Mornings in Ankara were always gray.
The gray of concrete, the gray of the sky, the gray, dull expressions on people's faces.
But to Arel, that gray had become a dataset.
Every glance, every step, every word was a pattern.
And the system… was dissecting all of it.
When he got out of bed, it was 08:05.
Class started at 08:30.
Half-finished tea, the regret of waking up without glasses, and the classic "shit, I'm late" panic…
But this time, it was different.
The system issued its morning update:
[Daily Data Scan Initiated]
[Sleep Duration: 6 hours 27 minutes – Suboptimal]
[Brain Activity: 72% operational at wake]
[Recommended: Sugary fluid intake and high-protein breakfast]
Arel rolled his eyes.
"Great, now you're my mom too."
But the system's suggestions were working.
Thanks to last night's green tea + nuts combo, he hadn't woken up with a headache.
This morning, he tried the recommended "honey + tahini + milk" trio just to see… and yeah, he felt more energized.
Walking to campus, he scanned his surroundings again.
The system was quiet.
But beneath that silence, a constant flow of data was humming.
[Average walking speeds being measured…]
[Campus conversation frequency / voice decibel variations being analyzed…]
[Approx. 312 distinct sounds detected – 97% within urban norm]
Then suddenly, something caught his eye.
At the library entrance, a man walked in a way that didn't match the others.
The system reacted differently.
[Abnormal Gait Detected]
[Knee Angle – Unbalanced]
[Stride Length – 14% deviation]
[Muscle Movement – Suppressed]
[Hypothesis: May be carrying a weapon]
Arel's pace slowed.
"You've gotta be kidding me..."
But the system wasn't joking.
He slowly passed by the man, stopping shoulder to shoulder.
The system offered additional data:
[High-density metallic object in right inner pocket]
[Estimated Mass: Between 1.2–1.6 kg]
[Possible Items: Handgun, electric shock device, portable hammer…]
Arel swallowed hard.
> "So this guy… is a potential threat?"
But what could he do?
Go to the police?
Say, "Excuse me, but my internal system says this guy's carrying a weapon"?
Men coming to the university library didn't usually carry weapons.
But this one—his glance, his sudden movements…
Something felt seriously off.
And for the first time, Arel realized:
The system wasn't just offering theoretical analysis anymore.
This was real.
In class, Arel sat distracted, twirling his pen.
Serra sat beside him.
Serra: "You're extra quiet today. What's on your mind?"
Arel: "There was a strange guy at the library entrance. The system flagged him as a potential threat."
Serra: "System?"
Arel quickly covered:
*"I mean… just a gut feeling."
Serra smiled: "Even your gut instincts come with algorithms now, huh?"
Arel thought to himself:
> Yeah... maybe they do.
But he didn't want to miss the lecture.
Today's topic: Newtonian Physics.
Right up the system's alley.
Every equation written on the board was instantly processed by the system:
[Topic: Force – Velocity – Acceleration Relations]
[New Content Assimilated…]
[Physics Knowledge Lv.1 → Lv.2]
[Bonus Unlock: Ability to generate simple motion simulations]
Arel suddenly analyzed the bird flying past the window:
[Take-off angle: 47 degrees]
[Wing frequency: 3.4 Hz]
[Flight direction: Northwest]
He couldn't stop himself.
Everything he saw was turning into an equation.
Then the system issued a new alert:
[Important Development: High-risk individual still within campus perimeter]
[Suggested action: Continued tracking – 82% risk level]
[Would you like to continue observing?]
Arel looked at the internal screen.
Yes?
No?
This was no longer just a game of learning.
This… was real responsibility.
Arel's eyes were locked on the internal display.
> "Follow recommendation – 82% risk."
His heart was pounding strangely.
It wasn't exam anxiety or the flutter of a new crush.
It was one of those moments when you suddenly realize—
your life is turning into something else… and you didn't even notice when it started.
He pulled out his phone to check the time.
10:52.
Eight minutes left until class ended.
Everyone in the room looked like they were paying attention to the lecture, but most were either on their phones or half-asleep.
Arel closed his notebook.
Quietly stood up.
Serra glanced over:
"You heading somewhere?"
Arel nodded faintly.
"There's someone I need to observe."
When he returned to the library building, the man was still there.
In the reading room, sitting by the window, holding a newspaper.
He looked like a typical 50-something man with gray hair.
But the system was crystal clear:
[Body posture – unnatural]
[Hand position – not reading, scanning stance]
[Left ear shows presence of concealed object – possibly a comms device]
Arel's mind began to slow down.
Once, he might've ignored a moment like this.
But now… the system was logging every second, calculating every possibility.
He sat at a nearby table, angled to have a clear view of the man.
Grabbed a book and opened it in front of him.
But his eyes weren't on the pages.
> There was a rhythm to the man—
and something in it didn't match.
As if… he was waiting for someone.
The system chimed again:
[Mapping local attention vectors…]
[Observed individual made brief eye contact with 4 different people]
[Hypothesis: Working with a group]
Arel stiffened.
He wasn't alone.
Suddenly, another man entered.
Young, wearing a suit, hair slicked back, laptop bag in hand.
His walk looked casual—but the system whispered:
[Step rhythm – 100% uniform, trained gait]
[Eye positioning – constant scan mode]
[Hypothesis: Operational personnel – 86% confirmation]
Arel's stomach tightened.
> "What the hell is going on here?"
Why were such organized people walking around a university building?
This couldn't all be a coincidence.
The men exchanged a subtle glance, a nod.
Then sat in different areas—
but all within proximity to the same point.
Arel's eyes lit up.
This was a staging zone.
A classic surveillance setup:
No matter where the target sat, they'd be visible from all angles.
This time, the system issued a more direct warning:
[Covert observation formation detected]
[Central focal point: Window-facing table]
[High likelihood of planned meeting]
[Estimated action window: Within 10 minutes]
Arel's hands trembled.
So much data.
So much analysis.
And he was just a university student.
> What was he supposed to do?
At that moment, a message came from Serra:
"What happened to class? Where are you?"
Arel looked at the screen.
He didn't respond.
He couldn't take his eyes off the men.
Then, the system posed a question:
[Do you want guidance?]
✔ Follow
✔ Withdraw
✔ Call for Help
✔ Just Observe
Arel paused.
His heart was racing.
But there was something else inside him too.
Curiosity?
Courage?
Or… was the system simply becoming his own voice?
Finally, his finger tapped:
✔ Just Observe
> "I'm not strong enough yet. But I can watch."
"And I can learn…"
The library was silent. So silent that Arel could hear the faint tapping of fingertips on keyboard keys echoing through the air.
11:10 AM.
And the system pushed a new alert:
[Target individual's heart rate elevated – increase detected]
[Pupil dilation observed – subject is stimulated]
[Hypothesis: Meeting has begun]
Arel held his breath.
A young-looking woman sat across from the man.
Her black hair was pinned into a bun, thick-framed glasses perched on her nose, and a plain black bag in her hand.
She looked ordinary.
But the system disagreed:
[Facial microexpression analysis in progress…]
[Mimic control level: 93% – trained in deceptive communication]
[System Note: This woman is not an actress—she's a professional]
As soon as she sat down, she began to speak in a low voice.
Arel couldn't hear a word—
But the system activated:
[Initiating Lip Reading…]
Within seconds, words began scrolling across the interface.
> "We've breached the target. Code is broken. Package will be taken tonight."
Arel's eyes widened.
> "Wait... is this a freaking abduction plan!?"
But what came next was even more disturbing:
> "Continue monitoring the student systems. Prototype user's location unknown. Only signal traces so far."
The system froze.
[Warning: Phrase 'prototype user' flagged as critical data]
[New Keyword: PROTOTYPE]
[Searching…]
[Scan complete: 1 match found]
[Arel – Matching user: Connected to a beta-level system]
Arel's throat went dry.
> "Wait… are they talking about me!?"
The system went eerily quiet.
As if… it couldn't decide what to say.
Then, a stream of text appeared:
[Campus signal scan complete: 'Prototype user' signal detected in central library zone]
[Match confidence: 100% – Arel K.]
Arel's hand began to tremble.
The system's voice reemerged—this time with something different.
It sounded… more alive.
As if it was waking up.
> "Arel… listen.
You're being watched right now.
These people are looking for someone like you.
And they've found you."
Arel lifted his head.
The man and woman's gazes flicked—
for just one brief second—directly toward his table.
Just a second.
But the system screamed:
[Recognition likelihood: 94%]
[Your position has been compromised!]
Arel quickly looked away.
He tried to stay calm, but inside, everything was unraveling.
> "I'm just a university student…
What the hell have I gotten into?"
But the system's voice was different this time.
For the first time… it carried fear.
> "You have to run."
Arel felt glued to his chair.
It was like an invisible hand was pressing down on his shoulders, while a weight like nails crushed his lungs.
His first instinct:
> "Stand up and run."
But the system pushed back.
[Panic behavior analysis: 87% likely to raise suspicion]
[Generating natural exit scenario…]
[Suggested cover: Returning a book – lowest risk route]
Arel nodded faintly, closing the book with trembling hands.
He stood up slowly, trying to appear relaxed.
His walk was slow, body loose—
But inside, a storm was raging.
He glanced around subtly.
The woman adjusted her glasses and leaned over the table.
The man still sat calmly, checking his watch.
[System: No eye contact established – recognition chance dropped to 40%]
But as Arel approached the exit door, the system escalated its warning:
[Individual detected at exit – 76% visual pattern match with scanner movements]
[Action detected: Possible tail initiation]
Arel locked eyes with a man standing near the door.
His shirt was unbuttoned, phone in hand, head lowered—
But the system was screaming:
[Camera simulation: 14 side-glance scans logged]
[Body posture: Aligned parallel to exit, positioned to intercept]
> "Alright… switch to Escape Plan B."
A map appeared inside the system.
The library's side door connected to a staff corridor.
From there, he could reach the back lawn, and eventually, the faculty building.
But one problem:
That passage had a coded lock.
And Arel wasn't staff.
> "I won't be able to get through."
The system paused for a second.
Then began typing—slowly.
[Door lock brand: DuraAccess 09-T]
[Scanning for default security vulnerabilities…]
[Access code simulation initiated…]
[Generated code: 7492]
Arel's eyes widened.
> "No way… can you hack now too?"
> "Or… are you not just observing anymore, but actually calculating?*"
Arel headed toward the side door.
Book under his arm, eyes low, but every sound made his heart race.
As he approached the keypad, his hands were cold.
He spotted the panel.
7492.
He entered the numbers.
A beep.
Click.
The door opened.
Once outside, he held his breath.
He didn't run straight across the lawn—
First, he scanned the area.
The system was already active:
[No pursuers detected – clear]
[Woman remains seated – man unchanged]
But the final notification hit Arel like a shockwave:
[Last spoken phrase: "The prototype may have activated. Keep him under watch."]
> "So… was the system's activation planned?
Did these people… already know who would receive it?"
Arel had taken refuge in the faculty building.
He slipped into an empty lecture hall and dropped into a seat.
He covered his face with both hands, forcing himself to regulate his trembling breath.
The system spoke again:
> "The game has changed, Arel.
And you're no longer the observed…
You must become the observer."
Arel lifted his head.
He looked at the display.
A new line had appeared in the system's interface:
[New mission loaded: Gather intel on the unknown organization's objective.]
> "Game?"
"This isn't even the beginning yet…"