The walk back to his home was bathed in the golden glow of a perfect New Eridu sunset. The sky was a canvas of vibrant oranges and deep purples, the clouds catching the last rays of the sun like burning embers. The city, usually so industrial and sharp, seemed to soften under the warm light. The neon signs of Sixth Street flickered to life, their electric hum harmonizing with the distant sounds of traffic.
Cedric walked on the absolute edge of the sidewalk, his sneakers making a rhythmic, solitary sound against the pavement. He clutched the canvas tote bag to his chest like a shield.
He reached the apartment complex. The heavy metal door groaned open with the screech of a hinge desperate for oil. The hallway was empty, lit by the flickering hum of a dying fluorescent strip overhead.
He unlocked door 237 and stepped inside.
It was exactly as he had left it. Sterile. White. Empty.
There was no smell of dinner cooking. No background hum of a radio. No sound of life. It was less a home and more a storage unit for a human body. The silence was absolute, a vacuum that usually threatened to suck the air out of his lungs.
In his previous life, he would have dropped his burden on the floor, kicked off his shoes, and collapsed onto the bed to stare at the ceiling until consciousness faded.
But tonight, his hand froze in mid-air, the canvas bag dangling from his fingers.
He looked at the bag. He thought of the way Wise had smoothed the towel before putting it in. He thought of the way she had tested the heat of the dryer on her own palm, a small, instinctive gesture of protection.
Slowly, Cedric lowered his arm. He didn't drop the bag. He walked over to the small, empty study desk pushed against the wall and set the bag down gently.
"Safe." he murmured to the empty room.
He turned and walked toward the bed. His body felt heavy, drained not by physical exertion but by the sheer caloric cost of social interaction. He sat heavily on the mattress, the springs creaking in protest. He reached for the thin blanket, intending to pull it over his head and disappear.
But his hand brushed against something hard.
He frowned. 'What now?'
He lifted the pillow.
Lying there, cool and sleek against the white sheet, was a rectangular black device.
A smartphone.
It wasn't the cracked, lagging brick he had owned in his old life. This was New Eridu tech—a retro-futuristic slab of matte metal and glass. It was thick, substantial, with a small, dedicated antenna protruding from the top right corner and a thin strip of neon light running down the side, currently dark.
Cedric picked it up. It felt dense in his hand.
He pressed the power button.
The screen flared to life, displaying a stylized triangular logo before settling onto the home screen.
It was empty.
The wallpaper was the factory default solid black. There were no widgets. No weather apps. No games.
He tapped the Contacts icon.
No contacts found.
He tapped Messages.
Inbox empty.
He tapped Call History.
No recent calls.
The device was a perfect mirror of the body's original owner. It was a high-tech island, fully functional, capable of connecting to the entire world, yet utterly disconnected. It had likely been used only to check the time, or perhaps to browse the web in anonymous silence during sleepless nights.
"Useless." Cedric muttered, his thumb hovering over the dark glass.
He made a move to toss it toward the foot of the bed. He didn't need it. He had no one to call. He had no one to text. Keeping it felt like carrying a brick.
[Stop. Don't you dare throw that.]
The System's voice cut in, sharp and scolding.
[Are you planning to live like a caveman? In this cyberpunk city, being without a comms device is like walking into a forest without a knife. Keep it. It's a survival tool. You need maps. You need news. You need a digital wallet.]
Cedric sighed, his arm falling limp. He dropped the phone on the mattress beside him instead of throwing it.
"Fine. I'll keep it."
He lay back, staring at the white ceiling. The silence of the room pressed in on him.
Five minutes passed. Then ten.
He had nothing to do. No job to go to.
Just him and the white paint.
Ding!
A cheerful, synthesized chime rang out—not from the phone, but from the center of his skull. A bright blue holographic window popped into existence, hovering directly above his face, blocking the view of the ceiling.
[SYSTEM ALERT: SUBJECT IS EXHIBITING DANGEROUS LEVELS OF IDLENESS]
[ACTIVATING: Daily Quest Protocol]
[Oi, kid. Stop staring at the ceiling. You look like a corpse laid out for a viewing. Get up. Do something. You need to move.]
Cedric closed his eyes. "I am tired."
[You are not tired. You are lazy. You just consumed a bowl of high-grade protein and carbs worth 5000 Denny. You have enough energy to run a marathon. Get up!]
Cedric opened one eye. "Or what?"
[Or I will play Levan Polkka at maximum volume inside your brain.]
Cedric sat up instantly. "I'm up."
[Good. Here is your To-Do list. Basic survival tasks.]
The text on the screen shifted, displaying a list.
[DAILY QUEST 1: DIGITAL CITIZEN]
Objective: Register for an Inter-Knot account and set up a basic profile.
Reason: "You live in New Eridu, not a cave. You need information. You need to know where the Hollows are and where the sales are. Get connected."
Reward: 1x Potion (Spray Type - Basic).
[DAILY QUEST 2: SUPPLY RUN]
Objective: Purchase supplies at the nearest 141 Convenience Store. (Requirement: Spend at least 5000 Denny).
Reason: "I scanned your fridge. It is emptier than your social calendar. There is a bottle of water and some air. Are you planning to photosynthesize? Go buy something to fill that fridge."
Reward: 5x Oran Berry (Sweet/Sour Flavor - Restores Health/Stamina).
Cedric read the list.
"Inter-Knot?" he asked.
[It's a forum where the real news happens. Install the app on that brick of yours.]
Cedric reached for the black phone. He unlocked it and found the app store. He typed in the name.
The icon appeared. Two white overlapping globes linked like infinity with thin lines with meridians on black background.
He downloaded it. The app launched with a neon orange and black interface, streams of code cascading down the screen before settling into a login page.
[WELCOME TO THE INTER-KNOT. PLEASE REGISTER.]
It asked for a Username.
Cedric stared at the blinking cursor. A name. He needed a handle. Something that wasn't him.
He typed: xXx.
System Message: Username taken.
He typed: 2067.
System Message: Username taken.
He typed: Covfefe.
System Message: Username taken.
"Fuck." Cedric muttered.
[System: Pick something less common, would you? You're sixteen. Try something with color like Blue, Red, Green. Or... I don't know, something related to your new job?]
'New job?'
Cedric looked down at his belt, where the thermos-sized incubator was clipped. He touched the cold metal. Inside was a creature. A partner.
He thought back to the names the System had mentioned.
He typed: Purple the Pokemon Trainer
System Message: Username Available.
[Fine. It's better than 'WalkingDeadMan'. Accept it.]
He tapped confirm. Account created.
Ding!
[QUEST COMPLETE!]
[Received: 1x Potion.]
A small purple spray bottle materialized in the air and dropped onto his lap. It looked like a bottle of window cleaner, but the liquid inside swirled with a faint luminescence.
[For you or the Pokemon. Spritz it on a cut, it heals. Don't drink it, it tastes like shits.]
Cedric pocketed the spray.
"Now the food" he read.
He stood up and walked to the kitchenette. He pulled open the fridge door.
The light flickered on, illuminating... nothing. The white shelves were pristine. A single bottle of water stood on the middle shelf, looking lonely.
"Hungry." his stomach growled, agreeing with the assessment. The BBQ noodles had been substantial, but this new body seemed to burn through fuel at an alarming rate. Maybe growing a monster required extra calories.
He closed the fridge. He picked up the Black Card from the table.
"Let's go."
***
The 141 Convenience Store was close, located right at the entrance of the residential district where it met Sixth Street proper. He had walked past it earlier that morning.
Night had fully fallen over New Eridu. The streetlights were on, casting pools of yellow light. The convenience store was a beacon of blue neon in the darkness, the large "141" logo glowing brightly.
Cedric walked up to the automatic doors. They slid open with a cheerful chime.
"Eh-nah! Eh-nah!"
A chorus of strange, high-pitched mechanical sounds greeted him.
Cedric stopped. He looked at the counter.
There were no humans. Instead, standing on little step-stools behind the register, were three small, round robots. They looked like stylized rabbits made of dark metal and plastic, with glowing digital eyes and long, expressive ears.
The one in the middle wore a headband that read "Ask". It waved a stubby arm at him. "Wa-ta!"
The one on the left, holding a box, chirped "Eh-na!"
The one on the right, guarding the cash register, nodded solemnly. "Ne... gah."
Cedric blinked.
He wasn't good with people. People required facial expressions. People required small talk. People judged.
But these? They were machines, simple and honest.
He felt his shoulders drop a fraction of an inch.
"Hello," he said softly.
"Eh-nah!" The middle Bangboo pointed a nubby hand towards the aisles.
Cedric nodded. "Thank you."
He walked into the aisles.
It was a paradise of processed goods. And a hell of indecision.
Rows upon rows of brightly colored packaging screamed for his attention. Potato chips. Dried seaweed. Chocolate cookies. Gummy bears in shapes he didn't recognize. Sodas in every color of the rainbow. Instant noodles ranging from "Mild Seafood" to "Volcanic Beef."
Cedric stood in front of the snack aisle.
In his right hand, he held a bag of "Super Spicy Dynamite" potato chips. In his left, a bag of "Sea Salt & Nori" crisps.
He looked at the red bag. Then the green bag.
He extended the red one toward the basket. Then pulled it back. He extended the green one. Pulled it back.
In his previous life, choice didn't exist. You ate what was cheap. You ate what was there: bread, porridge, leftovers,... Choice was a luxury for people who had safety nets. He ate to stop the pain of hunger, not to taste.
So his brain locked up.
'Which one is better? What if the spicy one to spicy? What if the seaweed one tastes like fish food? What if I pick the wrong one and waste the money?'
Analysis paralysis seized him. He stood there, rigid as a statue, staring at two bags of fried potatoes for a full fifteen minutes.
The Bangboos at the counter began to whisper—or rather, squeak—among themselves.
"Wata?" one asked, tilting its head.
"Eh-nah-nah." the other shrugged.
[Oh for the love of... Cedric! Buy both! You have half a million Denny! You could buy this entire shelf if you wanted to! Stop torturing your poor brain!]
The System's voice rang out, sounding exasperated.
Cedric jumped.
"Both?" he mumbled.
Right. He had money.
A strange sensation bubbled up in his chest. A tiny, illicit spark of freedom. It felt ridiculous, standing in a convenience store at night, but it felt... powerful.
He grabbed the red bag. He grabbed the green bag. He threw them both into the basket.
Then, the dam broke.
He grabbed a king-sized chocolate bar. He grabbed a bag of gummy worms. He grabbed three cans of "Soul Hounds" soda with the surfing rabbit logo. He grabbed instant noodles. He grabbed sausages. And a weird ice-cream with Ethereals flavor?
He filled the basket until it was heaping with things that would make a nutritionist weep. Junk food, sugar, empty calories.
But he didn't care. His soul might be old and tired, but his stomach was sixteen and it wanted sugar.
He lugged the heavy basket to the counter.
"Payment," he said, setting it down.
The 'Buy' Bangboo hopped up, scanning the items with a laser from its eye.
"Eh-nah!" It held out a hand.
Cedric pulled out the Black Card.
It was a sleek piece of void-black metal, edged with gold that shimmered under the fluorescent lights. It screamed wealth.
He handed it to the robot.
The Bangboo took the card. Its digital eyes widened into bigger perfect circles.
"EH-NAH?!" It squeaked loudly.
The other two Bangboos stopped what they were doing. They leaned over, their sensors scanning the card.
"Wata-ta-ta!"
"Ne... gah!?"
They looked at the card. Then they looked at Cedric—the boy in the cheap black clothes with the messy hair. Then back at the card.
Their internal processors seemed to glitch for a moment. This was an Black Card. The kind of payment method usually reserved for successful Proxies or business owners. And here it was, being used to buy snacks.
The "Buy" Bangboo started trembling. It bowed so low its forehead hit the counter.
"EH-NAH!" It shouted respectfully.
It swiped the card with trembling hands.
Ka-ching!
It handed the card back with both hands, treating it like a holy relic.
"Eh-nah! Eh-nah!" All three Bangboos were now bowing, their ears flopping up and down.
'Why are they shaking?' He wondered.
Cedric blinked and took the card back.
Then he walked out of the store and the night wind hit his face.
***
Back in Apartment 404, Cedric dumped his loot onto the table. The sterile white room was suddenly invaded by the crinkle of foil wrappers and the bright primary colors of packaging.
Ding!
[QUEST COMPLETE!]
[Received: 5x Oran Berry.]
Five big blue berries, round and plump, fell onto the bedspread. They smelled sweet and vaguely citrusy.
Cedric picked one up. He took a bite.
Crunch.
It was crisp, exploding with a juice that was a perfect mix of sweet and sour. It tasted like blue raspberry and lime. It quenched his thirst instantly.
"Good," he noted, chewing. "Better than the apples at The Pines."
He sat cross-legged on the bed. He cracked open a can of Soul Hounds soda—it fizzed aggressively—and tore open the spicy chips.
One hand feeding himself chips, the other holding the phone, he opened the Inter-Knot app.
The world inside the small screen was chaotic, loud, and fascinating.
There were posts with "Hollow Alert" warnings flashing in red. Shaky videos filmed by civilians showing people fighting Ethereals—monsters with black shiny bodies sparkling red/green, a black spherical core near the head and protective crystal armor.
There were threads complaining about electricity prices. There were thousands of pictures of cats.
He found a section on Proxies. The "guides" of the Hollows. One name kept popping up in the rumors: Phaethon. They said Phaethon never failed. They said Phaethon could get anyone out of anywhere with a 100% survival rate.
"Phaethon." Cedric murmured, licking chili dust off his thumb. "Sounds cool. Probably a big guy."
He scrolled down. A new post appeared in the "Local Recommendations" feed. It had a lot of upvotes.
[Topic: Random Play Video Store on Sixth Street]
User: MovieNerd99
"Guys, if you need retro movies, go to Random Play! Their collection is S-tier. But more importantly, the manager (the grey-haired girl) is fking pretty and incredibly kind! I forgot my wallet today and she let me rent on credit. 10/10, would simp again."
The comments were full of agreement.
> "Wise is the best! Her movie taste is impeccable."
> "Don't forget the sister, Belle."
> "And the Bangboo with the scarf, 18! He's so adorable."
Cedric's finger hovered over the screen. He stared at the words "Manager... incredibly kind."
He remembered the warmth of the dryer. He remembered the way she checked the heat on her palm. He looked at the grey towel neatly folded on his table.
"She is... kind." he admitted to the empty room. His voice was quiet. "Kinda nosy but kind."
He had never interacted with anyone online before. In his old life, he was a lurker. He watched, but never touched.
But today...
He tapped the "Like" icon.
It turned green.
It was his first mark on this digital world. A tiny, silent acknowledgment sent out into the void.
***
The clock on the phone read 10:00 PM.
Cedric cleaned up the wrappers, throwing them into the bin. He brushed his teeth (only because the System threatened to play opera music if he didn't), and changed into his black pajamas.
He unclipped the incubator from his belt and pressed the blue button.
Zzzzip.
The machine expanded, unfolding back into its full, fridge-sized glory. He placed it carefully next to the head of his bed.
The light from inside the incubator glowed softly, bathing the corner of the room in a warm, cavernous hue. It chased away the sterile white shadows.
He looked at the display.
[Status: Incubating... 50.5%]
The number had jumped massively thanks to the 15-day reduction. Almost halfway there.
Cedric sat on the edge of the bed, bringing his face close to the reinforced glass. Inside, the massive egg sat motionless, its steel-blue scales shimmering under the red light.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Its heartbeat was strong, steady. It resonated in the quiet room, syncing with his own pulse.
A strange feeling swelled in Cedric's chest. It wasn't the frantic excitement of a child. It was something quieter. Expectation.
He placed his hand on the glass. The warmth seeped into his palm.
"Hey," he whispered.
The egg didn't answer, of course. But the heartbeat seemed to stutter and then beat slightly stronger, as if acknowledging him.
"Today..." Cedric hesitated. He wasn't used to sharing his day. But in the dark, with just the egg and the System in his head, it felt safe.
"Today wasn't bad."
He remembered the smoky taste of the brisket. He remembered the feeling of the wind in his dry hair. He remembered Wise's smile. He remembered the Bangboos going "Eh-nah and Wata".
"I have a hairdryer now. I ate full. And I have a lot of snacks. The spicy chips are good."
He tapped his fingernail lightly against the glass.
"You should hurry up and hatch. If you're good... I'll share a chip with you. But don't eat all of them."
[It's a Pokemon, Cedric. It doesn't eat potato chips. But... the sentiment is noted. It hears you.]
The System whispered in his mind. Her voice was soft, lacking its usual edge. It sounded like a "goodnight."
Cedric smiled. A small, real smile.
He turned off the overhead light.
The room plunged into darkness, save for the gentle, rhythmic glow of the incubator. It looked like a small lighthouse, a beating heart keeping watch over his sleep.
He pulled the duvet up, burying his face in the pillow.
Tonight, for the first time in twelve years. Cedric wasn't afraid to close his eyes.
He didn't hear the screech of tires. He didn't smell the gasoline.
He only heard the Thump-thump of the egg next to him, a promise of a new life waiting to begin.
And to that rhythm, he fell asleep.
[Good night, Cedric.]