88CloudSpace

Gabriel Alvarez was born with nothing. A poor Hispanic-American kid struggling to survive the streets of New York, he died alone and starving—just another forgotten soul. But death wasn’t the end.

He awakens in Neo-Terra, a world where magic and technology have fused into a powerful System that governs society. Every person has a class, skills, and stats, their fate determined by the System’s rules. Yet Gabriel is different. Labeled Unawakened, he has no class, no abilities—until he discovers something forbidden.

He can hack the System.

What starts as a glitch quickly escalates into something much bigger. Gabriel isn’t the first to defy the System—there were others before him, people known as Deviants. Every single one of them was erased. Now, the Academy that once offered him sanctuary wants him dead. The Federation considers him a threat to world stability. And an ancient secret buried deep within the System is waiting for him to uncover it.

Armed with his unique ability to override the laws of reality, Gabriel is no longer a forgotten street rat—he’s a rogue element in a world that runs on rules.

And if the System wants him erased?

Then he’ll rewrite it.

Reborn in a World of Magic and Machines

The tension in the Elders' Hall was thick as steel. The murmurs of the Red Hand filled the chamber, voices clashing in hushed arguments. Some older members glared at Gabriel with distrust, while the younger rebels exchanged hopeful glances.

The Elder of the Red Hand raised his cybernetic hand, and the hall fell silent. His glowing mechanical eye whirred as he studied Gabriel, his expression unreadable.

"This boy is dangerous," he said at last. "He wields powers beyond our understanding, and the System bends in his presence. That alone makes him a threat."

A grizzled warrior to his left crossed his arms. "We should dispose of him now before he brings the Federation's wrath upon us."

Immediately, the younger rebels protested. The young woman with red-streaked hair stepped forward, fire in her eyes.

"We need him. He can manipulate the System in ways we can't. If we had someone like him on our side—"

"On our side?" one of the elders scoffed. "You would trust an outsider with the fate of the Red Hand?"

Gabriel clenched his fists but said nothing. He knew this wasn't his moment to speak.

Aurelia, however, wasn't so patient. She stepped beside him, arms crossed. "You don't even know what he's capable of yet, and you're already writing him off? Sounds a lot like cowardice to me."

The room bristled. The Elder's gaze snapped to her, and for a brief moment, Gabriel thought things were about to turn violent.

But instead, the Elder chuckled. A low, dry sound.

"She speaks boldly for one who does not know our suffering." He turned to the gathered Red Hand. "We will not act in haste."

Gabriel exhaled in relief—until the Elder's next words sent a chill down his spine.

"We will hold a council. Until a decision is made, the boy is not to be harmed. But if we decide he is a danger to our people…"

The Elder's cybernetic fingers curled into a metallic fist.

Gabriel met his gaze. He wasn't about to back down.

One way or another, he'd prove his worth.

Chapter 17.5: The Elder’s Judgment