"Life is such an unfair, bitch. Now I understand why that phrase is one of the most said—and most hated."
The bitter words slipped from cracked lips, spoken not in anger, but in the surrender of a young man who had nothing left to give or lose.
Inside a narrow, crumbling space that barely qualified as a room, a young man in his late twenties lay curled up on the floor.
His limbs trembled uncontrollably, and the air around him felt like knives dragging across his skin.
The so-called "room" was more like a storage closet in a condemned building—no insulation, no heating, no window. Just four moldy walls and a leaky roof that mocked him with every gust of winter wind.
His name was Alex. And this... this was where he was going to die.
He lay on the bare concrete, dressed in thin, ragged clothing that clung to his emaciated body like worn paper.
Every breath burned his lungs, and it felt like they were turning to ice from the inside out. He tried to rub his hands together to generate warmth, but his fingers wouldn't respond. His blood felt sluggish, frozen.
Alex couldn't move any part of his body anymore. Apart from the uncontrollable shaking of his body due to the biting cold of the wild, Alex is practically lying still.
Not only was Alex cold—he was starving. His stomach had long stopped growling. It simply ached in silence now, like it too had given up.
He hadn't had anything to eat for the whole day. The last cold, hard bread he has, he ate last night. And he has money on his person or he wouldn't be in such a situation I. The first place.
Alex forced a pitiful smile.
"Figures… starving and freezing. Classic way to go. Guess it was a given, considering how shitty my life has been."
Alex has no one to call. No one to check on him. No family. No friends. And sadly, he felt that his pleas wasn't loud enough to reach the heavens.
He'd been homeless most of his life. An orphan with no record, no known parents, no last name beyond "Alex."
Yeah. Just "Alex."
He had grown up in the cracks of society, scraping by with whatever he could scavenge, beg for, or steal. He had tried to work but no one agreed to employ him due to how bad he looks and smells.
As he grew up, each year had gotten harder. And each winter colder.
And this winter… was the last.
"Would've been nice," he muttered through clenched teeth, "if I had a warm jacket… or just a decent roof over my head… hell, I'd settle for socks that matched."
He coughed, a harsh, dry sound that rattled through his chest and causing him to cough up a speckle of blood.
His body was failing and he knew it.
Alex closed his eyes, his thoughts slowing, drifting into regret and quiet longing. He didn't dream of mansions or cars. He would've been content with warmth. With food. With someone to talk to. Just the basic needs.
As his heartbeat grew faint, he smiled to himself.
"If there's another life after this..." he whispered, his voice barely audible, "Please… just let me not worry about money anymore."
That was his final thought.
Then, everything faded.
***
Darkness.
Then… warmth.
Alex felt something soft under his back. Warm. Thick. His eyes stayed closed, reluctant to let go of the strange comfort.
He shifted slightly and realized his body was covered by something heavy—blankets, maybe?
For the first time in years, he felt relaxed. The warmth seeped into his bones like a long-lost friend,making him feel very cosy and contended.
Am I dreaming? Heaven? A shelter? he wondered, sighing contentedly.
Then, he felt something move. A presence next to him. It was soft and alive.
At first, he ignored it. Maybe it was part of the dream.
Then something tugged at his waist. Then… something warm brushed against a very private part of his body.
His eyes snapped open.
And what he saw nearly gave him a heart attack.
A young woman—no, a stunning young woman in a maid outfit—was kneeling between his legs, her hands on the waistband of his pants. Her lips were just inches from his—
Alex jolted upright, almost headbutting her.
"What the hell?!"
She let out a playful gasp and tilted her head with a sultry smile.
"Good morning, Young Master," she said sweetly. "Did I startle you? I was just about to begin your wake-up blowjob…"
Alex froze.
Did she just—?
His mind tried to reboot, but all it produced was static.
"Excuse you?!" he blurted, his voice hoarse.
The maid blinked, a bit confused by his reaction.
"Was the technique not to your liking, Young Master? You said I should always use my mouth to wake you gently."
Alex brain short-circuited again.
He couldn't understand what the lady was talking about. Not that he didn't understand but he felt that this had to be a dream.
But the warmth of the bed, the softness of the sheets, the ornate golden chandeliers overhead, the marble pillars in the room—none of it felt fake.
The bedroom was massive. Larger than any house he'd ever broken into for shelter. Clean, warm, and absurdly luxurious.
Where… am I?
Alex looked down at his body.
No bruises. No frostbite. No emaciation. His hands looked healthy—slender, but strong. Yet, he felt weak. His skin was smooth, his fingernails clean.
Is this… a new body? Did I enter a new body?
These questions and more similar to it plagued his mind.
Then memories hit him like a freight train. Memories that weren't his—but now they were. And he finally understands everything.
Alex Palmer.
The youngest son of the Palmers. One of the wealthiest, most powerful families in the world. A family that controlled massive shares of global corporations, political interests, and generational wealth.
And this body—the previous Alex Palmer—was a complete disgrace to them.
The useless youngest child. Spoiled. Aimless. Unworthy of inheritance. Ignored by his father. Mocked by his siblings. Abandoned in favor of older, more capable heirs.
"Of course they abandoned him… he turned into a woman-chasing party addict with zero achievements." He muttered.
But now… he wasn't the same Alex.
The next moment, he heard a voice in his head.
[System Initialising....]
[Host Confirmed: Alex Palmer]
[Scanning Host's Body.... Completed]
[Host's conditions had been assessed and addressed. Impurities had been gathered and will be expelled]
[Conditions Met. System Initialisation Completed]
[System Activated]
[Name]: Alex Palmer
[Age]: 19
[Stats]
>[Strength]: 2
>[Agility]: 1
>[Stamina]: 4
>[Intelligence]: 4
[Asset(s)]
>[Account Balance: $2,083,830]
>[Net Worth: $30,198,639]
[Knowledge: None]
[System Point(s): None]
[System Store]