Chapter 3: Systems and Secrets
Morning came quietly.
The sunlight filtering through the basement's lone window caught on stray motes of dust, painting streaks of gold across half-built machines and the organized chaos of Raze's workbench. The hum of a soldering pen and the faint click of a hard drive syncing were the only sounds until a single, golden-red screen flickered into view before him.
> [System Interface: Active]
User: Raze Antares Jaxon
Points Available: 3,000 GPoints
System Functions:
– Inventory Access
– Gacha Roll Functionality
– Integration Status: 42%
– AI Core: Unnamed
Raze leaned back in his chair, rotating a spanner between his fingers with the lazy confidence of someone who'd spent too many nights living off caffeine and curiosity. He felt stronger now — bones lighter, muscles taut, coordination sharper. His reflection in the glass monitor caught eyes that no longer looked quite human — just a shade too vivid, a faint ring of gold around the iris.
He sighed. "Alright, O Nameless One. Let's talk features."
A familiar, flat, toneless voice replied, echoing softly through the room like static wrapped in silk.
> "System functions include the Gacha lottery, assimilation protocols, and data archive access. The current user level restricts all world-tier upgrades."
"Restricts, huh?" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "So I can see the menu, but can't order anything off it. Classic."
> "Incorrect. You may order. You simply cannot handle the meal."
He blinked, then barked a quiet laugh. "Did you just sass me?"
> "Observation: humor detected. I am not equipped for humor."
"Yeah, well," he said, smirking, "you're gonna have to learn. We're gonna spend a lot of time together, Partner."
> "...Acknowledged."
The tone shifted just slightly — still monotone, but something about the pause felt almost… self-aware.
He turned back to his monitor, scrolling through system options. The points conversion chart flickered open, lines of glowing text scrolling smoothly:
> 50 GPoints = 1 Roll
450 GPoints = 10 Rolls
500 GPoints = 10 Rolls + 1 Character Template
1000 GPoints = Specialty Select Roll
"Hmm. So 1000 for a guaranteed themed pull. That's not bad," he mused. "If I'm careful, I can stretch this balance."
> "Probability of acquiring 4-Star or higher: 0.04%. Probability of obtaining garbage: 99.96%."
He deadpanned. "You really know how to motivate a guy."
---
Cut to – Upstairs
"Raze Antares Chambers-Jaxon!"
The call echoed through the house like divine judgment.
Raze froze. The wrench in his hand clattered to the floor.
"Oh no."
> "Alert: maternal unit vocal decibel level exceeding baseline. Probability of confrontation: 97%."
"No kidding!" he hissed, standing up quickly and nearly knocking over a tray of circuit boards. "End system feed— and mute yourself before she hears you."
> "...Acknowledged."
He jogged upstairs two steps at a time, half-expecting his mother to be standing there with that look. Sure enough, Marie sat at the kitchen table, coffee in one hand, phone in the other — her posture calm, her expression anything but.
At her feet sat the source of her tone: Onyx, the puppy — no, the miniature nightmare beast — wagging his tail and gnawing on one of Nick's sneakers like a chew toy. The creature's fur shimmered in the sunlight, pitch-black with streaks of crimson. Between his eyes, a faint line of dark scales caught the light like polished obsidian.
Nick stood nearby, trying (and failing) to hide a guilty grin.
"Morning, Mom," Raze said casually.
"Don't you 'morning' me," Marie said, voice calm in that dangerous way only mothers could master. "Would one of you like to explain why there's a wolf cub in my kitchen chewing through $80 shoes?"
"It's not a wolf," Raze corrected automatically.
Nick shot him a look that screamed shut up.
Marie arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what is it?"
"Uh—" Nick started. "A rescue."
Raze nodded rapidly. "Totally. Found him behind the junkyard. Poor thing was cold and scared and—"
"And apparently has scales," Marie cut in, setting her coffee down.
The two froze.
She sighed. "The vet says it's some kind of keratin growth, but I've raised two hunters-in-training and a niece with a thing for dragons. You expect me to believe that?"
Nick winced. "To be fair, Aunt Marie, he doesn't bite—unless—uh, provoked."
As if on cue, Onyx tilted his head, tongue lolling, then burped smoke.
Marie just stared for a long, long moment.
Finally, she took a sip of coffee and muttered, "Your uncle's going to kill me when he finds out."
Raze grinned sheepishly. "So... we can keep him?"
"Keep him?" she repeated, exasperated. "No. But apparently, I can't stop you either. Just—no bringing that creature into my study or near the neighbors' cat."
Nick leaned over to Raze and whispered, "That's a yes."
Raze smirked. "That's a conditional yes."
Onyx barked once — a low, metallic echo that rattled the spoons on the counter.
Marie pinched the bridge of her nose. "I swear, between you two and your science experiments, I'm going to need more coffee—or sedatives."
---
Cut to – School Grounds
The halls of Jefferson High buzzed with the usual Friday chaos.
Nick stood by his locker, leaning against the cool metal with practiced ease, listening as Mara vented. Her long auburn hair fell over one shoulder, and her voice carried the sharp rhythm of annoyance.
"I told him, Nick. Twice. But he just keeps showing up—practice, the diner, even my shift at the gas station. He's like... everywhere."
Nick frowned. "That's Brian from the baseball team, right?"
"Yeah. The one who thinks every girl secretly wants him."
Nick's jaw clenched. "I'll handle it."
Mara sighed, resting a hand on his arm. "I know you will. Just—don't get suspended again, okay? You've got scouts watching."
He relaxed slightly at her touch. "I'll talk first. Promise."
She smiled, but the worry in her eyes lingered.
---
Cut to – Auto Shop
Raze was elbow-deep in grease and gears, humming quietly to himself as he tested a new piston array. The hum of engines and the smell of oil were oddly grounding — a reminder that not everything needed a glowing golden interface to make sense.
His shop teacher, Mr. Duran, wandered over, squinting at the array of metal and circuitry. "Jackson, what the hell are you building?"
Raze glanced up. "Custom compression engine. Thought I'd use it for the senior project — retrofit it into a frame."
Duran whistled low. "Ambitious. You got a frame in mind?"
"Hummer H3. Steel body. Reinforced struts. I wanna make something that can take a hit."
"...You planning to go to war, kid?"
Raze just grinned. "Something like that."
---
Cut to – Marie's Perspective
The hospital smelled like antiseptic and fear.
Marie sat on the edge of the paper-covered bed, fingers tightening around the small slip of paper that contained too much meaning for its size. The doctor's words still echoed in her head. Stage two carcinoma. Early, but aggressive.
She'd faced monsters before — literal ones — and never flinched. But this? This was quiet. Invisible. Relentless.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Nick.
> "Onyx learned how to sit. Raze says he can almost say 'snack.'"
She smiled, faintly, despite the ache in her chest.
---
Cut to – Backyard, Sunset
The golden light of evening spilled across the yard. Raze stood shirtless, sweat slicking his back as he sparred with Nick. Onyx darted between them, tail wagging, barking whenever Nick landed a hit.
Raze grinned, dodging and sweeping Nick's legs. "You're getting slow, cousin."
"Please," Nick said, laughing breathlessly as he rolled back up. "I'm pacing myself."
Marie watched from the kitchen window, arms crossed, coffee cup warm in her hands. Her heart swelled and ached at once — two boys who'd lost too much, building something that almost felt like peace.
She noticed the way Raze moved now — steadier, more confident. There was something new in him, a quiet fire she couldn't name.
"Whatever you're becoming," she murmured softly, "just don't lose yourself, kid."
Onyx barked suddenly, as if in answer, and both boys laughed.
Marie smiled — really smiled — for the first time that week.
Behind them, in the basement below, the newly built phone terminal flickered to life.
> [SYSTEM NETWORK ONLINE]
AI Core Initialization Complete.
New Designation Detected: Nova.
And for the first time, Nova's voice carried warmth.
> "Good evening, Raze. Shall we begin?"
The system pulsed once, golden and alive — a heartbeat echoing into something vast and inevitable.
---
End of Chapter 3
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