Chapter Title: Chapter 4: The Shadow in the Cafe
Chapter Content:
The street was a mess of shattered glass and black dust. Aryan's breath hitched as he realized what he had just done. He had never held a gun, yet he had shot with the precision of a veteran. The "Copycat" system was real, and it was terrifyingly efficient.
"Aryan!" a voice called out.
He turned to see Aisha running toward him. She looked pale, but unlike the others, she wasn't screaming. She looked at the gun in his hand, then at the black dust on the ground.
"You killed it," she whispered, her eyes searching his. "How did you know how to shoot like that?"
Aryan didn't know how to answer. Should he tell her about the screen floating in his vision? Before he could speak, the blue portal in the distance pulsed again. A shockwave hit the ground, making everyone stumble.
[Warning: High-Energy Signature Detected.]
[Target Identified: Unknown Entity nearby.]
Aryan looked at Aisha. To his horror, a faint blue glow was emanating from her pocket. She quickly tucked it away, but not before Aryan saw a small, crystalline shard.
"We need to get out of here," Aisha said firmly, grabbing his arm. Her touch felt cold—inhumanly cold. "The police won't understand. And 'They' are coming for that portal."
"Who are 'They'?" Aryan asked, but Aisha was already pulling him into a dark alleyway.
For the first time, Aryan realized that he wasn't the only one who had changed when the sky turned blue. Aisha wasn't just a girl he met at a cafe—she was part of the chaos.
[New Quest Triggered: Follow the Mystery Girl.]
[Reward: Unlock 'Mana Perception'.]