Chapter 2 - The Wrong File

I woke up to the rhythmic beeping of a machine and the sterile scent of antiseptic. White ceiling, white sheets, white walls—a hospital room. A perfectly average hospital room.

Oh good. Maybe this was just a really elaborate nightmare. Maybe I'd wake up back home soon.

"You're awake."

A woman's voice pulled me from my wishful thinking.

I turned my head slowly and saw the woman from before. She was sitting on a chair near the door, arms crossed, one leg propped over the other.

"You passed out. Probably shock."

"Yeah, funny how running for your life without a health bar can do that to a person."

She raised an eyebrow. "Health bar?"

"Never mind."

The woman stood, her gaze scanning me like I was some suspicious item at airport security. "I ran your record."

"Oh, cool. And?"

"Nothing. There is no record. No ledger. No file. It's like you don't exist."

"Well, that checks out. I've been telling people that for years."

Her lips twitched, but she quickly suppressed it. "We flagged your case to Central. They're sending someone from the core division to inspect you."

"Wait, Central? Core division? Why does that sound like I just got upgraded from random civilian to high-priority science experiment?"

"Because you did."

"Awesome. Love that for me."

Before I could panic further, a man in a sleek gray uniform walked in, holding a tablet. He looked like someone who hadn't smiled in five years.

"Your identification, please."

"Uh, Ava. Ava Lin."

"I'm here to confirm your status. I need to scan your presence."

"Presence? Like… my aura? My life force? My bank account?"

"Stay still."

I clamped my mouth shut as he held a device over me. A faint light swept across my body.

He stared at the results, frowning deeper and deeper.

"Is it bad? Please tell me I'm not contagious."

"You're not in the system. You have no ledger, no registration, no existence in our oath network."

"I've been trying to tell you guys that!"

"Yet you exist. And Graves are aggressively attracted to you. That doesn't happen without a reason."

"Believe me, I'd love to know why, too."

He tapped on his tablet and left without another word.

The woman sighed. "Central's going to send one of their top agents now. Probably from the high-risk unit."

"Oh good. Maybe they'll have better bedside manners."

She almost smiled. "You're handling this pretty well."

"Oh, I'm deeply panicking inside. I've just decided to channel it into sarcasm so I don't scream and set off the medical alarms."

"Smart."

I spent the next two days in the hospital under light surveillance. Apparently, when you're a walking anomaly, they don't let you wander off.

The woman who saved me—her name was Lira—stopped by often. She brought bland hospital food and occasionally entertained my barrage of stupid questions.

"So, these Graves. They pop up because of broken promises?"

"Roughly. Graves manifest when an oath is broken with enough weight behind it. Betrayals, abandoned contracts, severed loyalties. The deeper the promise, the stronger the Grave."

"Okay, but why me? I'm not from here. I didn't make any promises."

Lira's gaze sharpened. "We know."

I blinked. "You what?"

"We know you're not from this world. You appeared in an abandoned summoning site—one we sealed years ago."

"Oh." I paused. "Should I deny it? Would that help?"

"No. Our scans confirmed it. You don't have a ledger, Ava. Everyone born here is automatically connected to the Oath System. Every choice, every promise, every contract is recorded. That's what a ledger is."

"So, it's like… a life receipt?"

"Exactly. A living record of every price paid. Even civilians have ledgers. Yours is blank."

"Because I don't belong here."

"Because you're not supposed to exist here."

"Wow. Thanks. Way to make me feel welcome."

She smirked. "Don't get too comfortable. The government flagged you the moment you appeared. They just don't know what to do with you yet."

"Oh good. I always wanted to be a bureaucratic mystery."

"You're handling this pretty well."

"It's either sarcasm or a breakdown. I picked the one that comes with fewer medical bills."

She only smirked back at me. What a gall.

I sipped the bland hospital soup she brought me. "So, what happens now?"

"Central is sending someone to assess you directly. High-risk unit. They don't usually bother with civilians. It's been two days since we report your file. They're probably here by now."

"Huh? But I am a civilian."

"No. You're not."

I was mid-banter when the door creaked open.

A tall figure stepped in, dressed in darker gear than the others, with a long black coat that trailed behind him. He moved like a blade—precise, deliberate, cold.

His sharp black eyes scanned the room and landed on me.

Oh.

Oh no.

Is this the guy? The one Central sent?

Why does he look like he just stepped out of an anti-hero poster?

His face was angular, sharp, framed by dark hair that fell neatly but didn't soften his expression at all. He wasn't just cold—he was frozen steel. His gait screamed discipline, and his eyes held the kind of weight that said: I've seen enough, I've done worse, and I'll do it again if necessary.

His entire presence practically told everyone to either fall in line or get out of the way.

Oh great. He's the human version of a locked safe. And me? I don't even have the key.

"You're the anomaly?"

His voice was low, calm, and somehow more terrifying than the roaring monster that had chased me earlier.

"Wow. I've never been called that to my face before."

"Your name?"

"Ava Lin."

"You have no ledger, no contract record, no price history."

"I know. It's been a theme this week."

"You're coming with me."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll monitor you personally. You're now under the direct watch of Central's high-risk unit."

"Hold on, that sounds like being babysat with extra steps."

"Correct."

"Do I get a say in this?"

"No."

Of course. Of course not.

Great. I'm being dragged off by Mr. Dead Inside who probably reads combat manuals for fun and considers emotional expression a waste of oxygen.

"And you are?"

"Elren Vayne."

Oh, fantastic. He has the perfect brooding name to match the vibe.

Lira gave me a small shrug and a sympathetic look as Elren turned on his heel and walked out.

"You might actually survive with him," she said.

"Is that supposed to be comforting?"

"He's good at what he does."

"Yeah, but is he good at basic human interaction?"

She just smiled and gestured for me to follow.

I sighed, climbing out of bed and wobbling after them.

Perfect. New world, no powers, terrifying monsters, and now I'm stuck with the human equivalent of a locked door. How hard can this be?

Answer: Very.