Three days of continuous tests. He was treated like a lab rat by Dr.Voss.
Regular Blood tests . Neural scans. Reaction drills. Dr. Voss poked and prodded him like a science project that shouldn't exist.
After three days, she finally signed his release form.
"You're stable," she said, not looking up from her tablet. "Ten percent integration holding steady. No neural degradation. No psychological fractures."
Soren asked.
"So I can leave?"
"You can leave." She looked at him sharply. "But you're still an experiment, Cross. Regular weekly check-ins. Any dizziness, confusion, or sensory distortions—you report immediately." "GOT IT."
"Got it."
She handed him a card. "My direct line. Don't be stupid, contact me if you even feel small abnormalities."
He nodded as he pocketed it and left before she changed her mind.
Jake was waiting outside the lab, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"You're free Mr.Lab rat," Jake said.
"I'm free."
"You really look like lab rat going through experiments." As he laughed.
"Thanks."
They walked back to the dorm together. On the way back some students stared at Soren as he passed. Word had spread about the tiger beetle integration.
The kid who shouldn't have survived. Survived and even managed to get 10% integration.
"You heading home?" Jake asked.
"Yeah. I promised my parents a celebration dinner and integration process."
"They know you almost died right?"
"Yeah they know."
Jake shook his head. "My mom would've dragged me out of the program by my ear while beating me."
"Your mom's definitely smarter than mine."
They reached the dorm. Soren grabbed his bag and threw in some clothes. Not much. He'd only be gone for a day.
**[Going home?]**
*Yeah.*
**[Good. You need real food. The cafeteria's been slowly poisoning you, How can they feed this kind of food to still growing kids.]**
*It's not that bad.*
**[I've tasted better cardboard.]**
Soren smiled despite himself.
"You good?" Jake asked.
"Yeah. Just thinking."
"Don't hurt yourself."
Soren punched his shoulder and headed for the transit station.
The train ride took around forty minutes.
He watched the city blur past. Towers and neon. Streets packed with people and drones. New Geneva never slept.
His phone buzzed.
**Mom:** *What time will you be home?*
**Soren:** *About an hour. Don't cook anything. I'm taking you both out.*
**Mom:** *You don't have to do that, sweetie.*
**Soren:** *I want to. I promised.*
**Mom:** *Okay. Your father's excited. He won't admit it, but he is.*
Soren pocketed his phone and stared out the window.
**[Nervous?]**
*A little.*
**[They'll be proud. You survived the impossible you accomplished the near impossible.]**
*They'll also ask questions.*
**[So lie. You're good at it.]**
*I don't want to lie to them.*
**[You're not lying. You're protecting them. There's a difference.]**
He didn't responded.
The train slowed. His stop.
He stepped off into familiar streets. Smaller buildings here. Less neon. Trees that actually grew in dirt instead of hydroponics.
Home.
He walked three blocks and stopped in front of a narrow house with blue shutters. Lights glowed in the windows.
He knocked.
His mom opened the door. Her face went through three emotions in two seconds—surprise, joy, tears.
"Soren." She pulled him into a hug that squeezed the air from his lungs. "You're here."
"Yes i am home as I promised."
She pulled back and looked him over. Her hands framed his face. "You look thin."
"I'm fine, Mom."
"You're not fine. You almost died."
"But I didn't."
His dad appeared behind her. Gray hair. Solid frame.
"Let the boy breathe, Sarah."
She released him. His dad stepped forward and gripped his shoulder.
"Good to see you, son."
"You too, Dad."
They went inside. The house smelled like freshly brewed tea. Home smells. Safe smells.
"Sit," his mom said. "I made tea."
"Mom, I said I'm taking you out."
"And we will. But first, tea."
He sat at the kitchen table while she fussed with cups. His dad settled across from him.
"How's it feel?" Dad asked quietly and curiously.
"What?"
"The integration. Ten percent's high for any DNA."
Soren flexed his fingers and while watching back side of his hand. "Everything's slower. Or I'm faster. Hard to explain."
"Enhanced perception?"
"Yeah. I can see details I couldn't before. Track movement better."
His dad nodded. "That's the tiger beetle trait. They process visual information in bursts. Gives them reaction time other insects don't have."
"You've been researching."
"Of course I have. My son merged with DNA that kills most people." Dad's jaw tightened. "I needed to understand what you were risking."
His mom set tea in front of them. Her hands shook slightly.
"We're proud of you," she said. "But we're also terrified."
"I know."
"Do you?" She sat down. "Soren, you're nineteen. You chose something that could've killed you. And it almost did."
"But it didn't mom, don't worry i am perfectly fine."
"This time," Dad said. "What about next time? What happens when you try to push past ten percent?"
Soren met his father's eyes. "I get stronger."
"Or you die."
"Maybe."
His mom made a sound. Almost a sob.
"Mom—"
"I know," she said. "I know you have to do this. You've always been stubborn. Even as a kid, once you decided something, nothing could change your mind." She wiped her eyes. "But you're our son. We're allowed to worry."
"I'm being careful."
**[Liar.]**
*Shut up.*
"Dr. Voss is monitoring me," Soren continued. "Weekly check-ins. Any problems, she'll pull me from training."
"And you'll listen to her?" Dad asked.
"Yes."
Another lie. But a kind one.
His dad studied him for a long moment. Then nodded.
"Alright. Let's go celebrate."
They went to a restaurant near the old market. Small place but Good food. His parents used to bring him here when he was younger.
They ordered too much. Noodles and dumplings and roasted vegetables. His mom kept adding things to his plate.
"You need to eat more," she insisted.
"I'm eating."
"You're picking."She almost yelled at him for not eating fast enough.
His dad smiled. "Let him breathe, Sarah."
"I'm a mother. I don't let things breathe."
They all laughed together.
"So what's next?" Dad asked. "After the monitoring period?"
"Training. Building up my integration percentage."
"How high can you go?"
Soren hesitated. "Theoretically? Forty percent before things get complicated."
"Complicated how?"
He shrugged. "That's when most DNA users hit their limit. Body can't handle more foreign genetic material."
**[That's not the whole truth.]**
*I know.*
**[At forty percent, things get interesting.]**
*I said shut up.*
"And after forty?" Mom asked.
"No one really knows. Most people stop there."
"Will you?"
Soren met her eyes. "I don't know yet."
She reached across the table and hold his hand and squeezed it hard. "Just... be careful. Please."
"I will."
They finished dinner. His dad paid despite Soren's protests. They walked home through quiet streets.
The city felt different here. Slow and peaceful.
At the house, his mom hugged him again.
"Stay for the night," she said.
"I should get back."
"One night won't hurt."
He looked at his dad. Dad nodded.
"Alright," Soren said. "One night."
His mom smiled. "Good. I'll make some tea."
His parents have a habit of drinking tea after dinner.
His room looked exactly like he'd left it somedays ago.
He sat on the bed and stared at a poster of a tiger beetle.
**[They love you.]**
*I know.*
**[They'll love you more when they see what you become.]**
*Or they'll be terrified.*
**[Maybe both.]**
Soren lay back. Staring at the ceiling.
*Can I ask you something?*
**[Always.]**
*Why me?*
Silence. Then.
**[What do you mean?]**
*Why did I get reincarnated? Why do I have you? Why only now?*
**[That's three questions.]**
*Answer them.*
The system was quiet for a moment. Then its voice came back, softer than before.
**[You were chosen.]**
*By who?*
**[The Beetle God. Ancient. Older than this world's mana. Older than most things that still exist.]**
*Why?*
**[Your love for beetles. Not just in this life. In your previous one too. You died trying to save them. That kind of devotion... it resonates. It makes you worthy.]**
Soren stared at the ceiling.
*So I died. Got reincarnated. And now I have a god's system in my head.*
**[Basically, yes.]**
*That's insane.*
**[Welcome to your new life. It only gets weirder from here.]**
Soren closed his eyes.
Outside, the city hummed, flying cars and traffic making sound . Inside, something ancient and patient waiting silently.
And tomorrow, he'd go back to campus and start the real work.
Training. Fighting. Climbing toward a goal he didn't fully understand yet.
But for tonight, he was home.
And that was enough.