The world was supposed to feel futuristic by now, but instead, it was just... bleak. The glow of LED signs advertising overpriced coffee and luxury apartments clashed with the reality of people like me—scraping by, hoping not to get evicted. Sitting on the edge of my lumpy mattress, I scrolled through my cracked phone, reading about the latest government fiasco: the TikTok ban. Social media was in an uproar, memes flying around, conspiracy theories brewing, and influencers crying on Instagram live. Meanwhile, all I could think about was rent due next week.

How was I going to pull it off? My part-time job barely covered utilities, let alone rent in this overpriced hellhole of a city. The cold reality gnawed at me: I had nothing. No savings, no degree, no safety net. Just a crappy one-room apartment and a lifetime of bad luck.

My name is Derek Carter. Twenty-four years of bad luck packed into a single life. My parents... if you could even call them that, were a big part of the problem. I was born into a family of overgrown teenagers. Their idea of responsibility was making sure the keg was full and the music was loud. They barely noticed when I was hungry or when my shoes had holes in them. Forget homework help or guidance; they couldn't even pay the electricity bill on time. By the time I hit eighteen, I was on my own, armed with nothing but bitterness and a GED I'd barely scraped together.

Now, at 24, I was stuck in this cycle. Work, eat cheap takeout, worry about money, and repeat. No plans, no future, no hope.

I shoved my phone into my pocket, grabbed my hoodie, and stepped out into the chilly January air. Walking helped me think, even if it meant freezing my ass off. The streets were quiet tonight, the kind of quiet that makes your thoughts louder. My boots clacked against the pavement as I aimlessly wandered, trying to silence the frustration building in my chest.

"Is this it?" I muttered to myself. "Is this all my life is going to be? Just scraping by, waiting for something to change?"

The cold bit into my cheeks, but I kept walking, letting the frosty air sting some sense into me. My breath formed faint clouds as I exhaled, each one carrying a fragment of my desperation. "If there's anything out there," I whispered, looking up at the cloudy night sky, "God, fate, karma, whatever... just give me a chance. Let me start over. I'll do it better this time. I swear."

I stopped under the flickering light of a streetlamp, my hands stuffed deep in my hoodie pockets. "I don't care what it takes. I'll take anything over this. Anything has to be better than this."

The words felt hollow, but saying them out loud made me feel lighter, even if just a little. I started moving again, my thoughts running in circles. What if I could go back? Start over with a clean slate? The idea was absurd, but it clung to me, a small ember of hope in the cold.

I'd just passed the police station when I felt it—something under my foot. It wasn't a rock or trash. It was metallic, with an odd texture. Curious, I lifted my foot to look.

A mine.

My heart stopped. The realization hit me like a freight train, and the only word that came to mind was, "Fuck."

The explosion came faster than I could process. A deafening boom, a flash of light, and then... nothing. No pain, no fear, just... darkness. Was this it? Was this how it all ended? Blown to bits outside a police station?

But the darkness didn't stay empty. Slowly, a light appeared. No, not light—words. Glowing letters in the void, as if the universe itself had something to say.

Analyzing Host... Compatibility Check 97%... Initializing Rebirth Sequence...

Rebirth? What the hell was this? Before I could question it, the void swallowed me again. This time, it wasn't empty. I felt... warmth. A heartbeat. My heartbeat? No, it was too small, too fragile. My senses sharpened, and I realized I wasn't dead. But I wasn't me either.

I opened my eyes. The world was massive, the room around me a blur of oversized shapes and colors. My tiny hands waved in front of me uncontrollably. Panic set in until I heard a voice, soft and soothing.

"He's awake," a woman whispered. I turned my head, and there she was, a woman who radiated warmth and care. She wasn't my mother, not the one I remembered, but something deep inside told me this was my new beginning.

Congratulations, Host. You have awakened the Tyrant System.

The words appeared again, burning into my mind with a clarity that made me shiver. Tyrant System? My new life had barely started, and already it sounded like trouble. But this time, I wasn't afraid. For the first time in years, I felt something other than despair. I felt... power.

This was just the beginning.