"Leo, is there a problem?"
Leo flinched, slamming his laptop shut. Mr. Sterling stood over his cubicle, arms crossed, his tie a little too tight. "No, sir. No problem."
"Then I assume my report is done?" Sterling asked, tapping a perfectly manicured finger on Leo's desk.
"Almost. Just running the final numbers."
"I see." Sterling's eyes narrowed. "The numbers on 'Galaxy Invaders 3'?"
Leo's blood ran cold. "It helps me focus."
"Focus on finding a new job if I see it again," Sterling said, his voice dropping to a low hiss. "I want that report on my desk in five minutes." He turned and walked away.
Leo let out a sharp breath and opened the laptop. The boring spreadsheet filled the screen. He muttered to himself, "One day. Just one more day of this."
A low hum started in his ears, like a distant engine. He shook his head, trying to clear it. The hum grew louder, a pressure building behind his eyes.
"What the…"
A flash of blinding white light erupted in his mind. The office, Sterling, the spreadsheet—it all vanished. He was adrift in a sea of impossible color.
A voice, ancient and cracked, slammed into his consciousness from all directions at once.
THREAT. UNRAVELING.
A SUCCESSOR IS REQUIRED.
NOT A WARRIOR. A SCOUT. AN ARCHITECT.
FIND THEM. GUIDE THEM.
TAKE THE SYSTEM. YOURS NOW.
The voice shattered, and Leo was back in his chair, gasping. He was clutching his chest, his heart hammering.
"Hey, you okay, man?" It was Dave from the next cubicle over. "You look like you saw a ghost."
"I'm fine," Leo choked out, his voice hoarse. "Just… a headache."
He stumbled to his feet, ignoring Dave's concerned look, and pushed his way towards the exit. As he walked, a transparent blue box flickered into view in front of him, floating in the air.
[Multiversal Alliance System Activated]
Welcome, Host.
"What the hell is this?" he whispered, batting at the empty space where the box appeared to be. It didn't move.
He ducked into an empty stairwell, his back pressed against the cold concrete. "Okay, okay, you're hallucinating. Too much stress, not enough sleep."
He squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, the box was still there.
Active Mission: Recruit First Alliance Member
Abilities:
Dimensional Sight (Passive)
Potential Scan (Active)
"Potential scan?" he muttered.
He pushed the door open and stumbled out onto the bustling downtown street. The world looked… different. Faint, shimmering outlines clung to every person rushing past him on the sidewalk. Most were a dull, hazy grey.
His gaze landed on a young woman playing an electric cello in the square, a small crowd gathered around her. Her outline was a brilliant, sharp blue.
"Okay, System… or whatever you are," Leo whispered, focusing on her. "Potential Scan."
A new window popped up beside her.
Name: Chloe
Potential: Medium (Latent)
Talents: Sonic Resonance (Untapped), Minor Telekinesis (Dormant)
Status: Desperate.
"Sonic… resonance?" Leo breathed out, stunned. "Telekinesis? She's—"
A scream cut through the evening air.
His head whipped towards a dark alley leading to the canal. His vision flashed, a bright red beacon pulsing from the direction of the scream, completely overwhelming the cellist's calm blue aura.
"Help! Somebody help me!" a voice cried out from the darkness.
Leo didn't think. He just ran. He skidded to a halt at the canal's edge. A young woman was in the water, struggling against the current, her head barely staying above the surface.
"I can't swim!" she screamed, her voice choked with water.
Leo looked around wildly. No one was coming.
His system pinged with a new notification, cold and impersonal.
[Potential Recruit Detected. Status: Critical.]
"You have got to be kidding me," he said to the empty air.
The woman went under.
There was no more time. Cursing, Leo kicked off his shoes, threw his phone to the pavement, and jumped