The old wooden bed creaked rhythmically in the cramped apartment, its protests growing louder before finally falling silent.
A soft rustle of fabric broke the quiet.
The woman who had been draped bonelessly across his legs stirred, pushing herself up with a satisfied sigh.
She gathered the scattered black lace lingerie from the floor and dressed with practiced efficiency.
Then, biting down on the hair tie around her wrist, she pulled her golden hair into a neat ponytail.
Emma turned to him with a small, almost apologetic smile.
“This counts as breakup compensation, right?”
Alexander lit a cigarette and took a long drag, the smoke curling lazily toward the ceiling.
He watched her through half-lidded eyes, saying nothing.
“We’re actually pretty compatible in bed,” she continued, her voice soft.
“I’ve always been satisfied with you, Alex. You’re gentle, attentive… really good at making a woman feel wanted.” She traced a finger lightly down his chest.
“But life isn’t just about that. No matter how great the sex is, it doesn’t pay the bills or open doors.”
She lowered her gaze for a moment.
“Buck’s rough around the edges, nothing like you but his father is the chairman. He can get me a real job, a future. You understand, don’t you?”
Even though they were done, Emma leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek.
“If you ever need me… for anything… you know where to find me. You’re still the best I’ve had in that department.”
With that, she slipped out the door without looking back.
Alexander stood by the window, watching her seductive figure climb into a sleek car that quickly pulled away.
His expression was dark, but not from heartbreak.
He’d only been in this body for three days.
The original owner’s feelings for Emma were faint echoes at best.
To him, she had mostly been a way to blow off steam and adjust to this new life.
Still, a flicker of irritation remained.
Being used and discarded so casually stung more than he wanted to admit.
He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled.
“What a mess.”
Pushing the encounter aside, Alexander focused on the real prize: the three extraordinary abilities he had awakened since arriving in this world.
The first was a Space-Time Gate, a shimmering portal that could connect him to unknown realms.
He hadn’t dared step through it yet; the risks were unknown.
The second was an Infinite Personal Space, a vast, private dimension where he could store anything.
Living beings were trickier, they needed to be unconscious or willing but objects of any size could be pulled in with a thought if they were within a meter of him.
Time froze inside; everything came out exactly as it went in.
The third ability, Sacrifice, had only awakened earlier that day.
It let him offer up something and receive an equivalent reward in return.
He was still figuring out its limits.
Curious to test it, Alexander headed to the small kitchen and retrieved two fresh steaks from the fridge.
He placed his hands on them and focused.
“Sacrifice.”
A flash of light and the meat vanished.
Warm energy surged through his body, flooding his muscles and bones.
His strength noticeably increased not dramatically, but enough to feel real.
Alexander clenched his fist, eyes bright with excitement.
“Not bad at all. If a couple of steaks can do this, what would an entire cow do?”
He scanned the room for something else to test.
His gaze landed on the cheap wall clock.
“Sacrifice.”
Another flash of light happened and the modern clock disappeared, replaced instantly by an ornate antique grandfather clock standing in its place.
Elegant woodwork, brass pendulum, far more valuable than the original.
Alexander blinked.
“Interesting… so it’s not just raw power. It can upgrade or transform things too?”
Still riding the thrill, he unstrapped the mechanical watch from his wrist and tried again.
“Sacrifice.”
The watch disintegrated into scattered gears and springs on the floor.
He frowned.
“Okay… not everything improves. I’ll need to be careful what I offer.”
After conducting several experiments, Alexander finally reached a conclusion.
The core principle behind the Sacrifice ability was equivalent exchange, though the definition of “equivalent” turned out to be very different from what he had imagined.
For instance an exquisite modern art clock and a broken antique from the previous century were considered equal in value.
A finely crafted watch and a pile of newly manufactured watch parts were also deemed equivalent.
Even a comfortable sofa and a heap of wood counted as matching items.
Whatever he received in return depended entirely on chance.
Rhode glanced at the table, now covered with the results of his sacrifices.
Several silver coins of varying designs, clearly ancient yet still in nearly perfect condition, these were what he had obtained by offering the few dollars in his pocket.
Beside them rested a well‑preserved acoustic guitar.