The Owner of the System

Noah stood frozen.

The knocking had stopped.

But the presence beyond the door lingered.

Cold. Unyielding.

He swallowed hard, his pulse a steady drum in his ears.

He didn't move. Didn't breathe.

Then—

Another knock.

This one was softer. Almost… patient.

"I know you're in there."

The voice sent ice down Noah's spine.

Deep. Steady. Not a threat, but something worse—

A certainty.

Whoever was on the other side wasn't asking.

They were waiting.

Noah's fingers curled into a fist.

His system—the power he had come to rely on—was no longer his.

If this was the person it truly belonged to…

Then he was in trouble.

But running wasn't an option.

Not anymore.

He stepped forward, every muscle coiled like a spring, and opened the door.

---

The Stranger in the Hallway

A man stood in the dim light.

Tall. Unnaturally still.

His face was shadowed by the flickering hallway bulb, but Noah could make out sharp features, piercing dark eyes that didn't blink.

His presence was suffocating.

Like he wasn't just standing there.

Like he was pressing against the very air around him.

The moment their eyes met, Noah felt it—

A pull.

Something deep in his bones.

Like the system inside him was reacting.

Recognizing something.

No—

Recognizing someone.

The man tilted his head, studying Noah with quiet amusement.

Then—

"So, you're the one who took it."

Noah's jaw clenched. "I didn't take anything."

The man smiled. It didn't reach his eyes.

"Didn't you?"

The weight of his gaze was unbearable.

Like he could see through Noah.

See the stolen power inside him.

Noah took a breath, forcing his voice steady. "Who are you?"

A pause.

Then—

"I am the original host."

The words hit like a sledgehammer.

Noah's stomach twisted.

The rightful owner.

The system had belonged to him.

And now, he had come to take it back.

---

The Name of the Forgotten

Noah's mind spun.

This man—who was he?

Why had the system left him?

Why had it gone to Noah instead?

The man took a step forward, slow, deliberate.

"You don't even know, do you?"

Noah didn't answer.

The man sighed. "Typical."

Then, finally—

"My name is Ezra Cain."

The moment he spoke it, Noah's system reacted.

A sharp ding rang in his head.

[WARNING: SYSTEM IDENTITY ERROR]

[ORIGINAL HOST CONFIRMED – EZRA CAIN]

[UNAUTHORIZED POSSESSION DETECTED]

Noah's breath hitched.

The system—it knew him.

Ezra watched Noah's reaction carefully. "It's responding to me, isn't it?"

Noah clenched his fists.

Ezra nodded, as if satisfied. "Good."

Then, with quiet certainty—

"That means you know this power was never yours."

Noah didn't want to believe it.

Couldn't.

But the system's messages—the way it had started failing, the way it recognized Ezra—

It all lined up.

The system wasn't broken.

It was trying to go back to its real owner.

Noah forced himself to meet Ezra's gaze. "If it was yours… then why don't you have it now?"

Ezra's expression darkened.

A flicker of something dangerous crossed his face.

"Because something stole it from me."

His voice was sharp. Almost… resentful.

"And now, it's inside you."

Noah's chest tightened.

This wasn't just about a system glitch.

Something—or someone—had taken Ezra's system and forcefully transferred it to Noah.

And Ezra wasn't here to ask for it back.

He was here to take it.

---

The Collector's Game

Ezra exhaled.

His stance relaxed slightly, though his eyes remained locked onto Noah.

"I could kill you and take it back right now."

The words weren't a threat.

They were a fact.

Noah tensed. "Then why haven't you?"

Ezra smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

"Because I don't think you're the real thief."

Noah frowned.

Ezra folded his arms. "You're strong. I've watched you fight. But not that strong."

His gaze turned sharp.

"Someone put the system inside you, Noah Carter. And I want to know why."

Noah's stomach twisted.

If Ezra was right—if someone had deliberately taken the system from him and transferred it to Noah—

Then this wasn't just an accident.

It was a setup.

But why?

Why him?

Why now?

Ezra sighed. "That's why I haven't ripped it out of you yet."

His eyes darkened.

"Because before I take it back—"

He leaned in slightly.

"I need to know who's playing this game."

Noah's pulse pounded.

He had spent all this time searching for The Collector.

And now—

He wasn't sure if The Collector was his real enemy.

Or just another piece on the board.

---

The Mark of the System

Noah exhaled slowly.

If Ezra was telling the truth, then the real question wasn't who the system belonged to—

It was why it had been taken from him in the first place.

And who had decided Noah should be its new host.

He met Ezra's gaze. "You think the person who stole your system is connected to The Collector?"

Ezra's expression remained unreadable. "Maybe."

Then—

He reached into his coat.

Pulled something out.

And tossed it to Noah.

Noah caught it instinctively—

And froze.

A black card.

A perfect replica of the one he had found in his locker—

Except this time, there was a name written on it.

Noah's breath caught.

The name was his.

Ezra's voice was quiet.

"Looks like you weren't just a mistake, after all."

Noah's grip tightened around the card.

His name was on it.

Someone had chosen him.

For what?

He didn't know yet.

But one thing was certain.

Whoever had done this—whoever had placed the system inside him—

Was still watching.

And whatever their plan was—

It had only just begun.

---