I froze.
For a moment, everything stopped.
Not the world—
Just me.
My eyes stayed locked on the screen.
Unblinking.
Unmoving.
It was still there.
Floating in front of me like it had always belonged there.
"…What?"
The word slipped out quietly.
Almost instinctively.
No response.
Of course there wasn't.
I turned my head toward the door.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Half-expecting someone to walk in.
Half-expecting someone to react.
Nothing.
The sounds of the house carried on as usual.
Utensils clinking faintly in the kitchen.
Footsteps.
The low hum of the ceiling fan above me.
Normal.
Too normal.
No one was reacting.
No one was calling my name.
No one was asking why I was just standing there.
"…So I'm the only one."
It wasn't a guess.
It was a conclusion.
If anyone else could see this—
They wouldn't ignore it.
I looked back.
The screen hadn't moved.
System will start at midnight. Please wait.
Same words.
Same position.
Same steady glow.
"…System."
I repeated it under my breath.
The word felt strange.
But not unfamiliar.
I'd seen it before.
Countless times.
In stories.
In games.
In things I used to read when I should've been studying.
A system that gives power.
Tracks stats.
Guides the user.
"…No."
I shook my head slightly.
"This isn't that."
It couldn't be.
Things like that didn't just appear in real life.
Right?
My gaze stayed fixed on the screen.
It didn't flicker.
Didn't distort.
Didn't react.
It just—
Waited.
"…Then what are you?"
Silence.
I stepped closer.
Slowly.
Carefully.
If this was a hallucination—
It would break.
Distort.
Disappear.
But it didn't.
The closer I got—
The clearer it became.
Sharp.
Defined.
Not something my mind would randomly create.
"…Too consistent."
I raised my hand slightly.
Stopped midway.
"…No point."
Something told me touching it wouldn't do anything.
Instead, I moved around it.
Left.
Right.
The screen didn't change position.
It stayed directly in front of my vision.
"…Not in space."
That narrowed it down.
"…It's linked to me."
Not the room.
Not the environment.
Me.
"…Great."
I exhaled slowly.
"Of all things…"
A system.
If someone told me this yesterday—
I would've laughed.
Ignored it.
Moved on.
But now—
I was standing here.
Staring at one.
And it wasn't disappearing.
"…So what now?"
The answer was already there.
Midnight.
That's when it would start.
"…So I wait."
Simple.
Too simple.
I turned away from the screen.
My desk was right there.
Books open.
Notes scattered.
Reality.
"…CA Foundation."
I stared at the pages for a second.
Then pulled the chair and sat down.
If this was fake—
Then I was wasting time.
If this was real—
Then my life was about to change in a way studying couldn't prepare me for.
Either way—
Sitting and doing nothing wasn't an option.
I picked up my pen.
Focused.
At least—
Tried to.
The words made sense.
They always did.
Once I read something—
It stayed.
Structured.
Clear.
That's how my memory worked.
Like a recording I could replay anytime.
Which is why—
What happened earlier—
Didn't sit right.
There was a gap.
A moment I couldn't recall.
Not forgotten.
Just—
Missing.
"…That shouldn't happen."
I pressed the pen slightly harder against the paper.
My focus slipped again.
My eyes drifted—
Back to the screen.
Still there.
Unchanged.
"…You're distracting."
No response.
I clicked my pen once.
Twice.
Forced myself to look back down.
Read.
Understand.
Write.
Time passed.
But not smoothly.
It dragged.
Every few seconds—
I checked the clock.
10:18 PM.
"…Still early."
I went back to studying.
10:41 PM.
11:02 PM.
The closer it got to midnight—
The harder it became to ignore the screen.
Not because it changed.
But because it didn't.
It stayed the same.
Constant.
Unmoving.
Waiting.
"…Like it knows."
I leaned back slightly.
The room felt quieter now.
Or maybe—
I was just noticing more.
The fan.
The ticking clock.
My own breathing.
Everything felt… sharper.
"…Stop overthinking."
I closed my eyes for a second.
Opened them again.
Still there.
"…Yeah. Not going away."
I let out a small breath.
There was no point pretending anymore.
My focus was gone.
Completely.
I closed the book.
Pushed it aside.
And leaned back.
Eyes fixed on the screen.
"…What are you really?"
Silence.
"…And why me?"
Nothing.
Of course.
For a moment—
I almost smiled.
"…Talking to a screen."
If anyone saw this—
They'd think I'd lost it.
Maybe I had.
But even that didn't feel right.
This felt…
Too real.
11:49 PM.
My heartbeat started to rise.
Not fear.
Anticipation.
11:54 PM.
The air felt heavier.
Subtle.
But there.
"…Almost."
I sat up straight.
No more pretending.
No more distractions.
Just—
Waiting.
11:58 PM.
My eyes didn't leave the screen.
Not even for a second.
11:59 PM.
The glow flickered.
For the first time.
"…There."
I leaned forward slightly.
The light grew sharper.
More defined.
Then—
New text appeared.
System initializing…
My breath slowed.
My thoughts went quiet.
Everything narrowed—
To that one line.
Midnight.
It was happening.
Whatever this was—
It had already started.
And there was no going back now.
Chapter 2 End
Author's Note:If you enjoyed, don't forget to vote with Power Stones 💎
If you enjoy and add to library at the end, don't forget to vote with Power Stones 💎