I woke up on the floor.
The first thing I felt was cold—seeping through my clothes, through my skin, straight into my bones. The second was weight. Heavy arms around my shoulders, firm enough to keep me upright.
I blinked hard.
The ceiling above me was unfamiliar.
Not his bedroom.
Not the living room.
A narrow hallway, lit only by a single overhead lamp.
"You're awake."
His voice was close. Too close.
I sucked in a sharp breath and tried to pull away, but his grip tightened slightly—not restraining, just steady.
"Don't move," he said. "You collapsed."
Memory rushed back in fragments:
the pain,
the error message,
the sudden silence.
The system.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"System," I called internally.
Nothing happened.
No chime.
No warning.
No countdown.
Panic flared in my chest.
"Answer me," I whispered.
Still nothing.
He shifted, easing me back against the wall. His hand came up to my face, fingers brushing my temple.
"You hit your head," he said. "Hard."
I froze.
I shouldn't have.
But the system didn't punish me.
It didn't even react.
"How long was I out?" I asked.
"About two minutes," he replied. "Felt longer."
Two minutes.
In my previous life, two minutes was more than enough time to die.
Just as the thought crossed my mind, the world snapped sharply into focus.
[System Reboot Complete.]
The words slammed into my vision like a verdict.
I gasped.
[Critical Mission Issued.]
Mission Type: Survival – Absolute
Absolute.
The air felt suddenly thinner.
[Mission Objective:]
Ensure Subject A-01 remains alive for the next 12 hours.
I stared at the words.
"That's it?" I demanded silently. "He's alive right now."
The system responded instantly—too instantly.
[Failure Condition:]
If Subject A-01 enters a fatal state, host will be terminated immediately.
My fingers trembled.
Fatal state didn't mean death.
It meant approaching death.
"This isn't a mission," I whispered. "It's a trap."
He frowned. "What did you say?"
"Nothing."
A lie.
But the system didn't punish me.
That was worse.
[Time Limit:]
11:59:58
The countdown reappeared.
Bright.
Aggressive.
Unforgiving.
I swallowed hard.
"You're not leaving," I said suddenly.
He raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't planning to."
"No," I insisted, gripping his sleeve. "You don't understand. You can't go out. You can't be alone. You can't—"
"Hey." He caught my wrist gently. "Slow down."
My vision blurred.
"Something is going to happen to you," I said. "I know it."
The system hummed—low and displeased.
[Caution:]
Host predictive behavior detected.
He studied my face, his expression shifting from concern to something sharper.
"You're certain," he said.
It wasn't a question.
"I don't need certainty," I replied hoarsely. "I need you alive."
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he nodded.
"All right," he said. "We stay in."
Relief crashed through me so hard my knees nearly gave out.
[Mission Progress: 12%]
I stiffened.
"That's it?" I thought. "Just staying inside?"
The system answered with brutal clarity.
[Clarification:]
Threat probability does not require external exposure.
My blood ran cold.
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
He noticed instantly. "Power surge?"
Before I could answer, the system struck.
Pain tore through my chest—sharp, sudden, disorienting. I cried out, clutching at my heart.
[Warning:]
Host interference detected.
"What interference?" I screamed internally. "I'm doing what you asked!"
The pain intensified.
[Correction:]
Host intent to alter outcome confirmed.
I froze.
"You don't want him safe," I realized. "You want him close to death."
The pain stopped.
Dead silence followed.
He was in front of me in an instant, hands on my shoulders.
"What's happening?" he demanded. "Talk to me."
I looked up at him, my chest heaving.
"They're watching you," I said.
The system flared violently.
[Violation.]
Pain exploded again—uncontrolled, vicious. I screamed, collapsing forward.
He caught me.
This time, the pain didn't stop immediately.
[Penalty Escalation Initiated.]
My vision darkened at the edges.
"I won't let you," I whispered, clinging to him. "I won't let them kill you again."
Again.
The word slipped out.
Everything froze.
The system.
The pain.
The countdown.
He went completely still.
"…Again?" he repeated quietly.
I realized my mistake too late.
A new message tore across my vision, flashing red.
[CRITICAL ERROR.]
Temporal knowledge leakage detected.
My heart stopped.
Literally.
I felt it—an abrupt, terrifying stillness in my chest, like something had reached inside me and flipped a switch.
[Termination Protocol Engaged.]
He shouted my name.
I couldn't hear it.
The world tilted, darkness rushing in—
Then—
Another message forced itself into my vision, overlapping the first.
[Override Detected.]
Source: Subject A-01
My heart slammed violently back into motion.
I screamed, gasping for air.
The system's text flickered wildly.
[ERROR.]
Override not permitted.]
Recalculating…
He was holding me so tightly it almost hurt, his voice raw and furious in my ear.
"Listen to me," he said. "Whatever this is—you are not facing it alone."
The system went silent.
The countdown resumed.
11:32:19
But beneath it, a new line appeared.
[Variable Status Updated:]
Subject A-01: Active Threat to System Stability.
I stared at the words, my body shaking.
For the first time since my rebirth—
The system was afraid.