CHAPTER:1 [The Unfortunate Life Of Kai]
As Michael slew NOVA under his twisted pretext of granting "salvation" to a miserable being, Eren's soul was violently ripped from the collapsing realm and slammed into a new vessel.
He woke up slumped over a wooden desk, moonlight pouring through an old oriel window like a silver blade cutting through the darkness of his damp, filthy room.
(Mmm… ah… where the hell am I this time?)
Eren had no idea where he was or whose body he now inhabited. He slowly inspected his surroundings and felt his stomach twist in disgust.
The room was a rotting hellhole — walls covered in mold, the wooden floor creaking like it was about to collapse with every step, and the ceiling riddled with gaping holes that let in the cold night air. It reeked of despair and decay.
He stood up from the rickety chair and staggered toward the oriel window. Outside, the world stretched out beneath a mountain in a remote, forsaken area. The moon hung high in all its cold majesty.
(Where is this place? I don't remember anything like this from where I came from…)
The moment he opened the window, a sharp, agonizing pain exploded in his head — like someone was hammering a chisel straight into his skull. Amid the blinding agony, fragmented memories flooded in.
(My name is Kai… I'm a high-school student… I awakened as a Guardian… but no one wanted me… I can't live like this anymore… I don't know what to do…)
It took Eren a long, painful moment to organize the memories of his new body.
(So his name was Kai… such a miserable, pathetic guy…)
This was truly a first for Eren. Not only was his right arm completely paralyzed, but his face was inhumanly deformed and his body unnaturally tall and broken. He shook off the horrifying realization, dragged himself to the weak-looking wooden bed that could barely hold his weight, and collapsed onto it. The bed creaked dangerously, but he curled up anyway and forced himself to sleep. It was still the middle of the night.
Bang… bang… bang.
"Kai! The old lady is calling you!"
Eren jolted awake to the violent banging on the door and a familiar voice.
(Ah… it's Shino… Kai's high-school friend?)
He stood up, still half-asleep, and yawned as he walked to the door.
"Yawn… Cah…ming!"
He rubbed his eyes and opened the door. Standing there was an angelic-looking young man with short blonde hair, pale skin, and deep blue eyes.
"Let's go. She is calling for you."
Eren followed Shino up to the second floor. There sat an old lady in a chair, knitting something with blue yarn in her lap. She looked ragged and frail — her eyes had lost all their luster, her glasses were cracked, her white hair was a messy tangle, and she was missing several teeth.
The moment she saw Kai, her face twisted with anger and she barked in a cranky, venomous voice:
"Hey, you deformed fuck! It's been four months since you paid rent! When the hell are you going to pay up?!"
Kai had always been timid… but Eren was a rebel at heart. He wasn't used to some cranky old hag shouting at him. He answered with a completely blank, cold expression.
"Shut your trap, you old rusted cog."
The old lady's eyes twitched violently.
"What did you say, you little punk?! Who do you think you are?! I'm your landlady — if I want to, I can kick you out of this whole building!"
She was furious, but Eren wasn't backing down. Before things could explode, Shino quickly stepped in front of him with a flustered expression.
"Calm down, kind lady. He just woke up from sleep — he might not be in his right mind right now."
As he spoke, Shino winked at Eren. The old lady's face twisted into a wicked sneer.
"Very well. Then combining everything, you owe me 50 credits — including this month's rent."
<50 credits?! Is this bitch insane?! It should only be 20! How the hell am I supposed to pay that much? According to Kai's memories, credits aren't even physical money — they're just virtual numbers, and a normal office worker only earns 100 credits a month!>
Eren was about to explode into a heated argument, but Shino placed a firm hand on his shoulder and stopped him from making a scene. He quickly pulled Eren away.
"Well, old hag, we'll be taking our leave."
The old lady glared at them with pure disgust.
"Yeah, sure. And tell that ugly fuck not to show his face to me again if he doesn't have the credits."
Shino and Kai left the room. On the way down to the first floor, Kai started thanking him for stepping in.
"If you're that grateful, then return the favor," Shino said. "Come with me on an expedition next week. It'll help you a lot — they're paying a ton this time. The way things are going, you'll end up in jail before long."
Kai's eyes widened in shock.
"Umm… Shino, why would I have to go to jail? It's not like I committed any crime…"
Shino looked at him with wide eyes, clearly expecting a joke.
"Don't tell me you forgot about the academy."
Kai blinked in genuine surprise — there was no mention of any academy in the memories he had received.
"Ehhh… what academy?"
Shino slapped his own forehead and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion.
"Are you fucking kidding me, Kai?! Did you really forget about the academy? It's compulsory after you awaken. If you don't apply, you could face life imprisonment and a massive fine. Do you understand your situation right now? You're not only broke — you've got rent piling up too!"
Eren knew his financial mess well, but he still didn't understand why Shino was panicking so much.
"Shino, I get my financial situation… but what does that have to do with the academy?"
Shino sighed deeply.
"Because the academy requires 500 credits just for the entry test."
They talked for a while longer before Shino finally left.
"Be ready when I call, okay? We're going on an expedition next Wednesday. Now I've got stuff to do."
Kai entered his room, collapsed onto the creaking bed, and stared at the ceiling, lost in thoughts about his future and trying to organize the chaos in his mind.
Suddenly, a white glitchy screen appeared before him.
END OF CHAPTER:1