[WELCOME USER!]
Seeing a blue screen straight out of a video game, Kai blinked several times to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Slowly, he raised his hand to his face and pinched his cheek. The slight sting confirmed it—he wasn't dreaming. Yet, the screen lingered, floating in front of him, vibrant and real.
"What is this?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. His initial thought was that it might be some sort of high-tech hologram, but as he raised his hand to touch it, the door creaked open, startling him.
A nurse walked in, her expression professional but warm. Kai immediately lowered his hand, hoping she hadn't seen him reaching out at nothing. The nurse smiled at him as she went about checking the equipment by his bedside and replacing his IV bag.
"How are you feeling, dear?" she asked, glancing at him briefly.
"Uh, much better, ma'am," Kai replied, trying to sound composed even as his heart raced. The blue screen still lingered in his field of vision, completely ignored by the nurse. She moved around the room, adjusting various medical devices, and to Kai's astonishment, she walked right through the screen without a single reaction.
'She… she didn't notice it at all,' Kai thought, his heart racing. 'Is it really just in my head? Am I hallucinating?' He clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing. The sheer surrealness of the situation made it hard to focus.
He stared at the screen, debating his next move. On a whim, he thought the word 'Open.' To his shock, the screen shifted instantly, transitioning to a new interface. His eyes widened, and he let out an involuntary yelp.
The nurse glanced at him, startled. "Are you alright?"
Kai quickly shook his head, embarrassed. "Y-Yeah, sorry. I just… I was lost in thought. Didn't mean to make a fuss."
The nurse gave him a kind but slightly puzzled look. "Alright, well, everything looks good. Just press the call button if you need anything, okay?"
"Thank you," he said hurriedly, watching as she finished her tasks and left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, his attention snapped back to the screen.
[Welcome User to the S.T.A.R System]
User - Kai Jones
Age - 19
Talent Assessment - E Rank
Talent Points - 0
(Evaluation: User does not have any talents that can help him become a star.)
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USER MENU
- User Stats
- Pending Missions
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(Note: *** indicates that the user isn't ready to access these features. Upgrade the system to unlock more.)
Kai stared at the screen, his mind racing to process the information. "E rank? No talents?" he muttered bitterly. He clicked on the 'User Stats' tab, hoping to understand more.
The screen shifted again, revealing another set of details:
[User Stats]
Name - Kai Jones
Talent Grade - E (B)
System Level - 1 (0/1000)
Titles - None
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Strength - 4 (9)
Agility - 0 (12)
Intelligence - 10
Stamina - 8
Charisma - 4 (12)
Luck - ??
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Skills - None
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"What does all of this mean?" Kai wondered aloud. The numbers seemed arbitrary, but the parentheses caught his eye. "Why are some of these stats higher in brackets? Is that potential?"
He leaned back against the pillow, trying to piece everything together. The system's terminology was confusing, and without instructions, he felt like he was fumbling in the dark. A part of him wanted to dismiss it all as a hallucination, but the sheer clarity and persistence of the screen made it hard to ignore.
He sighed. "I guess I'll just have to figure this out myself. No way I'm telling anyone about this—they'll think I've lost it."
As he stared at the screen, deep in thought, the door opened again. This time, it was Eliza. She entered the room with a warm smile, carrying a small bag. Seeing her brought a sense of comfort, but Kai quickly dismissed the screen, worried she might notice something off.
"How are you holding up, Kai?" she asked, sitting in the chair by his bedside. Her tone was gentle, almost motherly.
Kai forced a smile. "I'm okay. Just... processing everything, I guess."
Eliza nodded, her gaze softening. "That's understandable. After everything you've been through, it's going to take time. But you're strong, Kai. Stronger than you realize."
Her words struck a chord in him. For a moment, he considered telling her about the strange screen, about the system, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. She wouldn't understand, and the last thing he needed was more people worrying about his mental state.
Instead, he said, "I don't feel very strong. It's like... I'm stuck in this place, and I don't even know where to begin."
Eliza reached out, placing a comforting hand on his. "That's okay. You don't have to have all the answers right now. Just take it one step at a time. Focus on what you can do today, even if it's something small."
Kai looked at her, her words sinking in. "One step at a time," he repeated. It sounded simple enough, but it felt monumental in his current state."
Exactly," Eliza said with a smile. "And remember, you're not alone in this. We're all here to support you. My dad, the doctors, the nurses—we're all rooting for you."
Her sincerity was disarming. Kai felt a lump form in his throat but managed to nod. "Thanks, Mrs. August. That... means a lot."
She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before standing up. "Alright, I'll let you rest. But if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay?"
"I will," Kai promised. As she left the room, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Her words, simple as they were, had planted a seed of determination in him.
Once alone, he reopened the screen, determined to make sense of it. If this system was real—and everything so far suggested it was—it might just be the key to turning his life around. He didn't understand it fully yet, but he was willing to learn.
"One step at a time," he murmured, echoing Eliza's advice as he stared at the glowing words in front of him.
[WELCOME USER!]