Adam stood frozen by the floor-to-ceiling window, his mind racing as he processed the neon-lit skyline. This wasn't just a different country; the physics of the flying cars alone suggested a technological leap of at least two centuries.
He opened his mouth to speak, to ask the empty room a question, but before a sound could leave his throat, a voice boomed from the other side of the door.
"Adam! Are you going to sleep all day? Breakfast is ready!"
Adam stiffened. Someone knows my name.
His eyes narrowed. This body—the one he was currently inhabiting—was named Adam. That was a variable he hadn't expected. Was he himself? Or was he someone else entirely?
Before he could formulate a plan, the door slid open with a soft whoosh.
A young man walked in. He looked to be about nineteen years old, tall, with sharp features and a confident stride. He wore a sleek, grey uniform that hugged his athletic build.
"Hey, space-out," the young man said, leaning against the doorframe. "Mom is already in a bad mood. You don't want to keep her waiting."
Adam looked at the stranger. His brain accessed the memories of his past life—his solitary existence, his father's secret work—but when he looked at this boy, he drew a blank. He had no memory of a brother. He had no memory of this room.
Calculation: Panic creates suspicion. Silence allows for observation. Best course of action: Mimicry.
Adam relaxed his shoulders, forcing a neutral expression onto his face. He didn't say a word. He just nodded and walked toward the door, following the stranger. He needed to gather intel. If he was dead in his world, he needed to understand the rules of this one to survive.
They walked down a spiral staircase made of a glass-like material. The house was modern, minimalistic, and expensive.
They entered the dining area. A man and a woman sat at a long, oval table. The table didn't have legs; it hovered silently a few inches off the floor.
The man was reading news on a holographic tablet that projected from his wrist. The woman was serving food—a strange, glowing green paste and synthetic-looking toast.
"Finally," the woman said, looking up as Adam entered. "Sit down."
Adam pulled out a chair and sat next to the young man—his "brother." He glanced at the couple. These were his parents in this reality. He didn't know them. He felt no emotional connection to them. But for now, they were his cover.
Adam picked up a spoon, watching how the others ate. He remained silent, letting the atmosphere dictate the conversation.
"Adam," his mother said sharply, breaking the silence. "How long are you going to keep acting like this?"
Adam paused, spoon halfway to his mouth. Acting like what? He quickly deduced that the previous owner of this body must have been problematic.
"Look at your brother," the mother continued, gesturing to the boy next to him. "Steven doesn't waste his mornings lazing around."
Steven. Target identified: Older brother.
"Steven awakened the Gravity Authority when he was just eighteen," the mother said, her voice filled with pride. "He secured admission to the Central Authority Planet University immediately. And look at you. You are still stuck in the District School, and you haven't put in a single ounce of effort to unlock anything."
Adam's mind whirred.
Gravity Authority?
He analyzed the term. In his old world, gravity was a fundamental force of nature, described by Newton and Einstein. Was 'Gravity Authority' a Ph.D. thesis? A scientific clearance level?
"I am just studying," Steven said, though he smirked, clearly enjoying the praise. "Adam just needs to focus. Though, Central Authority Planet University isn't easy to get into even with an Authority."
Adam frowned slightly. Authority... Unlock... University.
The context clues didn't fit a standard academic subject. They spoke of it like it was a tangible power or a biological trait. Was this world not just technologically advanced, but biologically divergent?
"I..." Adam started, testing his voice. It sounded similar to his old one, but younger.
"Rachel, that's enough," the father spoke up, closing his holographic display. He looked at Adam with tired but kind eyes. "You shouldn't speak to him like that. An Authority isn't something you can just buy at a store. It's not entirely in Adam's hands which Authority he unlocks, or if he unlocks one at all."
"But he is lazy, George!" Rachel argued. "He has a few months left before the Awakening Ceremony. If he doesn't prepare, he'll end up with a Trash Tier Authority, or worse, become a Civ—a civilian with zero power."
Adam listened intently, filing away every keyword. Awakening Ceremony. Trash Tier. Civilian.
So, this 'Authority' wasn't a subject. It was a power system. And apparently, society was divided by it.
"He has time," George said calmly. "Adam, don't let the pressure get to you. Just focus on your health."
Rachel sighed, aggressively spreading jam on her toast. "If he wants a chance, he needs to do his Yoga. The breathing techniques help synchronize the body with the zeo energy. Adam, are you even listening? You haven't done your morning Yoga in weeks. That laziness is why your synchronization rate is so low. Do you want to embarrass us?"
Adam looked down at his plate. Yoga? Breathing techniques? Zeo energy?
This was starting to sound less like science and more like fantasy. But Adam was a man of logic. If flying cars existed, and if a blue liquid in his old world could modify a spider, then 'Zeo Energy' was just another variable to be calculated.
"I will," Adam said simply. It was the safest response.
He looked at his hands. They seemed normal, but he remembered the burning sensation before he died. He remembered the blue liquid mixing with his father's blood.
In this world, people unlocked powers called Authorities. His brother, Steven, controlled Gravity.
Adam felt a strange calmness settle over him. He had been an outcast in his old world, living in the shadows of his father's secret lab. Here, he was considered a failure, a lazy student named Adam.
Perfect, he thought. No one expects anything from a failure. That gives me time to analyze this world.
"I'll go to my room," Adam said, standing up. "I need to... study the Yoga techniques."
"At least he's listening for once," Rachel muttered as he walked away.
As Adam climbed the glass stairs back to his room, his expression shifted from confusion to cold calculation. He needed to find out what this 'Authority' really was, and more importantly, he needed to check his own body. Because deep down, beneath the skin of this new life, he could still feel the faint, humming vibration of the blue ingredient he had swallowed in his past life.
He had a feeling that whatever 'Authority' he unlocked wouldn't be something as simple as Gravity.