"Hey… hey, wake up."
The voice was soft but insistent. I opened my eyes and saw Lara leaning over me, a small, gentle smile on her face.
"Sorry for waking you," she said. "But you can't go to bed hungry. Come on—the family is waiting."
My body ached, heavy from the memories of Jayden's past life. I groaned but got up, following her through the huge halls.
The Grand Dining Hall stopped me in my tracks.
It was huge, almost like a palace. The walls were shiny metal with stained glass showing battles between mages and beasts. A chandelier made of glowing crystals floated above, filling the room with soft blue light.
The table looked like it could feed a hundred people: golden roasts, steaming soups, and fruit that sparkled like gems.
Wow, I thought, sliding into the chair Lara pulled out. They really do live like gods while the rest of the world suffers.
Four pairs of eyes turned to me. Pete sat at the head of the table, calm but strong. Beside him were his sons—the "Monsters."
"Jayden," Pete said, his voice deep. "These are my sons. Your brothers."
He pointed to Silas, the oldest, who sat perfectly still, his eyes sharp. Then Chris, looking bored, and Jamie, who looked annoyed just by my presence.
Silas smiled politely, but his eyes were cold, studying me like I was a test. Chris barely glanced at me. Jamie, on the other hand, slammed his fork onto the table.
"Well," he said, voice full of disgust. "My appetite is gone."
I didn't flinch. I gave a calm, polite smile back.
"Nice to meet you all," I said. "I'm Jayden Cross. I hope we get along."
And I hope you leave me alone, I added silently. If you think an F-class orphan is easy to mess with, you're about to learn otherwise.
The soup was rich, creamy… and tasted a little like victory.
Pete's voice cut through the silence. "Jayden, tell me—how did a boy like you end up in the slums?"
"In the slums, beauty isn't a gift—it's a target," I said. "I spent five years in an orphanage. Then, when I turned ten, I Awakened… as an F-Class."
"F-Class?!" Chris's eyes went wide. "That rank shouldn't exist in your bloodline."
Jamie repeated the word, shocked. "F-Class…?"
I told them about Chadwick, about the beatings, about five years of slavery in Sector 7. I told them about Melody, a ten-year-old girl I had protected with my own body.
"I hit him with a chair so she could run," I said quietly. "He almost killed me. I crawled into an alley… hoping she was safe."
Lara's napkin trembled in her hands. Tears ran down her cheeks. She reached across the table and grabbed mine.
"No more," she whispered fiercely. "No more darkness for you. You're home now. we will adopt you. Officially."
Jamie slammed his hands on the table. "Are you serious?! You're adopting an F-Class because of a sob story? He's a beggar! A joke at the Academy!"
"Jamie, enough!" Pete's voice boomed.
I met Jamie's furious glare with calm, steady eyes. A single tear rolled down my cheek—not weakness, but control. Go ahead. Keep yelling. You're making this easier for me.
Pete looked at Silas and Chris. "The Academy starts in two weeks. Jayden will join you."
Jamie's voice cracked. "What?!"
What?! I thought, spoon frozen midair. Nobody said anything about an Academy!
The Nova Academy wasn't a school—it was a meat grinder for high-level mages. And I was supposed to be a weak F-Class meant to die.
Lara squeezed my hand. "You'll have your brothers. You'll never be alone."
Silas was quiet, staring at me with confusion. Even he couldn't understand how someone weak could stay so calm.
"Thank you, Father," I said, voice polite. "I'll do my best not to embarrass the name."
Jamie looked ready to flip the table. Chris just slumped. Lara's eyes shone with sharp determination.
"Tomorrow," she said, "I will register Jayden officially as my son."
Just my luck, I muttered. I thought I could relax… but the universe had other plans.
That night, exhaustion finally caught me.
But I woke somewhere else.
A world of endless white stretched in all directions. No sound, no shadows. Only a tall, faceless figure shining in blinding light.
"Are you the one?" I demanded. "The one who sent me here? Send me back—now."
The figure bowed.
"I am sorry," it said. "It was a mistake."
"A mistake?"
"You were incomplete in your past life," it said. "Every tragedy, every failure… it was a divine error. I reincarnated you to balance the scales. I ask for your forgiveness."
I laughed harshly. "So you ruined my first life, and to make it up, you throw me into a world that's falling apart? Clever."
"The world can be saved," it said. "And you are the key."
"How?" I shouted. "I'm an F-Class extra! A beggar in a house of monsters! How can I save anything?"
"Your rank belonged to the original body. Your soul is unranked. I have given you a System made for your life."
The white space rippled. My heart raced.
"What will it do?" I asked.
"You may choose any rank," the figure said. "A title for your new life."
Fine, I thought, reckless. If I'm doing this, I'm not holding back.
"God-Tier," I said. "Stronger than anyone. Beyond S-Class."
The figure nodded. "Granted. Your strength, speed, intelligence, and luck will reach the highest level. You will be like a small god. You will also receive two Soul Tools."
"Two?" I asked, confused. "Why me?"
"Because this body carries two souls," the figure explained. "One belongs to the original Jayden Cross—the boy who lived here before you. That Soul Tool holds his dormant potential. The second Soul Tool belongs to you—the soul from your past life. One honors the past; one shapes the future. Together, they make you stronger than anyone else in this world."
"When I need help?" I asked.
"Think of the System," the figure said, fading into golden light. "Our time is over. Go, Jayden. Rewrite your ending."