The next day at school, Kenn couldn't focus. His mind kept returning to the shocking discovery the night before—Project Heart. The realization that he was a part of some larger experiment, a puppet in a game he hadn't even known existed, gnawed at him relentlessly. He wanted to confront the system, demand answers, but how could he? How could he fight something so invisible, so all-encompassing?
Lynn had been the one to bring him back from the brink of despair. Her unwavering belief in him, in them, made him feel less alone in the chaos. But as they sat in class, he couldn't shake the feeling that time was running out.
"What's wrong?" Lynn's voice was soft, and she leaned toward him, her presence calming. She must have noticed the far-off look in his eyes, the way his fingers clenched around the edge of his desk.
Kenn glanced at her, offering a small, strained smile. "I'm just thinking about everything. About how much we don't know. I thought we were getting closer to the truth, but now... it feels like we're in deeper than ever."
Lynn nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. "I get it. But we are getting closer. Every piece of the puzzle you uncover, every clue, gets us one step closer to understanding why this is happening."
"I don't know," Kenn muttered. "I feel like the deeper we go, the more dangerous it gets. Yaoi's obsession with me... It's not just a coincidence anymore. It's like the system's pulling her strings, too."
Lynn's face softened with concern. "She's dangerous, Kenn. But we can't let her distract us. She's a symptom, not the cause. The system is the real enemy here."
Kenn nodded, but unease still lingered in his chest. His wrist pulsed again, the soft glow of the bracelet catching his eye. The system was always watching, always pushing, always testing him.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class, but Kenn's thoughts were far from the usual routine. He was consumed with what Lynn had uncovered about Project Heart. He could no longer pretend that the strange events of the last few months were random. The system wasn't just controlling him—it was controlling everyone around him. And the deeper they went, the more tangled the web became.
***
After school, Kenn met with Lynn again in their usual quiet spot. The air was thick with the tension of their shared knowledge. It felt like every moment they spent in this hidden corner of the school was one step closer to unraveling the truth.
"We need to find more about Project Heart," Kenn said, his voice tight. "There's got to be more records, something that tells us who's behind this. We can't stop until we know exactly what's at stake."
Lynn nodded, determination in her eyes. "I agree. But we need to be careful. If the system is watching us, it won't just let us keep digging without consequences."
Kenn looked at her, his heart pounding in his chest. "What if we're already too late? What if it knows everything we're planning?"
"Then we move forward anyway," Lynn said firmly. "Because we can't live in fear anymore. Whatever's behind the system, we're stronger than it. Together."
Kenn's gaze softened, his chest tightening with the raw emotion her words stirred within him. He had always been an observer, distant and detached, but now he was beginning to understand the power of connection. Not just with Lynn, but with everyone he cared about.
He wasn't alone anymore.
"Okay," Kenn said, his voice steady. "Together."
***
The following day, as Kenn sat in the library pouring over more school records and searching for any hint of Project Heart, a familiar figure appeared at the door. Kenn's heart skipped a beat as he saw Yaoi enter, her eyes scanning the room like a predator searching for prey. The intensity of her gaze made his blood run cold.
She was always unpredictable, but today, there was something different about her. Her usual manic energy was replaced with a quiet, unnerving calm. As she approached him, Kenn's heart raced, knowing the storm was about to hit.
"Kenn," Yaoi's voice was soft, almost gentle. "We need to talk."
Kenn swallowed, his fingers clenching around the edge of the table. "What about?"
Yaoi sat down across from him without asking, her gaze locked onto his. "I know what you're doing. I know you're trying to stop it."
Kenn's stomach twisted. "Stop what?"
She leaned in closer, her voice lowering to a whisper. "The system. I know you've figured it out. But you don't understand. It's not something you can just fight. You're part of it. You always have been."
Kenn recoiled slightly, the words cutting through him like ice. "What do you mean, part of it?"
Yaoi smiled, but it was twisted, like a mask slipping to reveal something darker underneath. "I was chosen too, you know. Just like you. And I've been watching you, feeling everything you feel. The system doesn't just control you. It controls all of us. Everyone."
Kenn's pulse quickened. "You... you knew? All along?"
Yaoi's eyes darkened. "I knew what the system wanted from me. It told me I had to protect you. It's always been about you, Kenn. And now that you're starting to figure it out... well, it's too late."
Kenn's mind raced, his emotions crashing into one another. The system had manipulated Yaoi just like it had manipulated him. And now, she was part of the game, too. Was she a victim, or was she simply another pawn?
Yaoi leaned in even closer, her voice barely audible. "Don't you see? The system gave me a choice. But it didn't give you one. You're the key, Kenn. You're the reason everything is happening. And now, you have to choose."
Kenn's throat went dry as her words sank in. "Choose? Choose what?"
Yaoi's gaze was intense, manic almost. "You have to choose to join the system, Kenn. You can't keep fighting it. We're all in this together now. The system knows you. It's connected to you. You were born to be a part of it."
Kenn felt the weight of her words pressing down on him, the truth of them sinking in like a stone in his stomach. She was right about one thing—the system had never given him a choice. It had controlled him from the very beginning.
But something inside him refused to surrender. He wasn't going to let it define him.
"I won't join it," Kenn said, his voice low but firm. "I won't be part of this game anymore, Yaoi."
Her smile faltered, and for the first time, Kenn saw a flicker of something else in her eyes—something that looked like fear.
"You don't understand, do you?" she whispered, standing up abruptly. "It's too late for that, Kenn. You're already too far in."
And just like that, she was gone, leaving Kenn with a cold, unsettling silence hanging in the air.
The pieces were falling into place. The truth was out there—somewhere. But Kenn realized that the more he uncovered, the deeper he was being drawn into something much darker than he could have ever imagined.
And Yaoi... she wasn't the only one who knew what he had to choose.
***
As Kenn walked out of the library, his mind still reeling from his conversation with Yaoi, a new message blinked on his wrist:
"Quest Update: The Final Choice. Choose wisely."
The system was waiting.