I stepped into the apartment just as the morning sun began creeping through the windows. I half-expected silence, the others still asleep after the long day before. But instead—
The scent of something warm, familiar.
I barely had time to process before—
Sienna's voice cut through the quiet.
I looked up to find her standing in the kitchen, arms crossed, worry creased between her brows. A mug of tea rested in her hand, steam curling into the air.
Behind her, Camille stretched lazily on the couch, barely awake, her hair a mess. Alexis sat beside her, eyes half-lidded as she clung to her coffee like it was her only lifeline.
...They were all awake?
Damn. I was hoping to just slip back in unnoticed.
I exhaled. "Needed some air."
Sienna didn't look convinced.
"At this rate," Camille mumbled through a yawn, "you'll start living outside."
She rubbed her eyes, looking far too exhausted to be teasing me. This was probably the earliest she'd been up in... ever.
"I was restless," I added, sitting down at the table.
Alexis narrowed her eyes at me over the rim of her coffee mug. "Mhm. Sure."
I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. "You're all really suspicious for people who just woke up."
Sienna didn't let up, setting her tea down. "Rey....you promised. No secrets."
I knew she was right.
But how the hell was I supposed to tell them this?
"I'll tell you in due time."
I wasn't even sure I had a decision yet.
Sienna held my gaze a moment longer. She looked sad, but then she sighed and took a sip of her tea. "Alright....but don't keep us waiting too long."
I nodded, not trusting myself to say more.
And just when I thought I could finally sit down in peace—
I didn't even need to check the caller ID.
"So." Evelyn's voice came through, flat and unimpressed. "You met the spy."
I exhaled sharply. "You could've warned me."
"Wouldn't have changed anything. You were always going to meet him eventually.*"
I clenched my jaw. "And what do you think about all this?"
"Not my decision to make," she said simply. "What do you think?"
I hesitated. "I haven't decided yet."
"Then hurry up and make a choice before someone else does it for you."
I bit back a sigh. "Yeah? And what happens if I say no?"
"Then the people on your side get wiped out for treason."
She wasn't exaggerating.
"Face it, Reynard." Her voice softened just slightly. "You've already been chosen. The world just needs you to realize it."
"Oh, and before I forget," she continued, "Mark's still missing. No records. No traces. No digital footprint. It's like he never existed.*"
I frowned. "He's hiding."
"Or someone's hiding him."
That thought sat heavier than I liked.
"Keep your head up, Reynard." Then, just like that, she hung up.
I let out a slow breath, leaning back in my chair.
Sienna raised an eyebrow. "Evelyn?"
I nodded. "She says Mark's disappeared. Completely wiped.*"
Camille hummed, still half-asleep. "How convenient."
Alexis, however, perked up slightly. "And what are you gonna do about it?"
I glanced at her. "Find out who the hell he really is."
She blinked. "Oh. So, conspiracy time?"
I sighed, pulling up my Database in my system. "Yeah. Conspiracy time."
The problem with Mark?
Most of his history was gone.
No last name. No family records. No paper trail of how he climbed the ranks.
The man just... appeared.
Someone in his position—director of one of the most ambitious space programs in human history—should have had a long list of credentials, public interviews, and records of their past achievements. A history of employment. A list of mentors, colleagues, or even old academic records.
But there was nothing.
The further I searched, the more unsettling it became.
His name appeared in government files as the head of the Mars mission. But before that? The trail went cold. No reports of him being promoted. No news articles about his rise through the ranks. Not even an old university graduation photo.
It was like someone had cut out the first half of his life and replaced it with a job title.
My Scan skill hadn't even been able to detect a last name from him when I first used it. At the time, I thought maybe he was shielding his identity—maybe he had the skills to avoid detection.
That wasn't just skill. That was a systemic erasure.
His real past? It had to be under a different name entirely.
Alexis peered over my shoulder, eyes flicking between my screen and the sparse, fragmented data. "So, what's the theory of the day?"
I exhaled slowly, my voice steady.
"Mark doesn't exist."
She raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's concerning."
I didn't answer, my mind already racing.
Someone had placed Mark in that position. Someone powerful enough to rewrite history, to fabricate an identity that only existed from the moment he became Director. It had to be the World President.
Which begged the question—
Who the hell was Mark before?
And more importantly—
Why did someone go through so much effort to make sure no one ever found out?
Before I could dig deeper—
"Rey." Camille called from the couch.
She was pointing at the TV.
The screen showed a news broadcast. The anchor's voice droned on:
"Following his defeat from this month's infamous trial, A-Rank lawyer Damian Voss has been officially hospitalized due to extreme stress. His law firm has issued a statement confirming his leave of absence, and as of today, has dropped him from their roster."
I watched as the footage cut to his office building. Then his empty desk.
Sienna looked at me, quiet. "Do you regret it?"
I didn't answer immediately.
But the sight of his empty desk lingered. A lifetime of ambition, erased in a second.
I didn't feel good about it either.
Camille watched the screen, her expression unreadable. Then, softly: "He wouldn't have lost control if it weren't for me."
I frowned. "That's not your fault."
Sienna sighed, leaning back. "What's done is done."
We let the moment pass.
My mind wouldn't rest.
I opened my system, ignoring the notifications that had been waiting since the trial.
I hesitated for a moment, before accepting it.
The screen flickered. Processing.
My vision blurred. My system pulsed, the text on the screen warping. And suddenly—A fist slammed into my face.
I staggered back, recoiling, my head snapping to the side.
I barely caught my footing, my heart slamming in my chest.
The world around me was different.
Bright lights. Roaring echoes. A massive ring beneath my feet.
And standing across from me—
A shadowed silhouette.
Another punch came flying.
I couldn't dodge in time. I felt like my nose was bleeding profusely.
I found myself back on the couch. Looking up my System screen I saw my new job.
[NEW JOB ACQUIRED: BOXER (C-RANK)]