Chapter 2
Aren didn't move.
The great hall was far behind him now, its laughter still echoing like a wound that refused to close.
But something felt wrong.
Not in the world.
In him.
A cold wind swept through the empty path outside the academy gates.
Aren stood alone.
"…Zero."
The word slipped from his lips like poison.
He had heard it before.
But never like this.
Never as if it defined his entire existence.
His fingers tightened.
Then—
A flicker.
A faint blue light cracked across his palm.
Aren froze.
"…Again?"
The glow pulsed once… weak… unstable… like a dying heartbeat.
Then vanished.
Silence.
No explanation.
No reaction.
Just emptiness.
Aren laughed.
But it wasn't real.
It broke halfway through.
"…So even my body is mocking me now?"
He took a step forward.
Then another.
No destination.
Just movement.
Because stopping meant thinking.
And thinking meant breaking.
But then—
He heard it.
Not outside.
Inside.
A whisper.
Soft… distorted… like a voice trapped behind glass.
"HOST DETECTED…"
Aren stopped walking instantly.
His breath froze.
"…What?"
The voice came again.
Clearer this time.
Colder.
"UNSTABLE SIGNAL… CONNECTING…"
Aren slowly raised his hand.
The same hand.
The one that glowed.
And then—
The world shifted.
Everything went silent.
Even the wind stopped.
Even his heartbeat felt distant.
A blue interface cracked into existence in front of his eyes.
Floating.
Broken.
Glitching.
[SYSTEM BOOTING…]
[ERROR: CORE MODULE MISSING]
[ERROR: USER STATUS = ZERO]
Aren's eyes widened.
"…System?"
His voice trembled.
Not from fear.
From disbelief.
The screen flickered violently.
As if rejecting him.
As if fighting itself.
Then—
A new line appeared.
[WARNING: THIS WORLD DOES NOT RECOGNIZE YOU]
Aren's breath hitched.
"…What does that mean?"
The system did not answer.
Instead—
His hand burned.
He dropped to one knee instantly.
"Ghh—!"
Pain shot through his arm like fire made of electricity.
The system flickered again.
Faster.
Angrier.
[FORCED COMPATIBILITY INITIATED]
[1%… 1%… 1%…]
Aren gritted his teeth.
His vision blurred.
But inside the pain—
Something was responding.
Something alive.
Then—
A voice appeared again.
But this time… different.
Not the system.
Not the world.
Something deeper.
"…Finally…"
Aren's eyes snapped open.
"…Who said that?"
No answer.
Only the burning light in his hand.
Growing stronger.
Unstable.
Dangerous.
The system exploded with red warnings.
[ERROR DETECTED]
[UNKNOWN ENTITY RESPONDING TO HOST]
[CLASSIFICATION FAILED]
Aren slowly stood up.
Shaking.
Confused.
Alive.
"…I'm not zero," he whispered.
"…So what am I?"
The wind returned.
The world moved again.
But the system did not disappear.
It stayed.
Watching him.
Like something had finally found him…
After a very long time.
[SYSTEM LINK ESTABLISHED]
And far beyond the world he knew—
Something opened its eyes.
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