The blue and gold light bleeding from the system prompts was agonizingly bright in the pitch-black ventilation shaft.
Elias squinted, his eyes watering against the harsh, digital glare illuminating the dust motes inches from his face. The freezing condensation coating the thin steel walls had soaked completely through the knees of his sleepwear. He couldn't sit up. He could barely shift his weight without his fractured ribs grinding against his compression binder.
He stared at the glowing blue text hovering in the dark.
[ 🛑 SYSTEM ALERT: EMERGENCY QUEST ] ⏳ Time Remaining: 29:45 🔹 Task: Save a Life ⚠ Penalty: Soul Energy locked for 72 hours
Behind him, Kikaru's breathing was sharp, erratic. The golden light from her own prompt cast a sickly, jaundiced hue over her pale face. A second system window slid left of her primary objective, projecting her active stat profile in tight, unforgiving text.
