1 January 2008
Leo Archer opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.
It took a few seconds to register that it wasn't the ceiling he was used to.
The room was quiet. Too quiet. Thick curtains blocked most of the morning light, and the air smelled faintly of detergent. He lay still, waiting for the dizziness that never came.
He sat up slowly.
The bed was wider than necessary. The desk was real wood, not laminated junk. A small refrigerator hummed in the corner, and there was a private bathroom door to his left.
This wasn't a shared dorm.
Right, he thought. This one's different.
It had been fourteen hours since he woke up like this. Fourteen hours since the memories settled in and stopped overlapping. His name was still Leo Archer. That hadn't changed. But this Leo had parents. Both alive. Both wealthy enough to pay for privacy.
That explained the room.
His gaze drifted to the desk.
A small black object sat there, exactly where he'd left it. No bigger than a coin. Its surface was smooth, unmarked except for a logo etched into the center—an open book crossed by an infinity symbol.
He hadn't touched it yet.
Memory surfaced without warning.
New Year's Eve. Too much alcohol. Cold air cutting through his jacket as he walked back alone. Streetlights blurring. His phone buzzing with messages he ignored.
Then something dark cut through the air.
Pain.
Nothing after that.
He didn't remember waking up here. He didn't remember being brought back to the dorm. And he didn't know how the object had ended up on his desk.
Leo leaned forward and nudged it with his finger.
The logo lit up.
Blue light spread across the desk, sharp and cold. Before he could pull his hand back, the object dissolved into mist and surged upward.
It sank into his skin.
Leo sucked in a breath and stumbled back, his hand going numb. The mist vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
The room snapped back into focus.
His heartbeat was too fast. When he turned his head, his vision lagged slightly, like the world was a fraction of a second behind him.
Something was wrong.
Not pain. Not injury.
A pressure settled behind his eyes. Dense. Unfamiliar. Like something had been added that didn't belong there.
Text flickered into view.
Not projected. Not glowing.
Just there.
Initializing…
Leo blinked hard.
The word stayed.
He waved a hand in front of his face. Nothing changed.
Core Servers Connected
Environmental Scan Complete
Host Integration: 100%
"Host?" Leo muttered.
Another line appeared, then vanished before he could finish reading it.
Cognitive Operations Initialized
Throttling Data Flow…
The pressure eased slightly.
Leo exhaled without realizing he'd been holding his breath.
He grabbed the chair and sat down. His legs felt weak. Not injured—just used.
"Okay," he said quietly. "Okay."
The text reorganized itself. Slower this time.
System Status: Semi-Operational
Active Functions: 1
Recommendation: Begin with Basic Interaction
A thin horizontal line appeared beneath the text. Empty.
Leo stared at it.
"…Input?" he said.
Nothing happened.
He hesitated, then focused—not on the words, but on the pressure behind his eyes. The awareness that hadn't been there before.
The line pulsed.
User Designation Required
Input Recognized
His stomach tightened.
"…Leo Archer."
A pause followed. Longer than the others.
Name Registered
Leo leaned back slowly.
"So the novels were true," he murmured. "My cheat is here."
The system didn't respond.
Another line appeared, dimmer than the rest.
A.R.C.H.I.V.E. Initialized
Leo rubbed his face with both hands.
Great.
He lowered them and looked at the desk again. The spot where the object had been was empty, as if nothing had ever been there.
Whatever this was, it wasn't leaving.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Then we start small."
The text didn't react.
But the pressure behind his eyes didn't fade either.
Hello, Host.
I am A.R.C.H.I.V.E.
Also known as Adaptive Repository & Codex for Hyperdimensional Information, Variables, and Events.
This is a pre-recorded message.
I possess infinite functions. However, you currently have access to only one: the Status Panel.
Here, you will find your comprehensive data.
To access it, say or think: Status.
"…Status."
STATUS PANEL
LEO ARCHER
──────────────────
Level: 1
Experience: 0 / 100
HP: 20 / 20
Stamina: 30 / 30
ATTRIBUTES
STR – 2
DEX – 3
END – 2
INT – 3
PATH
• Technology
(Given the current world parameters, this Path was deemed most suitable.)
The Path of Technology is the application of mind over matter.
It treats reality as a system—structured, consistent, and subject to optimization.
Where others impose force, this Path applies understanding.
Tools are not weapons. They are extensions of intent.
SKILLS
• None Registered
TALENTS
• None Registered
QUESTS
• 1 Available
Leo stared at the display.
"This is standard…" he muttered—then blinked.
"…Oh. A quest."