It wasn't coming from the room.

It was inside him.

[SYSTEM ACTIVATED. SKILL REPLICATION FUNCTION ONLINE.]

Ethan froze. The words didn't make sense, but somehow, he understood them. Something had awakened in him. Something not human.

He wasn't alone in his own mind anymore.

And for the first time in 24 years, his life was about to change forever.

End of Chapter 2