The System Watches

The red-haired woman's head snapped up.

"Wait."

Hesperia froze.

For a split second, every instinct screamed at her to run.

She had spent too long watching them—too long thinking instead of moving. Now, she had been seen.

Her fingers tensed against the hilt of the rusted sword at her waist.

The group of survivors turned toward the broken archway. They hadn't spotted her completely yet—but they knew someone was there.

The red-haired woman—a scout, judging by her stance— took a cautious step forward.

Denzel, the broad-shouldered leader, didn't hesitate. He lifted his blade slightly, adjusting his grip. Not a direct threat. Not yet. But prepared.

Hesperia's pulse hammered.

She could still slip away.

She could leave before they got a good look at her—before they started asking questions she wasn't ready to answer.

And yet—

Her gaze flickered, just for a second, back to the young boy.

He looked too small for this kind of world.

His clothes were torn, his fingers gripping a makeshift dagger like it was the only thing keeping him alive. He stood slightly behind the injured man, like he knew he couldn't fight, only run.

Something about him made her chest tighten.

Like she was supposed to know someone like him.

Like there was an empty space in her mind where a name should be.

Who?

The moment stretched too long.

The longer she stood there, the more the feeling itched at her brain.

The kid's posture, his wary eyes, the way he clutched his weapon like it meant everything—

Something was missing.

She pressed a hand to her temple.

A faint, sharp ache rippled through her skull.

Not pain. Not exactly.

More like—

Like trying to remember a word that had already been erased from a page.

Her stomach twisted.

What am I forgetting?

[SYSTEM ALERT: ANOMALY SIGNAL DETECTED.]

[TRACKING ACTIVE – COUNTERMEASURE DEPLOYING.]

The moment shattered.

Hesperia stiffened as the System's cold, artificial voice echoed inside her skull.

Her mark burned.

A low humming noise vibrated through the ruins, deep and mechanical. It came from somewhere beyond the tunnels, from the very walls themselves.

The System had sent something.

Something for her.

Denzel heard it, too. His head snapped up, his grip on his sword tightening.

"We need to move," he said sharply.

"That sound—" the scout woman's voice was tense. "That's—"

"I know," Denzel interrupted. "We're not waiting to see what it is."

The group turned, already preparing to run.

Hesperia's mind raced.

She was out of time.

If the System had sent a countermeasure after her, staying hidden wouldn't matter. It would chase her no matter where she went.

And right now, the only other people nearby were them.

If she ran in a different direction, would the System follow her alone?

Or would it erase all witnesses?

She had seconds to decide.

The humming grew louder.

Hesperia took a sharp breath—

And stepped into the open.

The reaction was instant.

The moment she appeared beyond the broken stone, all five survivors snapped toward her.

Weapons drawn.

Instinctive. Defensive.

Hesperia didn't move.

Denzel's eyes narrowed, scanning her fast. Calculating.

The scout—Mara, she remembered from their conversation earlier— reacted slower, but her hands hovered near her daggers.

The young boy flinched, stepping back slightly, but he didn't run. He just watched.

Hesperia lifted her hands slightly, palms open, no sudden movements.

"I don't want a fight," she said.

Her voice came out calmer than she felt.

Denzel didn't lower his weapon. "Who are you?"

Hesperia hesitated.

If she told them her name, it might stick in their memory. If the System erased her, she needed someone to remember she existed.

But—

Something in her gut twisted.

If the System had tagged her as an anomaly, and these people were regular Players…

What would happen if they realized she was different?

She exhaled slowly.

"Just another survivor," she said.

A beat of silence.

Denzel's eyes flicked to her wrist—the place where the Anomaly Mark was hidden under her sleeve.

She forced herself not to move.

He didn't press.

Not yet.

But she could tell—he didn't trust her.

And she didn't blame him.

The humming grew deeper.

The walls shuddered.

A new notification flashed across her vision.

[COUNTERMEASURE ARRIVAL IMMINENT.]

Denzel's expression tightened. "That thing's coming fast. If you want to stay alive, move."

Mara hesitated. "You're just letting her come with us?"

Denzel didn't look at her.

"Not yet."

Then he turned and ran.

Hesperia didn't waste time.

She sprinted after them.

The ruins blurred past them as they ran.

The tunnels twisted, shifting in ways they shouldn't. Doors that had been open minutes ago were now sealed.

The System was closing off paths.

It didn't want them to escape.

Hesperia pushed forward, breathing sharp.

Denzel took the lead, guiding them through the collapsing passageways. His movements were precise, controlled—he knew how to lead a squad.

They weren't just random survivors.

They had been here long enough to learn how the System worked.

Ahead, the path opened into a large chamber.

A ruined courtyard, partially collapsed, vines creeping through the cracked stone. A massive, broken archway stood at the far end, leading deeper into the dungeon.

Denzel skidded to a stop.

"That's our way out," he said.

Mara spun around. "Then move!"

But before they could—

A sound ripped through the air.

A deep, mechanical howl.

It was not the Adaptive Killers.

Hesperia's blood ran cold.

She had never heard this sound before.

She didn't need to.

Every instinct in her body told her one thing.

Whatever was coming was worse.

[COUNTERMEASURE DEPLOYED.]

[ERASURE UNIT INBOUND.]

The temperature dropped.

The shadows near the broken archway shifted.

And then—

Something stepped forward.

Hesperia's breath caught.

It wasn't like the other dungeon creatures.

It was taller. Heavier. Its form blurred at the edges, flickering in and out of focus, as if it was phasing between realities. Its limbs were humanoid—but wrong.

Its face was empty.

No mouth. No nose.

Just two burning white eyes.

Then—it moved.

Faster than it should have.

Right toward them.

Hesperia barely had time to react before Denzel shoved her forward.

"Run. Now!"