The morning came slow.
Not because of nightmares, but because my mind refused to shut off.
I turned my head slightly. Camille was still curled up beside me, her steady breathing barely audible over the faint sounds of breakfast being made. The warmth of her body against mine should've been grounding, comforting.
Even now, even with the familiar routine playing out around me, something sat heavy in my chest.
The system was wrong.
No—my system was wrong.
And there was only one person I knew who could help me get them.
I took a quiet breath, pressing a soft kiss to Camille's forehead before slipping out of bed. She mumbled something incoherent, nuzzling deeper into the sheets, still half-asleep. I smiled despite myself.
Walking into the kitchen, I found Sienna at the stove, humming as she worked. The smell of eggs and toast filled the air, a scent so familiar it almost made me forget about everything else.
She turned as I approached, and before she could say anything, I leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.
She huffed. "You're up early."
"I need to check something with Alexis," I said. "I might be late for breakfast."
Her brow furrowed. "Everything alright?"
I hesitated, then forced a small smile as I kissed her forehead as well. "I'll let you know after."
Sienna didn't seem convinced, but she let it go, turning back to the stove.
I made my way down the hall, the weight in my chest growing heavier with each step.
Alexis' office was exactly as I expected—controlled chaos. Papers were scattered across her desk, data files pulled up on multiple monitors, half-filled notebooks stacked precariously on shelves.
She was hunched over a document, eyes scanning quickly, clearly deep in her own world.
Then, without even looking up—
"Well, this is rare."
I sighed. "You always know when someone's in your doorway?"
"No," she said, finally glancing up. "Just when you are."
I stepped inside, closing the door behind me.
Alexis arched a brow, an amused smile playing at her lips. "So, to what do I owe the honor? Come to get my expert opinion on something?"
I met her gaze, steady. "Investigate my body."
Her eyes widened slightly before a red tint colored her cheeks.
"...Well, I never expected you to be so bold, Reynard."
I blinked. Then the words registered, and heat crept up my neck.
"No—not like that," I said quickly. "I meant—I need you to check if something's wrong with me."
Alexis smirked, still clearly enjoying my flustered reaction. But her expression sobered as I explained.
I told her about Milan's reasoning. About how, supposedly, the system never affected the physical body. About how skills were meant to optimize but not enhance. It was a concept that most doctor's and nurses were familiar with.
And then I told her why that didn't make sense.
How my skills defied that rule. How Mark's did, too.
How my endurance wasn't just perception—how I had functioned at a level beyond what should have been possible.
By the time I finished, Alexis was staring at me with wide eyes.
"You're sure about this?"
"Ninety-nine percent."
She was quiet for a long moment.
A slow, fascinated grin that sent a different kind of chill down my spine.
"You're giving me full permission to test an anomaly?" she asked, practically giddy.
Before I could react, she was already moving.
She tugged at my shirt without hesitation. "Take this off."
I barely had time to register what was happening before she was physically undressing me.
"Relax," she interrupted, completely unfazed. "You said your body was the problem, didn't you? I need to see it."
I sighed, but there was no winning against her enthusiasm.
She muttered something about my physique as she took a closer look, running her fingers lightly along my arms and shoulders. Examining.
"This definition is unnatural," she murmured. "Not in a bad way, just... different."
Alexis pulled back, shaking her head. "We'll start with basics. Blood tests. DNA analysis. I need to see if your system has any anomalies beyond just its functionality."
She worked quickly, drawing blood, scanning my vitals, muttering observations under her breath.
As she set up another test, our conversation drifted into the nature of the system itself.
"How much of a person's system is genetics?" I asked.
She hummed. "It's a mix of nature and nurture. Your genes influence the foundation, but your environment—your training, your experiences—shapes the actual results."
I leaned back slightly. "Then my parents should have shown something, right?"
Alexis nodded. "What were they like?"
I hesitated. Then, quietly, I told her.
About how my parents were both individuals with C-Rank jobs. My dad was a businessman who worked at Novacore Industries while my mom was a hair stylist. They managed to scrap by and raise me, but when Novacore was shut down, my dad abandoned us.
I remember the night in which he left, it started as a simple argument, ended in a divorce that was never filed. He just walked out. My mom needed to work almost 3 times as harder to finance me. Though by the 2nd year....She overworked herself to death.
The room was silent for a long moment.
She sat beside me, close.
"You don't have to say anything else," she murmured.
She rested a hand on my shoulder, her touch warm. "You have people here now," she said simply. "Me. Sienna. Camille. You're not alone, Reynard."
Something in my chest loosened.
A soft knock at the door broke the moment.
We both looked up as the door creaked open—
She froze, her face immediately turning red.
"...Sorry," she mumbled.
Then I realized—Alexis was close. Very close. And I was shirtless.
Sienna's eyes darted between us before she quickly turned away. "Uh—breakfast is ready."
Before I could respond, another voice chimed in from the hallway.
"Sienna, you ruined their moment!"
Half-asleep, head barely peeking through the doorway, a teasing grin already forming.
I sighed, running a hand over my face as Alexis started laughing.
This was going to be a long morning.