The morning sunlight slanted across Frank's room, warm and golden, falling over a desk cluttered with textbooks, a cracked phone, and a small wooden sword he'd carved as a kid. Everything about the room screamed ordinary.
Everything except the faint mark glowing on his chest.
It pulsed once—soft, rhythmic, like a heartbeat not his own.
Then a voice yawned in his head.
"Mmm… finally awake. You sleep like a rock, you know that?"
Frank bolted upright. "What—who said that?"
"Relax, hero boy. You won't find me under the bed."
The air shimmered. Threads of light began to gather above his desk, twisting into shape. Pixels of gold and silver swirled until they became her.
A hologram.
A girl who looked like she'd stepped out of another reality—silver hair flowing like moonlight, eyes bright and alive with mischief. She hovered inches off the floor, crossed her arms, and tilted her head.
"Ta-da! Jessica 1.0—your system, your guide, your favorite voice in your head."
Frank just stared. "You're… my what now?"
"System," she said matter-of-factly. "I manage your stats, quests, shop, life goals, moral support, the occasional sarcasm—basically everything you can't."
Frank blinked. "You're joking right."
Jessica grinned. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
He opened his mouth, closed it again. "You look like—uh—"
She raised an eyebrow. "Careful. I have access to your pulse rate."
Frank's face turned red. "I wasn't gonna say anything weird!"
"Sure, sure." She smirked, circling him lazily like a curious cat. "You're blushing harder than a fire mage at prom."
He groaned, covering his face. "This can't be real."
"Oh, it's very real." She flicked her wrist. A translucent blue window blinked into existence before him.
---
> Title: The Beginning of Normal
Objective: Attend your first day of high school with your parents and make at least one friend.
Reward: +5 Stat Points
Punishment: Two minutes of uncontrollable stomach rebellion.
---
Frank read it twice. "That's… that's a quest?!"
"Every great hero starts somewhere." Jessica twirled mid-air. "You're not saving worlds yet, so we start with basic human social interaction. Don't underestimate it."
"Can't we skip to the cool stuff? Like training, powers, magic swords—"
"Nope." She gave him a mock salute. "You conquer algebra before you conquer reality. That's the rule."
He slumped back on his bed, groaning. "This is insane."
Jessica floated closer until her projection filled his vision. The edges of her form flickered softly. "Listen, Frank. You've lived a thousand lives, fought gods, ruled empires. This time, you're just a boy. You get to live. Maybe mess up, maybe laugh. Doesn't sound so bad, does it?"
Her tone had softened. It wasn't teasing now. It almost sounded… kind.
Frank exhaled slowly. "You make it sound easy."
"It's supposed to be."
Then, just as quickly, her smirk returned. "Now move your butt. You're gonna be late, and I don't do punishment screens before breakfast."
---
Downstairs, his mother was calling.
"Frank! You ready? Don't make us late for your first day!"
He yelled back, "Coming!" and rushed to throw on his uniform—a navy blazer, crisp shirt, tie that refused to sit straight. Jessica hovered beside him, observing critically.
"Hmm… you look presentable enough. Human-shaped. I give it a six."
"Gee, thanks."
"Hey, that's high praise. Most reincarnated warriors I've met couldn't even tie shoes."
"You've met others like me?" he asked, tugging his tie.
"Classified." She winked. "You'll remember when you're ready."
Something in her tone made him pause. There was weight beneath the playfulness—something ancient, patient, maybe even sad. But before he could ask, she clapped her hands.
"Alright, soldier. Quest one: survive family breakfast."
---
The kitchen smelled of toast and coffee. His mom fussed over his tie, his dad scrolled through emails at the table. Normal. Comforting.
Jessica hovered by the window, unseen by them, humming a tune. Frank caught her reflection in the glass; she looked oddly peaceful, watching the ordinary chaos of a family morning.
"You look like you miss this," he whispered under his breath.
"Miss what?"
"Being… alive."
She smiled faintly. "I never really died. I just stopped having a body."
He didn't know what to say to that. Before he could reply, she nudged him with a holographic elbow. "Eat. You'll need strength to socialize."
He rolled his eyes and bit into toast.
---
The car ride to school was quiet. His parents chatted about bills and neighbors. Frank stared out the window, feeling that old weight in his chest—the ache of someone who's been everywhere but never really home.
Jessica's voice was softer now, almost in his thoughts rather than around him. "You're thinking too hard."
"Can you read my mind?"
"Only the loud parts."
He sighed. "Feels like I've lived a thousand lives and none of them matter."
"Maybe they all do. Maybe this one's the payoff."
He glanced at her floating reflection again. "You talk like you know."
"Maybe I do." She winked. "Now focus. Quest starts in T-minus three minutes."
---
The school gates loomed ahead, tall and spotless. Students streamed in—laughing, loud, alive. The sight made Frank's stomach knot. He wasn't scared of gods, but crowds? That was another story.
Jessica hovered above his shoulder, whispering like a devil and an angel at once. "Remember: eye contact, smile, say hi. Not hard."
"I fought a celestial warlord once."
"And now you'll battle teenage awkwardness. Good luck, champ."
He exhaled, stepped through the gate—and immediately tripped on the curb. Books went flying.
Jessica tried not to laugh and failed. "Ten out of ten entrance."
"Shut up," he muttered, gathering his stuff.
Someone bent down to help him—a girl with short curls and a badge on her blazer. She smiled, handing him a book. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just testing gravity," he said automatically.
She snorted. "Works fine. I'm Mia."
"Frank."
Jessica's voice chimed in his ear. "Bingo! Friend acquired."
Frank ignored her, though he could feel his lips twitching into a smile.
Mia grinned. "See you around, Gravity Tester."
As she walked away, Jessica crossed her arms, mock-serious. "Quest progress: 80%. You're not terrible at this, you know."
Frank smirked. "I had a good coach."
"Flattery detected. +1 charisma."
They both laughed, and for the first time in years, Frank felt light.
---
When he got home later, drained but oddly content, the blue window appeared again.
---
> Reward: +5 Stat Points
New Function Unlocked: System Shop
---
Jessica appeared beside his bed, hair shimmering in the evening light. She gestured grandly and the holographic shop menu flared open: glowing runes, icons of weapons, strange relics.
"Welcome to the fun part," she said. "The System Shop. You've earned your first pick."
Frank scrolled through items: Focus Crystal (+1 Willpower), Minor Healing Elixir, Memory Echo Fragment (Locked).
"Wait—Memory Echo Fragment?" he asked.
Jessica's tone dipped low. "Fragments of what you've lost. Your past lives, your power, your people. You'll find more as you grow stronger."
He looked up at her. "And you'll help me find them?"
She hesitated, then smiled. "That's the job."
"Even if it gets dangerous?"
"Especially then."
She floated closer, close enough that the air buzzed with static warmth. Her eyes met his, steady and bright. "Get some rest, Frank. Tomorrow we start building you back up."
He lay back, the day replaying in his mind—the laughter, the awkwardness, the strange sense of beginning. For the first time since his rebirth, he didn't feel broken. Just… incomplete in a way that could be fixed.
Jessica's hologram dimmed, settling cross-legged in midair like a guardian light. "Good job today," she whispered. "Maybe there's hope for you yet."
Frank smiled, half-asleep. "You sound like you care."
She chuckled softly. "Don't push it, hero."
And as the night deepened, the mark on his chest glowed faintly—echoing the same rhythm as the light that watched over him.
---
End of Chapter Two.