Chapter 2

Alex Packer woke with a throbbing headache. The last thing he remembered was taking his final breath as the stone necklace burst into a red, flaming light and wrapped around him. After that, he had lost consciousness.

"What's happening? Am I dead? Is this the soul realm?"

His eyes were unfocused as he tried to take in his surroundings. After a moment, his vision gradually cleared. He found himself lying in a deserted, dark alley.

"I'm not dead? Then why wasn't I sent to a hospital? Who left me in this strange alley?" None of it made sense. His entire body ached, and bruises covered his skin. Yet there was no way a direct hit from a truck would leave him with only these relatively minor injuries.

In the best-case scenario, surviving such an accident would have meant spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Something was clearly wrong.

Without warning, his headache intensified. He clutched his head as his body twitched violently. He remained like that for several minutes until the pain finally subsided. When he lifted his head again, his expression was no longer the same.

He understood what had happened.

He had reincarnated.

Just moments ago, he had received the memories of this body's previous owner, right up to the instant of death.

A surge of rage and regret burned through him. The intensity of it startled him, because those emotions were not entirely his own. They had to be remnants of the previous owner's consciousness. That owner had also been named Alex and, like him, had been an orphan. The difference was that this Alex had never been adopted. Once he turned sixteen, he had been forced to fend for himself.

It felt as though that lingering consciousness had not fully dissipated and had instead merged with his soul. He could not explain how, but he could sense it with unsettling clarity.

"So I died and was reincarnated into another world similar to Earth?" he murmured. "Well, that's still better than ceasing to exist. Even if I had lived, there was no way I would have survived that truck."

He sighed softly and accepted his fate.

His only regret was that he would not be with Adolf for his next birthday. He would never see him again. Back on Earth, he had only a handful of friends, most of whom were regular customers. He had spent most of his life driving his taxi and taking care of Adolf, until Adolf had been moved to an old people's home the year before.

"This kid died in such a pitiful way," he muttered. "He did nothing wrong. He just fell in love like any other youth. Those bastards beat him to death. And his girlfriend could have simply broken up with him instead of cheating behind his back with his so-called best friend."

He paused, then let out a short, humorless laugh.

"The funny thing is, he had the same dream I did when I was younger."

The deceased Alex had wanted to become a superstar as well. He had been passionate about it and had even registered for a hugely popular reality competition show, Super Stars of Tomorrow.

But just like him, his talent had only been average.

"I promise I'll take revenge for you," he said quietly. "And I'll chase the dream we both shared, the dream I thought I'd already lost my chance to pursue."

His eyes stung as he spoke.

What he could not achieve in his past life, he would achieve in this one. Even if his talent was only average, he would work harder than anyone else and make it real.

(Ding! The Wish Stone has scanned your memory and determined your path based on your deepest wish. Based on the result, you have been awarded the Superstar System!)

A robotic voice rang out in his mind, startling him badly.

"System? Wish Stone?" He froze as the pieces began to click into place.

The red stone.

He had been so absorbed in the memory transfer that he had temporarily forgotten about it. How had he arrived in this world in the first place? His soul must have been carried here by that mysterious red stone his adoptive father had given him.

He remembered the stone bursting into red light at the final moment. It had to be the last Wish Stone. What was the true story behind it? Did his adoptive father know about its power? Was it really just a coincidence that he had given Alex the stone on the very day he died?

Sadly, those questions would never be answered.

He was in another world now.

"First, I need to get out of this alley." As much as he wanted to rest longer, he could not afford to. The place was dark and deserted, and he could easily be attacked by robbers. He had no intention of dying a second time.

He pushed himself to his feet and winced, almost forgetting how badly he had been beaten. Step by step, he made his way home.

After ten minutes of walking, he reached his apartment. He rented a single room in an old, three-story building.

The landlady was outside, smoking. She paused when she noticed him limping toward her.

"What is this? Why are you walking like that? Wait, why are there bruises all over your body?" Her eyes widened in shock.

"It's nothing serious," he said, trying to reassure her. "I got into a small fight. I'm fine now. I just need a good rest."

He lied without hesitation.

He did not want to explain what had happened. She nodded and said nothing more, though worry still lingered in her expression.

Alex took a proper look at her, since this was the first time he had seen her with his own eyes rather than through the memories of the other Alex.

She was stunningly beautiful and appeared to be in her late twenties. She had a sharp tongue, but all her tenants knew she was a good person at heart. He had owed her money many times in the past, and she had always allowed him to pay at his own pace. Of course, she never failed to give a firm lecture afterward.

He sighed and dragged himself into his small room.

The place was a mess. The previous Alex had never been a tidy person. He would have cleaned it up, but he had no strength left.

More than anything, he wanted to sleep. Still, before that, he needed to see the face of the body he now inhabited.

He stepped in front of the mirror...