When I opened my eyes the next morning, it took me a moment to remember where—no, what—I was now. Lunaris. A world that looked like Earth but wasn't. A world where my parents had died only months ago. A world where I had been reborn in the same body, holding memories from my past life and carrying wounds from both.The sunlight filtered through the curtains of my apartment, warm and soft, brushing against my face like a gentle reminder that I was alive—actually alive—again. I sat up slowly, running a hand through my hair. My breath fogged faintly in the morning air. For a long time, I simply sat there, listening to the hum of the city outside. Cars passed below. Distant chatter echoed from the street. A drone buzzed somewhere beyond the window.It was strange. Everything felt familiar… yet foreign.The System interface flickered into existence as if responding to my thoughts.A soft blue glow. A tone that was neither loud nor quiet. Calm. Certain.
Balance: 1,010,000 Credits.
Status: Stable.
Primary Objective: Establish financial foundation.Even after seeing that number yesterday, it still felt unreal. One million and ten thousand Credits. Back on Earth, I had never even seen fifty thousand dollars in one place. I had lived paycheck to paycheck, scraping by, cutting corners, watching every dime. And now I was holding the kind of money people only dreamed of.But this wasn't Earth. This was Lunaris, a city filled with opportunity—and danger.
I swung my legs off the bed and stood up. My apartment was small, but neat. The floor was smooth composite wood, the kitchen compact, and the bedroom barely large enough for a bed and a wardrobe. But it was mine. My parents' last gift. A quiet ache formed in my chest. I had never known them in this world, but I felt their absence all the same.
They had left me an apartment, a car, and ten thousand Credits.And fate or whatever the System was had given me one million more.I wasn't going to waste any of it.
I started my morning by examining everything carefully. If this was where my life restarted, then I needed to understand every inch of it.The kitchen was stocked with the basics. The fridge hummed softly. There was a small, round dining table and two chairs. My parents had lived here, cooked here, laughed here. The thought felt heavy.
I moved toward the living area. It was small but practical one couch, a low table, and a single holo-screen mounted to the wall. A faint memory one I knew wasn't mine flashed in my mind. My parents must have sat here, watching shows I couldn't understand.
The System projected a small icon beside my vision.
"Apartment Value: 65,000 Credits.
Status: Well-maintained.
Security: Standard."
Standard security wasn't good enough. Not if I was walking around with a million Credits in my account.Later, I told myself. I'll upgrade everything later.
For now, I finished my inspection. In the bedroom, I checked the wardrobe. A few sets of ordinary clothes hung neatly. Nothing fancy. Just everyday wear.I opened the drawer.That's when I found it—the small, folded letter.
My breath caught. The handwriting was shaky but gentle.
"Aren,
If you're reading this… then we failed to come home.
Live well. Use what we left behind.
And don't be alone.
You deserve more."
I sat on the bed and stayed there for a long time, the letter resting on my lap. It felt unreal to grieve for parents I didn't truly know—but this body did. This soul did. This life did.Eventually, I folded the letter carefully and placed it back inside the drawer."I'll live well," I whispered. "I promise."
By mid-morning, I headed down to the parking basement. The elevator chimed softly as I stepped out. Rows of cars lined the underground garage.My car wasn't hard to spot. The System highlighted it with a faint blue outline.A sleek, black sedan modern, smooth curves, elegant headlights. Not expensive, but definitely above average for someone living in an apartment like this. I ran my fingers along the hood. It was cool and spotless.The door unlocked with a soft chirp. I slid into the driver's seat. The interior smelled faintly of leather and something floral maybe my mother's perfume in this world.
"Vehicle Condition: 92%.
Fuel: Full.
Model: Lunaris Zeta-4."
Good enough to start with.I started the engine, and the holographic dashboard lit up. A soft hum filled the cabin. I let the seat mold around me, and for a moment, I simply breathed.I had never owned a car in my previous life.Now I had a million Credits and a vehicle.A strange, almost unfamiliar feeling spread through me.Freedom.
Driving through Lunaris felt like navigating a futuristic dream. Glass buildings rose high above the street, neon signs danced across storefronts, and drones zipped between delivery platforms. People filled the sidewalks laughing, arguing, buying, selling.
The System assisted with translation, turning the unintelligible Lunarian language into readable subtitles inside my vision.I kept my speed low, absorbing everything.A street vendor shouted prices for fresh fruit.
A woman bargained loudly for a bag of tech parts.A group of delivery riders raced past me on sleek bikes.This world was alive messy, noisy, chaotic but vibrant.My fingers tightened around the steering wheel.This was a city ready to explode with opportunity.
And I had the capital, the System, and the knowledge to seize it.
I parked near a busy market and stepped out. The street smelled of spices, warm bread, and engine fumes. Holo-ads flickered above my head, projecting deals for everything from drones to instant meals.
I watched carefully. Observed patterns.
Delivery seemed slow.
Customers waited too long.
Workers were overburdened.
A drone nearly crashed into a canopy because of faulty navigation.
On Earth, I had worked enough side jobs to understand inefficiency when I saw it.Opportunity, I thought.The System agreed."Observation: High-demand delivery sector.
Recommendation: Low-risk, high-return initial business."A delivery service. Simple. Efficient. Scalable.Exactly the kind of business where someone with knowledge from another world had an advantage.
But I needed to confirm it. So I walked through the market, paying attention to details. Vendors struggled with logistics, shoppers complained about delays, and a few stores even had handwritten signs saying:"Delivery unavailable today."That sealed it. The market was hungry. Starving, even.Suddenly, someone shouted, "Hey! You there!"I turned.A pile of boxes lay scattered across the street. A drone hovered helplessly above them. Beside it was a young man—early twenties, wiry build, short dark hair, sweat dripping down his face.
"Can you help? Please!"Without hesitation, I jogged over and crouched beside him."Yeah, I got it."
We worked together, stacking the boxes neatly. The man wiped his forehead and let out a breath.
"Whew… Thank you! That stupid drone malfunctioned again. I swear it's possessed."
I chuckled. "Seems like things get busy around here."
"You don't even know." He held out his hand. "I'm Kiran. You new to Lunaris?"
"Yeah," I replied. "Aren."
He nodded approvingly. "Well, Aren, if you ever need work or want to know anything about this area, come find me. I run a small courier booth right around that corner."A courier? Perfect.
"I might take you up on that," I said.As I walked away, the System flickered beside my vision.
"Potential ally detected.
Name: Kiran Rell.
Occupation: Independent courier.
Trust Level: Neutral.
Value: Moderate."
I smiled faintly.
Things were falling into place.
By the time I returned to my apartment, my head was buzzing with ideas. I tossed my jacket onto the couch, sat at the table, and pulled up the System interface.
A bright blue window appeared.
"Mission: Establish your first business."
"Recommended: Delivery and logistics sector."I leaned back in my chair.
This was it.My first real move.
A delivery service was simple at first glance, but with my knowledge, I could optimize routes, implement tracking, provide reliability. Lunaris lacked efficiency. I could introduce systems that Earth had built long ago.
I opened a blank page and began writing:
Step 1 — Scout initial market areas
Step 2 — Hire first two employees
Step 3 — Use car for priority deliveries
Step 4 — Brand identity
Step 5 — Reinvest profits
Step 6 — Scale to drones and bikes
Step 7 — Establish presence city-wide
The more I wrote, the more excited I became. My hands trembled slightly. A new life. A new world. A new beginning.
I had died once.I had suffered once.I had struggled once.Never again.
This time, I had everything: money, power, knowledge.And I wasn't letting this chance slip away.I leaned forward, eyes locked on the glowing interface.
"Let's build an empire," I whispered.
The System responded immediately.
"Mission Accepted."
And just like that, my new life truly began.