2026-09-24 15:45:28The first punch landed hard in Kelvin’s stomach.
He folded over, coughing, but the two boys holding his arms did not let him fall. Zico stepped in close and hit him again, this time in the ribs. Pain shot through Kelvin’s side. He tasted blood.
“I said stop!” Kelvin forced the words out. He twisted his body and kicked backward. His foot caught one of the boys in the shin. The boy cursed and loosened his grip for half a second.
It was enough.
Kelvin yanked one arm free and swung his elbow. It smashed into Zico’s cheek. Zico staggered, eyes wide with shock. For a moment the alley went quiet.
Then Zico’s face twisted with pure hate.
“You dare hit me, trash?”
The two boys grabbed Kelvin harder this time. One twisted his arm until it felt like it would snap. Zico wiped the blood from his lip and smiled.
“That’s the last time you raise your hand to me.”
They dragged him across the cracked ground. An old metal barrel stood near a pile of garbage. Kelvin fought every step. He dug his heels in. He shouted. He even bit the hand that covered his mouth. Nothing worked. They shoved him inside the barrel and slammed the lid shut.
Darkness. The smell of rust and old oil. Kelvin pushed against the lid with both hands and both feet. The metal did not move.
Outside he heard the sound of liquid pouring. Cold gasoline soaked his clothes and hair. The sharp smell burned his nose.
“Light it,” Zico said.
A match scratched. Fire exploded around him.
Heat slammed into Kelvin from every side. The metal walls turned into a furnace. His skin blistered almost at once. Smoke filled the small space. He screamed until his throat tore. His hands slapped the burning metal. His clothes caught fire. The pain was so big that his mind almost shut down.
“Mom… I’m sorry,” he whispered through the smoke. “I won’t make it home today.”
The last thing he felt was the fire eating his skin.
Then everything went black.
---
In the dark place where pain no longer existed, a soft blue light appeared.
A calm voice spoke inside his head.
[Host confirmed. Name: Kelvin Stewart. Age: fifteen. Status: deceased.]
[Life System online.]
[Beginning full body restoration.]
Cool energy rushed through him. The burning vanished. His lungs filled with clean air. Strength returned to his arms and legs.
Kelvin opened his eyes.
He was standing outside the blackened barrel. Smoke still rose from the twisted metal. But his skin was smooth. No burns. No blood. Even his clothes had changed. He now wore a simple dark shirt and pants that fit him perfectly.
He stared at his hands, then touched his face. Everything felt real.
“I’m alive…” he said quietly.
A blue screen floated in front of him. Only he could see it.
[Welcome, Host Kelvin Stewart.]
[You died once. The Life System brought you back.]
[From now on, you will receive missions. Complete them to earn money, strength, and power.]
[Fail them, and you may lose everything you gain.]
Kelvin’s heart was still racing. He looked around the empty alley. Zico and his friends were gone. They had left him to burn.
He clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms.
“Why me?” he asked the empty air.
[Because you still have something left to protect… and something left to take back.]
Kelvin thought of his mother waiting under the bridge. She was sick. She needed medicine. She needed him. Then he thought of Zico’s laughing face as the fire started.
A cold, quiet anger settled in his chest.
He wiped the last bit of ash from his cheek and stood up straight.
“Alright,” he said. His voice was steady now. “If this System is real, then give me the first mission. I won’t die like trash again.”
The blue screen pulsed once.
[First mission loading…]
[Warning: Host’s mother is currently in danger.]
Kelvin’s eyes widened. Without another word he turned and ran toward the bridge, the night wind cold against his new clothes.
Behind him, the burnt barrel stood silent in the dark alley — the place where the old Kelvin Stewart had died…
and the new one had been born.
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Chapter 14
Kelvin left the house at first light. He checked the wooden board on the window one more time, then rode toward the old bridge.Three days left. He needed something stronger than paper and photos.Near the closed part of the bridge he found a woman hanging clothes outside a small house. She looked tired. Kelvin stopped a few steps away and spoke quietly.“I am looking for anyone who saw the fire near the barrel months ago. Or the night the bridge was damaged.”The woman glanced at him, then at the street. “People do not talk about that night.”“I was the one in the barrel,” Kelvin said. “I only want the truth.”She was silent for a long moment. Then she pointed toward a narrow path behind the houses.“There is a boy who collects scrap there every morning. He was out that night. He saw more than he should have. But he is afraid.”Kelvin thanked her and followed the path. After a few minutes he found a thin boy about his age pulling a metal cart. The boy stopped when he saw Kelvin.“I d
Chapter 13
Kelvin did not sleep much. Every time a motorbike passed outside he opened his eyes. When morning came he got up, checked the wooden board on the window, and left the house early.He rode straight to the alley near the river. The old man who had spoken to him before was sitting in the same place, fixing another broken chair.Kelvin stopped in front of him.“I need your help,” he said. “Not to fight. Just to write down what you saw that night. Even a few lines.”The old man looked at him for a long time. “I already told you I do not want trouble.”“I know,” Kelvin said. “But if no one writes anything, the people who did it will keep walking free. I will not put your name on any paper if you do not want it. I only need the words.”The old man rubbed his hands together. Finally he nodded once. He took a small piece of paper from his pocket and wrote slowly with a short pencil. When he finished he gave it to Kelvin.The writing was simple:Three boys. One of them called Zico. They poured
Chapter 12
Kelvin left the house before sunrise. He did not tell anyone where he was going. He only took his phone, his notebook, and enough money for fuel.He rode slowly through the quieter streets near the river and the old market. Xenovia had said Raka was coming today. Kelvin did not know the exact place, so he watched and listened. He stopped at small shops and asked careful questions. Most people said nothing. One man who sold cigarettes finally spoke in a low voice.“If you are looking for the man named Raka, try the empty lot behind the old warehouse. People meet there when they do not want to be seen.”Kelvin thanked him and rode that way.The warehouse stood near the edge of the industrial area. The lot behind it was full of weeds and broken concrete. Kelvin parked his motorcycle two streets away and walked the rest of the distance. He stayed behind a low wall and watched.After almost an hour, a black car stopped. Two men got out. One was Zico. The other was older, maybe in his late
Chapter 11
Kelvin woke up with the same pain in his ribs, but he did not stay in bed. Five days left. He needed answers about the name Xenovia had given him.Raka.He rode to school early and asked carefully. Most students shook their heads. One older boy from another class finally spoke in a low voice near the back gate.“Raka is not a student,” the boy said. “He is older. People say he fixes problems for money. Broken legs. Lost papers. Sometimes worse. Stay away from that name.”That was all Kelvin got before the boy walked off fast.At school the whispers had changed again. Some students looked at Kelvin with open dislike. During the first break a teacher called him aside.“There is a report,” the teacher said. “Someone says you started the fight in the parking lot and also the one in the alley. The school is looking into it. Be careful.”Kelvin knew who had made the report. Zico was not only hiring people now. He was using words and lies.After class Kelvin did not go home. He rode back to
Chapter 10
Kelvin left the house early the next morning. His ribs still ached, but he ignored the pain. He had six days left. Sitting at home would not help.He rode straight to the old alley near the river. The burnt barrel was still there, black and twisted. A few older people sat on plastic chairs outside the small houses along the street. Most of them looked away when they saw him.Kelvin stopped in front of an old man who was repairing a broken chair. The man’s hands were slow and careful.“Excuse me,” Kelvin said. “Were you here the night of the fire a few months ago?”The old man looked up. His eyes were careful. “Why do you ask?”“I was the one they threw in the barrel,” Kelvin answered. “I need to know if anyone saw who did it.”The old man put down his tools. He looked at the barrel for a long time, then at Kelvin’s face.“I saw three boys,” he said in a low voice. “One of them was laughing. He had a school bag. The others poured something on the barrel and lit it. I stayed inside. I a
Chapter 09
Kelvin woke up before the sun rose. His ribs still hurt every time he took a deep breath. The cut on his lip had dried, but his left arm felt heavy and stiff. He sat up slowly and checked the System screen.Strength: 7 Intelligence: 1 System Points: 18 Balance: $35,750 Mission Progress: 5% Time left: 6 days, 6 hoursHe put the silver button on the table next to his bed. One small piece. Not enough. He needed more.He washed, put on a clean uniform, and went downstairs. The house was quiet. It was his now. He still had not gotten used to that. He made simple food, ate a little even though his side hurt, and left early.At school the whispers were louder. People stared at the bruises on his face and the way he walked carefully. Zico was back. He sat in class with a bandage across his nose and dark marks under his eyes. When Kelvin walked past, Zico looked at him with pure hate, but he did not speak. Not yet.During the morning break Xenovia found him near the old tree by the s
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