Kai died without drama.
No last words. No unfinished confessions. No sudden clarity.
Just a heart that stopped in a quiet apartment while rain tapped gently against the window.
When consciousness returned, it did so without sensation.
No pain. No body. Only awareness—detached, analytical, calm.
Transmigration complete.
Soul Integrity: 100%.
Initializing Personal System…
Kai observed the message without panic. If death was inevitable, then this was merely data following an unknown rule.
Light condensed. Gravity reasserted itself.
He opened his eyes to a white ceiling, too smooth to be stone, too warm to be metal. The air smelled faintly of sterilization and ozone.
Aurelion Academy Medical Wing.
The name surfaced in his mind without effort, integrated alongside language, history, and social structure. This body—young, healthy, eighteen—belonged to Kai Veridian. A first-year cadet. Academically average. Combat potential: low.
Interesting.
A translucent interface unfolded before his vision.
System: Fate Deviation Index (FDI)
Primary Function: Observe divergence from probabilistic destiny.
Growth Method: Non-linear causality shifts.
Warning: Power manifestation will not follow conventional metrics.
There were no stats. No levels. No skills.
Only a single line beneath it.
Current Deviation: 0.0001%
Kai blinked once.
"So," he murmured internally, "I am an error."
The door slid open. A woman in academy uniform entered, her steps sharp and efficient.
"You're awake," she said, eyes scanning a holographic tablet. "Collapse during aptitude testing. Lucky for you, nothing permanent."
Her gaze paused. Subtle curiosity.
"Name?"
"Kai Veridian."
She nodded. "You'll be cleared in an hour. Try not to collapse again. The academy dislikes variables."
That word lingered.
Variable.
When she left, Kai lay still, listening to the hum of advanced technology, to the distant sounds of training halls and ambition.
He felt no excitement. No fear.
Only clarity.
If this world ran on destiny, then deviation was power.
And Kai had always been good at thinking sideways.