The night was eerily quiet, the only sound the soft rustle of leaves in the cool breeze. Kenn stood at the edge of the courtyard, his mind racing, heart thundering in his chest. His words to Lynn had felt like a confession—an opening of something he had locked away for so long. But the truth was out now, and there was no going back.
He had promised her that he would explain everything, that he would face the truth. But what did that even mean? The emotional scanner, the system, Yaoi's obsession—it all felt like a labyrinth with no clear exit. He could feel the system's presence at the back of his mind, watching, waiting for his next move. It would be just like it to throw him back into the chaos, to test him, to make sure he stayed within its grasp.
But for the first time in a long while, Kenn felt a flicker of hope. Lynn's eyes, soft with uncertainty yet still trusting, lingered in his thoughts. She wanted the truth. She deserved it. And he couldn't keep hiding behind the emotional scanner or the system any longer.
As he stood there, lost in thought, a sudden voice broke through the silence.
"You can't escape, you know."
Kenn's heart skipped a beat. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was. He felt the weight of her presence before her words even reached him. Yaoi.
Slowly, he turned, his chest tightening. She stood at the entrance to the courtyard, her figure bathed in the soft glow of the streetlights. She looked calm, almost too calm, but Kenn could sense the danger simmering beneath her composed exterior. The way her eyes glittered with malice, the subtle smile that tugged at the corner of her lips—it was all too familiar.
"I'm done playing your game, Yaoi," Kenn said, his voice firm. "I won't let you control me anymore."
Yaoi's smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. She stepped closer, each footfall slow and deliberate, as though savoring the moment. "You think you have a choice?" she asked, her voice smooth, but laced with an undercurrent of menace. "You belong to me, Kenn. The system made sure of that. You can't escape me."
Kenn took a deep breath, pushing aside the swirling chaos inside him. He could feel it—the pull of the system, the way it tried to influence his every decision. The bracelet around his wrist pulsed, a reminder of the unseen force controlling him, but he didn't let it stop him. Not anymore.
"I'm not yours," he said, taking a step forward, his gaze unwavering. "I never was. The system may try to control me, but I'm done being its puppet."
Yaoi stopped in her tracks, her eyes narrowing. "You think you can just break free?" Her voice was soft now, dangerous. "You'll regret this, Kenn. You can't outrun the system, and you definitely can't outrun me."
Kenn's heart pounded in his chest, but his resolve was growing stronger with every word she spoke. Yaoi's obsession, her manipulation—it was all part of the system's control. He had been playing into her hands for so long, letting her dictate his emotions, but that ended tonight.
"I don't need you," he said, his voice gaining strength. "I don't need the system. I don't need any of it."
For a moment, Yaoi's expression faltered. Her eyes flickered with something akin to surprise, then fury. "You think you're free?" she spat. "You're nothing without me. Without the system. You'll see that soon enough. No one escapes from me. Not even you."
Before Kenn could respond, a soft voice called out from behind him.
"Kenn?"
It was Lynn. Her voice was hesitant, but there was something in it—something that anchored him, something that told him he wasn't alone in this fight.
Kenn turned to see her standing a few feet away, her expression a mix of concern and hope. She was watching him, waiting for him to make a choice, to show her that he meant what he said.
Yaoi's gaze snapped to Lynn, her lips curling into a sneer. "Stay out of this, Lynn. This is between me and Kenn."
Lynn's eyes remained fixed on Kenn, her determination unwavering. "No," she said, stepping forward. "It's between all of us. You're not the only one who has control over him, Yaoi."
Kenn felt a surge of gratitude toward Lynn. Her words, her presence, were the anchor he needed in this moment of chaos. For the first time, it wasn't just him against the system. Lynn was standing by him, fighting for him, and he could feel the weight of that support more clearly than ever.
Yaoi took a step back, her eyes flashing with anger. "You think you can defeat me? You're both fools. The system is all-powerful, and you're both just pawns in its game. Kenn will never be free. Not as long as I'm around."
But Kenn wasn't listening to her anymore. His focus was on Lynn—on the way she was standing by him, not backing down, even in the face of Yaoi's twisted threats. And for the first time, Kenn realized something that made everything else fall into place: He had a choice.
The system wasn't invincible. It had power, yes, but it wasn't all-encompassing. It could control his actions, but it couldn't control his heart, his will to fight, his connection with Lynn.
"I don't care about the system," Kenn said, his voice steady, his heart finally aligned with his words. "And I don't care about you, Yaoi."
For a moment, there was silence, the tension thick in the air. Yaoi's expression was one of pure rage, but it wasn't enough to intimidate him anymore.
"This isn't over," she hissed, her voice barely a whisper of the fury she was feeling. "You'll regret this, Kenn."
And with that, she disappeared into the shadows, leaving Kenn and Lynn standing in the quiet courtyard, the weight of the confrontation settling over them.
Kenn let out a long breath, his shoulders sagging with relief. It wasn't over, he knew that. Yaoi's obsession wasn't something that could be easily escaped. But for the first time in a long while, he felt like he had a choice in how this would all unfold.
Lynn stepped closer, her gaze never leaving him. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, her voice laced with concern.
Kenn nodded slowly, his gaze locked on hers. "Yeah. I think I am."
And in that moment, with Lynn by his side, he knew that he could face whatever the system threw at him next. He wasn't alone anymore. And maybe, just maybe, he could start to break the chains that had held him for so long.