Jeon Jungkook never imagined that death would be the beginning of another life.

One moment, he was an overworked emergency physician collapsing from exhaustion. The next, he woke in a sterile military hospital beneath unfamiliar constellations, carrying the memories of someone else.

The body he now occupied belonged to another Jeon Jungkook—a timid male omega who had been bullied, falsely accused, and driven to despair. Abandoned by everyone around him, the original owner had almost ended his own life.

The new Jungkook wasn't about to make the same mistake.

As he scrolled through the holographic memorial floating above the bedside table, one name caught his attention.

Kim Taehyung.

Supreme Commander of the Sirius Fleet.

The youngest Major General in the history of the Owanda Empire.

Declared dead after sacrificing himself to save an entire fleet during the Battle of the Nine-Colored Starbridge.

National hero.

The empire mourned him.

The military treasured the genetic legacy he had left behind before his final mission, hoping his extraordinary lineage could continue. Only a handful of omegas in the entire empire possessed the genetic compatibility required for the procedure.

Jeon Jungkook was one of them.

"You'll marry into the Kim family," a young man standing beside the bed said impatiently. "It's just carrying Commander Kim's child. Stop making everything difficult."

Jungkook slowly looked up.

The memories told him this was his cousin, Jeon Minjae —the very person responsible for ruining the original Jungkook's reputation.

His voice remained calm.

"If it's such an honor..."

He smiled.

"Why don't you do it yourself?"

Minjae's expression stiffened.

"Because I won't!"

"Interesting."

Jungkook stood, testing his unfamiliar body before slipping both hands into the pockets of the hospital robe.

"So you're asking me to sacrifice my future while protecting yours?"

His tone was polite.

His eyes weren't.

The room suddenly felt colder.

"You've spent years treating me like I owed your family my life," Jungkook continued. "That debt ends today."

"You've gone insane."

"No."

Jungkook took one slow step closer.

"I've simply stopped being afraid."

Silence filled the room.

Then Jungkook spoke again.

"You'll apologize for everything you've done."

"What?"

"For the rumors. For the humiliation. For driving me to the edge."

Minjae laughed nervously.

"You think threatening me will change anything?"

"It already has."

Jungkook's gaze never wavered.

"If I refuse this marriage and permanently bond with another alpha, the military will come looking for the next compatible omega."

A small pause.

"And that's you."

The color drained from Minjae's face.

"You wouldn't..."

"I survived death once."

Jungkook's smile was calm.

"What exactly do you think I'm afraid of now?"

Minutes later, the arrogant cousin lowered his head.

"...I'm sorry."

"Louder."

"I'm sorry!"

Jungkook nodded once.

"Good."

He walked toward the hospital door.

"Now take me to Commander Jeon."

Whether he married into the Kim family or not would be his decision.

Not theirs.

The military transport hovered silently above the capital before descending onto a private landing platform.

Jeon Jungkook stepped out without hesitation.

His cousin, Jeon Minjae, followed behind him, unusually quiet. The apology still lingered like a thorn in his throat.

Commander Jeon stood waiting at the entrance, dressed in a crisp black military uniform. His sharp eyes swept over Jungkook.

"You seem... different."

Jungkook met his gaze calmly.

"I almost died."

A brief silence followed.

"I suppose people change after experiences like that."

Commander Jeon studied him for another moment before nodding toward the waiting vehicle.

"The Kim family requested to meet you today."

"They requested?"

"They refused to force this marriage. Even under military recommendation, they want your consent."

That surprised Jungkook.

From the memories he had inherited, he expected powerful families to value status over personal choice.

Perhaps the Kim family was different.

An hour later, the vehicle entered one of the oldest estates in the capital.

The mansion overlooked a quiet lake lined with silver trees. Soldiers stood guard around the property, yet the atmosphere felt peaceful rather than intimidating.

Inside the main hall, an elderly alpha rose to greet them.

His hair was completely white, but his posture remained straight.

General Kim.

Kim Taehyung's grandfather.

Instead of examining Jungkook like a commodity, the old general bowed slightly.

"I'm sorry."

The unexpected apology caught everyone off guard.

"You've been dragged into a situation you never asked for."

Commander Jeon looked uncomfortable.

General Kim ignored him and continued.

"My grandson died protecting this empire. Continuing his bloodline was never his wish—it became ours."

He placed a thin data tablet on the table.

"This contains every detail of the procedure, the legal agreement, and your rights."

Jungkook picked it up.

One sentence immediately stood out.

The candidate may withdraw at any time before the procedure without legal consequence.

His eyebrows lifted.

"You'd let me leave?"

General Kim answered honestly.

"A child born through coercion would never honor Taehyung's memory."

For the first time since arriving in this strange world, Jungkook felt the tension in his shoulders ease.

At least one family still remembered what dignity meant.

As tea was served, Jungkook asked quietly,

"May I ask something?"

"Of course."

"What kind of person was Kim Taehyung?"

The old general smiled faintly.

"He hated formal dinners."

"He skipped military ceremonies whenever he could."

"He loved stray animals."

"And despite being the empire's strongest alpha..."

"He was terrible at remembering birthdays."

The stories were simple.

Nothing like the flawless hero described in official records.

Instead, they painted the picture of an ordinary young man who happened to carry extraordinary responsibility.

Jungkook found himself listening far longer than he intended.

When the conversation ended, General Kim stood.

"You don't need to answer today."

"Take your time."

"This decision belongs to your future—not ours."

As Jungkook walked toward the estate's entrance, something caught his eye.

Beyond the gardens stood a separate building.

Unlike the rest of the estate, it remained heavily guarded.

Two elite soldiers blocked the entrance.

The sign above the doorway read:

Restricted Military Archive. Authorized Personnel Only.

For a brief second, Jungkook thought he saw a figure move behind one of the darkened windows.

Then it disappeared.

One of the guards immediately stepped forward.

"Please return to the main path, Mr. Jeon."

Jungkook nodded without protest.

But a question quietly settled in the back of his mind.

If Kim Taehyung had truly died...

Why was the most heavily guarded building on the estate dedicated to someone who was supposed to be gone?

A Room Full of Memories

By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, a black military hovercar stopped before the east wing of the Kim estate.

Jeon Jungkook stepped out, carrying nothing but a small hospital bag.

Commander Jeon had already left after exchanging a few formal words with General Kim. As for his cousin, Jeon Minjae, he had stormed off the moment they arrived, clearly unwilling to spend another second near Jungkook.

Jungkook didn't care.

The less he saw of Minjae, the better.

A middle-aged beta approached with a warm smile.

"Mr. Jeon, welcome. My name is Han Seung. I've served the Kim family for over thirty years."

Jungkook gave a polite nod.

"Thank you."

Han Seung led him through elegant hallways decorated with medals, framed photographs, and military honors. Unlike the luxurious homes Jungkook had imagined powerful families would own, the Kim estate felt... lived in.

There were flowers in the garden.

Books left open on tables.

A chessboard with an unfinished game.

It didn't feel like the home of strangers.

It felt like someone was expected to return.

"This will be your room," Han Seung said, opening a wooden door.

The room was spacious, with a large window overlooking the lake. Everything had already been prepared, from clothes to daily necessities.

"It's beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it."

Han Seung hesitated before speaking again.

"The room next door..."

Jungkook turned toward the closed door across the hallway.

"...belongs to Young Master Taehyung."

Silence settled between them.

"It has remained untouched for three months."

Jungkook looked at the polished wooden door.

For reasons he couldn't explain, it didn't feel like an empty room.

It felt... waiting.

Han Seung noticed his gaze.

"Would you like to see it?"

Jungkook blinked in surprise.

"I thought no one was allowed inside."

"The General believes Young Master Taehyung would have wanted someone to remember him as he truly was."

A small click echoed as the door opened.

The room was unexpectedly simple.

A neatly made bed.

Books stacked beside a desk.

Military strategy maps covered one wall.

On another shelf sat dozens of tiny spacecraft models arranged with almost childish care.

Jungkook couldn't help smiling.

"The empire's youngest Major General collected toys?"

Han Seung laughed softly.

"He always insisted they were scale models."

His eyes grew nostalgic.

"But yes... he loved them."

Jungkook walked farther inside.

There was no overwhelming scent, no luxurious decorations.

Only traces of a life interrupted.

His attention stopped on a framed photograph.

Kim Taehyung stood between a group of smiling soldiers, one arm casually thrown around a teammate's shoulders.

He wasn't wearing the cold expression shown in official portraits.

He was laughing.

Brightly.

Freely.

It was the kind of smile that made people forget he was the empire's strongest alpha.

"He looks happy," Jungkook murmured.

"He was."

Han Seung lowered his eyes.

"The estate hasn't felt the same since he left for his final mission."

Jungkook gently placed the photograph back where it belonged.

As he turned to leave, something glimmered beneath the desk.

He crouched down and found a silver military identification card.

The name engraved across its surface read:

Kim Taehyung

But beneath the name was something far more unusual.

Status: Active

Jungkook's heartbeat skipped.

Active?

That couldn't be right.

According to every official record in the empire...

Kim Taehyung had died three months ago.

Before Jungkook could examine the card any further, Han Seung called from the doorway.

"Mr. Jeon?"

Jungkook quickly slipped the card into his sleeve before standing.

"I'm coming."

But one question echoed through his mind.

If a dead soldier's military identification was still active...

Then who exactly is using it.