Ghosts in the System

Lin Wei's eyes snapped open.

A dim, flickering light buzzed overhead, casting elongated shadows against rusted metal walls. The air was thick with the scent of coolant and damp steel, the unmistakable tang of a place long abandoned by the city above. His body screamed in protest as he tried to move, pain searing through his ribs.

[System Recalibrating… 87%]

The glowing orange text wavered in his vision, flickering between real and unreal. His mind felt like it was caught between two frequencies, struggling to synchronize. He inhaled sharply, pushing past the haze in his head.

Where the hell am I?

The last thing he remembered was the enforcers closing in—the metallic clang of boots on wet pavement, the cold press of a gun barrel against his temple—then the sudden, violent surge of power that had torn through his body like a live wire. After that? Nothing.

Now, he was lying on a metal cot, stripped of his jacket, boots, and most of his weapons. The room around him was small, lined with exposed pipes hissing with occasional bursts of steam. It was the kind of place people disappeared into—the kind of place that swallowed secrets whole.

Lin Wei forced himself up, teeth clenched against the pain in his side. Fractured rib. Maybe two. The enforcer's strike had done real damage. But he had survived worse.

Then he noticed the girl.

She was perched on a workbench across the room, arms crossed, eyes sharp. Her short, cropped hair was uneven, as though she had hacked it off with a dull blade. Worn leather gloves covered cybernetic hands, faint blue lights running through the seams like electric veins. She was watching him, waiting.

"You're awake."

Her voice was level, but there was an edge to it—something unreadable. Lin Wei's instincts screamed caution.

"Where am I?" His voice came out hoarse.

"Underground. District 7. You were about to be processed by enforcers. I intercepted."

Intercepted. That was a nice way of saying she had dragged him—half-dead—into this place. But why?

Lin Wei sat up fully, bracing himself against the wall. "And you did that because…?"

The girl smirked, tilting her head slightly. "You think I saved you out of kindness?"

He didn't answer.

She pushed off the workbench and took a step closer. "The enforcers don't usually chase random street rats unless they have a damn good reason. So, tell me—what makes you special?"

Lin Wei's pulse quickened. He wasn't ready to reveal the system, not yet. Not until he knew what she wanted.

"I don't know."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Bullshit."

She studied him, her gaze flicking over his face like she was piecing together a puzzle. Then she sighed, rubbing a hand across her forehead.

"Fine. Keep your secrets. But let me make something clear." She leaned in slightly. "You're not safe. The enforcers think you're dead, but that won't last. They don't let people just disappear—not unless they want them gone permanently."

Lin Wei swallowed. He already knew that.

He glanced toward the door. "Am I a prisoner?"

She snorted. "If you were, you'd already be cuffed to that cot."

That was fair.

She straightened, offering a hand. "Name's Echo. I run with the Black Veil—or what's left of it."

Lin Wei hesitated. He had heard of them before. A resistance faction. Ghosts in the system, striking against the city's control with precision and silence. If she was telling the truth, then he wasn't just in a hideout—he was in the heart of something much bigger.

Still, he didn't take her hand.

Echo rolled her eyes and dropped it. "Suit yourself."

[System Recalibration Complete.]

The message blinked out, and in its place, a new notification appeared.

[Skill Update: Time Manipulation Lv.2 Unlocked]

Lin Wei exhaled slowly. A familiar sensation thrummed beneath his skin—power, raw and unshaped. It coiled in his veins, waiting to be commanded.

Echo caught the shift in his expression. "You just glitched out for a second. What was that?"

Lin Wei's mind raced. She was sharp. Too sharp.

Instead of answering, he asked, "Why did you really save me?"

Echo crossed her arms again, watching him. "Because I think you might be useful."

"To who?"

She grinned. "To us."

A sinking feeling settled in Lin Wei's gut. Whatever the Black Veil wanted, he wasn't sure he was ready to give it.

But deep down, he already knew the truth.

He didn't have a choice.