The warmth grew stronger, spreading through what should have been his lifeless form like electricity coursing through dead circuits. Alex felt consciousness returning in waves—first sensation, then awareness, then the crushing weight of memory.
The operating room. Haley's cold eyes. The surgeon's blade.
His eyes snapped open, expecting fluorescent lights and medical equipment, but instead found himself staring at an ornate ceiling painted with golden constellations. Silk curtains hung around what appeared to be a massive four-poster bed, and the scent of expensive incense filled the air.
[System Reboot Complete]
[Welcome back, Host]
[Integration Status: 78% Successful]
[Warning: Classification Stone Error]
The words appeared in translucent blue text floating at the edge of his vision. Alex tried to sit up and immediately regretted it—his body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Every muscle ached with a deep, bone-deep exhaustion.
"Young Master!"
A woman's voice, filled with relief and barely contained tears. Alex turned his head to see an elderly woman in elegant servant's attire rushing toward the bed. Her graying hair was pulled back in a perfect bun, and her eyes were red-rimmed as if she'd been crying.
"Young Master Kael, you're awake! Praise the Architects, you're finally awake!" She reached for his hand with trembling fingers. "We thought... after three days, we thought you might never..."
[Current Host: Kael Ashford, Age 19]
[Title: Duke's Heir, Third in Line to Throne]
[Location: Ashford Manor, Capital City of Valoris]
[Previous Host Status: Awakening Ceremony Incident - Classification Stone Error]
More memories that weren't his own began filtering in like water through a cracked dam. Kael Ashford—son of Duke Marcus Ashford, one of the most powerful men in the kingdom. Three days ago, he'd undergone the mandatory Awakening Ceremony at age 19, where every citizen discovered their ability classification.
The Classification Stone was an ancient artifact, said to be indestructible. It measured power levels from F-rank (barely superhuman) to the legendary SS-rank (capable of leveling cities). Most people awakened at D or C-rank. The royal family typically produced B-ranks. Only a handful of S-ranks existed in the entire kingdom.
But when Kael had placed his hand on the stone...
[Accessing fragmented memory data...]
The memory hit him like a physical blow. Standing in the grand Awakening Hall before hundreds of noble witnesses, his hand pressed against the smooth obsidian surface of the Classification Stone. The artifact had begun to glow, first white, then blue, then gold, then blazing silver...
And then pure, blinding white light had erupted from the stone like a miniature sun.
The radiance was so intense that everyone in the hall—nobles, guards, even the ancient stone golems that stood sentinel—had been forced to shield their eyes or be temporarily blinded. The light lasted only seconds, but when it faded, Kael lay unconscious on the marble floor, his once-dark hair now completely white as fresh snow. The Classification Stone remained intact but dormant, offering no reading, no rank, no classification at all.
Alex reached up instinctively to touch his hair and felt the unfamiliar texture of white strands instead of Kael's original black. It wasn't the gray-white of age, but pure, almost luminescent white that seemed to catch and reflect light in an unusual way.
"Martha," Alex said, the name coming naturally from Kael's memories. The elderly woman—head of household staff and practically a mother to Kael since childhood—squeezed his hand tighter.
"Yes, Young Master?"
"How long was I unconscious, exactly?"
"Three days, two hours, and sixteen minutes," she replied without hesitation. "Your father has barely left your side. The physicians said... they said if you didn't wake today..." She couldn't finish the sentence.
[System Analysis Complete]
[Classification Stone error cause: Power level exceeding measurement parameters]
[Estimated Rank: ??????]
[Available Ability: ??????]
[Status: Awakening incomplete - Manual activation required]
Alex tried to process what he was seeing. '????????' The system claimed he was more powerful than the stone could measure, but right now he could barely sit up without Martha's help.
"Where's my father?" he asked, pushing himself up to a sitting position despite Martha's protests.
"In his study, meeting with the Royal Investigators. They've been here every day since the incident, demanding answers about what happened to the Classification Stone."
'Ancient artifact rendered useless during the awakening of a duke's heir,' Alex thought grimly. 'Yeah, that would definitely raise some eyebrows.' If they couldn't figure out his ability or rank, and he now bore the physical mark of an unprecedented awakening, people would start making assumptions. In politics, being unpredictable was almost as dangerous as being weak.
"Young Master, please, you need to rest—"
"I'm fine, Martha." Alex stood on shaky legs, grateful that Kael's muscle memory kicked in to keep him upright. "Really. I need to see my father before those investigators decide I'm some kind of threat."
Martha's face creased with worry, but she'd been caring for stubborn Ashford men long enough to recognize a losing battle. "At least let me help you dress properly. You can't meet Royal Investigators in your nightclothes."
As they walked through corridors lined with priceless artwork and artifacts, Alex tried to process his situation. He'd gone from being harvested like spare parts to inhabiting the body of one of the most powerful young men in the kingdom. But power came with scrutiny, and right now, everyone wanted to know what kind of ability could destroy a Classification Stone.
[Tip: Access Status Window by thinking 'Status']
Status, Alex thought experimentally.
[STATUS WINDOW]
[Name: Kael Ashford (Alexander Chen)]
[Age: 19]
[Level: 1]
[Exp: 0/500]
[Rank: ???]
[HP: 100/100]
[Strength: 10]
[Agility: 10]
[Stamina: 10]
[Available Skill Points: 0]
[Ability: [LOCKED] - Complete Awakening to unlock]
His stats seemed... average. But something felt different about his potential, something the numbers couldn't quite capture.
They reached the study doors—massive oak panels carved with protective runes that glowed faintly blue. Alex could hear voices inside: his father's deep baritone and two unfamiliar tones, one male and one female.
"—absolutely unprecedented. In a thousand years of recorded history, no one has ever—"
"My son is not a threat to the kingdom," Duke Ashford's voice cut in, cold with barely restrained anger. "He's barely conscious after three days in a coma."
"Duke Ashford, we understand your concern, but an awakening powerful enough to blind an entire ceremonial hall and leave permanent physical changes raises questions that demand answers. If your son possesses abilities that powerful—"
Martha knocked gently on the door. "Your Grace? Young Master Kael is awake and wishes to see you."
Sudden silence from within. Then footsteps, and the door swung open to reveal a man who shared Kael's angular features but with silver threading his dark hair and lines of worry around his eyes. Duke Marcus Ashford looked like he'd aged years in the past three days.
"Kael." The relief in his voice was palpable. "Thank the Architects, you're alright." His eyes immediately went to his son's now-white hair, and Alex saw a flicker of pain cross the Duke's features. "The change suits you," he said quietly, though his voice carried the weight of understanding that his son was forever altered.
Behind him, Alex could see two figures in the formal blue uniforms of Royal Investigators—a middle-aged man with calculating eyes and a younger woman with her hand resting on what looked like a magical recording device.
The investigators had abilities focused on detecting lies. He could sense it in the way they watched him, analyzed his every movement, their eyes lingering on his transformed hair.
"Father," Alex said, letting Kael's natural affection for the man color his voice. "I heard there were some questions about what happened during my Awakening?"
The male investigator stepped forward. "Lord Kael Ashford, I am Inspector Garrison Thorne, and this is Inspector Elena Vasquez. We need to ask you some questions about the incident three days ago."
"Of course." Alex moved into the room, acutely aware that his every word and gesture was being analyzed, and that his white hair made him impossible to ignore or forget. "Though I'm afraid my memory of the event is somewhat... fragmented."
Inspector Vasquez activated her device, and Alex felt a subtle tingling sensation, like invisible fingers trying to probe his mind and detect deception.
[Warning: External force detected]
[Automatic Countermeasures Activated]
[External force : Neutralized]
The woman nodded at her readings. "He's telling the truth about his fragmented memory," she said to her partner. "No signs of deliberate deception about the awakening incident itself."
"Good," Inspector Thorne said, though his tone remained skeptical as he studied Alex's transformed hair. "But this physical change... we've never seen anything like it. Permanent alterations like this are incredibly rare and usually indicate significant power potential."
Alex felt a moment of relief at the successful deception, but he knew this was just the beginning of his challenges. The white hair would be a constant reminder to everyone that something extraordinary had happened during his awakening, and eventually, his abilities would manifest in ways he couldn't hide.
"Now then," Inspector Thorne continued, "can you tell us exactly what you remember from the moment you touched the Classification Stone? And more importantly, have you experienced any manifestation of abilities since waking? Even minor ones?"
Alex met the man's gaze steadily, drawing on every ounce of Kael's noble bearing and his own determination to survive.
"I remember reaching out to touch it," he said carefully. "There was a moment of... overwhelming brightness. Like staring into the sun. And then I woke up here. As for abilities..." He paused, as if considering. "Nothing yet. I can barely stand without assistance, let alone manifest any powers."
It wasn't technically a lie. He really didn't remember Kael's experience, and his abilities were still locked according to the system.
The investigators exchanged glances. The truth detection hadn't caught any lies, but they still seemed cautious.
"We may have more questions as our investigation continues," Inspector Vasquez said, deactivating her device. "For now, Lord Kael, we recommend you rest and recover. Given the unprecedented nature of your awakening, we'll need to schedule a follow-up classification attempt once you've fully recovered."
"A follow-up?" Duke Ashford interjected, concern evident in his voice.
"Standard procedure when an awakening is... incomplete," Inspector Thorne explained. "Hopefully, by then, Lord Kael will manifest some abilities that we can properly measure and classify."
After they left, Duke Ashford closed the door and sagged against it, suddenly looking every one of his fifty-three years.
"Father?" Alex approached cautiously.
"They think you're hiding something," the Duke said quietly. "And honestly, Kael... so do I. The light surge, your transformed appearance, and now they want to retest you in two weeks. But whatever you're hiding, whatever really happened in that ceremony..." He looked directly into Alex's eyes. "I hope you know what you're doing. Because if that follow-up classification reveals something the Crown considers threatening, not even I can protect you. And now, with your... distinctive appearance, hiding will be nearly impossible."
This wasn't just about surviving anymore. In his previous life, Alex had been nothing more than spare parts to be harvested. Here, he was someone with real power, real influence. But power without understanding was just another way to die, and now he bore a permanent mark that would make him memorable to anyone who saw him.
Alex nodded solemnly, running his fingers through his transformed hair. In his previous life, he'd been betrayed by someone he trusted and murdered for his useful biology. In this life, he was apparently powerful enough to blind ceremonial halls and permanently alter his appearance, politically important enough to attract royal attention, and had just two weeks before investigators returned with equipment that might reveal his true nature.
For the first time since waking up on that operating table, Alex allowed himself to feel something other than fear or rage. Hope, maybe. Or at least determination.
This world had rules he could learn and systems he could master. Unlike his previous life, where he'd been nothing more than a victim, here he had agency. He had power.
He just had to figure out how to use it without getting himself killed. And he'd have to do it while being instantly recognizable to anyone who'd heard about the white-haired heir of House Ashford.
The game had begun, and this time, Alex intended to win.