Chapter 6: The Unknown Choice
Elvas sat on the edge of his bed, his back hunched, staring blankly out the grimy window. The world outside was a blur of gray streets and flickering streetlamps, the kind of place that looked as tired as he felt.
Avalon. His cage. His prison.
All his life, he'd been locked inside its walls, told there was no escape, that this was where he belonged. Not because he wanted it—but because of what ran in his veins.
Demon blood.
The elders had called it the oath—an invisible barrier sealing the supernatural world apart from the humans. For someone like him, crossing that line meant chaos, ruin, destruction. At least, that's what they drilled into him, over and over, since he was a boy. He was dangerous, unworthy, cursed to remain where everyone hated him.
His fists tightened until his nails dug into his palms, his breath fogging the cold glass. "I didn't choose this," he muttered, voice low and rough. "Why me? Why was I born with demon blood?"
Anger clawed at his chest, a storm he couldn't calm. He leaned back, dragging a hand through his dark hair, his jaw tight.
"System," he said finally, his tone hesitant, almost afraid to break the silence. "Can you hear me?"
The air shifted, dropping cold enough to raise goosebumps on his arms. A low hum vibrated through the walls, threading into his skin.
[System Response: Host Elvas Das, what do you require?]
Elvas straightened, his pulse quickening at the mechanical voice threading into his mind. "Can you… can you get me out of here?" His voice cracked, frustration bleeding through. "To the human world. I want to see it. I'm sick of being stuck here, surrounded by people who hate me."
The silence stretched, heavy, suffocating, as if the system weighed his desperation.
[System Response: Host is at Level 3. Access to the human world requires Level 5 and 1,000 points.]
The words hit him like a wall. He slumped forward, running both hands over his face, a frustrated sigh tearing free.
"How many points do I even have now?" he demanded, his voice sharper. "How far am I from that?"
[System Response: Host has 550 points. 450 points remain to reach 1,000.]
Elvas froze. His eyes widened as hope flared, small but blinding. "four-Fifty points," he whispered, standing and moving toward the cracked mirror hanging crooked on his wall.
His reflection stared back at him—tired, angry, scarred by years of ridicule. But now, for the first time, there was something different in his gaze. A spark. A fire. Determination.
He squared his shoulders. "System. What do I need to do to reach Level 5? Tell me. What's it gonna take to earn those last points?"
The response came sharp, commanding, filling the room like a verdict.
[System Response: To reach Level 5, a new task must be completed. Are you ready to reload the task?]
Elvas hesitated, his fingers twitching at his sides. The unknown loomed over him like a storm cloud, but running had never saved him before. He took a steadying breath and nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready. Load it."
The air shimmered. Crimson words blazed to life before his eyes, pulsing with power.
[System Alert: Task loading complete. Two tasks have appeared.]
[Task 1: Defeat the alpha of the werewolf pack in combat.]
[Task 2: Sleep with the girl you desire.]
Elvas's stomach dropped. His jaw slackened, words tumbling out raw and panicked. "What? Fight Auran? The alpha?" His voice rose, frantic. "And… Liora? Sleep with her? Are you insane?"
He paced the room, his hands trembling, heart slamming against his ribs. "There's no way! Auran would tear me apart before I even got close. And Liora? I've barely said two words to her!"
He pressed both hands to his head, tugging at his hair, disbelief pouring out of him. "This is insane. I can't do either of those things! One will get me killed, the other—" He cut himself off, heat burning in his cheeks. "I just… can't."
But the system's voice was merciless.
[System Response: Complete the tasks to unlock an invisibility power, allowing escape without detection.]
[Failure to complete tasks will result in the deletion of one player from existence.]
The word froze him in place. Deletion.
His breath caught. "Deleted? What does that mean?" His voice shook. "Delete a player? Who the hell are these players? Are you talking about me? Someone else?"
[System Response: Information on player deletion is restricted. Host must choose: complete the tasks or select a player for deletion.]
Elvas's chest tightened, dread squeezing him. "This isn't fair!" he shouted, his voice breaking. "Fight Auran? Sleep with Liora? These aren't tasks—they're impossible!" He glared at the crimson words blazing above his bed. "And what the hell is this 'player' thing? Why won't you tell me what it means?"
[System Response: The Demon System does not explain. Choose now.]
His body shook as he collapsed onto his mattress, burying his face in his hands. Breath tore in and out of him in ragged bursts. His mind raced with images—Auran, towering, claws dripping; Liora, silver hair catching the light, green eyes sharp as blades. Both of them so far out of reach it was laughable.
"I can't do this," he whispered. "I can't fight him. And I can't… not with her. I don't even know how."
His reflection glared back at him from the mirror across the room—pale, uncertain, pathetic. He hated it.
"System," he said, his voice hollow, desperate. "What happens if I pick a player? What does it mean? Do they just disappear from the game, or…"
[System Response: Information restricted. Host must choose.]
Elvas slammed his fist against the bedframe, his voice cracking with fury. "You're not giving me a choice! You're trapping me!" His chest heaved as he shouted at the crimson glow. "How am I supposed to decide if you won't even tell me what it means?"
[System Response: Choose: tasks or player deletion. No further information will be provided.]
He jumped to his feet again, pacing the cramped room, his breath coming fast, his heart pounding. Every option felt like a noose. Auran meant death. Liora meant humiliation. Deletion meant… what? He didn't know, and the unknown gnawed at him.
But wasn't that safer? Maybe deletion wasn't literal. Maybe it was just a system penalty. Like losing a life in a game. Like someone else getting removed from the board.
He stopped, his back to the wall, fingers trembling against the plaster. His voice was hoarse, defeated. "Fine. If I can't do the tasks… then I'll take the player option."
His chest rose and fell in jagged motions as he forced the words out. "I don't know what it means, but it's better than dying to Auran or—" His throat closed. "Or failing with Liora."
He drew in a deep breath, steadying himself. The decision weighed on him like chains, but it was still a choice.
His eyes burned, but his voice came out steady at last. "System. I pick a player to be deleted from existence."