He should've died.
Should've been vaporized.
But he woke up instead.
In a crater.
Heart beating like a war drum.
Skin steaming.
Eyes burning.
He blinked.
> [SYSTEM INSTALLED]
Origin: ERROR
Classification: Unique (Adaptive-Type)
Restriction: Non-Transferable / Non-Replicable
Warning: High Instability – Unbound Evolution Detected
The text appeared in his mind. Not as a voice. Not as words on a screen. Burned into his soul.
> Welcome, Jeyson Kandhor.
Codename: Echo.
The world around him blurred.
Then he heard the footsteps.
Soldiers. Drones. Red-and-gold uniforms. The Paladins.
> "Target identified!"
> "How is he still alive?"
> "We've got an unauthorized System Event. Repeat: Unauthorized!"
Guns were raised.
Jeyson stood up. His body felt wrong. Like a million needles stabbing into his spine, but not pain—growth. He raised a hand on instinct.
And the nearest drone exploded.
> [Adaptation Acquired: Reactive Pulse]
Trigger: Threat Detected
He didn't understand it. But the System responded to him.
Not like others. Not passive. Not balanced.
It grew.
It learned.
It adapted to survive.
Just like him.
He ran. Fled into the ruins. Dodged bullets and searchlights. His body cracked and healed and cracked again. And every time he nearly died—
> New adaptation acquired.
The System gave more.
Not out of mercy.
Out of necessity.
Because every moment, something inside him kept whispering:
> You weren't meant to have this.
> You are the glitch.
> You are Echo. The last of your kind.