System Unlocked

Chapter 2: The Sweepers' Descent

The light of dawn broke weakly over Sector 17, casting long shadows that stretched like claws over the broken, crumbling remains of what was once a thriving part of the city. Ryo stood at the edge of a desolate alley, his eyes hidden beneath the veil of his silver hair, scanning the horizon. The air was thick with tension, the silence before a storm.

Beside him, Ayane sat on a nearby pile of rubble, her arms resting casually on her knees. She had followed him again, despite his attempts to keep her at a distance. Something about her-her calmness, her quiet resolve-made her presence oddly comforting, even though Ryo knew that anyone who stayed close to him was in danger.

"You don't have to keep following me," Ryo muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ayane didn't answer right away. Instead, she watched him with the same quiet curiosity she had shown when they first spoke. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft but steady. "You're not the only one who feels out of place, you know."

Ryo turned his head slightly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. Her words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Ayane wasn't from here-she didn't fit in with the chaos and decay of Sector 17, just like he didn't fit anywhere. But something about her was different. She wasn't afraid of him, of what he could do, even though she had seen it firsthand.

The cracks in the ground from the day before were still visible, a silent reminder of the power Ryo was struggling to control. He'd thought about leaving, about disappearing into the shadows of the city where no one could find him, but something kept pulling him back. Maybe it was the System, maybe it was fate. Or maybe it was the strange connection he felt to Ayane, though he didn't want to admit it.

He was about to say something when a faint, high-pitched hum filled the air, cutting through the silence like a knife. Ryo's heart skipped a beat. He knew that sound. It was a sound no one ever wanted to hear in Sector 17.

The Sweepers were coming.

---

In the heart of the Tower of Control..

the Prime Coder stood before a massive holographic display, his sharp eyes locked on the moving figures in Sector 17. Behind him, the room buzzed with activity as the other Coders monitored the situation, their fingers flying across holographic keyboards, streams of data flowing across their screens.

"Are they in position?" the Prime Coder asked, his voice cold and emotionless.

"Yes, Prime Coder," responded one of the junior Coders, a boy named Kael. He was young, just a few years older than Ryo, but his talents with the System had earned him a place in the Tower. "The Sweepers have entered Sector 17. They will locate the anomaly and neutralize him."

The Prime Coder nodded, his face as unreadable as ever. "Good. Keep me informed. I want this situation contained quickly."

Kael hesitated for a moment, glancing at his screen before speaking again. "Prime Coder, there's something... unusual about this anomaly. The System data is incomplete. We don't have full control over it."

The Prime Coder's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

Kael tapped his screen, bringing up a series of graphs and charts. "The System can usually track and control anomalies, but with this one, it's like... there are parts of him that exist outside of the System's reach. It's as if he's rewriting the code around him."

The Prime Coder turned away from the screen, his expression darkening. "That's impossible."

Kael swallowed nervously but stood his ground. "I thought so too, but the data doesn't lie. He's something we haven't seen before."