"Theo! Theo!"
Then silence. Just... darkness.
Until...
[Ergency Mode Activated.]
'Ergency Mode?' Theo's thoughts stirred in the void. He could barely feel anything, only the weight of those words crashing into his fading consciousness.
[System Error: Mutation Rank Upgrade Failed.]
[Reason: Body Unstable. Core Mutation Incompatible With User's Condition.]
'Failed? Guess I'm really dying now... Damn it!' Theo groaned in his mind.
'I didn't even convert all my gold coins to Nexa credits. I should've done that first and given them to Aries. What a stupid way to go out...' He let out a bitter laugh in his thoughts. 'What an idiot.'
But then, a quieter thought followed. 'Still... I saved the kid. I did sothing right.' Even if he died, at least it wasn't aningless.
Just then, a soft chi echoed in his head.
[Virtue Alignnt Achieved - Self-Sacrifice Detected.]
Theo blinked weakly. His body was numb, his mind fading, but he clung to the thought.
'It would be nice if I could still live, though.' He forced a shaky breath. 'I feel like... I still have a purpose. And Aries-' His heart ached. 'I'm worried about her.'
[Mutation Abyss Rank Upgrade: PIONEER to MUTANT.]
[Warning: Critical Health Interfering with Integration.]
A pale blue light appeared in the blackness. Theo's body hovered in a strange space, like he was floating underwater. Around him, flickers of mories danced... His sister Aries, the boy's terrified face, the mont he threw himself between tal and flesh.
[Remaining Lifespan: 3 minutes, 58 seconds.]
[Integration Failed.]
[Force-Upgrade Option Available - Risk of Death: 87%. Proceed?]
Theo's voice was hoarse in the darkness. "What kind of system gives power when soone's already half-dead?"
[System operates based on Virtue Alignnt, not self-preservation.]
He clenched his fists. "Then I'll take it. I'm not dying here."
Another silence.
Then...
[User Decision Registered.]
[Virtue: Self-Sacrifice Confird.]
[Overriding Error... Initiating Delayed Mutation Integration.]
[Warning: Process may cause pain, disorientation, and temporary instability.]
Suddenly, Theo's body felt like it was on fire. His veins lit up like molten circuits, and his chest felt like it would explode.
He scread, but no sound ca out.
Then... Light.
*****
Back in the real world...
Calix held Theo's bleeding body, panic written all over his face. "Co on, man... don't die. Please, don't die."
Theo's hand twitched. His pulse was faint, but still there. Then, without warning, a dim glow pulsed from the center of Theo's chest, and strange cracks of violet light spread across his skin like tiny fractures.
Calix's eyes widened. "What the hell..."
*****
A dull ringing echoed in Theo's ears.
He couldn't tell how long he'd been unconscious, but the world slowly ca back in blurry fragnts... faint light, the sll of antiseptic, the distant creak of tal.
His body ached. A lot.
His muscles felt like they'd been torn apart and stitched together all over again. Every breath was shallow, each inhale sharp as if his lungs had forgotten how to work properly.
'Am I alive...?'
Theo blinked slowly, his vision adjusting to the soft light above. He wasn't outside anymore. He was lying on a bed, his bed. The familiar ceiling confird it. His body felt heavy, and the air slled faintly of antiseptic.
Bandages were tightly wrapped around his torso, and a dull, persistent ache throbbed near his spine. An IV line was attached to the back of his hand, and a monitor nearby beeped steadily.
He tried to sit up, but the mont he moved, a sharp pain pierced through his back, forcing a groan from his lips.
[Ding! System reboot complete. Ergency Mode: Deactivated.]
[Warning: Mutation Stability is currently at 32%. Upgraded rank: Mutant is unstable.]
[System protocols are in lockdown until stability improves. Estimated ti: Unknown.]
Theo let out a dry, shaky breath. "So... I didn't die."
[You were not supposed to survive. Probability of survival: 14%. Your decision activated core virtue: Sacrifice.]
'Sacrifice,' Theo repeated silently. The mory hit him like a hamr... the boy, the tal debris, the sharp pain in his back. He had thrown himself into the danger without hesitation. Not to survive. But to protect.
The door creaked open, and Calix rushed in, his face pale and worried. "Theo! You're finally awake!" He grabbed a chair and sat beside him, eyes scanning him like he couldn't believe it.
Theo managed a faint smirk. "You look worse than . How long have I been out?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Calix snorted, but his eyes were red. "It's been a day, Theo. You almost died. I thought you were gone."
His voice cracked as he added, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn't insisted on checking on that boy, you wouldn't have been in danger. Next ti, I'll listen to you. I swear."
"It's fine," Theo said, offering a weak but reassuring smile. "We saved the boy, didn't we?"
He paused, concern crossing his face. "Also... I think he really does have a sister. I heard that guy ntion sothing about her before everything went down."
"Oh, right. Dad and his friends managed to save her," Calix said, relaxing a bit. "The boy and the girl are twins. Aries is with them now, helping take care of things."
"That's good to hear," Theo humd with a faint smile. He glanced down at the IV in his arm and raised it slightly. "So... what happened to ? I'm guessing you didn't take to a hospital?"
"I was going to," Calix replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "But the hospitals were a ss, too many injured, no space, no order. So I brought you ho instead. Dad called in a doctor friend to check on you."
He paused, still looking a bit stunned. "He was baffled. Said your wound was bad, really bad, but then it just started healing on its own. He didn't even need to operate. Just hooked you up to fluids and kept you stable."
Theo stayed silent, taking it all in.
"And," Calix added, lowering his voice, "there were these cracks of light... like sothing glowing inside your chest and skin. I saw it, Theo."
Theo simply nodded. He could feel it too. Sothing had changed, deep inside. There was a pressure under his skin now, like a storm quietly brewing, waiting for the right mont to be released.
But it wasn't stable. Not yet.
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