The morning sun slanted through the blinds of Theo's apartment, striping the floor in pale gold. On his wrist, Omni rested in its casual form: a simple sea-green bracelet etched with faint runes, pulsing softly like a heartbeat.
"Finally!" Aria's voice chimed in his head, playful as ever. "System awakened, super-shiny morphing weapon created, you're officially cool now. Sooo… when are we doing something fun? I vote ice cream. Or skydiving. Or—oh!—spirit beast hunting. Spirit beast hunting sounds fun, right?"
Theo rolled his eyes and locked the door behind him. "No. First thing's first—I've got responsibilities now. I need to register at the Human Federation Building."
"Boooring," Aria sing-songed. "That's like… paperwork central. Lines, signatures, grumpy bureaucrats with wrinkly foreheads. You're a hero, Theo. Heroes don't stand in lines."
"They do if they want to live past eighteen," Theo shot back. "The Federation's where I'll get official recognition, access to Missions, permission to leave Amos City and enter the wilds, and maybe even a few starting credits." His boots clicked against the sidewalk as he joined the morning flow of people, the towers of Amos City rising like jagged spears overhead.
Aria huffed dramatically. "Missions, reputation, permissions—ugh. You sound like a Federation brochure."
Theo ignored her tone, though a smile tugged at his lips. "It's how I'll make money, build a name, and actually step outside these walls. Without that, Omni's just an expensive bracelet."
"Correction: fabulous bracelet," Aria quipped. "The kind trendsetters would kill for."
Theo shook his head, continuing, "After that, I need to apply for graduation at Amos High. Since my system's awakened, all I have to do is pass the written exam ar school and the combat test at the Federation. Then I'm free. I can finally focus on leveling up instead of cramming for history quizzes."
Aria perked up. "Combat test? Now you're speaking my language. You're gonna smash it. Or shoot it. Or slice it. Or—"
"Don't get ahead of yourself." Theo adjusted his bag on his shoulder.
"After that Leveling won't be easy. There are only a few ways to earn experience: one, kill leveled beasts or The Lost."
He paused at a crosswalk, watching the hover-cars sweep past. His thoughts darkened. Just like us, beasts level up too. They don't have systems, at least not that we know of, but they still get stronger. Fighting them isn't a game.
But the lost they are somthing else entirely.
Theo rembered one of his courses, it was taught by an old grizzled warrior. The warrior's words stuck with him.
"They are called The Lost.
Not because they had forgotten who they once were, but because nothing remained to be found.
I saw one once, from the safety of a shattered balcony. It wasn't human—at least, not anymore. Its body looked as though someone had torn apart a man and stitched him back together with shadows and meat. Too many arms, too many eyes. Black blood oozed from its seams, thick and slow, like tar that refused to die.
The scholars argue about where they came from. Some say they were the inhabitants of a world that Theos devoured, dragged screaming into oblivion and spat back out, twisted beyond recognition. Others whisper about experiments gone wrong—what happens when mortals play god with things they don't understand. But the truth doesn't matter. Not when one of them is standing in front of you, staring with sixty-three eyes that don't blink.
They hate us. Or maybe hate isn't the right word. To them, anything without the black blood is nothing but prey. The blood connects them—every claw, every scream, every step in unison, as if a single will drives thousands of bodies. If you've ever seen a swarm of them move together, you'd know: it's not chaos. It's hunger.
But the worst part isn't being torn apart by them. No, the worst part is what happens after.
If you fall to The Lost, you don't stay dead. The black blood seeps into your veins, writhes beneath your skin, reshaping you until your screams turn into theirs. Within a day, you'll rise again, nothing left of who you were. That's why we burn the bodies. Even our friends. Even our family. Because once the blood takes hold, they're gone. The more the Lost corrupt, The more they level up.
They are not people anymore.
They are The Lost.
And The Lost… always find you."
Theo shivered but continued on and Aria just remained silent for once.
"Two," he continued aloud, "raising proficiency in skills grants exp. That's why I decided to focus on fists, guns, and swords—more variety, more opportunities. A lot of people spread out the same way."
"Which makes you… not unique," Aria teased. "But hey, at least you look good doing it."
Theo ignored the jab, listing the last method. "Three, absorbing items with a high concentration of Spirit Energy also boosts exp. But that's not reliable—I can't depend on stumbling into rare treasures every week."
Aria yawned dramatically. "So basically… grind, grind, grind. Where's the fun in that?"
Theo's eyes narrowed slightly. "That's the reality. And speaking of reality—" He lowered his voice, focusing inward. "Since you are only a D-rank system right now, how many system points would it take to raise you to C-rank?"
Aria giggled, her tone dancing on the edge of smug and sweet. "Oh, that? Easy peasy. Just… ten. Thousand."
Theo stopped mid-step, glaring down at his feet. "Ten… thousand?"
"Yep!" she said brightly. "But don't look so grumpy. You'll get there. I mean, if you don't die horribly in the meantime. Besides, with me around, you'll have waaay more fun on the way to grinding those points."
Theo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Great. Ten thousand points. No pressure.
Theo arrived at the bus station just as the sleek, white transport slid into place. The station buzzed with noise—street vendors shouting out breakfast specials, students in uniform chattering about awakening day, the constant hum of hover-cars above.
Luckily, the bus route went straight past the Federation Building. That meant no detours, no wasted time—just in, register, and get it over with.
Aria's voice piped up the second he scanned his wristband for fare. "Ooooh, public transport. Exciting. Nothing says 'future world-saving hero' like riding in a crowded tin can with sweaty strangers."
Theo smirked faintly as he stepped onto the bus. "Not everyone gets chauffeured by their own personal AAI, you know."
"True," Aria replied breezily, "but everyone should. Imagine it: me, entertaining all these commuters, telling them jokes, guiding them through life. I'd be a hit. They'd worship me."
Theo slid into a seat by the window, watching the city glide past as the bus lifted off its rails. Towering spires flashed with holographic ads, neon signs bleeding into the bright morning sky. "Yeah," he muttered, "until you talked them into skydiving without parachutes."
"Please," she sniffed, "I'd at least give them hoverboards. I'm not reckless."
Theo leaned his head against the window, eyes narrowing on the horizon. From here, the Federation Building loomed—an obsidian-and-glass monolith, its crown shaped like a pyramid that reached into the clouds. Around it, banners shimmered with the Federation's emblem: a blazing star wrapped in silver chains, symbolizing humanity united through Spirit Power.
Inside, he knew, there would be rows of registration counters, officers ready to scan and verify system awakenings, and terminals connecting to the mission board. It was more than just bureaucracy—it was the gateway to opportunity.
Aria hummed softly in his ear. "So, Theo… any nerves? First official step as an awakened. Big moment. Should I cue dramatic music? Dun dun dunnn…"
He chuckled under his breath. "No music. Just focus. The sooner I'm registered, the sooner I can start grinding. Missions mean credits. Credits mean survival."
"And survival means…?" Aria teased.
"Freedom," Theo said simply, watching the Federation Building grow larger with every second.
The bus hissed to a stop, and the doors slid open. Theo stepped out into the plaza, the shadow of the Federation Building falling across him .