Bang—!
The night split open.
She died.
A girl's body plummeted twenty meters, hitting concrete like a marionette with its strings violently cut.
Crack—!
Bones snapped. Blood bloomed beneath her skull like a twisted flower.
Silence returned.
Then—
"Make it look like a suicide," a man's voice drifted down from the rooftop. Low. Casual. Like ordering coffee.
"Shame," he added, almost wistful. "I do love that sound. Bones... breaking."
Pain surged back like a freight train.
Every nerve caught fire.
Muscles. Bones. Shattered.
Crushed.
Then—knitting back together?
What the hell?
Wasn't she supposed to be ringing the IPO bell?
Eyes snapped open. Blood, warm and sticky, pooled beneath her skull.
[Ding!]
System L.U.S.T.R.A. initialized.Commencing emergency body repair...
System...?
LUSTRA...?
Jaw tightened.
Then—memories. Rough hands. Foul breath.
"Don't blame us. You were in someone's way."
Ten years clawing to the top.
One moment ringing the opening bell on Wall Street.
The next—face down in a puddle of her own blood.
She looked down.
Sportswear. Bloodstains. Skin too smooth. Wrists too thin.
This wasn't her body.
[⚠️ Soul Mismatch Detected][Newbie Mission 1/3: SURVIVE][Time Limit: 10:00][Reward: Superpower Awakening]
Fabulous. Reincarnated. And on a timer.
"Guy paid a full million to off a nobody like her."
A new voice from above.
"Don't celebrate yet," another one sneered. "Full payout's suicide. Murder drops it to 200K."
The new identity had a name.
Avery Blake.
Fine. New name. New rules.
Her spine straightened.
Fingers twitched. Then toes.
Movement returned too fast.
She flipped upright.
"Where's the body?!"
A heavyset man thundered down the stairs. His scarred face froze.
The redhead behind him sucked in a breath. "Rick… she's not dead."
"MOVE!" Rick Dalton grabbed a crowbar and bolted.
"Tracks lead to the road!" shouted the redhead—Nick Barnes—already diving into the van.
"You drive," Rick growled. "I'll check the woods."
Avery held her breath, crouched behind rusted junk.
No panic. Panic got you killed.
Fake footprints. Backtrack. Classic misdirection.
The van roared away.
Still, she didn't relax.
Quiet steps. Fire ladder. Up.
Dusk stretched long shadows across the rooftop. Lights flickered on in the distance.
Screech—
"Shit! Blood trail ends here!" Rick shouted.
"Think she's still inside?" Nick's voice grew closer.
Scrape. Crowbar over cement.
Bang! A barrel crashed across the ground.
"DAMMIT! I'll tear this place apart!"
Then—"Roof."
[‼️ ALERT: Killers approaching. Distance—15 meters][Countdown: 01:30]