Darkness.
The weightlessness of being in an endless void, formless, left Jack without up or down, sound, or even sensation. There was only an immense nothingness. His consciousness flickered, like a candle fighting for life in a room without wind.
'Am I... dead?'
It was there, swimming up from some deep submerged place as if from the bottom of an ocean. Fragments of memories—the hut, the System, the glowing light—flickered for a second, then gone, like an echo. Jack tried to move; nobody was there to obey, no limbs to manipulate. The mind was floating in the fog, and the thoughts could not be grasped, just slipping like sand between fingers.
'I made the choice... didn't I? To reincarnate. To merge.'
In filtered the doubt, heavy yet weightless. 'Was it the right choice? What if... what if I just threw everything away?'
Time became irrelevant. Minutes, hours, and days all merged into an indistinguishable blur. In the stillness, Jack's mind wandered back to the life he had left behind. Back to Hawaii.
Hawaii had always been his haven: the endless blue of the ocean, the warmth of the sun, and the sense of freedom that came with it. More than that, however, were the connections he had made—the people who mattered most.
What struck him most about the days that Jack spent surfing with Koa wasn't about the waves; what happened afterward counted.
It was one of those days when the water was still, waves no bigger than a small, lazy height. They had swum out, drifted on, lying on their boards staring at the huge sky rather than surfing. Koa wasn't a man of many words, but he'd opened up that day.
"You know, Jack, there's more to life than just the chase for the next big thing," Koa said quietly, and thoughtfully. "You ever stop and just... be?"
Jack had scoffed. "I'm not built for that, Koa. I need to keep moving. Always have. There's no point in looking back when there's nothing to see."
Koa had glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "Everyone's got a past, Jack. Even you. Doesn't matter if you know it or not."
Jack fell silent. Koa was the only thing he had to family. He'd grown up in foster homes, moving from place to place, never staying long enough to put down roots. He didn't even know his parents—just names on a forgotten piece of paper. Koa never pressed him about it, never tried to dig into his past. Still, somehow, he always seemed to understand.
Koa was silent for a long time before continuing to talk. "There's something I want to show you."
They paddled back to shore and Koa led Jack to a small, hidden grove near the beach. Among the trees was a simple stone marker, wildflowers surrounding it.
"My brother," Koa said quietly. "He died young. We used to surf here every day, just like you and me. When he passed, I buried him here. Close to the ocean he loved."
Jack had been astounded. "I didn't know..."
Koa simply nodded. "I don't speak about it much. But I come here when I need to remember what's important." They sat by the grave, the rustling leaves and the waves breaking in the distance the only sounds. Koa shared stories—about his brother's strength, kindness, and stubbornness. Jack listened, feeling a bond deeper than surfing.
When he left the grove, Jack knew he would be back. But then life got in the way: business, travel, the relentless tedium of more. Then... the crash. The island. The System.
Now, floating in space, he felt regret pierce him like a knife. 'I never went back. Never paid my respects. I didn't even get to say goodbye.'
The silence closed in, but something was different. The fog in his mind began to lift, like mist burning off under the morning sun. Clarity returned piece by piece. Jack focused inward, sensing something—an energy, subtle at first, then growing stronger. It felt like... transformation.
'My soul,' he thought, 'it's... shifting.'
There was no pain, just a deep, almost cellular awareness. His essence was shifting, morphing as if made by unseen hands. The whole process was slow, each moment stretching to eternity. 'Is this what reincarnation feels like? The System said we'd merge... is this it?'
He floated in that state, observing, theorizing. 'Maybe this void is part of the process. Like a crucible, refining me. My soul's being prepared for what comes next.'
The energy inside him began building, spiraling in his body. The storm brewed, the power coiling tighter and tighter in him. Just as he thought he couldn't contain it, the void shuddered.
The torrent of power surged through him like he was about to burst apart with it. It merged into his soul, filling the corners of his essence full to brimming as reinforcement hit shifts in him. It was exhilarating and terrifyingly humbling all at once.
The void around him began to change. A far-off light materialized, becoming brighter and closer. It pulsed in rhythm with the energy coursing through him, each flash illuminating the darkness. The transformation within him slowed, the final pieces clicking into place. The light grew blindingly bright, pure white, consuming everything.
Jack's mind went into fragments, a kaleidoscope of colors; the light overpowered his senses. At the crescendo, one sound reverberated in his mind—a very familiar sound. Ding! Completion echoed through the System, a clear domed chime inside him. Then a soft and clear voice spoke. [Congratulations, User. You have fully merged with the System, Codename: Koa.]
The light exploded, and there was white everywhere.