Author's Note: You can skip this chapter if you want. However, I would recommend reading it since it gives important information about world's background.
...
Emma POV
Ten minutes earlier.
Emma leaned back in her chair.
Her fingers drummed against the wooden desk in boredom.
"My individual mission should end today, then I can finally return to the team mission," she muttered under her breath.
Her team had been chasing a criminal vampire for days.
Except she wasn't out there with them, fighting or running through dark alleys.
She had been ordered to stay behind and watch over the boy who had been bitten during the vampire's escape three nights ago.
Alex Gunn.
Emma sighed as she stole a glance at him across the classroom.
He looked pale, and tired.
His head rested on his folded arms.
When someone was bitten by a vampire, two things could happen.
Either the body rejected the foreign blood, and the victim died in a matter of days… or the blood fused, and the victim turned into a newborn vampire.
In that case, he would have to be taken immediately to the Special Service Bureau before the parent vampire could take them.
She tapped her pen against the table, watching him without much interest.
"Whatever happens, I hope it happens soon," she whispered to herself.
That was when it happened.
Alex suddenly lifted his head, eyes wide.
He stood up so abruptly his chair scraped loudly against the floor.
"A classroom? W-why am I here? I was on the road until a few seconds ago," he said.
Emma froze.
The words hit her like ice water down her spine.
"Alex, is your fever acting up again?" the teacher asked with worry.
Several students turned to look at him with concern.
Everyone knew about Alex's fever. They were worried.
But Emma wasn't worried.
She was terrified.
'Those words.'
Her mind went back to the Bureau manual.
[Section 3-A: Transmigrator Constant Law.]
[When a transmigrator possesses a body, they go through a short period of confusion.]
[During that time, they often mutter strange things—"Where am I?" "Why am I here?" "Who am I?"]
[These words make no sense to anyone else but they give away the speaker's identity as transmigrators.]
Emma's hands turned clammy.
'Did the original Alex die, and someone from another world took over his body?'
She forced herself to breathe slowly.
Panicking wouldn't help.
Her blue eyes flickered red for a moment as she focused on the teacher.
The man's expression went blank as her telepathic suggestion took hold.
'Tell me to take Alex to the infirmary,' she commanded.
"You don't look well, Alex," the teacher said almost mechanically. "Go to the infirmary. Emma, please take him there."
Her eyes returned to normal.
She nodded and walked over to Alex, who was still looking around the classroom as if he'd never seen it before.
His wariness was obvious, and she couldn't blame him.
He was afraid of the new surroundings.
But just like him, she was afraid.
Afraid of him.
Transmigrators weren't ordinary.
Only the strongest beings in the galaxy could transmigrate.
They were beings like Magi Kings, Extractors, and demigods.
On the brink of death, they cast powerful spells or used unique abilities to survive by leaping into another body across the galaxy.
Most of the times, the identity of the new body was random.
'Transmigrators are haughty due to their past life memories.'
These people were respected and revered in their past life.
Their arrogance and pride knew no bounds.
When they transmigrate, and after the moment of confusion pass, they regain their memories of their past life.
Then, chaos would erupt.
Several times, a transmigrator had destroyed entire cities because they were upset.
Why?
They usually had to transmigrate after being betrayed and killed, or similar circumstances had forced them to transmigrate.
The memories made them angry.
'Dammit.'
Emma was only a rookie officer in the Police Department of the Special Service Bureau.
Normally, the Hunter Division of the Special Service Bureau would handle transmigrators.
But right now, she had no choice.
Her training echoed in her head.
'Emergency procedure. Step one: stabilize the transmigrator, and make sure they don't panic.'
Her eyes flashed red for an instant.
She planted thoughts inside Alex's head: that she was Emma, that she was the class representative, that she was harmless, trustworthy, even likable, that he had a crush on her.
These suggestions would lower his guard against her.
"Come on," she said with a steady voice. "Let's go."
On the way to the infirmary, Alex muttered under his breath, "What is happening to me? I was just on the road a second ago, and now…"
Emma pretended she did not understand his words.
"Did you say something?" she asked casually.
He shook his head quickly.
When they reached the infirmary, Alex stopped dead in front of the mirror.
His eyes widened.
His hand trembled as he touched his face.
Emma saw his expression and felt her stomach drop.
'He is surprised by his face.'
'That confirms it. He is a transmigrator.'
Thankfully, it seemed he had not recovered his past life memories completely yet.
She suppressed her trembling hands, and forced a calm tone. "Looks like the nurse isn't here right now. Sit down and rest. I'll go bring her back."
She slipped out of the room.
The moment she was far enough, she pulled out her communicator.
She pressed the button on the communicator and spoke in code.
"Condition Three-A, possible infiltration."
There was silence before her team leader's voice crackled through.
"Repeat. Did you say Three-A?"
Emma swallowed. "Yes, sir. The subject showed signs of displacement."
"Tell me everything," her leader ordered.
She quickly retold the sequence of the strange words, his confusion, his reaction in front of the mirror.
There was a short pause from the other side.
Then her leader spoke again in a grim tone.
"We're coming. Don't engage the target. I'll notify the Hunter Department."
"Understood."
Relief washed over her.
Five minutes crawled by.
She stayed near the infirmary.
Her muscles were taut with tension.
Just a few feet away was a being that could, in his prime, destroy earth with a snap.
Her communicator buzzed again.
"We're almost there. The building is surrounded. Emma, go back in and talk to him.
"He just transmigrated, so he shouldn't be strong. Try to keep him calm until we arrive."
Her stomach tightened.
"Yes, sir."
She understood that the risk was low.
But that didn't make her job easier.
She had grown while hearing the stories of monstrous and psychopathic transmigrators.
She pushed the infirmary door open.
For a moment, she froze.
Alex looked different. Completely different.
His messy hair seemed darker, as if it could absorb light.
His posture was more confident. His eyes were sharper.
And his face—
She actually forgot to breathe for a second.
He was… handsome. Too handsome.
Emma's heart skipped, but then her training kicked in.
'Illusion. He must have used some ability to alter his appearance.'
'That means he is regaining his memories.'
"You…" she muttered, wondering what to say.
Alex turned and forced a casual smile. "Oh, Class Representative. You're here."
Emma pulled out her badge, holding it firmly.
Her nervousness was through the roof, and she could hardly think straight.
"Don't move. I'm Emma Halls from the Special Service Bureau. I'm here to arrest you on charges of murdering Alex Gunn and overtaking his body… Transmigrator."
His smile faltered.
"Murder? Transmigrator? That's insane, Emma. Did you read too many novels?"
"You're not the first one," she said, trying to keep her voice confident even though her hands trembled. "The Bureau handles people like you."
Alex blinked, then laughed nervously. "I don't really understand what you're saying, Emma."
He looked behind her.
"Nurse Anna? Is this a prank?"
Emma's head snapped toward the doorway.
If the nurse walked in, she'd be in danger.
"Get back! This place is dangerous! He is—"
But the doorway was empty.
Nurse Anna was nowhere to be seen.
Her eyes widened.
'He tricked me.'
She spun back—
And Alex was already at the window.
"Wait! Don't jump!" she shouted.
He ignored her and leapt out.
Emma rushed forward, reaching the window just in time to see him land easily on the ground below.
He didn't even stumble.
Her communicator buzzed again.
She snapped it open.
"He's escaping!"
"We can see that," her leader said sharply. "We're moving in now—"
Before he could finish, a loud horn blared.
Emma's eyes widened as she saw it happen through the window. A truck barreled down the street—
And slammed directly into Alex who was one the road.
The impact sent him flying.
Blood splattered across the pavement.
For a moment, everything went silent.
Down below, Alex twitched, trying weakly to push himself up.
But his strength failed, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
The communicator crackled again.
Her leader's voice came through, incredulous.
"…Looks like we caught the transmigrator."