The marked figures advanced, their movements mechanical, as if they were being controlled by something far beyond their own will. They were like puppets—puppets of the [System].Lena backed up against a column, trying to keep her focus. Her mind was filled with the cold, unyielding voice of the [System], and she could feel the weight of its demands pressing down on her chest.[System]: "Engagement detected. Subject Lena, initiate combat protocol. Eliminate all threats to resources.""No!" Lena shouted. "I won't do it."But the [System] wasn't listening. It was already activating combat protocols inside her, nudging her into action. Her body moved before her mind could catch up, her muscles reacting with reflexes she hadn't known she had.The first marked figure lunged at her, and Lena narrowly dodged, pushing him into a stack of fallen debris. She didn't want to fight, didn't want to harm anyone else, but the [System] was making it impossible to avoid.[System]: "Target neutralized. Energy output increased by 0.5%. Global resource status: critical."Lena clenched her fists, frustration boiling inside her. She wasn't a weapon. She was a person, and yet here she was, forced to fight.Elias, meanwhile, was handling his own battle, taking down marked individuals with quick, precise movements. He was fighting for survival—but Lena realized something: he wasn't as connected to the [System] as she was. He was still free, in a way she wasn't."We need to find a way to stop this," Lena said through gritted teeth, swinging her arm to strike another enemy.Elias nodded, backing up to join her. "We can't keep fighting them forever. But maybe we don't have to." His eyes flicked to the massive generator. "If we destroy the source, we destroy the connection."Lena's heart skipped a beat. Could it really be that simple?The [System] responded instantly.[System]: "Critical error. Mission failure imminent."But Lena was already moving. She couldn't let the [System] control her any longer