CHAPTER 2
1127 Words
The steady beep of a heart monitor pulled me from the abyss. My eyelids felt like they were weighed down by concrete, but I forced them open, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled my lungs, mixing with something metallic—blood.
My blood.
I was alive.
The last thing I remembered was the voice in my head, the surge of energy, the fight, and then—nothing. Now, I was here, lying in a hospital bed, IV tubes snaking from my arm, my body wrapped in bandages.
A dull ache pulsed through me, but it wasn’t the unbearable agony I should have felt after what happened. That was the first sign that something was off.
The second was the floating screen hovering at the edge of my vision.
[Bonding System Online.]
I inhaled sharply, my pulse spiking.
It wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a hallucination. The voice, the power—it was real.
I turned my head slightly, scanning the small hospital room. The door was closed, the blinds partially drawn, casting faint streaks of light across the floor. Machines hummed softly beside me, and the faint murmur of voices drifted from the hallway.
No one else could see what I was seeing.
[Status Update: Caden Kelly]
[Physical Condition: Stabilized]
[Abilities: Pending Activation]
[Decision Required: Accept System or Revert to Normalcy]
A choice.
I clenched my jaw, my fingers curling into the stiff sheets beneath me.
Normalcy?
I almost laughed at the word. There was nothing normal about what happened. Nothing normal about surviving an attack that should’ve killed me. And there sure as hell wasn’t anything normal about the system waiting for my answer.
But still, I hesitated.
If I accepted, there was no turning back.
A sharp knock at the door cut through my thoughts.
I flicked my gaze toward it just as the door pushed open, and a familiar figure stepped inside.
Detective Ryan Cole.
He was built like a linebacker, with sharp eyes that missed nothing and a permanent air of skepticism. His dark suit was slightly wrinkled, and his tie loosened like he’d been up all night.
"Guess I don’t need to ask if you’re awake," he muttered, closing the door behind him.
I sat up slowly, wincing as my muscles protested. "Didn’t know I had the pleasure of a personal visit, Detective."
"You should’ve died, Kelly." His voice was blunt, carrying the weight of someone who had seen too much. "Three stab wounds. Internal bleeding. But here you are—alive and looking a hell of a lot better than you should."
I met his gaze, unreadable. "Lucky, I guess."
Ryan snorted, dragging a chair closer before sinking into it. "Yeah. Real lucky." He leaned forward, forearms resting on his knees. "You want to tell me what the hell happened that night?"
My fingers twitched. For a second, I considered telling him everything—the ambush, the voice, the surge of power. But the words stuck in my throat.
What was I supposed to say?
‘Hey, Detective, so it turns out I’ve got some kind of system in my head that’s giving me a second chance at life.’
Yeah. That would go over great.
So instead, I gave him a version of the truth. "I was attacked. Five guys, masked, armed. Didn’t get a good look at them."
His expression didn’t change. "And you just happened to survive that?"
"Like I said. Lucky."
Ryan exhaled through his nose, clearly not buying it, but he didn’t press. Not yet. Instead, he pulled out a small notebook. "Your attackers left no evidence. No fingerprints, no security footage. Whoever they were, they were professionals." He studied me. "Any enemies I should know about?"
I hesitated. I had plenty of people who didn’t like me, but someone who wanted me dead?
"I don’t know," I admitted. "But I intend to find out."
His eyes narrowed. "That better not mean what I think it does."
I smirked. "I’m a law-abiding citizen, Detective."
"Yeah, sure," he muttered, closing his notebook. "Listen, Kelly. You got a second chance. Don’t waste it doing something stupid."
I didn’t reply, and he didn’t wait for one. He stood, giving me one last look before heading for the door. "Stay out of trouble."
No promises.
The moment he was gone, I let out a slow breath, my gaze flicking back to the screen still floating in my vision.
[Decision Required: Accept System or Revert to Normalcy]
My hands clenched.
Going back to normal meant forgetting what happened, pretending I didn’t feel the raw power coursing through me, pretending I wasn’t just given a lifeline.
But embracing it?
That meant stepping into the unknown. It meant power, danger, and responsibility.
I closed my eyes, letting the memory of that night wash over me—the helplessness, the rage, the moment I almost died.
Never again.
I opened my eyes, determination hardening in my chest.
"I accept."
The screen flared, and a wave of heat rolled through me, sharp and electrifying. My pulse pounded, and for a split second, I felt weightless—like the very air around me was bending, shifting.
Then it settled, and the voice returned.
[System Activated. Welcome, Caden Kelly.]
New text appeared, filling my vision.
[Ability Unlocked: Enhanced Reflexes]
[Ability Unlocked: Regenerative Healing]
[Primary Mission Assigned: Identify Your Attackers]
A sharp knock sounded at the door—this one urgent.
"Caden!" A voice I knew all too well. My sister.
Liz.
Before I could react, the door burst open, and she rushed in, her hazel eyes wide with a mixture of relief and fury.
"Oh my god, you’re awake!" She didn’t hesitate, crossing the room in three quick strides before throwing her arms around me.
Pain lanced through my ribs, but I barely felt it.
"Jesus, Liz, easy," I muttered, but I didn’t push her away.
She pulled back, eyes scanning me like she was making sure I was real. "I thought you were going to die." Her voice cracked on the last word.
I forced a smirk. "You know me. Too stubborn for that."
She smacked my arm. "Not funny, Caden!"
Her anger was a mask for fear, and I felt a pang of guilt. I’d scared her.
"I’m fine," I assured her, softer this time.
She swallowed, nodding, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. "Who did this?"
I met her gaze, the weight of my new mission settling in my chest.
"I don’t know," I admitted. "But I’m going to find out."
And this time, I wouldn’t be the one left bleeding.
A sudden alert flared across the screen in my vision.
[Warning: Hostile Presence Detected.]
My breath caught.
Then, outside the window, a shadow moved.
- Writer
