Eden had stopped struggling.
She sat on the grimy alley ground, her back against the cold brick wall, defeat written across every line of her body. Her white hair fell across her face like a veil, hiding her expression, but Cairo could see the way her shoulders had slumped, the fight draining out of her posture like water through cupped hands.
The silence stretched between them, heavy and uncomfortable. Cairo waited, letting the weight of the Eros Sigil do its work. He could feel it now, a subtle connection threading between them, invisible but undeniable.
"Fine," she whispered finally, the word barely audible over the distant hum of the city. "I'll... I'll do what you want. I'll be your..."
She couldn't finish the sentence. Her jaw clenched, muscles working beneath pale skin as shame colored her cheeks a deep crimson. Her hands fisted in the torn fabric of her dress, knuckles going white with the force of her grip.
Cairo observed her for a long moment, studying the way defeat settled over her like a shroud. There was something almost tragic about it, watching someone so powerful brought low. But he couldn't afford sympathy. Not now. Not when he was still figuring out the rules of this new existence.
He needed information. Context. Understanding of the world he'd found himself thrust into without warning or preparation.
"Tell me what's happening," he said, his voice losing some of its earlier edge but maintaining its authority. "Explain the current situation. Everything going on around us."
Eden's head lifted slightly, confusion flickering in those crimson eyes like dying embers. "What do you mean? You don't know?" Her brow furrowed. "How can you not—"
"Just explain it to me," Cairo interrupted, sharper this time. "All of it."
She took a shaky breath, her chest rising and falling as she gathered herself. When she spoke again, her voice was steadier, falling into the rhythm of someone reciting facts they'd learned by rote.
"Today was the eve of the announcement," she began, her gaze dropping to her lap where her hands still twisted in her dress. "Tomorrow, they'll reveal the Class allocation for the Academy. It's tradition, you know? On the night before placement, the current candidates are allowed to throw a party. To celebrate. To commemorate our positions as future heroes."
Her voice took on a bitter edge, self-loathing creeping into her words.
"I was with my friends. Ayla and Skye. They kept pushing drinks on me even though I told them..." She swallowed hard. "I told them I was a lightweight. That I couldn't handle alcohol. But they wouldn't listen. They kept saying I needed to loosen up, that it was fine, that everyone was drinking."
Her knuckles went even whiter, if that was possible.
"I don't remember much after the third or fourth glass. Everything gets hazy, blurred at the edges. I remember laughing at something, remember the music being too loud, remember feeling dizzy." She paused, her brow furrowing as she tried to grasp at fragmented memories. "I think I told them I needed air. That I was going outside for a bit."
Eden's breathing quickened slightly, anxiety coloring her features.
"That's when I heard it. An explosion, I think. Something loud that cut through everything, even through the fog in my head. And then..." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "A scream. Someone screaming in pain or terror, I couldn't tell which. It was distant but loud enough that I knew something was wrong."
Her hands trembled now, and Cairo could see genuine fear in her eyes as she relived the moment.
"I must have panicked. Must have run. My instincts kicked in even though I was drunk, telling me to hide, to get away from whatever was happening. I remember stumbling, remember everything spinning. The next thing I knew, I was in that alley or somewhere dark, and then..."
She trailed off, not needing to finish. Then Cairo had found her.
Cairo's blood ran cold as the implications sank in like stones dropped in deep water. An explosion. A scream. The pieces fell together with sickening clarity, painting a picture he wished he couldn't see.
That scream must have been the original Cairo Starlight. The moment he'd been stabbed, the moment he'd received the fatal wound that had left him bleeding out in an abandoned warehouse. Someone had attacked him, left him for dead in the industrial district while the rest of the Academy celebrated.
And Cairo, the version of him that existed now, had taken over that dying body. He'd inherited someone else's tragedy, stepped into a corpse that was still warm and made it walk again.
The thought made his stomach churn, but he pushed the discomfort aside. There was no point dwelling on it. He was here now, alive through whatever cosmic accident or divine intervention had brought him to this world. The original Cairo was gone, and whoever had killed him was still out there.
But that was a problem for another day.
Cairo's mind raced through what he remembered from the webnovel, fragments of knowledge surfacing like debris after a shipwreck. He couldn't remember his own past life clearly, couldn't recall his real name or face or the people he'd loved. But he remembered the story. He remembered "Welcome To Hero Academia" in vivid detail.
Tomorrow was the Class Placement Ceremony. The day that would determine everyone's standing for the next four years.
Currently, there were forty hero candidates gathered at the Academy, drawn from the five main races that dominated this world. Humans, numerous and adaptable, masters of perseverance if not raw power. Elves, graceful and long-lived with an innate connection to magic that flowed through their very beings. Therianthropes, beast-folk who could shift between human and animal forms, possessing physical prowess that defied human limitations. Dragons, rare and devastatingly powerful, their bloodlines carrying strength that could level mountains. And Vampires, creatures of the night whose speed and strength made them apex predators among predators.
These were the races that had produced hero lineages throughout history. Not every member of these races could become a hero, the talent was rare even among them, but every hero descended from one of these five. It was an immutable law of this world, written in blood and legend.
The Academy would divide the forty candidates into four classes tomorrow. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. Ten heroes per class, sorted by a combination of factors: raw power, potential for growth, the strength of their inherited talents, their family lineages, and performance in the entrance examinations.
Alpha class would house the strongest, the cream of the crop. The prodigies who made wielding devastating power look as effortless as breathing. Cairo could already guess who'd end up there based on what he remembered from the story. Eden Brighthelm, certainly, with her Limitbreak talent and the legendary Brighthelm name backing her. The main protagonist, whoever they were in this reality. The other top-tier heroines who'd been central to the webnovel's plot, the ones with talents so broken they seemed designed by an author who'd forgotten what balance meant.
Beta would take the next tier down, still impressively strong but lacking that extra spark that defined true greatness. These would be the solid fighters, the ones who'd make up the officer corps of whatever hero organization they joined after graduation.
Gamma would be competent and reliable, the kind of heroes who'd form the backbone of any fighting force. Not flashy, not overwhelming, but steady and dependable when it counted.
And Delta...
Delta was where the weakest would go. The disappointments. The ones who'd inherited hero blood but not hero power, whose talents had thinned over generations until there was almost nothing left. The jokes and cautionary tales about how even the greatest bloodlines could produce failures.
That's where the original Cairo Starlight would have ended up, if he'd survived long enough to be placed. Dead last in Delta class, the weakest descendant in the entire Academy. A Starlight in name only, with none of the power that title should have carried.
But things were different now.
Cairo's hand moved unconsciously to his abdomen, fingers pressing against smooth, unbroken skin beneath his shirt. The wound was gone, healed completely by whatever power the system had granted him. And more than healed, he was stronger now. The status window had shown him that clearly enough.
[STR: 9 +5]
[WIS: 7 +5]
[INT: 10 +5]
[CHA: 9 +5]
[AGI: 8 +5]
Every attribute boosted by five points just from one encounter with Eden. And that was just the beginning. The skills he'd gained, Eros Sigil and Talent Replica and the stolen Limitbreak ability, those promised power that could rival or even surpass the strongest candidates.
But there was something else nagging at him, something he remembered from the webnovel that cast a shadow over everything.
The world was doomed.
That was how the story had gone. Despite all their power, despite their legendary bloodlines and broken talents, the heroes had failed. They'd been too focused on their own status, too consumed by petty rivalries and pride. When the real threat had emerged, the darkness that threatened to swallow everything, they'd been unable to unite. Unable to set aside their differences long enough to actually save anyone.
The webnovel had been a tragedy dressed up as a power fantasy. A slow-motion train wreck where you could see the disaster coming from miles away but the characters were too blind or too arrogant to step off the tracks.
And now Cairo was living in that world, breathing its air, walking its ground.
But he had something the original characters hadn't. Knowledge. He knew how the story went, knew where the pitfalls were. And more importantly, he had the power to change things. The system had given him tools that could reshape destinies, could turn spoiled brats into actual heroes if he played his cards right.
Starting with Eden.
Cairo looked at her now, really looked at her. She sat with her head bowed, white hair creating a curtain that hid her face. Her shoulders were hunched inward, making her seem smaller than she was. Defeated. Ashamed. Afraid.
This was one of the strongest heroines in the story, reduced to this. Part of him felt guilty for it, a small voice in the back of his mind whispering that what he'd done was monstrous, unforgivable.
But a larger part, the part that had felt death's cold grip and chosen survival over morality, pushed that guilt aside. He'd done what he had to do. And now he'd use what he'd gained to change this world's fate.
"Alright," Cairo said finally, his voice cutting through the silence. "That's enough for tonight."
Eden's head snapped up, confusion and wary hope flickering across her features.
"You're free to go," he continued, watching her expression shift through a dozen emotions in the span of heartbeats. "Go back to your dorm, clean yourself up, get some rest. You look like hell."
She blinked, clearly not expecting dismissal. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. "I... what?"
"But tomorrow," Cairo said, his tone hardening slightly, "when we assemble for the placement ceremony, I want you to find me first. Before anything else happens, before the ceremony begins, you come to me. Understood?"
The compulsion settled over her like a physical weight. He could see it in the way her eyes widened, the way her body tensed as she tried to resist and found herself unable. The Eros Sigil wasn't just about physical arousal or attraction, he realized. It was deeper than that, more insidious. It rewrote the hierarchy in her mind, placed him at the top of her priorities whether she wanted it there or not.
"Yes," she whispered, the word dragged out of her against her will. "I'll find you."
The defeat in her voice was absolute, crushing. Eden Brighthelm, who'd probably never bowed to anyone in her life, who carried the weight of a legendary name and power to match, reduced to a puppet on strings she couldn't see but could definitely feel.
Cairo watched as she stood on shaky legs, her movements uncoordinated from lingering alcohol and emotional exhaustion. She adjusted her torn dress as best she could, trying to cover herself, trying to reclaim some shred of dignity. She didn't look at him as she turned to leave, couldn't seem to make herself meet his eyes.
He tracked her movement as she hurried away, disappearing into the shadows between buildings. Her white hair caught the moonlight for just a moment before she was gone, swallowed by darkness.
Cairo stood alone in the alley, the weight of what he'd done settling over him like a heavy cloak. His first pawn was in place. His first step toward building something that could change this world's fate.
But at what cost?
He pushed the thought aside and reached into his pockets, searching for anything that might tell him where he was supposed to be. His fingers closed around cold metal, and he pulled out a key attached to a small tag. Lodge number and room number were etched into the surface in neat script.
At least he had somewhere to sleep.
The walk back through the abandoned industrial district seemed both longer and shorter than before, time distorting in strange ways. Eventually, the empty warehouses gave way to proper buildings, then to manicured grounds and elegant architecture that spoke of wealth and power and legacy.
The Academy dorms rose before him like something out of a dream.
Multiple buildings arranged in a complex pattern, each one a masterpiece of architectural design. Stone and marble blended seamlessly with more modern materials, creating structures that felt both ancient and contemporary. Gardens stretched between the buildings, meticulously maintained paths lit by softly glowing orbs that floated at regular intervals without any visible means of support.
Magic. Real, actual magic lighting his way.
Cairo couldn't help but slow his pace, taking it all in with wide eyes. Fountains burbled peacefully in courtyards. Statues of legendary heroes stood watch at intersections, their stone faces frozen in expressions of determination or triumph. Windows glowed with warm light, and he could hear laughter and conversation drifting from open doors.
This was where heroes were made. Where the future protectors of the world learned to harness their power.
And he was walking among them now, one more candidate in a school full of the extraordinary.
Students passed him occasionally as he made his way deeper into the complex. Groups of girls mostly, laughing and chatting in clusters, their animated conversations washing over him in waves of sound. A few boys walked with careful confidence, their posture suggesting they knew exactly how outnumbered they were and had made peace with it.
No one paid Cairo much attention. Just another face among forty, another candidate preparing for tomorrow's ceremony. He was grateful for the anonymity, for the chance to observe without being observed.
He found his lodge easily enough, the numbers on the tag matching the bronze plaque mounted beside the entrance. The building was smaller than some of the others, three stories tall with ivy crawling up one side in thick curtains of green. It had a cozy quality to it, more intimate than the grand structures housing the majority of students.
Cairo climbed to the second floor, his footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway. He counted doors until he reached his room, number etched in brass on dark wood.
The key slid into the lock with a satisfying click.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, then immediately stopped, relief flooding through him in a wave so intense it almost made him dizzy.
A single room. Thank whatever gods watched over this world, it was a single room.
The space wasn't large, but it was comfortable and, most importantly, private. A bed sat against one wall, neatly made with plain white sheets and a thick comforter. A desk occupied the corner by the window, complete with a chair and empty shelves waiting to be filled with books and whatever else students accumulated. A wardrobe stood opposite the bed, its doors slightly ajar to reveal empty hangers. And a door in the far corner led to what he assumed was a small bathroom.
It was simple. Functional. Perfect.
Cairo locked the door behind him with trembling hands, the click of the mechanism engaging sounding like the most beautiful music he'd ever heard. Privacy. Safety. A space that was his and his alone.
He collapsed onto the bed without bothering to undress, not even removing his shoes. The mattress was firmer than he expected but still comfortable, cradling his exhausted body like a lover's embrace. His wound was healed, but the memory of the pain lingered like a phantom, making him wince when he shifted wrong.
So much had happened in such a short time. Death. Reincarnation. The system appearing with its cold mechanical voice and impossible demands. Eden. The skills that promised to reshape his entire existence.
It felt like a lifetime had passed, but it had only been hours. Hours since he'd woken up bleeding and dying. Hours since he'd made choices that had fundamentally changed who he was.
Tomorrow would bring the Class Placement Ceremony. Tomorrow he'd see where he stood among the other candidates, whether his newfound power would be enough to place him somewhere respectable or if the Academy's evaluation methods would still mark him as the weakest link.
Tomorrow, everything would begin in earnest. The real story would start, and he'd have to navigate it with nothing but fragmented memories of a webnovel and a system that demanded he seduce his way to power.
But tonight, right now in this moment, he just needed to rest.
Cairo's eyes drifted closed, exhaustion pulling him down into darkness with gentle but insistent hands. The last coherent thought that crossed his mind was a question, floating unanswered in the void between waking and sleep.
What kind of person would he become with this power? What kind of monster or hero or something in between?
Sleep claimed him before he could find an answer, dragging him down into dreams filled with blue screens and crimson eyes and the weight of choices he couldn't take back.
Light.
Bright, insistent light streaming through the window like an invading army, cutting through his eyelids and dragging him back to consciousness with cruel efficiency. Cairo groaned, the sound rough and animal, rolling over and throwing an arm across his face.
Morning already?
He lay there for a long moment, gathering his scattered thoughts, letting the memories of the previous night settle into something resembling order. The system. Eden. The skills. The Academy. The realization that he was living in a world he'd only read about, with power he shouldn't have and knowledge that could change everything.
It was all real. Not a dream, not a hallucination brought on by blood loss and approaching death. This was his life now, for better or worse.
Cairo sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. Sunlight painted golden squares across the wooden floor, dust motes dancing in the beams like tiny sprites. Outside his window, he could hear the sounds of the Academy waking up around him. Voices calling to each other in greeting or excitement. Footsteps on stone paths, hurried and eager. The distant chime of bells marking the hour, their clear tones carrying across the grounds.
Today was the Class Placement Ceremony.
Today, everything began.