The rain hit the pavement like a million tiny needles, each droplet slicing the early evening air into a cold mist. Eli Vargas stood alone in the school courtyard, his backpack ripped open, its contents scattered across the wet concrete. A math book floated in a puddle, pages turning soggy and gray. His lip was split again. He could taste iron on his tongue.
"Pathetic," someone snorted behind him. Eli didn't need to turn around. He already knew who it was.Mason York — school golden boy by day, full-time nightmare by night. Flanked by two of his meathead friends, Mason watched Eli with that same lazy grin he always wore, like hurting someone was just another after-school hobby.
"You gonna cry again, Vargas? Like last time?" Mason laughed, nudging Eli's soaked backpack with his foot.
Eli crouched down and started picking up his things in silence. His hands were trembling, but not from fear. Not anymore. He was just... tired. Tired of running, tired of hiding, tired of pretending like maybe, maybe if he stayed invisible, they'd leave him alone.
Spoiler: They never did.
"Hey." Mason's voice turned mockingly soft. "Don't ignore me. We're just trying to help you, man. Toughen you up."
A sharp kick landed in Eli's ribs, knocking the air out of him. He curled up, hugging his side, coughing into the concrete. The rain kept falling, mixing with his blood, with the mud, with everything.The world blurred.
[SYSTEM DETECTED.]
Eli blinked, thinking he had misheard it — but then the voice came again. Mechanical. Calm. Inevitable.
[Host identified: Eli Vargas.][Condition: Critical. Physical Damage Detected. Mental State: Despair.][Activating Protocol: SSS — Survive, Strive, Succeed.]
A soft glow sparked in Eli's mind, not seen but felt, like a warm thread stitching itself into his very bones.The pain in his ribs dulled. His breathing steadied.
He looked up slowly, meeting Mason's eyes.Something inside him shifted — no, awoke.
"What's with the face?" Mason sneered. He shoved Eli back down again, harder this time. "Know your place, freak."
Eli said nothing. But this time... he didn't stay down.
[New Mission: Survive — Duration: 24 hours.][Reward: Skill Unlock — Passive Regeneration (Level 1). Penalty for Failure: Forced System Shutdown.]
A screen popped up in front of him, translucent blue with silver text. He could somehow read it instantly. Understand it.Survive?He could do that. He had been surviving his whole life without anyone's help.
The system buzzed again, almost cheerfully.
[Bonus Challenge Generated: Fight Back.][Reward: Stat Enhancement — Strength +1.]
Eli's fingers clenched into fists without thinking. The cold no longer numbed his hands. The fear no longer drowned his brain.
For once, he felt alive.
Mason leaned down to grab him again — and that was when Eli moved.
It wasn't clean. It wasn't flashy. It was a wild, desperate swing, more instinct than strategy — but it connected.His fist collided with Mason's jaw, making a dull crack.
Mason stumbled back, clutching his face, eyes wide with shock. His friends gawked at Eli like he had grown horns.
"You—!" Mason roared, fury replacing his casual cruelty. "You're dead, Vargas! DEAD!"
He lunged.
[Warning: Host Life Threatened. Defense Protocol Initiated.]
Time seemed to slow around Eli. His body moved faster than he could think, ducking under Mason's punch, stepping aside, dodging a kick.His mind burned with clarity. Every movement, every twitch Mason made — it was like Eli could see it coming a second before it happened.
How?
What the hell is happening to me?
He didn't have time to wonder. Mason's friends were moving too now, boxing him in.
Three against one.Still raining.Still alone.Still outnumbered.
But for the first time... not helpless.
Eli dropped his weight low and threw himself at the nearest guy, shoulder-checking him off balance.One down — temporarily.
Another guy grabbed him from behind, locking his arms.
Mason was coming closer now, hatred twisting his face.
"You think you can hit me?!" Mason snarled. "YOU?!"
His fist raised.
[Alert: High Damage Incoming.]
The system's voice was calm. Unfeeling.Eli gritted his teeth. His mind raced, desperate for a way out.
[Skill: Improvised Escape (Temporary) — Activated.]
Suddenly, Eli twisted, dropping all his weight downward. The guy behind him yelped, losing his grip. Eli stomped hard on the guy's foot for good measure, hearing a satisfying crack of bone or shoe.
Freedom.
Mason's punch grazed past his ear instead of his face. Eli scrambled backward, breathing hard, soaked to the bone — but standing.
"You're DEAD!" Mason screamed again, red-faced. "You're gonna wish you never—"
A voice cut through the courtyard.Deep.Sharp.Commanding.
"Enough."
Everyone froze.
From the shadow of the school building, a tall figure stepped into the rain. He wore a black coat that fluttered behind him like a cape. His hair was silver — not old, but unnatural. His eyes gleamed under the dim courtyard lights, like a wolf spotting prey.
"Who the hell are you?" Mason barked, trying to sound tough.
The man ignored him. His gaze locked onto Eli — and only Eli.
"You," the man said, voice low. "You're coming with me."
Eli's mouth opened, but no sound came out. The system buzzed in his mind again, almost urgently.
[Quest Updated: Survive — Escape with Target: ???][New Reward: Unlock Basic Combat Training.]
Mason and his friends recovered from their shock and started advancing again, but the man didn't move.Didn't even blink.
"You have ten seconds to follow me," he said, tone brooking no argument. "Or you die here."
Eli's heart thundered against his ribs.Go with a stranger? Stay and get beaten?
Either way... his life was about to change forever.
The clock was ticking.
And Eli — dripping wet, battered, half-mad with adrenaline — made his choice.
He ran.
Straight toward the unknown.
Straight into the storm.