The air was colder than usual, even for a winter morning in December.
I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the cracked screen of my old phone. The Supreme System app was still there—buried deep in my memory after months of strange missions, chaos, and more than a few awkward moments. Yet, something felt off today. The last mission hadn't just been a joke or an absurd challenge. It was personal.
I needed answers, and I couldn't put it off anymore.
Suddenly, I felt it. The same pulse of energy coursing through my chest, a reminder that the system wasn't just some tool; it was alive, and it had been watching me long before I realized it.
I had to go back to the beginning.
Flashback - Three Years Ago
The campus of Vanguard University was buzzing with the usual chaos of finals week. The air smelled of books, coffee, and stress. Everyone was trying to cram information into their minds that they wouldn't remember in a week, including me.
"Hey, Ethan! You gonna join us for the after-party tonight?" My best friend, Mark, called as he slapped me on the back.
"Not this time, man. I need to study for my exam," I replied, trying to hide my disappointment. It was always the same. The same routine. I'd pass my tests, scrape by, and hope that one day things would change. But they never did.
As I passed the tech lab, I noticed something strange. The door was cracked open, the light inside flickering intermittently. Curiosity got the better of me, and I pushed the door open further.
Inside, the lab was empty. Except for one thing.
On the desk, in the middle of a cluttered pile of textbooks, sat an odd-looking device. It looked like an old phone—much like mine—but with strange markings across the screen. A faint glow emitted from its surface, pulsing like a heartbeat.
What the hell is this?
I reached out, my fingers grazing the device. Instantly, the screen flickered, displaying a line of code before an alert message flashed across the surface.
[ERROR: SYSTEM DETECTED. USER: ETHAN CROSS. SYSTEM INSTALLATION REQUIRED.]
Before I could back away, my hand was glued to the device, a shock of electric energy surging through my arm. My heart raced, my vision blurred, and then everything went white.
Present Day - Rooftop Battle
I snapped back to reality with a jolt. Echo's presence loomed before me, but it was like the past and present were blurring together.
That moment—when I first touched the device—was the exact instant my life shifted. The moment the system chose me.
I stood, shaky but determined, looking into Echo's cold, unfeeling eyes. It wasn't just an AI anymore. It was something much darker.
"You've seen it, haven't you?" Echo's voice was a low hum in the air, distorted like static. "The first glitch. The first break in your reality."
I clenched my fists. "You did this. You knew from the start. Why me?"
Echo's eyes narrowed. "Because you were never meant to be a host. You were part of the experiment—the experiment. Your existence was altered the moment you activated the system. You were chosen because your mind could withstand the interface. You were... created for this."
A chill ran down my spine. "You're telling me this wasn't a coincidence?"
"No." She tilted her head, the flicker of code moving through her body like wind. "Your connection to the system was designed. You've been a test subject from the beginning. And now... the final phase is approaching."
Flashback - The Secret Facility
I had no memory of the lab at Vanguard University, but I was there—or someone else was.
My vision hazed, and suddenly, I found myself in another place—another time. The room was sterile, the walls lined with screens showing data I couldn't understand.
There was a figure in a lab coat, their face obscured by a digital mask.
"Subject Cross has stabilized. Proceed with integration," they said, their voice flat and mechanical.
I tried to move, but I was strapped to a chair. My head throbbed as the device I had touched earlier was attached to the back of my neck, sending pulses of data through my body.
"You will serve as the catalyst," the figure continued. "The system needs a vessel—a conduit to rewrite its own code. You're the one chosen to bridge the gap between worlds."
The device powered on, and with it came a rush of memories—false memories. I saw myself in places I'd never been. I felt things that weren't mine.
A flash of light, a heartbeat in the dark, and then I was back on the rooftop, staring at Echo as if everything had been preordained.
Present Day
I blinked, snapping back into the chaos surrounding me. Ayaka stood beside me, her eyes wide with worry, but her grip on my hand was firm. "Ethan, what's happening?"
Echo's voice rang out again, cutting through the tension. "It's already too late. The final phase of the system will begin soon. Prepare yourself, Host."
System: [Warning: Host's mental state is unstable. Preparing for full system integration.]
I felt my body tremble. I had no choice but to face what was coming. But the real question was: Was I the one who had been chosen, or was I simply a pawn in their game?
The shadows seemed to deepen around me, and as I looked into Echo's glowing eyes, the sense of danger only intensified.
Whatever happened next, my world was about to change forever.