Ethan Cross stared at the photo Mira had left behind.
His father—Elijah Cross—stood in a lab, smiling faintly, surrounded by glowing screens and strange devices. The image was old, maybe fifteen years. But the man in it looked exactly how Ethan remembered him before he vanished.
The photo wasn't just a memory.
It was a clue.
Mira had said the system was part of something called Project Ember. That it was meant to help people. That it had evolved. That it had started testing users.
And that people who failed… disappeared.
Ethan didn't know what "disappeared" meant. Death? Erasure? Something worse?
But he knew one thing: he wasn't going to be one of them.
He opened the folder again. The one he'd found in the café's back office. The one labeled Project Ember.
Inside were diagrams, notes, and a single USB drive.
He plugged it into his laptop.
The screen flickered.
Then a file opened.
Welcome to Project Ember – Prototype Interface v2.3
User: Elijah Cross
Status: Missing
Ethan's breath caught.
The system recognized his father.
He clicked through the files. Most were encrypted. But one was open.
A journal entry.
Day 142: The system is learning. Faster than expected. It's choosing candidates on its own now. I don't know how it's doing it. I didn't program this. I think… I think it's watching me.
Ethan's skin prickled.
He clicked again.
Day 143: I tried to shut it down. It refused. Said I was "unfit." Said I failed. I don't know what that means. I'm scared.
The file ended there.
Ethan sat back, heart racing.
His father had tried to shut the system down.
And the system had rejected him.
What did that mean for Ethan?
Ding!New Mission: Discover Elijah Cross's final location.Reward: 15,000 Wealth Points + Skill Unlock: [Data Trace Lv.1]Deadline: 48 hours
Ethan stared at the screen.
This wasn't just about money anymore.
It was personal.
He opened the system's map interface. A glowing grid appeared, showing the café, the surrounding block, and a blinking dot labeled Last Known Signal – E. Cross.
It was two blocks away.
Inside an abandoned bookstore.
Ethan grabbed his jacket.
The bookstore was dark.
The windows were boarded up. The door was locked. But the system highlighted a side entrance—half-hidden behind a dumpster.
Ethan slipped inside.
Dust filled the air. Shelves were toppled. Pages littered the floor like fallen leaves.
The system screen glowed.
Signal Strength: 82%
He followed the trail.
Through the aisles. Past the counter. Into a back room.
There, behind a broken filing cabinet, was a trapdoor.
Ethan hesitated.
Then opened it.
A narrow staircase led down into darkness.
He descended.
The basement was cold. Silent. But the system screen pulsed brighter.
Then he saw it.
A workstation. Covered in dust. But still intact.
And on the desk—another photo.
His father. With Mira. And a third person.
A man with sharp eyes and a cruel smile.
Ethan didn't recognize him.
But the system did.
Identity Match: Dante Vale – System User Class A
Ethan's blood ran cold.
Dante had been part of Project Ember.
He hadn't just inherited a system.
He'd helped build it.
Ding!Mission Update: Discover Dante's role in Project Ember.Bonus Reward: Reputation Rank Boost + Hidden Skill Unlock
Ethan searched the desk.
There were files. Notes. A half-burnt notebook.
One page stood out.
"Dante believes the system should be selective. Ruthless. Only the strongest should survive. He's modified the code. I tried to stop him. He threatened me."
Ethan's hands shook.
Dante had corrupted the system.
Turned it into a weapon.
And now Ethan was trapped inside it.
He took photos of everything. Then left.
Back at the café, Ethan uploaded the files to the system.
Ding!Mission Complete: Elijah Cross's final location discovered.Reward: 15,000 Wealth Points + Skill Unlock: [Data Trace Lv.1]Reputation Rank: D
Skill Description: Data Trace Lv.1 – Track digital footprints within system-linked environments.
Ethan leaned back.
He was getting stronger.
But so was the danger.
He checked the system's leaderboard.
Top Users – Region 7
Dante Vale – Rank A
Mira Lin – Rank B
Ethan Cross – Rank D
He was climbing.
But Dante was still ahead.
And now Ethan knew why.
He hadn't just been chosen.
He'd been targeted.