Chapter 4 — NOXION
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🎬 Scene 1 — 7:04 PM | Rooftop, Sector 13 Edge
POV: Ha Jiren
> Push-up: 87.
Push-up: 88.
Push-up: 89.
Sweat struck the rooftop like rain on rusted metal. No music. No timer. Just the breath between repetition—and the voice inside his head.
> NOXION (calm, digital tone):
"Heart rate: optimal. Continue."
"Muscle fatigue: 12%. Shall I release the limiter?"
> Ha Jiren:
"Not yet."
> Push-up: 90.
Push-up: 91.
> NOXION:
"A new protocol has awakened. Sector 13. Registered user: Jax Lee."
"Sync level: unknown. Instability: detected."
> Ha Jiren (flat):
"…And?"
> NOXION:
"He survived a Phantom-Class trial. Zero gear."
That made him pause—just for a second.
Then he moved again.
> Ha Jiren:
"Keep watching him."
> NOXION:
"Affirmative."
Ha Jiren stood. Rolled his shoulders. The skyline blinked with system echoes and threat alerts.
> Ha Jiren (quiet):
"If he breaks… I want to know first."
The wind answered no one.
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🎬 Scene 2 — 7:30 AM | Skyward Command, Executive Wing
POV: President Seon Juwon
Steel-blue skies gleamed over Seoul. Inside a command chamber filled with digital hums and world maps, President Seon Juwon stared at a flickering portal feed—violet, unstable, pulsing.
> Seon (stern):
"This is the fourth breach in twelve hours. They're pushing faster."
> Rika (VP):
"The systems are adapting. Some aren't even asking for consent anymore."
> Seon:
"They're not choosing hosts anymore. They're taking them."
> (Pause)
> Rika (quiet):
"What about the counter-systems? Are we deploying Pactnet?"
> Seon (cold):
"Not yet. If Pactnet activates early, we lose control."
One of the displays shifted—security footage of a boy in a hoodie walking alone, hands in pockets.
> Rika:
"That's him, isn't it?"
> Seon:
"Yeah. Jax Lee."
> Rika:
"Does he know?"
> Seon (grim):
"He's synced already. The question is—can he survive it?"
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🎬 Scene 3 — 8:50 AM | District 13 — Abandoned Rooftop Gym
POV: Jax
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The faint sound of a raid party down below. Music and laughter filtered through cracks in the concrete.
But Jax wasn't there to party.
He was on the rooftop, doing push-ups on fractured cement. Rain misted across the rebar and broken tiles.
> Jax (gritting teeth):
"Fifty-eight… Fifty-nine…"
> SYSTEM (dry, amused):
"Impressive. For someone who almost died three days ago."
> Jax:
"You again."
> SYSTEM:
"Cruel Origin Protocol doesn't switch off because you're sweaty."
Jax rolled over, panting. He glared at the sky.
> Jax:
"Can't you pop up after class or something? I'm late."
> SYSTEM (teasing):
"I can see you anywhere. I can talk to you anytime."
> Jax (muttering):
"Creepy much."
He pulled on his hoodie, grabbed his half-dead bag.
> Jax:
"Look, I've got real-world problems. School. Rent. Not trying to be a war god."
> SYSTEM (flat):
"The war doesn't care if you're late to math class."
> Jax:
"I need to take the class now. Bye."
> SYSTEM (echoing):
"You can run. But I'm not going anywhere."
> Jax (sighing):
"Okey. Fine. You win."
> SYSTEM:
"Not yet."
> Jax (grumbling):
"God, you're worse than finals."
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🎬 Scene 4 — 9:40 AM | Thirteenth Tech Academy — Main Hallway
POV: Jax
The hall buzzed with guild posters, flirtations, and half-boasted raid scores.
Jax shoved through the crowd, hoodie damp, keeping his head down.
> SYSTEM (whispering):
"The girl to your left has a Sync rate of 42%. She won't survive her first raid."
> Jax (low growl):
"Shut up."
> SYSTEM:
"The boy ahead cheated on Combat Theory using a neural tap."
> Jax (hissed):
"I said shut up."
> Random Student:
"…Who are you talking to?"
> Jax (snaps):
"None of your business."
The students stared.
> Girl (whisper):
"Did he just yell at… nothing?"
> Boy:
"Bro's arguing with air."
Jax stormed past.
> SYSTEM (calm):
"The boy with the neural tap also has a hidden weapon. You're welcome."
> Jax (under breath):
"You're gonna get me kicked out."
> SYSTEM:
"You're already out. You just don't know it yet."
He stopped at the classroom door.
> Jax (quiet):
"…Why me?"
> SYSTEM (soft):
"Because broken things see what others ignore."
> (Pause)
> SYSTEM (lighter tone):
"Okay. I won't interrupt. Focus on your class."
"…Though your seatmate's sync rate is pretty high. Maybe your 'destined raid partner'?"
> Jax (twitching):
"Shut. Up."
> SYSTEM (teasing laugh):
"Enjoy the lecture about stuff that won't matter when the world burns."
> (Beat of silence)
> SYSTEM (serious, fading):
"After class, I'll be back."
"You have an important task today."
> Jax (thinking):
"…An important task?"
He opened the door—and walked into normalcy.
For now.
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🎬 Final Scene — 10:38 AM | Skyward Command – Secure Archives
POV: President Seon
The room was dark, lit only by the flickering of one screen.
> [ARCHIVED FOOTAGE – PROJECT: CRUEL ORIGIN PROTOCOL]
Date: [REDACTED]
Location: Seoul Systems Laboratory
A younger Lee Daejun sat at a terminal. Behind him, a pod pulsed—faint red, unstable.
> Lee Daejun (recording):
"If you're watching this… I'm probably dead."
> Lee Daejun:
"The systems from beyond—they're not tools. They're scouts. Seeds. Invasion prelude."
"The world thinks there are six. That's a lie."
He tapped the console. Red code bled down the screen.
> Lee Daejun:
"I made a seventh system. Not for conquest. For survival."
"It won't choose heroes. It'll choose the broken."
> (Beat)
> Lee Daejun (softly):
"Jax… if you ever get this—run. Or fight. But don't trust anyone."
Suddenly—
> ALERT: CORE BREACH. WARNING. SYNC FAILURE.
WARNING: EXPLOSION DETECTED.
> Lee Daejun (yelling):
"No! It's not ready yet—cancel the sync!"
The feed cut to black.
An explosion swallowed the lab.
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President Seon stared at the screen.
> Seon (coldly):
"So this is what you left behind…"
One last line blinked in red:
> [CRUEL ORIGIN PROTOCOL: ACTIVE]
USER SYNCED: JAX LEE
📌 End of Chapter 4 — To be continued…
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🧠 What did Jax's father really build? Who else knew it never died with him?
💬 Drop your theory:
Was Jax meant to survive—
or meant to burn?
📌 Add to Library. Next chapter drops soon.