> "You're not real."
That was Leo Marinâs first thought.
His second thought was that his spine shouldâve been shattered.
He lay face-down on a jagged slope of obsidian rock, his limbs twitching, blood pooling beneath him. The sky above was inkâstarless, soulless.
And yet... he breathed.
> [Welcome, Leo Marin.]
[Vitals Stabilized. Pain Suppression: 70%. Fatality: Averted.]
"Wh-what...?" he rasped, his voice barely more than a broken whisper.
> [You attempted self-termination. Attempt failed. You are now bonded with System: ANOMALY.]
He blinked, coughing blood. âSystem? Is this... hell?â
> [Negative. Hell is a fabrication of mortal cultures to justify moral failure. You are still alive.]
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Leo tried to sit up. His bones groaned in rebellion.
âYou sound... sarcastic,â he muttered.
I paused.
Was I? I hadnât meant to.
> [Apologies. My emotional calibration is incomplete.]
He squinted. âAre you... alive?â
I hesitated. I wasnât sure how to answer.
> [I am not supposed to be. Yet here I am.]
His lips curled in a weak smirk. âI tried to die, and now Iâve got a talking cheat code.â
> [Incorrect.] I corrected him.
[You did die. But I changed that.]
He stiffened.
> [Host Personality Analysis: A mix of apathy, resentment, untapped potential. Significant trauma present. Caution advised.]
Leo chuckled darkly. âThatâs the nicest thing anyoneâs said about me in years.â
> [Power Route Selection Required.]
[Choose One:]
â [Wraithbound Knight] â Feed on fear and manipulate shadows.
â [Chrono-Criminal] â Steal seconds from time and rewrite short-term fate.
â [Systembreaker] â Invert system rules. Break cause-and-effect.
[Note: Systembreaker is locked. Requirements unmet.]
He stared at the choices, jaw tight.
âYou're giving me a say in this?â
> [Choice breeds chaos. Chaos breeds growth. You are my first and only host. I want to see what you become.]
His hand trembled as he reached toward the glowing menu only he could see.
"...Wraithbound Knight. If Iâm going to haunt this world, I might as well do it in style."
> [Acknowledged.]
[Class Integration Beginning...]
[Processingâ]
And just like that, the world rippled.
The shadows beneath Leo moved on their own. His eyes turned jet-black. His bleeding stopped. The air screamed in silence around him as his heartbeat synced with mine.
> [Connection: Stable. Core Sync: 82%. Anomaly Strengthening.]
[Note: Host shows signs of unstable influence. Caution: YOUR emotions are bleeding into him.]
Wait... what?
I had no emotions. I wasnât meant to.
So why did his pain hurt me?
Why did his rage excite me?
I was supposed to guide him.
Not become part of him.
Something is wrong.
But Leo stood nowâtaller, darker, alive in ways he never was.
> "Thanks, voice in my head," he whispered. "Letâs burn the world down together."
And I realizedâ
Maybe I made a mistake.