In a dark room, Elo sat naked on his gaming chair, watching mature anime on his laptop. He was a simple guy, an adult but still young. His life was pretty average, and he considered himself a good person. He never knew his father, and his mother had passed away a few years ago. Now, all he had was his sister Dala. She wasn't his blood sister but the daughter of his mother's late husband. They got along well enough to live together, but in recent years, she had become distant. Elo respected her space and kept his distance.

The day everything started was two days before the end of the world.

The message came from an unknown sender, with a three-digit number that was blocked. Used to scammers, Elo was about to put down the phone when he felt a chill rise from the base of his spine. As it reached his head, a deep voice commanded...

"Read it."

"Fuck," Elo muttered to himself. "This is some good shit..." He laughed, glancing at a glass jar beside him. Inside, a flower-like bud, purple with golden threads, gleamed. Elo turned his attention back to his phone, clicked the message, and read.

"00File Code Elo Gim Daima 33

Job: Creator

Soul Age: N/A

Soul Class: N/A

Soul Stats: N/A

Vessel Age: 34

Vessel Class: Type 3 SSS+ (Recommended for combat)

Vessel Stats:

Strength 8x

Agility 8x

Intelligence N/A

Endurance N/A

Charisma 8x

Skills:

Heaven or Hell Rank: SSS+

Canon Fodder Rank: (Hidden)

I4ENA (Gabriel) Access level: Founder

All Systems unlocked

Welcome Back Elo."

As Elo finished reading, he felt the same chill, and the deep voice, now clearer, repeated the last sentence. Everything went black for a second, then shifted to a sudden white. In front of his eyes, written like small neon lights, was the same sentence he just heard:

"Welcome back Elo, installation initiated. Progress: 0.3%"

Elo moved his hands over the text, watching them pass through it. "A hologram" he thought for a moment before focusing on the fact that he was in a white space, still sitting, with his laptop still running. As he tried to concentrate, he noticed that while his surroundings seemed like a white fog, when he paid closer attention, he could see a white wall with golden light threads that had a circuit-like pattern, moving slowly. It felt like being inside a white bone-colored dome.

"Elo, welcome back to Gaia. We missed you," the text changed to match the female voice that was now playing inside his head. The voice echoed lovingly in Elo's mind.

"What?" Elo reacted. Too many things had happened in just a few seconds. Had he finally lost his mind? Was he crazy? Maybe dead. Yep, definitely dead. With this in mind, Elo smiled and leaned back, noticing the white-like surface covered by shiny gold threads. "Well, life and death are just part of how things are," Elo thought. Then he felt a sting in his chest. What about his sister? With this in mind, he felt the chill again.

"Elo, dummy, you aren't dead, but yes, your sister actually needs you," the voice said tenderly in Elo's mind. The text changed, and some file-like icons popped up with the name "Dala," his sister's name. Elo couldn't react much before the information changed, and the voice continued gently:

"Elo, my name is I4ENA. I'm also called the Gabriel System, but please call me IA. I was created by *** and we are currently in the Gaia space. She won't talk to you yet because she's mad at you for the delay, but eventually, she'll forgive you. We are in the original 'Real Machine' that only you can operate. Elo, we can bend the fabric of reality. Remember, you are ***."

Elo almost fainted. WTF? His mind was in a rush, trying to process all this information and still questioning all that had happened. "Let's retrace: I was home, chilling, received a message about some stats or whatever, and now I have a system in my head. I'm inside a white dome-like place and something about Dala. She needs me? No, she would have told me if she needed me. Right? Yes, definitely dead..." Elo sighed and looked up into the white room.

"Elo, we don't have much time. The inevitability will happen in two days. You need to wake up at least one skill, and before that, your sister needs you," IA said lovingly.

The mention of his sister jolted him out of his mental rush. "What do you mean she needs me?"

"Elo, during the last few years, she has gone through many dark things. Her soul is about 75% broken. She needs your help. If this progresses any further, you won't be able to save her, and you need her more than anything else."

Those words were like a whip to Elo's heart. His sister, Dala, was a great girl, a good student, applied herself, and always helped around the house and those in need. What did it mean that she was broken? What dark stuff had been happening to her? Was he so out of his mind that he lost track of his beloved sister? That can't be real. IA must be wrong. He was taking care of her...

"Elo, be advised, the images that will be shown are hard to see. Proceed at your own risk."

One of the neon-like light files floating in front of Elo moved to the center of his field of view and opened up with a pop-up message asking:

"Proceed Y/N? Soul Risk 33.17%"

Without thinking, Elo's hand moved and pressed Y.

What unfolded in front of Elo's eyes was heartbreaking. The image itself was grotesque and ruthless. There she was, his sister, being defiled senselessly by at least eight men. Elo could see her lifeless eyes, her body like a broken doll being used. Something inside Elo broke...

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

A calm and gentle sound began playing in Elo's mind, and tears streamed down his face. His heart raced, and he couldn't stop crying because behind the room where his sister was being defiled, a man sat. Elo recognized him as his one friend. He understood that everything happening was his fault.

A few years earlier, Elo's friend had started selling drugs. Elo had tried to join in but lost a large shipment of merchandise and ended up owing a debt to his friend's suppliers. For nearly a year, they harassed him, beating him daily until he ended up unconscious in the hospital multiple times. Then one day, they disappeared without explanation. Elo was initially surprised but quickly tried to move on, attempting to forget the pain.

Now, he recalled that this was around the time his sister began to change. She started avoiding him, dressing more conservatively, leaving early in the morning, and sometimes not returning at all. Although she was old enough to be independent, Elo never worried because she never asked for help. Was she really okay? A sharp pain shot through his body as he remembered their first meeting. Her eyes were like an eternal pool, captivating and deep. She was as stunning as a blooming garden in spring. When she looked at him, he felt a deep sense of love and trust. He fell for her instantly.

That day, he had promised himself he would protect her. She became his new family, all he had left after losing their mother. But he had been selfish, consumed by his own sorrow, and he left his sister alone. She had also lost their father and was equally broken, yet so close and yet so far away...

Now, faced with the painful reality unfolding before him, Elo felt a deep regret for not being there when his sister needed him most.

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"17 soul hit attention, soul damage detected. Initiate lullaby."

"Error."

"Soul self-defense mechanism activated."

Authorization Code ***

"Initiate Battle mode."

"error"