Carter’s legs felt like lead as he stumbled down the narrow hallway, the oppressive silence pressing in on him from all sides. His mind was still reeling from the encounter with the mysterious figure, the cryptic words, and the haunting revelation that the System was no mere game—it was a weapon, a tool of control. But what did that mean for him? Why had he been chosen? And what price was he being forced to pay?
His chest tightened with anxiety as he turned a corner, his gaze darting around the darkened corridor. The air felt colder now, heavier, like the building itself was closing in on him. Each step echoed in the silence, a constant reminder that he was no longer in control.
*I have to find Zane,* Carter thought, the words repeating in his mind like a mantra. *He has the answers. He
