The night was quiet, save for the distant hum of the city outside. Faint streetlights bled into the walls, casting shifting shadows that flickered in the dim glow of the living room. Boxes lined the space—stacked against corners, crowding the edges of the dining table, waiting to be unpacked. Each one held something from a life that had been uprooted and replanted in unfamiliar soil.
Some were labeled with simple words like Books or Clothes. Others carried more weight—Paintings.
Miguel eyed them absentmindedly as he sat across from his father, the faint clink of utensils filling the silence between them.
"Hey, Miguel," Dad said, breaking the quiet. "Next Monday is the start of the new school year. I'll drop you off this whole week, but you'll have to go home on your own—I'll be working overtime."
Miguel nodded slowly, pushing a bite of rice around his plate. A new school. A new life. It still felt surreal.
"Okay, Dad... Umm, what's the name of the school again?"
Dad raised a brow at him, clearly puzzled. "Liamson Integrated School. That's the name of the school. Is there a problem, Miguel?"
Miguel hesitated before shaking his head, forcing a weak smile. "No, just forgot the name."
A lie. He knew the name. He had seen it before—read it, experienced it, lived it through a screen.
A game. A story. Not a real place.
Except now it was.
Miguel exhaled, pushing his chair back and placing his plate in the sink. "I'm done. Thanks for the food, Dad. I'll go to my room—I'm tired."
His father watched him climb the stairs, his voice softer when he spoke next.
"Hey... everything will be okay," he said, as though willing it to be true. "Maybe we can find your mom again."
Miguel paused for half a second—half a breath—but didn't turn around.
"Yeah."
Nothing more. He didn't trust his voice enough to say anything else.
In the quiet of his room, Miguel let out a slow breath, collapsing onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, his chest tightening as something stirred inside him.
It was happening again. That feeling.
The aching, the weight—the loss that should belong to someone else but settled into his bones like it had been his from the very beginning.
"I know that I'm not the original owner of this body... but why does this hurt so much?"
The emotions burned too deep, too raw. It wasn't just memories—it was everything. The grief, the longing, the emptiness of something missing.
Miguel squeezed his eyes shut. Sleep. Just sleep it off.
But just as the darkness began pulling him into rest—
DING.
A sharp, mechanical tone rang through his mind, vibrating deep into his skull.
Then, a voice.
"Hello, Host. The loading is complete."
Miguel's eyes snapped open, his pulse slamming against his ribs. He shot up from his bed so fast the mattress creaked beneath him, his breath shallow and uneven.
His body was locked in instinct—feet planted firmly on the wooden floor, muscles tensed, eyes scanning the empty room like he expected something to be there.
Nothing. Just shadows. Just silence.
"What the—what is this?" he breathed, his voice hoarse. Was he dreaming? Was he losing it?
Then, again—
"System."
"Yes, Host."
The System Awakens
Miguel's mouth felt dry, his pulse hammering in his ears.
"What... do you do?"
"That's for you to find out, Host."
A cold, hollow response. Not emotional, not reassuring—just fact.
"Okay... what do I do?"
"Simply say 'System' in your mind, and the interface will appear."
Miguel swallowed hard. Alright. Fine. If this was happening, if this was real—he had to know what it was.
"System."
Suddenly—a blue, transparent light flickered before him. A floating interface, suspended midair, pulsing gently like it was waiting for his command.
Miguel's body tensed. This wasn't normal. This wasn't possible.
He stepped toward the glass window, hands trembling. He turned his head slightly—and there it was.
It wasn't an illusion. It wasn't just in his mind.
It was real enough to reflect.
"What about other people?" Miguel asked, voice tight with uncertainty. "Can they see this?"
"No, Host. It will only be visible to you."
Miguel let out a sharp breath. Good. At least he wouldn't look insane to everyone else.
"Alright... but how do I even start this?"
"Just tap the icons in the interface, Host."
Miguel hesitated, staring at the hovering screen before him. Various icons blinked into existence—Stats, Skills, Map, Store—each one neatly categorized, waiting to be explored.
Miguel reached forward, clicking the first icon—Stats.
[Stats Panel]
Creativity:7/10
Adaptability:5/10
Learning Efficiency:7/10(Boosted by Adaptive Learning)
Physical Condition:8/10
Social Influence:4/10
Seeing everything laid out so neatly made it feel more real.
Next, Skills.
[Skills & Abilities]
Sketching & Drawing:Master
Music Composition:Intermediate
Game Development:Basic Understanding
Basketball & Biking:Intermediate
New Ability Unlocked: Adaptive Learning
Miguel paused. His abilities were quantified, displayed for him to see, track, and improve.
Finally—the Store.
Most items were grayed out, locked behind zero points. A few basic tools, books, and minor resources were available—but larger items, things that could drastically change his situation, were out of reach for now.
Then, a notification blinked into view.
[System Notification: Tutorial Completed][Reward: Skill Unlocked – Adaptive Learning]
Miguel exhaled. So this was how it worked. The system rewarded him for progressing.
Missions & Warnings
A new prompt appeared.
[Hidden System Mechanic Unlocked: Missions]
[First Mission: Alter a Conversation in a Meaningful Way – Reward: 10 Points]
A test. An experiment.
Then, one last warning.
[System Alert: Major Narrative Events Approaching – High Potential for Influence]
Miguel's pulse quickened.
Something was coming.
And now, he had the power to change it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Miguel awoke to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the curtains, casting streaks across his bedroom walls. The air was still, quiet, filled only with the distant hum of life beyond his window.
Except today—it wasn't just reality greeting him.
A faint pulse flickered at the edge of his vision. The system interface hovered silently, waiting, like an unseen presence lingering in the background of his mind.
He wasn't alone anymore.
Miguel exhaled.
"System."
Immediately, the transparent display materialized before him.
Stats Update – System Active
[Current Stats]
Strength (STR):8/10(High—physically capable, strong endurance.)
Agility (AGI):7/10(Fast reflexes, good movement control.)
Vitality (VIT):8/10(Resilient, healthy, rarely fatigued.)
Perception (PER):9/10(Exceptionally sharp—senses details others might overlook.)
Intelligence (INT):7/10(Analytical thinker, strong problem-solving ability.)
A second panel unfolded.
[Mission Status]
First Mission: Alter a Conversation in a Meaningful Way(Completed – 10 Points Earned)
A faint pulse from the system.
[Points Awarded – Key Storyline Interaction Detected]
Met Samantha Alvarez (Main Storyline Character) – Reward: 5 Points
Met Sofia Robio (Main Storyline Character) – Reward: 5 Points
Miguel stared at the glowing text, feeling the weight of it settle in. Meeting them counted?
That meant these people weren't just random faces in a crowd—they were essential parts of the world's narrative.
His actions with them held significance—and that meant he had the power to influence them.
Miguel took a deep breath. Alright... let's test how deep this goes.
First Period – System Tracks Interaction
As he sat in his designated seat near the window (classic protagonist seating), he heard a voice beside him.
"Hey, man. You're pretty talented, I bet you'll be popular in no time."
Miguel glanced to his side and saw a grinning student looking at him with easy confidence.
"Thanks, umm..." Miguel replied, waiting for his name.
"Ah, sorry! My bad, man. Forgot to introduce myself." The student chuckled, leaning back slightly. "I'm Gabriel Reyes, but you can call me Gab or Reyes, whatever feels right to you. No biggie."
A faint pulse from the system.
[New Character Registered: Gabriel Reyes]
Interaction Level: Positive
Potential Influence: Medium
Miguel paused. The system recognized Gab—which meant he had a role in the world's story too.
Before Miguel could reply, Gab nodded toward the student sitting in front.
"That guy? The one who keeps staring at you? That's my best friend, Justin. He's just shy at first, but don't worry—once he warms up to you, you won't get a moment of peace from his endless chatter. Hahaha!"
Before Miguel could respond, the student in front turned slightly, shifting in his seat.
"Hello... Miguel, I am—"
Gab cut him off with a loud laugh.
"His name's Justin Alvares, but we call him Justin or just Tin."
Miguel smirked slightly.
A pulse from the system.
[New Character Registered: Justin Alvares]
Interaction Level: Developing
Potential Influence: Medium
Miguel felt the system tracking their relationships, adapting to his choices in real-time.
Then—
A sharp ding from the interface.
[Warning: First Minor Event Altered – No Immediate Consequences Detected.]
Miguel's chest tightened slightly. So even small changes mattered?
Before he could dwell on it, the teacher sighed from the front.
"Boys at the back! If you're done with introductions, maybe you'd like to focus on today's lesson instead of making new best friends?"
Gab chuckled under his breath. "Uh-oh. We're already on her radar. Congrats, Miguel, you're officially one of us."
Another system pulse.
[Influence Log Updated – Minor School Event Flagged.]
Miguel straightened, glancing at the interface one last time before dismissing it mentally. This wasn't just a simple tracking tool—it was monitoring how his presence affected the world.
Lunch – System Tracks Relationship Bonds
The cafeteria buzzed with noise, trays clattering, conversations overlapping. Just as Miguel settled down, Gab and Justin dragged him toward an open table.
"Alright, newbie, time to meet some people." Gab announced dramatically, slapping Miguel's shoulder before pointing across the table.
Miguel followed his gesture—and that's when he saw her.
Sofia Robio. Confident, perceptive, glasses resting slightly on her nose as she grinned at him like he was a new puzzle she planned to solve.
"So, first day of school and already got scolded, huh?" she teased, tapping her spoon against her tray.
Miguel sighed internally. He knew this interaction.
System pulse.
[Storyline Interaction: Sofia – Tracking Active.]
"I'd rather not be remembered for that, but sure. That's me."
Sofia smirked.
System response.
[Influence Registered: Positive – Relationship Progression Possible.]
+5 Points Earned.
Miguel blinked. Her presence mattered.
Before he could formulate a response, another voice—quieter but determined—entered the conversation.
"Um... hi, Miguel."
Miguel turned.
Samantha Alvarez. Reserved, intelligent, soft-spoken—yet fully engaged in the moment.
System pulse.
[Storyline Interaction: Samantha – Tracking Active.]
"Samantha, right?"
She nodded hurriedly. "Uh—yeah. I'm in the Piano Club."
Gab nudged Miguel playfully.
"She's basically a walking encyclopedia of piano theory. If you ever want to know why a specific chord progression makes you feel existential, she's your person."
Samantha turned bright red.
System pulse.
[Influence Registered: Positive – Relationship Progression Possible.]
+5 Points Earned.
Miguel exhaled. Everything was counting. Every action, every word—it was shaping his presence in this world.
Encountering Mark, Cathy, and Ridel – A System Warning
As Miguel walked into the halls, heading toward the stairs, his PER kicked in instinctively—an overwhelming gut feeling that something important was ahead.
Then, he saw them.
Mark Borja, Catherine Joyce Portillo, Ridel Gonzales.
System pulse.
[WARNING: Major Storyline Characters Identified – High Influence Potential.]
Miguel inhaled sharply.
System alert appeared.
[Medium Influence Detected – Alteration May Trigger Narrative Consequences.]
Miguel froze.
His choices mattered more than ever.
For the first time—he had control.