The world outside the hospital window looked calm—too calm for the storm that had passed through his life. The faint light of dawn filtered through the white curtains, painting everything in soft gold. Machines beeped quietly beside him, a reminder that he was still alive, still breathing, still here.
Jackim opened his eyes slowly. His body felt like it had been crushed and reborn from ashes. The pain was there—sharp, real—but his mind was clearer than ever. Every sound, every flicker of light seemed sharper, as if the universe had peeled off its dull layers.
For a moment, he just lay there. No System notifications, no voices in his head, just silence. The kind of silence that tests what's left of a man.
He turned his head slightly. Kelvin was slumped in a chair beside the bed, asleep, his hand still holding onto Jackim's wrist like he was afraid to lose him again. Across the room, Lina sat by the window, her eyes red from crying but still beautiful in that quiet, unguarded way. Ariana was standing near the door, phone in hand, business-like as always, but her trembling fingers betrayed the worry she was trying to hide. Melissa was curled up on the couch, arms folded across her chest, pretending to nap.
He blinked slowly. They're all here.
The System voice returned, calm and almost human this time.
> [System Notification: Host has survived fatal damage. Recovery rate: 87%. Awakening sequence complete.]
[Host has entered Level 3 — Urban Emperor Path unlocked.]
Jackim didn't react outwardly. He'd been through too much to be surprised anymore. But deep inside, something stirred—something bigger than greed, pride, or revenge.
He wasn't supposed to survive that night. Those men were trained, precise. Every stab, every blow was meant to end him. Yet here he was, not only alive but stronger, clearer.
He moved his fingers slightly. Pain shot through his ribs, but he welcomed it. Pain meant life. Pain meant progress.
Kelvin stirred awake, rubbing his eyes. When he saw Jackim looking back at him, his jaw dropped.
"Bro… you're awake?"
Jackim tried to smile, but his lips were dry. "Yeah. Guess I'm too stubborn to die."
Kelvin laughed—a shaky, relieved laugh that cracked halfway through. "Man, don't joke like that. You scared the hell out of all of us. Lina hasn't eaten for two days. Ariana's been threatening the doctors. Melissa nearly punched a nurse yesterday."
A low chuckle escaped Jackim's throat. "You guys really make it sound like I'm worth all that trouble."
Lina turned from the window, wiping her eyes quickly. "You are," she said quietly. "You always were. We just… didn't see it before."
Ariana crossed her arms, trying to mask her emotion. "You nearly died, idiot. You could have told someone you were walking into danger."
"I didn't plan to," he said softly. "They came to me."
Melissa exhaled, standing up and walking closer. "You think that makes it better? We thought—" She stopped mid-sentence, her voice breaking slightly. "Forget it. You're alive. That's what matters."
For a long minute, none of them spoke. The quiet filled the room again, thick with emotion and unspoken words.
Jackim looked down at his hands. There were bandages, bruises, but underneath… he could feel something new. The System wasn't just giving him power anymore—it was reshaping his instincts, sharpening his vision.
> [New Rewards Unlocked:]
– Elite Business Vision (Lv.1)
– Ability: Summon Temporary Bodyguards (3 uses)
– Access to Hidden Market (Level 1)
He didn't say anything. Not yet. The world didn't need to know what he was becoming.
After a while, the doctor came in, checked his vitals, gave a long speech about rest, and left. The door closed softly behind him, leaving the room heavy with unspoken tension again.
Jackim shifted in the bed, wincing. "How long was I out?"
"Three days," Kelvin said. "We thought…" He didn't finish the sentence.
"Three days…" Jackim repeated, staring at the ceiling. "Feels like a lifetime."
Ariana walked closer. "You should rest. You're still healing."
Jackim looked at her, really looked at her. She was beautiful, yes, but there was something else—concern, fear, genuine care. The fiancée he barely knew now looked at him like he was the most fragile, precious thing in the world.
He smiled faintly. "I'll rest. But first, there's something I need to do."
"Like what?" she asked.
He looked out the window. The city stretched beyond the horizon, tall buildings gleaming under the morning sun. Cars moved like streams of silver, people bustling below, unaware of the quiet war waged above them.
"I need to start over," he said simply. "Not as the boy they mocked. Not as the guy chasing revenge. As someone who owns his world, not hides from it."
Lina's voice was soft, but steady. "You already do."
He looked at her, his chest tightening for reasons he couldn't quite name. Her eyes were full of warmth, something between love and guilt.
"Maybe," he said. "But this time, I'll do it right."
Kelvin clapped his shoulder gently. "Then we'll do it together."
Jackim nodded. "Together."
A notification flickered again at the edge of his mind, faint but certain.
> [System Mission Unlocked: Urban Emperor's First Step — Take control of your destiny. Duration: Unlimited.]
He smiled faintly. "You hear that?"
Kelvin frowned. "Hear what?"
"Nothing," Jackim said. "Just… a reminder."
A nurse came in to change his bandages. The others stepped aside. Jackim winced as the gauze peeled away, revealing scars that would probably never fade. But he didn't mind. Scars were proof of survival. Proof that he'd been broken and rebuilt.
When the nurse left, Jackim slowly stood up. His legs trembled, but he steadied himself. The girls moved to help, but he raised a hand. "I've got it."
He took one step, then another, until he stood by the window. The sunlight touched his face, and for the first time in years, he felt… peace.
Below, the city pulsed with life—people chasing dreams, losing hope, finding it again. He had once been one of them, invisible and forgotten. But not anymore.
He turned back to his friends. "I'm done running. I'm done hiding who I am."
Melissa raised an eyebrow. "And who exactly are you now?"
Jackim smiled, eyes glinting with quiet power. "Someone who won't be stepped on again."
The moment hung in the air, electric and final.
Kelvin grinned. "Then let's make them remember the name Jackim."
Ariana smirked. "They'll regret ever doubting you."
Lina just smiled softly, eyes glistening. "You don't have to prove anything to anyone. Just live."
Jackim looked at all of them—the friends, the lovers, the believers. The people who stayed when everyone else walked away.
He nodded slowly. "I will. But I'll live my way."
He reached for the jacket draped over the chair—black, simple, elegant. The moment he slipped it on, something changed. His posture straightened, his expression hardened. The weak boy from Victoria Texas High was gone. In his place stood a man with the calm confidence of someone who had seen the edge of death and chosen to walk past it.
He picked up his phone. The screen lit up with dozens of missed calls, news alerts, and one message flashing in bold from an unknown number.
> "The Wheel never forgets. You're next."
He stared at it for a long moment, then simply deleted it.
"I'm done playing their game," he said quietly. "Now, they'll play mine."
He walked toward the door. Kelvin followed. The girls exchanged glances, then trailed behind. The corridor was long, white, sterile, but every step echoed like thunder.
Outside, the morning sun was blinding. Jackim paused at the entrance, breathing in the cool air. The city stretched before him—his battlefield, his empire, his redemption.
He adjusted his cuffs, eyes narrowing as the System whispered again in his mind:
> [Welcome to Level 3, Host. The world is watching.]
Jackim smirked faintly. "Good. Let them."
He stepped forward, black suit gleaming under the sunlight, every movement radiating quiet power. The wind picked up, brushing against his face like an old friend.
He wasn't a victim anymore. He wasn't the poor boy mocked at reunions or the boy chasing love that didn't see his worth.
He was Jackim Ochieng — reborn, refined, and unstoppable.
And the city… was about to kneel.