Alex woke to the sharp hiss of decompressing air.
Cold metal pressed against his back. Above him, a smooth, curved chamber arced like a ribcage, lined with glowing filaments that pulsed like veins beneath translucent skin. For a moment, he forgot who he was.
Then it all came rushing back—the Hollowborn attack, Lena's last-minute save, Kade's threats, GENESIS flashing like a digital guardian angel before everything went black.
Now, there was silence. No chirps. No sarcastic quips.
Just... absence.
He sat up slowly. Every joint ached, like reality had been peeled off and sewn back wrong. The room around him hummed—clean, cold, clinical. Transparent screens floated midair, flickering with unreadable code. A tiny drone zipped past, projecting a 3D skyline of Monridge before vanishing into a wall panel.
He didn't know how he knew where he was.
But he did.
The Systemic Core.
At the far end of the chamber, a towering arc-reactor-like structure pulsed—half machine, half illusion. It wasn't just powering something.
It was dividing something.
This... this was the line between the real world and the Simulation.
Almost a full day had passed since he'd been home. The thought of his mom—waiting, worrying, not knowing if he was alive—made his chest tighten.
He had to find a way out.
He had to prove himself.
He buried his face in his hands. Somewhere deep inside, he wasn't sure he'd made the right call.
The door slid open with a low whoosh.
Lena stepped in, posture sharp, expression unreadable. The version of her from school—the one who joked about math teachers and snuck extra fries at lunch—was gone.
"You're up," she said. "Follow me."
Alex stood awkwardly, rubbing his temple. "Where's GENESIS?"
"Rebooting. System sync in progress. You'll get him back soon."
The hallway outside was brighter. Busier.
A medic brushed past, muttering about "cybernetic overload thresholds." A guy with chrome arms was suiting up in sleek VR armor, grunting as the plating locked in.
Still, Lena didn't slow down.
Eventually, they stepped into a domed arena—part coliseum, part command center. The floor glowed beneath tempered glass, shifting with swirling code.
Two people waited.
One, a solid wall of muscle with dark hair tied back, arms folded. The other, a lean woman crouched by a medkit, her spiked gloves resting on the floor.
"Kade. Mira," Lena said. "This is the new recruit."
Kade stepped forward, his presence like a punch to the air. "Looks soft."
Alex scowled. "Looks conscious. That's gotta count for something."
Mira didn't even look up. "At least he's upright. Progress."
Lena crossed her arms. "He's getting his console now. Give him a minute."
"No time for minutes," Kade muttered.
The arena floor shimmered. A platform rose, revealing a console bathed in blue light—GENESIS.
"Rise and glitch, baby!" the voice chirped. "System online. And oof—did someone reboot me with a frying pan?"
Alex exhaled, grinning. "Good to have you back."
"You look like roadkill."
"You feel like a migraine."
"Perfect match, then. Ready to dance?"
"As I'll ever be."
Kade pointed to the center of the arena. "You want in? Prove it. Sync under pressure."
GENESIS pulsed. "Combat Sync initiated."
"Noted," Alex said, stepping forward.
Mira straightened, cracking her knuckles. "If you wanna sync, you gotta channel something real—fear, anger, resolve... anything. Doesn't matter what. Just feel it."
Alex nodded. GENESIS phased into his chest.
Lena stood by the control pad, Kade beside her like a judge at an execution.
She tapped the mic. "You ready, Alex?"
Alex dropped into a stance. "Yeah. Let's go."
The arena's lights dimmed. A simulation began.
Everything blinked white.
Then—
A shattered battlefield materialized around him. Rubble, flickering lights, and three wolf-like Hollowborn materialized with glitching limbs and jagged teeth.
Alex's eyes widened. "Uh... this isn't beginner-level stuff."
"Virtual mutts," GENESIS said, voice loud enough for Lena to hear. "Class-2 Hollowborn. Rookie level? Yeah, this ain't it."
The wolves lunged.
Alex moved—not from instinct, but something deeper. Muscle memory that wasn't his. His body reacted before he even understood what was happening.
He somersaulted, dodging claws.
Landed.
Laughed in disbelief.
Another wolf lunged. He caught its claw mid-air, twisted. It yelped and staggered.
Behind him, another prepared to pounce—he ducked. The beast slammed into the first.
Alex spun, kicked one's legs out. It collapsed.
The third charged. Alex ran forward, vaulted off its back, and watched as it tumbled into the others like digital dominoes.
Mira choked on her drink, snorting.
Lena's mouth twitched.
Even Kade gave the faintest nod.
"These wolves got their brains jammed in reverse," GENESIS quipped.
The Hollowborn didn't get back up.
Alex blinked. "Uh... is that it?"
He turned to Kade. "Still think I can't handle it?"
Kade didn't respond.
Something behind Alex exhaled.
His eyes widened. He spun—
Too late.
A claw slammed into him.
He flew backwards, smashing into rubble. The pain hit hard—like being dropped from a building.
Mira winced. Lena's hand hovered over the emergency stop.
Alex groaned.
"Okay," GENESIS muttered. "Maybe the wolves aren't entirely stupid."
The beasts approached, their eyes blazing red. Alex tried to move—
He couldn't.
Something—telekinetic force—pinned him down. Crushing. Suffocating.
Mira stood, medkit in hand.
Lena whispered to Kade, "If this hits critical, I'm shutting it down."
Kade nodded once.
Alex's vision blurred. Pressure surged through him like gravity gone mad.
"Next time," he rasped, "I won't... underestimate..."
His voice trailed off.
Then—
His eyes flared with light. Not his own.
A pulse burst from his body.
The Hollowborn shattered into glitch-dust.
Silence.
GENESIS's voice was low. "Uh... you weren't supposed to know how to do that yet."
Kade raised an eyebrow.
The simulation ended. Reality returned.
Alex blinked, panting. The glass floor beneath him cooled.
Mira finally looked up. "Okay," she muttered. "Not soft."
The simulated rubble vanished—dropping Alex with a thud.
Lena approached, tablet in hand.
"You need rest."
"I'm fine," Alex grunted, pushing himself up. "Just... need to stop seeing double."
Lena turned to leave.
"Wait."
She paused.
"Can I come with you? I just... wanna see more. Get my bearings."
Lena hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."
Minutes later, they arrived at the command center.
A bowl of screens, rotating holograms, maps layered with data. Lights blinked. Panels pulsed.
"That," a voice chimed, "was not standard protocol."
Alex turned.
A lanky guy in goggles sat among a tangle of wires and monitors.
"Taro," Lena sighed. "Systems. Hacker. Annoying."
"Brilliant," Taro corrected. "You must be the console kid. The walking anomaly."
"I'm not an anomaly anymore," Alex said. "I'm in the system."
"Because you've got the console. Otherwise? Toast."
GENESIS popped out of Alex with a zap.
"Hey! Alex is very worthy, thank you."
Taro smirked. "Just facts."
Alex groaned. "GENESIS... don't phase out like that again. I think I'm gonna puke."
"Please don't," Taro said, alarmed. "My drone just polished this floor."
A siren blared.
Red zones lit up across the map.
"Alert: Hollowborn breach. Monridge sector," the intercom repeated.
Lena stiffened. "Class-4."
"Class-4?" Alex echoed.
"You don't want to meet one alone," Kade said, suddenly behind them.
Everyone turned—no one had seen him enter.
"Abandoned train station. Downtown," Lena said, her voice tight.
Kade snapped on his visor. Lena readied her gear. Mira muttered a curse.
Alex stepped forward. "Let me come."
Lena met his eyes.
"This isn't a game, Alex," she said quietly. "It's war."