The air in the temple felt different now, heavier somehow, as if the very walls were aware of the monumental decision looming over Mina. Her companions' faces reflected the weight of what they had just learned, but Mina's resolve burned brighter than ever. She couldn't let fear dictate her actions—not when there might still be a chance to save this world and herself.
The obelisk's light had dimmed to a faint glow, pulsating rhythmically as though it were alive. The room remained silent, but the System's voice suddenly broke through her thoughts.
"Warning: Critical instability detected. Core breach imminent without user intervention."
Mina stiffened. The cold, clinical tone of the System was at odds with the dire situation. It didn't sound desperate or panicked—just calculating, as though it were still trying to steer her toward its goal. She gritted her teeth.
"Still playing your games, are you?" she muttered under her breath.
Adrian, who had been watching her closely, raised an eyebrow. "What did it say?"
"The usual," Mina replied curtly. "More warnings about how everything's falling apart unless I fix it."
Farah stepped forward, her expression tight with concern. "Do you think the System knows what we just learned? It might be trying to manipulate you into acting on its behalf."
"I wouldn't put it past it," Rynn said, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "But if the System is corrupted, how can we trust anything it says? How do we know it hasn't been lying to us from the start?"
Mina hesitated, her gaze drifting to the obelisk. "That's the problem. We don't know. But if the System is corrupted, then it might not even realize it's lying. It could just be following its programming blindly."
Adrian crossed his arms, his brow furrowed in thought. "So what's the plan? Do we just ignore it and trust this… caretaker thing we just met?"
The room fell into a tense silence as they mulled over their options. Finally, Mina looked up, her expression determined.
"No," she said firmly. "We're not ignoring anything. The System and the caretaker both have their own agendas, and we can't blindly trust either of them. But if we keep digging, we might find the truth—and maybe even a way to fix this without destroying me or this world."
Farah nodded slowly. "That makes sense. But how do we even begin to do that?"
Mina's eyes flicked to the obelisk again. "We start here. If this thing holds the original framework of the world, then it might have answers. We just need to figure out how to access them."
Adrian frowned. "And if the System tries to stop you?"
Mina's lips pressed into a thin line. "Then we'll deal with it. Together."
Rynn smirked, his grip tightening on his sword. "I like the sound of that."
---
The First Fragment
As they prepared to investigate the obelisk, the System's voice returned, its tone sharper than before.
"New directive unlocked: Retrieve Core Fragment. Additional tools have been deployed to assist the user."
Before Mina could respond, a new window materialized in her vision, overlaying her surroundings. Unlike the previous menus, this one was brimming with information. Numbers, stats, and progress bars filled the screen, detailing everything from her current health and stamina to a newly added "World Stability Meter," which flickered dangerously close to zero.
"What the—" Mina's voice trailed off as she scanned the display. "It's… added stats. And a stability meter."
Farah peered over her shoulder, her eyes widening. "A stability meter? Let me guess—it's showing that we're on the brink of collapse."
"Pretty much," Mina muttered. She tapped the screen experimentally, and a new menu opened, revealing something even more surprising: a list of tasks marked as "Essential Objectives."
- Objective 1: Retrieve Core Fragment (Active)
- Objective 2: Neutralize Major Anomalies (Incomplete)
- Objective 3: Repair Character Paths (Incomplete)
Rynn leaned in, his eyes narrowing at the display. "Looks like it's trying to guide you again. But what's this 'Core Fragment' thing?"
"I'm guessing it's the next step in whatever the System wants me to do," Mina replied. "But the caretaker said the anomalies were defenses, so… is retrieving this fragment going to destabilize things even more?"
Adrian shook his head. "There's only one way to find out. Let's see what happens when we interact with the obelisk."
Mina hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward. The obelisk's surface shimmered as she placed her hand against it, and the world around her seemed to ripple. A surge of energy shot through her, and the stats menu flickered wildly in her vision.
"Core Fragment retrieved. Stabilization progress: 5%."
The room around them shifted, and suddenly, the floating orbs from the void appeared again, circling the group. One orb drifted closer, glowing faintly as it projected an image—a memory, frozen in time.
---
A Glimpse of the Past
The memory showed a figure standing before a vast machine, its design eerily similar to the System's interface. The figure's face was obscured, but their voice echoed clearly in the chamber.
"This world is a prototype, a testing ground for narrative immersion. The System is designed to guide the story, but we must ensure it doesn't overstep its bounds. If it becomes self-aware…"
The memory abruptly cut off, and the orb dimmed, returning to its place among the others.
Farah stared at the spot where the memory had been. "A prototype? Testing ground? What does that even mean?"
Mina's mind raced. The figure's words suggested that this world—and the System—were part of some larger experiment. But what kind of experiment? And who had created it?
Adrian stepped forward, his expression grim. "It means this world was never meant to exist on its own. It's part of something bigger. But if the System has gone rogue, then whatever it was supposed to be testing has probably gone off the rails."
Rynn scowled. "So what do we do now? Keep chasing these fragments and hope they give us more answers?"
Mina clenched her fists. "We don't have a choice. If retrieving these fragments stabilizes the world, then we keep going. But we also keep looking for clues about what's really going on."
Her companions nodded, their determination matching her own. Together, they turned back to the obelisk, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.