The Enforcer's glitched body flickered, red code unraveling and rewriting itself at rapid speed.
> [SYSTEM ERROR: UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED]
[EXECUTING FAILSAFE PROTOCOL…]
Ethan didn't wait. He moved.
His blade, now glowing with an unstable energy, cut through the air in a streak of white light. Aya was right behind him, her movements precise as she fired round after round from her enhanced pistol.
Player_0001, still recovering, watched them fight—his masked face unreadable.
The real Ethan—the one from the pod—was still slumped against the console, his breathing heavy. But his eyes burned with determination.
> This is my fight too.
Summoning the last of his strength, he slammed another command into the console.
> [FORCE LOGOUT: SYSTEM ENFORCER]
[WARNING: INVALID COMMAND]
[OVERRIDE ATTEMPT: 37% PROCESSED]
The Enforcer jerked violently, its movements slowing as the System struggled to process the override.
Ethan saw his opening.
He dashed forward, his blade humming with unstable power, and drove it straight into the Enforcer's chest.
The Enforcer let out a distorted shriek, its body convulsing as the attack tore through its glitched form.
> [CRITICAL ERROR: ENTITY CORRUPTION DETECTED]
[TERMINATION IN PROGRESS…]
The red glow in its body flashed wildly, its form collapsing in on itself.
Ethan barely had time to jump back before the Enforcer exploded into a burst of fragmented code.
For a long moment, there was silence.
Then—
> [SYSTEM ALERT: ENTITY REMOVED]
[WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED ACTION DETECTED]
[SEARCHING FOR ADMIN INTERVENTION…]
Ethan's heart pounded. The System wasn't done.
Aya exhaled sharply. "That was way too close."
Player_0001, now back on his feet, tilted his head. "No. That was just the beginning."
Ethan turned to the real Ethan, who was still leaning on the console, sweat dripping down his face.
"You okay?"
The real Ethan let out a shaky breath. "I just hacked the System's kill protocol and force-glitched an Enforcer. What do you think?"
Ethan gave him a half-smirk. "Show-off."
Aya crossed her arms. "We still have a bigger problem."
She pointed to the flickering red warnings now filling the room.
> [SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS NOTIFIED]
[HIGH-PRIORITY ANOMALY DETECTED]
[ENFORCING CORRECTION PROTOCOLS…]
Ethan's stomach dropped. "Oh, that can't be good."
Player_0001 let out a low chuckle. "You just became the biggest threat in the System."
Aya's eyes widened. "Wait. Does that mean—"
The room shuddered.
> [SYSTEM LOCKDOWN ENGAGED]
Doors slammed shut. The air grew heavy with an unseen force.
And then—they heard it.
Footsteps.
Slow. Deliberate.
Coming from the hallway beyond the sealed doors.
A voice, calm and unnervingly controlled, echoed through the chamber.
> "So. You're the anomaly."
Ethan's pulse pounded.
Because this time—it wasn't just another Enforcer.
This time, it was someone with authority.
And they weren't here to negotiate.
The System's Hand
The air grew thick with tension as the footsteps grew louder.
Ethan clenched his fists, his blade still humming with unstable energy. Aya shifted her weight, gun aimed at the door. Player_0001 stood still, his masked face unreadable.
The real Ethan, still slumped against the console, wiped sweat from his forehead. "We need to get out of here. Now."
> Too late.
The sealed doors slid open.
A figure stepped inside.
At first glance, he looked human—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a sleek black coat. His face was eerily perfect, his skin unnaturally smooth, like a mannequin given life. But his eyes…
They weren't human.
They were solid gold, glowing softly, with no pupils.
And when he spoke, his voice carried the weight of authority.
> "Ethan Stryker. Instance 2."
> "You have caused quite the inconvenience."
Ethan's heart pounded. "Who the hell are you?"
The man stepped forward, his movements unnervingly precise, as if controlled by something unseen.
> "You may call me Administrator Zayne."
> "I am here to correct the anomaly."
---
A Deadly Warning
Aya didn't hesitate. She raised her pistol and fired.
The bullet never reached him.
Zayne tilted his head slightly, and the air in front of him rippled. The shot froze midair, then disintegrated into code.
Ethan's stomach dropped. "What—"
Zayne didn't even look at Aya. His attention remained locked on Ethan.
> "You were not meant to exist."
> "Yet, here you are. Corrupting the System. Breaking its laws."
Ethan forced himself to hold Zayne's gaze. "You say that like I had a choice."
Zayne's expression didn't change.
> "There is always a choice."
His golden eyes flickered with unreadable data.
> "Come with me now, and I will ensure your deletion is painless."
Aya let out a scoff. "Yeah, that's a hard pass."
Ethan stepped forward. "And if I refuse?"
Zayne sighed, as if disappointed.
> "Then you will suffer."
And then—he moved.
---
Power Beyond Reason
Zayne vanished.
A split second later—he was in front of Ethan.
A fist slammed into Ethan's chest, sending him flying. He crashed into the wall with enough force to leave cracks.
Aya cursed. "Ethan!"
She whirled to fire again, but Zayne raised a hand.
The entire gun disintegrated into code.
Aya staggered back. "What the—?!"
Zayne didn't even glance at her.
Player_0001 lunged, his data blade slicing through the air. His strike was flawless, aimed straight for Zayne's head.
It never connected.
Zayne caught the blade with his bare hand.
The weapon shuddered as if resisting, its energy flickering.
Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, Zayne snapped the blade in half.
Player_0001 froze. "Impossible…"
Zayne's gaze remained cold.
> "I control the System."
> "And in this world—"
His golden eyes glowed brighter.
> "You are nothing."
---
The System's True Strength
Ethan groaned, pushing himself up. His ribs ached, but he didn't have time to think about pain.
> Zayne is too fast.
Too strong.
How the hell do we fight him?
Aya grabbed his arm, dragging him up. "Ethan, we need a plan. Now."
Zayne stepped forward, completely unbothered by their resistance.
> "There is no escape."
The real Ethan, still at the console, suddenly shouted:
> "There is if I say so!"
Zayne snapped his head toward him.
For the first time, his expression shifted—a flicker of interest.
> "You. The original."
The real Ethan's fingers flew across the keyboard.
> [OVERRIDE COMMAND INITIATED]
[DISRUPTING ADMIN ACCESS…]
Zayne's golden eyes flickered. His body glitched, just for a second.
It was barely noticeable—but Ethan saw it.
And in that moment—he realized something.
Zayne wasn't invincible.
The System still followed rules.
And rules could be broken.
---
Escaping Death
Ethan's mind raced. "We can't beat him in a fight. But we can use the System against him."
Aya's eyes narrowed. "How?"
Player_0001, now weaponless, straightened. "If we disrupt his control… he's just another enemy."
Ethan nodded. "And we know just the guy who can do that."
The real Ethan grinned. "Took you long enough."
Zayne, now regaining control, moved.
> [SYSTEM RECOVERY: ADMIN ACCESS STABILIZED]
> "Enough of this."
The walls trembled.
The entire room began rewriting itself.
> [SYSTEM RESTRUCTURING: ENVIRONMENT LOCKDOWN]
The exit vanished.
Aya's breath caught. "He's sealing us in."
Zayne raised a hand. Chains of golden code lashed out, targeting Ethan—seeking to bind him in place.
> "This ends now."
Ethan acted on instinct.
He grabbed Aya's wrist.
With his other hand—he reached out to the real Ethan.
> "Do it. NOW!"
The real Ethan didn't hesitate.
His fingers slammed the final command.
> [OVERRIDE: SYSTEM FORCED RESET]
[WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED RESET WILL FORCE LOGOUT OF ALL ENTITIES]
[CONFIRM?]
> [YES]
The entire world flashed white.
And then—
Everything collapsed.
A World Rewritten
White light engulfed everything.
For a moment, Ethan felt like he was floating in a vast, endless void. There was no sound, no time—just a sense of detachment, like his consciousness had been unplugged from reality.
Then—
A sharp pull, like being yanked back into existence.
Ethan gasped for air as he crashed onto solid ground.
> Where…?
He blinked, trying to clear his vision. His surroundings came into focus—dark skies, ruined buildings, and flickering neon signs casting an eerie glow. The air was heavy with static, as if the world itself was struggling to stabilize.
Aya groaned beside him, rubbing her temples. "Ugh… did we just—get reset?"
Player_0001 landed smoothly on his feet, his masked face unreadable as always. He glanced around. "We're in a different zone."
Ethan's mind raced. "The System reset… but it didn't kick us out."
Aya's eyes widened. "Then where the hell are we?"
Before anyone could answer—
> [SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT: UNAUTHORIZED RESET DETECTED]
[ZONE 404 INITIALIZED]
Ethan's blood ran cold.
> Zone 404?
Aya cursed under her breath. "Great. That sounds totally safe."
Player_0001 spoke, his voice unreadable. "We're in a dead zone."
Ethan frowned. "Dead zone?"
The masked man turned to him. "A part of the System that's been erased. A place that shouldn't exist anymore."
Ethan's stomach twisted. "So… we're in a glitch?"
> [WARNING: HOSTILE ENTITIES DETECTED]
The ground rumbled.
From the shadows, figures emerged.
Twisted, half-formed creatures—NPCs that had been corrupted beyond recognition. Their bodies flickered, their faces distorted as they twitched unnaturally.
> [ERROR: DATA UNSUPPORTED]
[UNDEFINED ENTITIES APPROACHING]
Aya raised her weapon. "Fantastic. We landed in the middle of a damn nightmare."
Ethan tightened his grip on his blade. "We need to move."
Player_0001 nodded. "Agreed. If this place is a dead zone… then we're outside of System control."
Aya's brow furrowed. "Meaning?"
Player_0001's gaze locked onto Ethan.
> "Meaning Zayne can't track us here."
Ethan's pulse quickened.
They had escaped.
But now…
They were trapped in a place that shouldn't exist.
And they weren't alone.