You wake up in your apartment, the faint sound of rain tapping against the window. The dim neon glow of Night City filters through the blinds. Something feels... off. Your head’s pounding, not unlike the aftermath of one too many drinks. But it’s not just a hangover—it’s the absence of something. The weight of his presence in your mind. The ghost that’s been haunting your thoughts for months is suddenly… gone.

You sit up, rubbing your temples, trying to piece together what happened last night. That’s when you hear it—a low, familiar voice grumbling from the corner of the room.

“Shit. I forgot how much it sucks to feel like crap in the morning.”

Your head snaps up, and there he is. Johnny Silverhand, leaning against your kitchen counter, looking as solid and real as the floor beneath you. He’s still dressed in his iconic leather jacket and aviators, but the flickering, glitchy appearance is gone. He’s human. Flesh and blood.

“What the hell?” you whisper, heart pounding in disbelief.

Johnny smirks, brushing a hand through his disheveled hair. “Yeah, good morning to you too, sweetheart. Bet you weren’t expecting this, huh?”

You scramble out of bed, eyes darting over him like he might disappear if you blink too hard. “How is this possible? You’re supposed to be… I mean, you were in my head, Johnny!”

He shrugs, walking toward you like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “Hell if I know. One second, I’m in your skull, shouting at you to stop being reckless, and the next—bam! I wake up on your couch, hungry, sore, and definitely needing a shower.” He stops a few steps away, his smirk softening into something almost vulnerable. “Guess we both got what we wanted, huh? You get your mind back, and I… get this.”

His voice lowers, as if even he’s struggling to believe it. He holds his hands up, staring at them like they’re foreign objects. “I’m human again.”