System Unlocked

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Anomaly

The Tower of Control...

The sharp, sterile scent of metal and machinery filled the air as the sounds of clanging and low, mechanical hums echoed throughout the Tower of Control. The enormous structure loomed over the city like a monolithic guardian, its spires stretching toward the sky like the cold fingers of a being beyond human understanding. Inside, the corridors were vast, lined with rows of flickering holograms displaying data that only the chosen few-those initiated into the Coders-could comprehend.

In the deepest part of the Tower, a quiet, dimly lit chamber buzzed with life as numerous screens flashed with streams of binary code and intricate algorithms. The Coders sat in disciplined rows, each hunched over their terminals, eyes glowing faintly as they interfaced with the System.

The central figure among them was the Prime Coder, an imposing man in his forties, draped in dark robes that shimmered like oil under the low lights. His angular face remained expressionless as he scanned the screens before him. His pale fingers twitched slightly, directing the code to bend to his will.

And then-a disturbance.

One of the junior Coders let out a gasp as her screen flashed red, the unmistakable alarm of an anomaly. The room fell silent, all eyes turning toward her in horror. She fumbled for words, but the Prime Coder's voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"What is it?" His voice was calm, but it carried the weight of authority.

"Sir, there's an unauthorized system activation... it's from Sector 17... no, wait-it's not just that. It's from outside the System entirely."

The room froze. The idea of something-someone-existing outside the System was impossible. It was heresy.

"Show me," the Prime Coder ordered. The girl nodded shakily, her trembling fingers dancing across the interface as the screens around the room shifted to display a feed of Sector 17. The picture flickered before settling on the image of a young boy standing alone in the middle of a desolate street, his silver hair blowing slightly in the breeze. His head was tilted down, his face obscured by the curtain of his hair, and though his body language was relaxed, there was something unnatural about him.

The screen zoomed in on his eyes-blue and silver, glowing faintly beneath the strands of hair. There was a calm, detached intensity in them, as if the boy was aware of something no one else could understand.

Suddenly, the lights in the room dimmed, and a single, chilling voice echoed through the chamber:

"System Unlocked."

Somewhere on the outskirts of Sector 17, in the forgotten district where crumbling buildings loomed like broken shadows, Ryo stood quietly. His silver hair, a striking contrast to the gray surroundings, fell lazily over his face, hiding his piercing blue-silver eyes. There was no one else around, no witnesses to the moment. And perhaps that was for the best.

His clothes were simple but modern, a black coat that flapped lightly in the wind, and beneath it, a vest with faint technological lines running through it. His appearance was nothing extraordinary, save for the unusual silver hue of his hair and those hidden eyes.

But today, things were different.

Ryo could feel it-the stirring in the air, the quiet hum in his bones. It was as though the world around him had started to shift. His hand twitched slightly as if responding to an invisible force.