The city is quiet in a way that feels unnatural.Streetlights hum. Water moves below, unseen but present.
He stands at the edge.
Not shaking.Not crying.
Just… empty.
Fifteen years, and it already feels like too much.
Footsteps echo behind him.
Slow. Measured. Intentional.
He doesn't turn.
The Voice
"Timing is inefficient."
The voice is calm. Not concerned. Not surprised.
He glances back.
A man in black stands beneath the streetlight—perfectly still, like he's always been there.
The First Exchange
"Go away."
The boy's voice is dry.
The man tilts his head slightly.
"If you proceed, your brother's trajectory worsens."
Silence.
That gets his attention.
The Hook
"…what?"
The man steps forward, just enough for his face to be visible—but not enough to feel human.
"No speculation. Projection."
He pulls out a thin file.
"Your brother fails his exams within two years.Financial instability follows.Probability of long-term decline: 78%."
The boy's grip tightens on the railing.
The Offer
The man closes the file.
"I am not here to stop you."
A pause.
"I am here to offer a transaction."
Terms of the Deal
"Your current life ends tonight."
The boy's eyes narrow.
The man continues:
"In exchange, your brother receives… a corrected future."
"Education. Opportunity. Stability."
"Guaranteed."
The Price
"And me?"
The man looks at him—not with pity, but evaluation.
"You become an asset."
"Your identity will be erased."
"Your choices will no longer be your own."
A beat.
"You will not live for yourself again."
A smirk.
"I never did."
The Decision
The city feels distant now.
Only two things exist:
His brother.And the man.
"Proof."
The boy's voice is steady.
The man hands him a photograph.
His brother.Smiling.Standing in a place he has never been before.
A future that shouldn't exist.
The Shift
"…what do I have to do?"
The man's expression doesn't change.
"Step away from the edge."
A pause.
"Everything else… will be taken from you."
The boy looks down one last time.
Then steps back.
"Good," the man says.
"Welcome to Project : VOID"