Chapter 1: Aria Everen
Long ago, humanity's souls fractured. They called it the Parallel Soul Rupture. Nobody really knew why. Nobody understood the full consequences. But the world had changed, and not in small ways. Women—steady, enduring, unbreakable in soul—rose to dominate. Men became a rarity. Some were born with both immense strength and a soul strong enough to hold it. They survived. They thrived. They lived long, dangerous lives. Others… weren't so lucky. Too much power for too fragile a soul. They burned out, young. Their deaths left only whispers, legends of what might have been.
At the same time, the world itself fractured. Invisible tears—Rifts—appeared in reality. Monsters poured out. Corrupted energy made flesh, twisted and hungry. Leave one unchecked, and entire cities could fall. Humanity adapted, like it always did. Hunters arose. Trained, hardened, skilled. Only the strongest could survive the largest breaches. Most didn't.
I opened my eyes in a room that smelled faintly of vanilla and fresh linens. Too clean. Too perfect. Almost suffocating in its stillness.
I froze.
This body… it was all wrong. Limbs delicate, skin smooth, curves soft. Fragile. Soft. Not mine.
I glanced at the mirror. A beautiful girl stared back.
That's… me? No. No, not me. Right? God, if you were going to reincarnate me, why not at least make me male?
Then, memories flooded in. Not mine. Layered over mine.
Aria.
A mother fussing over long hair. A father adjusting collars. Whispered conversations in the hallway. Careful steps of a boy learning to survive by being fragile. Every instinct, every habit, every reflex… Aria's, but now mine.
Wait. I'm a boy. Why am I acting like a girl?
Beneath the memories, the body's truth pressed against me. Weak. Too weak for the power it had once held. Dormant, unawakened.but it awakened and aria died with his weak soul . But me… my soul? From another world. Free. Strong. Untouchable by the rules of this one. Far too strong for this fragile vessel.
Aria had died at sixteen.
And now… I had to live his life. Huh. Why, God? Fine. At least I had a male body . That was… something.
The world thought Aria Everen was fragile. That mask… I would wear it.
Soft footsteps from the other side of the room. Selene Everen. My mother. S-rank hunter. Could level mountains, calm storms, and yet smile as if nothing else mattered.
"Aria, breakfast is ready. Try not to be late for school today."
I forced a faint smile. Aria's life would be my mask. And I'd wear it well.
---
I followed Selene down the narrow hallway. Bare feet made almost no sound on the polished wooden floor. Each step had to be lighter than the last. Softer. Delicate. Nothing like the weight I was used to. Every movement required thought. Feminine. Fragile. Like Aria. One misstep and… I'd be caught.
The kitchen smelled of eggs and toasted bread. Simple. Comforting. Elias Everen, my father, sat at the table, sipping tea. Calm eyes flicked over the morning news. He looked up as I entered, and smiled. Gentle. Quiet. Safe.
"Morning, Aria," he said. Soft. Steady. Reliable. In a world like this, a man like him was rare. Almost precious. Weak in body, but strong enough in soul to survive. Harmless.
I nodded, keeping my voice airy and light. "Good morning, Father."
Mom moved around the kitchen with ease, placing plates and cups. Every motion was precise, deliberate, controlled. Beneath that practiced grace, there was power. Subtle, barely noticeable, but overwhelming if you stepped wrong. S-rank. One misstep and she could crush a room. But she didn't need to. Strength that calm, that quiet… rare. Perfectly balanced with care. I guess that's why she had a husband. not like most ordinary people.
I sat and observed. Patterns. Habits. Strengths. Weaknesses. Stored, cataloged, ready for later use. Even in this quiet morning, the world was teaching me how it worked.
"And Aria," Mom's voice cut through my thoughts, soft but firm, "there's a small Rift reported near the northern district today. You might hear the sirens."
Rift. Monsters. Casual. Like it was nothing. The world never slowed for the small or the weak. But I… I felt it. The tug. The pull. Something others wouldn't notice.
I stirred my tea, smiling faintly under the mask. Strong body. Aria died so young… but now, this soul? Unstoppable.
Breakfast continued, but my thoughts were elsewhere. Tonight, I'd test the body. See its limits. Push it.
Huh. School first.
---
The streets were busier than I expected for a school morning. Cars hummed past, tires splashing through puddles left by last night's rain. People moved with purpose—heads down, eyes glued to phones, rushing to their next appointments. Mothers with children, office workers in a hurry, and the occasional man. Rare. Cautious. Aware of how unusual their kind was.
I walked among them carefully. Light steps. Soft posture. Eyes unassuming. Fragile. Everyone assumed I was delicate, just like Aria. A mask worn without effort.
At the corner store, a news screen flashed. Northern district. Minor Rift breach. Nothing major, but enough to stir the Hunter network. Ordinary people wouldn't notice. Most wouldn't care. But I could feel it. Faint, like a pulse beneath the city.
A group of students came toward me, laughing and nudging each other. One girl broke off and waved.
"Hey, Aria! Over here!" Dark hair, loose waves falling over her shoulders. Brown eyes, curious, mischievous.
I forced a small, polite smile. "Morning, neina"
"You actually showed up on time today! Impressive," she teased, nudging my arm.
I chuckled softly. "Someone has to set a good example, right?"
She grinned, stepping closer. "Yeah, yeah. I'll let you have that one. Walk with me?"
"Sure." I fell into step beside her. Easy. Casual. Harmless. Exactly what Aria would do.
The streets spoke quietly. Men walking alone, careful to stay unnoticed. Women moved confidently, dominating the sidewalks. Ordinary life, but the imbalance was everywhere.
And beneath it all, I felt it again. The pull. Faint, insistent. Another Rift. Not the one Mom mentioned. Smaller. Farther. Weak, alive.
I smiled under the mask. The world thought Aria Everen delicate, quiet, harmless. Perfect. I could watch. Learn. Test. No one would suspect.
School loomed ahead. Teachers, students, classes. Mundane. Ordinary. But my mind was elsewhere. Planning. Measuring. Seeing how far I could push this body. How much I could hide. And when… just when… could I step beyond Aria's mask and see the world for what it truly was?