The moment Alex's hand touched the fragment—Everything disappeared.
The forest.
The others.
Even his own body.
There was only darkness.
Endless.
Silent.
And then— Light.
A single pulse.
Followed by another.
And another.
Like a heartbeat.
System Connection Established
Linking to Origin Fragment…
Alex tried to move, but he couldn't feel his limbs. Instead, he felt something else.
Data.
Energy.
Memories that weren't his.
Flashes— A battlefield covered in bodies.
Figures with glowing interfaces like his… falling one by one.
A voice echoing:
"There must only be one."
Alex's eyes widened.
One system…
The same words.
Before he could react— The world snapped into focus again. But it wasn't the forest.
He stood in a vast, empty space made of shifting light and symbols—countless fragments of code floating like stars.
And in front of him— Someone stood.
The same man. The one from before.
But different.
Younger.
Unmasked.
"…So you made it here," the man said calmly.
Alex's expression hardened.
"You again."
The man tilted his head slightly.
"No."
"This is not me."
"A recording."
"A memory."
Alex frowned.
"…Of what?"
The man didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked around at the floating fragments.
"This is where it began."
Alex's chest tightened.
"The system?"
The man nodded.
"Yes."
"For control."
"For balance."
"For survival."
He turned back to Alex.
"But something went wrong."
The system pulsed violently.
Warning
Memory Overlap Detected
The space flickered.
Another image forced its way into Alex's mind.
A group of people.
All with systems.
Fighting each other.
Not monsters.
Not enemies.
Each other.
"Why?" Alex asked, his voice low.
"If the system was meant to help—why are they killing each other?"
The man's expression didn't change.
"Because there were too many."
Silence.
"They competed," he continued.
"They evolved."
"They broke the balance."
"So…"
Alex's voice tightened.
"You reduced it to one."
The man met his gaze.
"Yes."
A chill ran down Alex's spine.
"That's insane."
"It was necessary."
The system flared again.
Core Instability Rising
The space around them began to crack.
Fragments flickering in and out.
The memory was collapsing.
Alex clenched his fists.
"No."
"There has to be another way."
The man stepped closer.
For the first time— There was emotion in his eyes.
Not anger.
Not hatred.
Something worse.
Certainty.
"You are the error," he said.
"The thing that should not exist."
Alex's jaw tightened.
"Yeah."
"I've heard that before."
The man raised his hand slowly.
"Then you understand."
"No," Alex said. "I don't."
He stepped forward.
"If your system was perfect…"
"Then why am I here?"
Silence.
The question hung in the air.
The system pulsed harder.
Critical Choice Available
Alex froze.
A new window appeared in front of him.
Origin Fragment Synchronization
Option 1: Integrate Fragment
→ Gain Power
→ Increase System Stability
→ Risk: Detection by Overseer
Option 2: Reject Fragment
→ Maintain Current State
→ Avoid Detection
→ System Remains Incomplete
Alex's breath slowed.
This is it.
Not just power.
A choice.
Kael's voice echoed faintly in his mind—
"Don't push too far."
The masked man's voice followed—
"Next time, I won't be testing you."
If he took the power— He would get stronger.
Maybe strong enough to survive. But it would also— Expose him. Fully. To whatever was watching. Alex clenched his fists.
"Of course it's not simple…"
The man in front of him watched silently.
Waiting.
Not interfering.
Because this choice— Wasn't part of the system.
It was beyond it.
Alex exhaled slowly.
Then— He made his decision.
"…I'm not staying incomplete."
Option Selected: Integrate Fragment
The world shattered.
Pain exploded through his body.
Not physical.
Deeper.
Like something was being rewritten.
Rebuilt.
Forced into place.
He screamed.
But no sound came out.
Synchronization in Progress… 23%
Outside— In the real world— Alex's body was surrounded by light. Kael stepped back, eyes wide.
"What is he doing?!"
Bren tightened his grip on his weapon.
"…Something dangerous."
The fragment pulsed violently. The entire forest trembled. And far away— The masked man stopped. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…So you chose power."
A pause. Then—
"…Good."
Because now— There would be no more doubt. No more testing. Next time— It would be a fight to the death.
Back in the void— Alex's vision blurred.
The pain didn't stop. But something else appeared.
A new message.
New Skill Unlocked
Name: ???
Status: Sealed
Alex's eyes widened.
Sealed…?
Before he could understand— Everything went black. As Alex collapsed, the last thing the system showed was:
Synchronization Complete: 51%
Warning: Process Interrupted
Something… is interfering.