[998 DAYS 23:57:03]
" First mission, observe the man in the red jacket"
Tyler turned towards the man and He saw the truck speeding toward the man from his position between the two buildings that formed the dark alleyway.
He froze and his heart began pounding as though he was in a race.
He gazed at the man in the red Jacket, The System hadn't told him to do anything...
"Should I just keep following him? Should I leave him to die?"
Hesitant, Tyler slowly approached the man.
Follow him? Leave him or save him?
The thought looped in his head, over and over again.
In the space of a few seconds, Tyler's pondering and hesitation faded.
His eyes widened and his muscles stiffened.
Suddenly, with a surge of adrenaline, he ran.
He Ran faster than he'd ever moved. He lunged across the street, just in time to shove the man aside.
The truck whistled past them, missing by less than an inch. A blast of wind and heat from the truck's exhaust rushed over their skin.
They crashed hard onto the opposite sidewalk. Tyler felt pain all over his arms and shoulders But they were alive.
A crowd formed quickly. People rushed toward them, they helped them up and aided them regain their balance... from afar, Someone yelled, "That was insane! Are you two okay?"
Tyler didn't answer, ignorant or the crowd, His thoughts were racing.
What just happened?
How did I move like that? That speed...
That wasn't normal.
Before he could make sense of it, a vibration buzzed in his left eye. His vision flickered and then, from the corner of his eye, a display appeared:
[Time Extended: + 00:01:30]
Tyler's jaw clenched...
Then the voice spoke to him
"Every decision you make adds or deducts time from the countdown"
Then a new display materialized in his eye...
[GOOD LUCK TY0-005]
He now realized that nobody else could see or hear what he just saw and without showing any signs of Surprise to the crowd, he started walking towards a narrow street near the roadside.
Then the man in the red jacket noticed Tyler was leaving and also left the midst of the crowd.
Vic increased his pace and soon caught up to Tyler
"Hey, young man," he said. "Thanks. I don't know how you saw that truck coming, but... you saved my life."
"I...
I just reacted," Tyler stammered.
"I'm Vic," the man said, holding out a hand.
Tyler took it. "Tyler."
Vic studied him. "You came out of that alley. How'd you know a truck was coming? You couldn't have seen it."
Not wanting to disclose anything about the system, Tyler steadied his emotions and faked a concerned voice "Are you hurt?" he deflected.
Vic dusted himself off and smiled faintly. "Nah, just a sore back and some bruises. I'm good."
Vic offered to walk him back toward the traffic light so they could talk a bit more.
Tyler declined the offer, but Vic insisted with a low outstretched arm towards him.
That's when Tyler saw it.
Vic's watch.
Black and unique... Not like any other watch he'd ever seen... But the time on the watch... It wasn't there...
"A timer?" Tyler asked
It had the same glowing green countdown he saw in his own vision:
[998 DAYS 23:47:48]
His heart dropped to his stomach...
What sorcery is this?
Despite all this in his thoughts, he kept his expression neutral and asked, almost jokingly,
"Nice watch. What's the timer for?"
Vic paused and raised an eyebrow
"You're a player too, aren't you?" he said.
Tyler's blood ran cold.
Still keeping his cool " player?" He asked... acting clueless about what he's talking about
Vic, lowered his head and gave a faint smirk, then replied him
" Only players can see the timer"
Tyler was caught...
Lowering his head, he curiously asked
"There are... others?"
Vic smiled faintly. "I was chosen two years ago. My timer was down to the final few days, but something reset it. Not sure if I failed or passed. Still trying to figure that out."
"But Earth is still here," Tyler said, confused.
Vic's expression darkened, the smile faded and he playfully said... "Yeah. Which makes me wonder what game we're really in."
Then he looked directly at Tyler, his Expression changed to a serious one and he said..., "Just remember, not everyone wants to save the world."
"What about the..." Vic hushed Tyler. He said he was in a hurry, bid Tyler goodbye and walked away into the crowded street
Tyler watched Vic as he hurriedly walked away, looked up and gave a tired sigh.
",I need to get home" he murmured
He went to the traffic light and continued his journey home.
After just a few minutes Later, Tyler finally got home.
He opened the door quietly...
And there she was...
His sister ... fast asleep on the couch, curled up in a thin gray blanket.
Eva was a seventeen year old girl, tall, and strikingly beautiful in a quiet, effortless way.
Her long blonde hair spilled over the dark pillow like threads of sunlight, a sharp contrast to the shadows hanging over their small living room.
Her skin was pale and very delicate...
but not from makeup...she looks like a shell of her past self...
worn thin from months of battling something silent inside her.
Her light blue eyes when open, always made him smile and now, with them closed, she looked peaceful.
Tyler just stood there for a moment, watching her breathe and admiring her...
She was the anchor, she was The reason he got up in the morning and The reason he kept going when he didn't want to.
And every time he saw her like this, very peaceful but fragile he forgets all his worries
He wasn't gonna let her know about the System.
And she wouldn't. Not if he could help it.
He checked the medication on the table. She'd already taken it.
Relieved, he went to his drawer, took a small bit of fentanyl to calm his nerves, and lay down beside her.
But just as his breathing began to slow, his vision glitched again.
The countdown paused...
[Contact: UNAUTHORIZED PLAYER]
[SHADOW TRACE Detected]
Blurry white humanoid shapes flickered in the corner of his eyes. Then, the System's voice returned:
"New Mission: Verify Victor's Alignment."
Duration: 24 Hours.
Then his vision snapped back to normal and the countdown resumed.
[998 DAYS 22:23:17]
Tyler stared at the ceiling, exhausted.
"What have I gotten myself into?"