I didn't answer her right away.
The question lingered in the space between us, heavier than it should have been. My fingers curled slightly at my side, then relaxed. I looked past her for a moment—at the empty expanse, at the remnants of something I didn't understand—before bringing my gaze back.
"I want a Gift."
My voice came out steady.
"Like everyone else and be equal to them."
I shifted my stance, grounding myself again.
"I don't want to get left behind."
For a brief moment, she didn't respond.
Then she exhaled.
Not out of surprise.
Out of something closer to boredom.
"I already knew you'd say that."
Her form flickered again, settling into something indistinct—less human, more… abstract.
"What you humans call 'Gifts'," she continued, her tone lighter now, almost amused, "aren't gifts from the gods."
I frowned slightly.
"That's what everyone says."
She laughed.
Not loudly.
But the sound carried in a way that made the space itself feel smaller.
"And you believe it?"
Her head tilted slightly.
"Do you really think beings like them would concern themselves with a single world?"
I didn't answer.
Didn't need to.
She stepped closer.
The distance between us disappeared without her really moving. One moment she was a few steps away—then she was right in front of me.
Time—
Stopped.
Not slowed.
Stopped.
Everything froze.
The stars.
The space.
Even the air felt locked in place.
Only she moved.
And me.
My breath caught, but I didn't step back.
Her hand lifted.
In it—
A white orb.
Perfectly smooth.
No light.
No shadow.
Just… something that shouldn't exist.
"Consider this," she said, her voice softer now, "a gift from me."
Before I could react—
She pressed it into my chest.
There was no resistance.
No impact.
It passed through me like I wasn't even there.
And yet—
I felt it.
Not pain.
Not heat.
Something deeper.
Like something inside me shifted.
Like something that had always been missing… was suddenly there.
Then—
Time resumed.
All at once.
The world snapped back into motion.
And—
A sharp, piercing sound echoed in my head.
[WARNING]
[WARNING]
[SYSTEM ERROR]
My vision blurred as translucent panels forced themselves into existence in front of me.
Red.
Everything was red.
[FOREIGN INTERFERENCE DETECTED]
[SOURCE: THE FIRST — ████████████]
[SYSTEM STABILITY COMPROMISED]
"What—"
The text distorted.
Symbols replaced letters.
Unreadable.
Corrupted.
[▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓]
[▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓]
"Hey—what is this—"
[SYSTEM FAILURE IMMINENT]
The panels flickered violently.
Then—
Everything went dark.
Silence.
For a brief second, nothing appeared.
Then—
A single panel.
Clean.
Stable.
Unlike the others.
Name: Rei Arkwright
Age: 17
Race: Human
Gift: [Counter Genesis]
Rank: [EX]
I stared at it.
Didn't move.
Didn't blink.
"…EX?"
The word came out quieter than I expected.
There was no such rank.
Not in any classification.
Not in any system.
I looked up.
She was still there.
Watching me.
"Why?" I asked.
My voice steadied itself as I met her gaze.
"Why are you doing this?"
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then—
"You'll figure it out."
Not an answer.
Not really.
Her form shifted again, settling into something closer to human—though it still felt incomplete.
"As your story continues."
I frowned slightly.
"…My story?"
A faint smirk formed.
"But, let me tell you this, out of four," she said, her tone lowering just enough to carry weight, "three shall fall."
The space around us felt… thinner.
Like it could break at any moment.
"And when the precondition for primordial creation collapses…"
Her gaze sharpened.
"…so will everything built upon it."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
"Nothing will remain," she added, almost casually, "except a few."
I didn't respond.
Not because I didn't have questions.
But because I wasn't sure any answer she gave would make sense.
She looked at me one last time.
Then smiled.
"Until we meet again, Rei Arkwright."
The space cracked.
Not like before.
This time—
It felt directed.
Controlled.
The white space folded inward, collapsing into itself as everything blurred.
And then—
Darkness.
I stumbled forward.
Catching myself against something solid.
"…!"
I blinked.
The smell of old books.
The silence.
The shelves.
I was back.
The restricted library.
The book lay on the floor in front of me.
Closed.
Lifeless.
Like nothing had happened.
I stared at it for a long moment.
Then slowly straightened.
My hand lifted slightly—
Then stopped.
Instead, I looked forward.
My reflection faintly visible in the polished surface of a nearby shelf.
"…Counter Genesis."
The words felt foreign.
And yet—
They were mine.
For the first time—
The system had given me an answer.
And somehow
That only made everything more complicated.
I raised my hand again.
The system responded instantly this time.
No delay. No blank fields.
A clean panel unfolded in front of me, steady and clear.
Name: Rei Arkwright
Age: 17
Race: Human
Gift: [Counter Genesis]
Rank: [EX]
I stared at it longer than I expected.
Just to make sure it didn't disappear.
Just to confirm it was real.
Then I focused.
"Description."
The panel shifted.
New text replaced the old.
Counter Genesis
Automatically analyzes any phenomenon directed at the user and generates an optimized countermeasure.
All detected inputs—including physical attacks, magic, Gifts, skills, toxins, and conceptual effects—are deconstructed and processed. Upon completion, the system produces a corresponding counter in the form of a new ability, skill, or Gift.
Generated counters are permanently recorded and may be freely activated or deactivated at the user's discretion.
I read it twice.
Then a third time.
"…That's not normal."
It wasn't just strong.
It ignored structure.
It ignored limits.
Anything that affected me could be analyzed—and answered.
Permanently.
My fingers tightened slightly before I lowered my hand.
"…EX rank."
The word still didn't sit right.
There was no such classification.
At least, not one anyone had ever confirmed.
And yet—
There it was.
Before I could think further, another line caught my attention.
A passive.
I focused again.
Passive Skill: [Eye of Insight]
Allows the user to perceive the attributes of targets, including Gifts, skills, and structural properties.
Activation may be toggled at will.
"…So I can see everything."
I tested it instinctively, letting my gaze sharpen for a brief moment.
Nothing unusual appeared here.
Just shelves.
Books.
Silence.
I exhaled slowly and dismissed the panel.
This wasn't the place to test it.
Not yet.
I turned slightly, glancing at the far wall where a clock hung quietly.
Time had passed faster than I thought.
"…I should head back."
Test it later.
Somewhere safer.
More controlled.
I started walking.
Then stopped.
"…Wait."
I looked around.
Endless rows.
Identical shelves.
No visible exit.
"…Right."
I had been teleported in.
Of course I didn't know the way out.
I pulled out my phone, already dialing.
"Alice."
She picked up almost immediately.
"What."
"I don't know how to get out."
A pause.
"…You're serious."
"Yes."
Another pause.
Then—
"Stand still."
"Wait, can't you just—"
Too late.
My feet lifted off the ground.
"…Again?"
The air warped—
And the world snapped.
Back at my apartment
Alice sat at the table.
Surrounded.
Completely buried in paperwork.
Stacks of documents covered nearly every surface, layered with notes, diagrams, and unfinished calculations. She rested her head lightly against her hand, eyes scanning a page with clear irritation.
"…I take one break," she muttered, flipping a page. "One."
Her pen tapped against the paper.
"And suddenly everything collapses."
Then—
Space distorted in front of her.
She didn't look up immediately.
"Welcome back—"
I dropped.
Thud.
"…Can you not do that?" I said, pushing myself up from the floor. "Just once. Be gentle."
She didn't answer.
That alone made me look up.
Alice was staring at me.
Not casually.
Not lazily.
Sharply.
Completely focused.
She stood.
Slowly.
"…Rei."
"…What."
Her glasses came off in one smooth motion.
That was never a good sign.
"What happened."
"…Nothing."
"Something changed."
"I just—"
She stepped closer.
Fast.
Too fast.
Before I could react, her hand was already near my face—not touching, but close enough that I could feel something scanning.
"…Your structure is different."
My body stiffened slightly.
"…You can notice that?"
"Of course I can."
Right.
I hesitated.
Then—
I activated it.
Eyes of Insight.
Her information unfolded instantly.
Name: Alice Everhart
Age: 28
Gift: World Script
Gift Rank: Sovereign
My gaze lingered.
Then shifted
World Script
Allows the user to perceive reality as structured systems and rewrite select components, including magical constructs and phenomena.
"…That's—"
I stopped myself.
So this was what she saw all the time.
Everything.
Broken down.
Readable.
Editable.
"Rei."
Her voice cut in.
Sharp.
"…You're different."
"I'm not."
"You are."
I looked away briefly.
Then back at her.
"…I got a Gift."
Silence.
One second.
Two.
Then—
Something changed.
Not visibly.
But I felt it.
A shift.
Interest.
No—
Hunger.
Alice smiled.
Bright.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
"That's wonderful."
"…Why do I feel like that's not a good thing."
"Tell me everything."
Her tone softened.
Too much.
"What happened in the restricted section?"
I hesitated.
"…It's complicated."
"Even better."
She stepped closer again.
"And afterward…"
Her smile widened slightly.
"…you'll help me with a completely safe experiment."
"…No."
"It is completely safe."
"You said that like it isn't."
"I said it nicely"
"That's worse."
She tilted her head slightly.
"…You don't trust me?"
"I've known you for years."
"Then you should trust me."
"That's exactly why I don't."
She paused.
Then—
"…Mean."
She didn't back off.
Not even a little.
I took a step back.
Then another.
"…Alice."
"Yes?"
"Let's not do anything experimental today."
"…Why."
"Because I'd like to stay alive."
"You will."
"That didn't sound convincing."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Studying me.
Calculating.
"…Rei."
"…What."
"You saw my Gift didn't you."
"…Maybe."
Her smile returned.
Smaller this time.
More controlled.
"Then you already know."
A pause.
Then—
"…You're far more interesting now."
That—
Was not reassuring.
At all.