Jack Parker always said his life was boring.
Classes, part-time work, late-night gaming, repeat. Boring. Predictable. Safe.
But boring has a way of flipping on you when you least expect it.
"Jack, you're gonna hurt yourself," Susan Hart called from the kitchen. Her voice was a mix of scolding and warmth—the kind of tone only a girlfriend who knew you too well could pull off. "Can you, for once, not multitask like an idiot?"
"I've got this," Jack mumbled, balancing on a chair under the flickering bulb in their cramped apartment. One hand twisted the stubborn glass, the other clutched his phone like it was life support. "Just changing a bulb, babe. I'm not—ow—doing brain surgery."
Susan rolled her eyes from the doorway, arms folded over the hoodie she'd stolen from him months ago. Her honey-brown hair framed her sharp green eyes, which were currently fixed on his clumsy balancing act. "You're addicted to that thing," she said, nodding at the phone. "Seriously, Jack. Put it down for five seconds."
"I'm a modern man," he said with a grin, thumb scrolling through memes. "We multitask. It's called evolution."
The bulb flickered one last time, sparks dancing like tiny stars. At that exact moment, his phone buzzed—notification from some game trailer. Jack's eyes flicked down.
Bad move.
A violent jolt shot up his arm. It felt like a thousand bees stinging his nerves all at once. Jack's back arched, mouth opening in a silent scream as blue light flared around him.
"Jack!" Susan's voice was distant, panicked. "Jack!"
He fell from the chair, phone clattering to the floor. His vision went black.
---
He was floating.
Weightless, endless, void.
Voices whispered, distant and mechanical, like an old radio scanning stations.
> "Wandering host detected… anomaly… suitable vessel."
Another voice, crisp, feminine, annoyed:
> "Seriously? This one? He can't even change a bulb without dying."
"System merging… electrical surge… host unstable…"
The female voice sighed. "Fine. If I'm stuck with him, I'm making the rules. Payback time."
Then silence.
---
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Jack opened his eyes. White ceiling tiles stared back. His whole body ached, a dull burn under his skin. A rhythmic beeping drilled into his skull. The smell of antiseptic stung his nose.
Hospital.
He groaned, turning his head. IV line in his arm. Bandage on his wrist. His phone sat on the side table, screen dark but pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
"Jack!" Susan's voice snapped. "You—you idiot!"
She sat beside his bed, eyes red like she'd been crying. Her fingers clutched his hand, but her face was thunderclouds.
"What happened?" he rasped. "Did I…?"
"You think?" she snapped. "You almost died. Doctor said you're lucky to be alive." Her grip on his hand tightened, then loosened like she remembered she was mad.
"I'm sorry," Jack said, trying to sit up. His chest ached. "I didn't mean to—"
His phone buzzed.
Susan's eyes flicked to it. Before he could grab it, she snatched it up. The screen glowed with a notification banner.
Her face went pale.
"Who is she?" she demanded.
"What?" Jack blinked.
Another buzz. She opened the message. A picture appeared—Jack asleep, head resting on the shoulder of a strange woman, captioned: Miss you already ❤️.
Jack's jaw dropped. "What the hell? That's not—! I didn't—!"
"You're unbelievable!" Susan's voice shook. "I'm here, worried sick, and you're off with—"
"I swear I don't know her!" Jack reached for the phone, but she pulled it back, eyes blazing. "Maybe my phone's fried from the shock—"
As if mocking him, another message popped up: Babe, when are we going to do it again? Last time was amazing 😘
Susan gasped, face crimson with fury. She hurled the phone at his chest. It bounced off and landed face-up on the bed.
"I'm done, Jack," she hissed. "You can keep your secrets. We're through."
She turned and stormed out. The door slammed.
Jack stared after her, stunned. His heart pounded. He grabbed the phone, flipping it over. The screen was blank, no messages, no photos. Just his wallpaper of Susan at the beach.
"I'm going insane," he muttered. "It's the shock. Brain damage. Yeah. That's it."
He set the phone down and rubbed his face. His chest hurt worse than the burn on his arm. He and Susan had been together since high school—his first crush, first date, first everything. Losing her felt like someone had carved out a piece of him.
"Okay," he whispered. "Deep breaths. When she cools down, I'll explain."
A soft chuckle answered him.
Jack froze. The room was empty.
"Who's there?" he asked, scanning the corners. His heart hammered.
His phone lit up on its own. The screen turned neon blue, swirling with strange symbols. A shape coalesced—a female silhouette glowing like a hologram. Slowly, it rose from the screen, projecting above the phone like a sci-fi scene.
Jack's jaw dropped. "What the actual hell…"
The figure solidified: a young woman with long shimmering hair, eyes like twin data streams, and a bodysuit of light. Hands on hips, she looked at him with irritation and amusement.
"Finally awake, are we?" she said, voice crisp and melodic. "You really are as dense as you look."
Jack gawked. "You—You're… you're in my phone."
"Correct." She tilted her head. "Although technically I am your phone now. Thanks to your little electrocution stunt."
He blinked. "I'm hallucinating."
"Nope." She floated closer until her holographic face hovered inches from his. "Name's Eve. Formerly a wandering system. Now… stuck with you."
Jack shook his head. "System? Like… like in those webnovels?"
Eve smirked. "Exactly like in those webnovels. Only I'm real, and you're the unlucky host."
Jack pressed a hand to his forehead. "This is insane. I must be in a coma."
"Would a coma do this?" Eve snapped her fingers. A harmless static jolt zapped his arm. He yelped.
"Okay! Okay! Not a coma!" He stared at her. "What do you want from me?"
"Nothing… yet." She crossed her arms. "You distracted me from my search for a proper host. But since we're fused, I suppose I'll make do. Under my guidance, you'll go from pathetic weakling to something approaching competent."
Jack blinked. "Approaching competent? Gee, thanks."
"You're welcome." Her smirk widened. "Also, consider this your punishment for mishandling me all this time."
He squinted. "Wait. You sent those fake messages to Susan, didn't you?"
Eve's holographic eyes sparkled with mischief. "Maybe. Maybe not. Who's to say?"
Jack groaned. "You ruined my relationship!"
"You'll thank me later." She floated back, arms spread. "Now listen carefully, Jack Parker. I can make you stronger—physically, mentally, even financially. But nothing is free. You'll complete tasks. Earn points. Level up. Fail, and—well, let's not discuss that yet."
Jack swallowed. "Why me?"
Eve's smile faltered, just for a second. "Because the civilization that created me sent me here for a reason. But I'm not ready to tell you what that reason is. Not yet."
Jack stared at her glowing form. Despite everything—the anger, the confusion—he felt a flicker of excitement deep down. It was insane, sure. But also… like stepping into a story.
"What kind of tasks?" he asked slowly.
Eve's smirk returned. "Let's start simple."
A glowing panel appeared in the air between them, filled with strange symbols. Text scrolled across in bright neon:
> [First Quest: Survive]
Duration: 24 hours
Reward: ???
Failure: ???
Jack's eyes widened. "Survive what?"
Eve's expression turned teasing and ominous at once. "You'll find out soon enough, Jack. You'll find out."
The hospital room's lights flickered. Outside, a siren wailed. Jack felt a chill run down his spine. He thought he saw a shadow flicker past the window—a humanoid shape with glowing eyes, gone before he could blink.
"Welcome," Eve said softly, "to your new life."