Kai Voss was having a bad Monday.
He worked in a dark room under the city, testing video games. The pay was low. The coffee tasted bad. He hated his boss and he hated loud noises.
Then the sky broke.
A big purple crack opened above the city. Black light spilled out. Cars crashed. People screamed. The building shook hard.
Kai tried to run, but a heavy steel beam fell from the ceiling. It crushed him.
Everything went black.
**You have died.**
The words appeared in blue light, like a game message.
Kai floated in darkness. *At least the System is funny,* he thought.
Then new words came.
**Because you died near a Veil crack, you get a second chance.**
**New Class unlocked: Fractured Echo Weaver**
**Warning: This class is weird. You might steal souls and act like other people.**
Suddenly, Kai woke up.
He was lying on a cold metal table in the morgue. A white tag hung from his toe. Drawer 47-B.
A worker in a white coat screamed and dropped his papers.
Kai sat up fast. "Relax. I'm not a zombie."
His body felt okay. But his head felt strange, like extra voices were inside.
A blue screen appeared in front of his eyes.
**[Fractured Echo Weaver – Level 1]**
**Active Echoes: 0/10**
**Main Power: When someone is dying, you can take their last "Echo." You get their skills, memories, and parts of their personality.**
**Warning: Take too many and you might not know who you are.**
Kai smiled a little. "This could be good. Or very bad."
The building shook again. A woman screamed down the hall.
Kai's new feeling pulled him toward the sound. He ran.
In the next room, a rich young man lay on the floor. A sharp purple crystal stuck through his stomach. Blood was everywhere. He was dying.
The pull got stronger.
Kai knelt next to him. "Hey. Any last words?"
The man looked at Kai with hate. "You… low-class fool… if I die, my father will—"
"Yeah, yeah," Kai said. "Rich guy talk. Boring."
He put his hand on the man's shoulder. "I will take your Echo. Okay?"
The man tried to speak but only coughed blood.
Blue words appeared.
**[New Echo Found!]**
**Name: Reginald Ashford III**
**Skills: Fast reflexes, good at talking in business, knows a lot about wine**
**Personality: Very proud, a little mean, misses his mother**
**Will you take it? (Y/N)**
Kai thought for one second. "Y."
Warm power rushed into him. His body felt quicker. New memories came — fancy cars, big meetings, and drinking expensive wine.
The rich man's eyes closed. He was gone.
**[Echo Taken!]**
**Active Echoes: 1/10**
**New Skill: Better reflexes – You can dodge faster now.**
**Side Effect: For a short time, you may talk like a rich snob.**
Kai stood up. He felt strong.
Then he opened his mouth and said in a fancy voice, "This place is so dirty. Where is the good wine? I need something to wash away the taste of death."
The worker stared at him with wide eyes.
Kai covered his mouth fast. "Sorry. That was not me. Well… it was, but the new power is still new. Give me a minute."
He shook his head hard.
The fancy voice went away… mostly.
A new message appeared with a laughing face.
**Overlap Risk: 12%**
**Tip: Do not try to buy food like you are closing a big company deal.**
Kai laughed. "This power is crazy. But kind of fun."
He pulled the purple crystal out of the dead man. It turned into purple mist and went into his hand.
**[Small Veil Piece Taken]**
**Bonus: You are now a little stronger against Veil cracks.**
**New Sense: You can feel dying Echoes nearby, like a radar.**
The building shook harder. Screams came from the street outside.
Kai rolled his shoulders. He felt faster and sharper.
"Okay, Reginald," he said to the air. "Let's go see what new trouble is outside. And if someone offers wine, I blame you."
He walked out of the morgue into the broken city.
His first Echo was taken.
The real game had just started.