Elias did not want to stand up.
He wanted to lie on the cold stone floor of the Oracle's tower and pretend the last hour of his life had been a hallucination caused by low blood sugar, dehydration, and chronic misfortune.
But the Oracle was staring at him.
And she looked like she was two seconds away from throwing him out the window.
"Get up," she said.
Elias groaned. "I'm emotionally injured."
"You will survive."
"I don't want to."
"That is irrelevant."
Elias dragged himself upright like a man rising from his own grave. "Can I at least have a moment to process the fact that the Administrator wants to… correct me?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because the world is already reacting."
Elias blinked. "Reacting how?"
The tower shook.
Not gently.
Not politely.
Not in a way that suggested structural integrity.
Elias grabbed the nearest pillar. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"
The Oracle didn't flinch. "The world is attempting to remove you."
Elias screamed. "WHY?!"
"Because you are a variable."
"That doesn't explain anything!"
"It explains everything."
Elias threw his hands up. "I hate this place!"
CONFIRMATION: YOU HAVE SAID THIS FOUR TIMES.
"STOP TRACKING MY MISERY!"
NO.
The Oracle pointed toward the exit. "Leave. Now."
Elias blinked. "Where am I supposed to go?!"
"Anywhere that is not here."
"That's not helpful!"
"It is the only help you will receive."
Elias stared at her. "You're terrible at your job."
The Oracle raised an eyebrow. "My job is not to comfort you."
"Clearly!"
The tower shook again.
This time, a crack split the wall.
Elias screamed. "OKAY, OKAY, I'M LEAVING!"
He sprinted toward the exit.
The Oracle called after him, "Find the other Chosen!"
Elias shouted back, "I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!"
Outside the Tower
The Trial Beast was waiting.
It wagged its tail.
Elias collapsed against it. "Buddy… everything is terrible."
The beast licked his face.
Elias wiped his cheek. "Thanks. I needed that. I think."
The ground trembled again.
The elders ran in circles, screaming.
One elder shouted, "THE WORLD IS SHIFTING!"
Another yelled, "THE VARIABLE HAS ESCAPED!"
Elias pointed at himself. "I AM NOT ESCAPING ANYTHING! I'M JUST TRYING TO LIVE!"
The system chimed.
NEW OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE.
Elias glared upward. "That's not an objective! That's a cry for help!"
CORRECT.
Elias groaned. "I hate you."
NO YOU DON'T.
"I DO!"
YOU ARE LYING.
Elias screamed into the sky.
The sky screamed back.
He was starting to think that was normal.
The World Corrects Itself
The ground rippled.
Not shook.
Not cracked.
Ripples spread across the earth like someone had dropped a stone into a pond made of reality.
Trees bent.
Rocks shifted.
The air shimmered.
Elias grabbed the Trial Beast. "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"
The system chimed.
THE WORLD IS ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE AN ANOMALY.
Elias screamed. "I AM NOT AN ANOMALY!"
YOU ARE.
"STOP SAYING THAT!"
NO.
The Trial Beast growled.
Elias clung to its fur. "Protect me!"
The beast puffed up its chest.
Then immediately hid behind Elias.
Elias stared. "You're useless!"
The beast whimpered.
Elias sighed. "Okay, fine, we're both useless."
The ground rippled again.
A fissure opened beneath them.
Elias screamed. "NOPE! NOPE! NOPE!"
He grabbed the beast and ran.
The fissure chased them.
Like a hungry mouth.
Elias screamed louder. "WHY IS THE GROUND TRYING TO EAT ME?!"
BECAUSE YOU ARE A VARIABLE.
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
NO.
The First Chosen
Elias sprinted through the forest, dodging collapsing trees and reality glitches that looked like someone had taken a bite out of the world.
He didn't know where he was going.
He didn't know what he was doing.
He didn't know why everything wanted him dead.
But he did know one thing:
He refused to die today.
"I REFUSE TO DIE TODAY!"
CATCHPHRASE ACTIVATED.
Elias tripped over a root.
He face‑planted.
The Trial Beast tripped over him.
They both lay on the ground, groaning.
Elias whispered, "I hate my life."
A voice answered.
"Same."
Elias froze.
He lifted his head.
A girl stood above him.
She looked about his age.
Dark hair.
Sharp eyes.
A cloak that looked like it had been stolen from a fantasy assassin.
And a dagger in her hand.
She pointed it at him.
"You're the variable."
Elias screamed. "WHY DOES EVERYONE KNOW THAT BUT ME?!"
She sighed. "Because you're loud."
"I AM NOT LOUD!"
"You are screaming right now."
Elias opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
"…Fair."
The girl lowered her dagger slightly. "I'm Lira."
Elias blinked. "Are you one of the Chosen?"
"Yes."
"Oh thank god."
"No."
Elias froze. "What?"
"I mean yes, I am a Chosen. But no, you should not thank god."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm here to kill you."
Elias screamed. "WHY?!"
"Because the Administrator told me to."
Elias screamed louder. "WHY DOES HE WANT ME DEAD?!"
Lira shrugged. "You're a variable."
Elias threw his hands up. "STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
The system chimed.
YOU ARE A VARIABLE.
"SHUT UP!"
Lira lunged.
Elias screamed.
The Trial Beast tackled her.
She rolled, landed on her feet, and glared. "You have a beast?!"
Elias pointed at it. "It's emotional support!"
The beast wagged its tail.
Lira sighed. "This is going to be annoying."
Elias backed away. "Can we talk about this?!"
"No."
"Why not?!"
"Because I'm efficient."
"That's not a reason!"
"It is."
She lunged again.
Elias dodged.
Barely.
He tripped over a rock.
Again.
Lira raised her dagger.
Elias screamed, "I REFUSE TO DIE TODAY!"
CATCHPHRASE ACTIVATED.
Lira froze.
"…What was that?"
Elias blinked. "What?"
"That sound."
"What sound?"
"That… chime."
Elias swallowed. "My system."
Lira stared at him.
Then lowered her dagger.
"…You have a system?"
"Yes."
"A Desire System?"
"Yes."
She stepped back.
Her expression changed.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Something else.
Recognition.
"You're not a variable."
Elias blinked. "I'm not?"
"You're a mistake."
Elias screamed. "THAT'S WORSE!"
Lira nodded. "Yes."
Elias collapsed to his knees. "I hate everything."
Lira sighed. "Come with me."
Elias blinked. "What? Why?"
"Because if the Administrator wants you dead, then you're important."
Elias stared. "That logic makes no sense."
"It does to me."
"That's not comforting!"
"It wasn't meant to be."
Elias groaned. "I want to go home."
DESIRE DETECTED.
Elias screamed. "NO! CANCEL! CANCEL!"
CANCELLATION DENIED.
"WHY?!"
BECAUSE YOU ARE HOLDING ONTO LIRA.
Elias looked down.
He was gripping her cloak.
Lira raised an eyebrow. "Let go."
Elias let go instantly. "SORRY!"
The system chimed.
TRANSFER DELAYED.
Elias collapsed. "I hate my life."
Lira sighed. "Get up. We're leaving."
"Where?"
"To find the others."
Elias blinked. "There are more?"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"Too many."
Elias groaned. "I'm going to die."
"Probably."
"STOP SAYING THAT!"
Lira shrugged. "I'm honest."
Elias screamed into the sky.
The sky screamed back.
He was starting to think that was normal.