Home. They were finally going home and then this nightmare would end. Would this be the end of it all?
Mark was not sure, but he knew he had survived another day. The most crucial day of his death but what would happen next?
"Let's head to the police station for now. It'll be the nearest point from where we can call a cab" En's voice washed over Mark's concerns. The walk felt much more difficult just a second ago.
Perhaps it was because his body had expended all its energy while running away or maybe because everything felt just too detached right now, Mark felt it difficult to lift his legs.
But he somehow managed to keep up with En. The sheer longing of going back home and laying in his bed powered his desire to move.
"Where are all the people who live in this area?" his voice was faint, a testament of his fatigue. En gave him a look from the corner of his eyes without stopping.
"They were never programmed to appear. In that sense, this area has no people and likely never will. You'll see what I mean in a moment" En's words made him confused. Sure, there was no one here right now but the area itself existed.
Couldn't people just move here if they knew of this area?
But Mark soon understood what En meant to say. Once they were near the station, they saw their first human. A walker out on a jog running past them.
Mark looked behind him, his anticipation building up to see the jogger go into the area where they came from but much to his dismay the jogger turned the corner right before he could make it out any further.
"Don't think about it too much. Those are the codes that govern this reality. No people who exist inside its bounds can venture into non-developed areas they are coded not to go into. Even if you push them, they would just port back to another place with their memory replaced. This is a coded sequence, do you understand?" Mark did not.
But he was not going to ask any further. Already things were starting to mix up inside his head. And it must have been showing up on his face because En just sighted.
"Ever played a game? NPC's are bound by rules in that right? It is similar for this world" Mark understood this much better. Still, it did not tell him the full picture. How had he entered that area?
"But aren't I part of this world? How do I get there?" Mark asked as questions entered his mind. Questions he had no answer for.
"It's part of your character's story that you died there and that area was specifically built for that scene. However, that has already changed significantly so you should not care that much about it. The crisis was diverted" Ah, Liam had said that he died in that park back there.
There was not much talk after that. The atmosphere was just too tense to ask anything significant. Not that they wanted to talk where people could hear them.
The cab took its time and by the time they arrived back home the night was in full swing. The moon looked ominous in the starless night sky, its red tint casting a blood hue in the dark night.
Mark looked around for his house keys while En paid the cab driver. The keys turned out to be useless as the door opened as soon as Mark touched the handle.
must be here already. His system is much more advanced than mine since he's higher in the hierarchy" Mark really did not care about it at all. He wanted his privacy back.
Liam was sitting in clear view as soon as they entered, his eyes containing the serious glint Mark had seldom seen in his life.
"I hope everything went well on your end, En" Liam was the first to break the silence as he gestured to the other two to sit in front of him. The two took their seats.
"He made it out alive" En stated the obvious but with a proud voice.
"I can see that. Do you feel something different with you, Mark? Anything at all?" Liam had turned toward him now. Mark wanted to tell him about the strange voice inside his head and what had happened. He also wanted to tell him about his suspicions.
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User authority confirming. Loading content, Liam Pines - status level 5. Status met, Confirming user - error. User not found.
Diverting protocol - fail safe activated.
New Data found
New connection Found
Downloading new content: On standby
Installing: New content
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The voice was back with more nonsense talks. He did not understand a word of what it said. It sounded gibberish to his ears anyway. But maybe Liam could make something of it.
He opened his mouth to tell him but as soon as he did all words escaped his mind and alarm flared inside his mind. He groaned at the pain as he held his head.
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Error - user not authorized to confidential information
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'I UNDERSTAND ALREADY' Mark yelled inside his mind and the noise quieted down. He willed himself to tell Liam again but the noise came back.
This made it clear that something was wrong. Maybe he should keep this to himself for the time being then.
"You alright? Is it a headache? Fatigue can cause that" En sounded worried and he could see the suspicion in Liam's gaze. He'll have to lie then but thankfully EN already gave him a way out.
"Yeah, my head is killing me and so is my body. But I still want to know what will happen next from here?" He had to know or the sleep would not be pleasant at all.
"I can't say for sure. In normal cases, the story should end and the world should reboot but since we're still here then it could only mean that the virus interfered with the setting somehow. Are you sure you don't feel different at all? As soon as your death flag passed, your connection to the system should have been served. How weird" Liam's voice sounded suspicious but Mark had no answers.
What could he say? That something inside his brain was talking to him? Yeah, he had tried already.
"I'm just feeling a little detached right now and aren't you the expert here? You should tell me" Mark could see that Liam was reluctant to say more than he should so he took advantage of that.
"I'll have to look more into this too. But this will be a big problem for you now. Since you are now out of the system we can't monitor you at all. If you fall into trouble we won't be able to help you at all. Not unless you agree to have a system yourself" Liam's words sounded worried but Mark could hear something hidden in them.
"Bind me to your system? What does that mean exactly?" Mark asked cautiously. He had seen what that thing could do already.
"Mark, you are a person outside the system now. Unlike me, En and even other people who exist in this reality you are no longer bound by its rules. Hence, you can do things that no one else, even Luna could not do. You can break this reality even and all that accidently. However, the system would guide you without taking away your freedom. It's a control panel like in a video game - it'll give your options and allow us to help you"
That was a lot of explanation and Mark felt his head swim with information. He did not like what he was hearing at all.
"If I accept your system then I'll have to do your missions? No, thank you. I just want to return to my normal life" That sounded far too tiring.
"I don't think you realise that you don't have a choice any longer. Your death did not change the fate of this world. The monsters would still come and they'll come fast. You'll most likely die. Please allow us to do this and then you can lead your normal life" En's words sounded pleading.
And Mark was both weak and tired.
"I'll be able to return to my normal life?" Mark asked and at the nod he got he made his decision.
"Alright, give me your wrist" Liam had his hand outstretched and Mark gave him his wrist. The sleeve was pushed off and he could see the weird metallic tattoo on his wrist shine.
But Liam did not comment and Mark was sure - no one else could see it but him. En held a metallic band in his hand and Mark saw Liam put it right on top of the previous metallic band.
He saw the new one sink inside his skin.
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New source found: Examining
Data found : downloading: connecting
Taking control of the new source data: conversion began
Process: success
New data added
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The voice was back but it did not hurt. Rather, it felt refreshing this time and he knew he was spacing out.
"Pay attention because I'll only teach you this once. Tab your wrist twice and the screen should pop up" Liam demonstrated and he saw a black light screen appear right out of thin air. If he was not so detached right now, he might have jumped.
But he was tired so he just followed. The screen that popped up looked different than Liam's but not by much.
"Weird that it's different," En commented.
"Not that weird. He is outside the system's control after all so the changes would make sense" Liam reasoned by Mark knew that this was not their system but something different. He did not comment.
"Right and this is the menu for options and here is the guide. It'll show you map markings and there is a manual. Study it and it'll tell you what you need to know about working this map" Mark nodded once, his eyes almost dropping.
"I think this is enough for today. He'll collapse any minute now" En was still worried.
"Fine. Let's leave for today then. Do have a look at the guide soon" With that those two were out but Mark did not pay much attention because he collapsed in sheer exhaustion.
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Système error - abnormality found
Original course: Found
Original course: Executed
Words revision: Started
Welcome to the Dead-end
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