Ethan woke up before dawn.
Not because of noise. Because his body refused to stay still.
He lay flat on his bed, eyes open, breathing slowly, listening to the quiet hum of the city outside. Somewhere far away, a siren wailed and faded. His room felt the same as always—narrow walls, old desk, a cracked window frame that whistled when the wind hit it just right.
Yet something was different. The air felt tight.
Like the moment before a storm breaks.
Ethan sat up and rubbed his face. His hand paused mid-motion.
For a second, he thought the interface would appear again.
It didn't.
By the time he reached the college gates, the atmosphere had shifted.
Security drones hovered lower than usual. Armed faculty members stood near the entrances, scanning students as they passed. Conversations were quieter, shorter. No one laughed loudly.
The demon breach from yesterday had not faded into rumor. It had left a mark.
Ethan spotted Lily near the fountain. She stood alone, holding a paper cup of coffee with both hands. When she saw him, her shoulders relaxed slightly.
"You came early," she said.
"So did you," Ethan replied.
She nodded. "Didn't feel right staying home."
They stood there for a moment, not talking.
Lily didn't ask if he was okay. That silence meant more than questions.
Jason came running across the courtyard, his usual confidence dulled.
"Hey," Jason said. "You two hear the announcement?"
Ethan shook his head.
"They're sending trainee units on perimeter duty," Jason continued. "Low-risk zones, supposedly."
Lily frowned. "Supposedly."
Jason shrugged. "Hey, it's better than sitting around waiting for the next breach."
Ethan didn't like the way Jason avoided his eyes.
The assignment came faster than expected.
A faculty officer gathered a group of students near the south exit. Most were D and C-Ranks, with a handful of B-Ranks overseeing them.
Ethan stood at the edge of the group.
"You're not cleared for this," the officer said flatly, looking at Ethan's badge.
Jason stepped forward. "He's with me."
The officer hesitated. "He's F-Rank."
"I know," Jason said. "He'll stay back."
The officer exhaled sharply. "If he dies, that's on you."
Jason nodded once. "Understood."
Ethan looked at him. "You don't have to—"
Jason cut him off. "Just don't do anything stupid."
Lily watched silently. She didn't argue.
That scared Ethan more than if she had.
The perimeter zone looked quiet.
Abandoned shops lined the street, windows dark, doors sealed. Warning tape fluttered weakly in the wind. The city felt hollow here, like it had been emptied in a hurry.
The team spread out.
"Motion sensors are clear," one of the B-Ranks said. "Probably a false alarm."
Ethan felt the chill again. Not fear, but a slight pressure.
His palm itched. He clenched his fist.
The attack came without warning.
The ground cracked open near the intersection, asphalt folding inward like paper. A black shape surged upward, shrieking as it forced itself into the world.
Another demon. But not like the last one.
This one was larger, its body layered with jagged plates that scraped against each other as it moved. Its eyes burned a dull red, scanning, calculating.
"Formation!" someone shouted.
Powers flared.
The demon is near Ethan, and the demon lunged at Ethan.
Jason reacted instantly.
He slammed into Ethan's side, shoving him out of the way.
The demon's claw tore through the space Jason had been standing in.
Jason wasn't fast enough to avoid the shockwave. He hit the ground hard, skidding across broken pavement.
"Jason!" Ethan shouted.
Lily froze for half a second, then raised her hands, her psychic field pushing outward in a shaky burst.
The demon staggered, but only briefly.
A B-Rank hero fired a concentrated blast into its chest. The attack barely slowed it.
"Fall back!" the B-Rank yelled.
Jason tried to stand.
His leg buckled. He collapsed with a sharp breath. Ethan ran to him. Blood soaked through Jason's uniform at the thigh.
"It's broken," Jason said through clenched teeth. "Or worse."
The demon turned. Its gaze locked onto them.
Ethan's vision narrowed.
The interface erupted into existence.
[Threat Level: High]
[Probability of Survival: 12%]
[Adaptive Response Available]
Ethan didn't read the rest.
He grabbed Jason and dragged him backwards, muscles screaming as he pulled.
The demon advanced. Slow and certain.
Lily stood between them and the others, her hands shaking, her psychic field flickering.
"Go!" Lily shouted.
Ethan pulled Jason behind a collapsed vehicle.
Jason grabbed Ethan's arm. "Don't—"
Ethan shook his head. "Stay alive."
He stepped out.
The demon charged. Ethan moved. He didn't run straight. He cut left, then right, forcing the demon to adjust.
Every movement felt precise, like his body already knew where the attack would land.
The demon swung.
Ethan ducked.
The claw missed by inches.
Pain flared as debris sliced his shoulder. He didn't stop. He couldn't.
The interface pulsed.
[Survival Progress: 1.4%]
Jason watched from the ground, horror replacing bravado.
"He's going to get killed," Jason muttered.
Lily didn't answer.
Her focus was locked on Ethan.
The demon roared again. A coordinated strike hit its flank.
Another B-Rank.
Then another.
The demon screeched, retreating toward the fissure it had emerged from.
"Now!" someone yelled.
A final blast tore through its core.
The demon collapsed inward, its body dissolving into smoke that vanished into the cracked earth.
Silence slammed down.
Ethan dropped to one knee. His heart hammered, hands shook.
Jason exhaled shakily. "You idiot."
Ethan laughed once, breathless. "You pushed me first."
Jason grimaced. "Yeah. Worst idea I've had."
Medics arrived quickly.
Jason was loaded onto a stretcher, his leg immobilized.
As they wheeled him away, he grabbed Ethan's sleeve.
"Listen," Jason said quietly. "If I hadn't pushed you… that thing would've torn you apart."
Ethan swallowed. "I know." He said.
Jason's jaw tightened. "And you still stepped forward."
Ethan didn't answer.
Jason released his grip. "You're normal, you fool."
That wasn't an insult. It was fear.
Later, as the area was secured, Lily found Ethan sitting alone on the curb.
She handed him a bottle of water. He took it. They sat in silence.
Finally, Lily spoke. "Jason got hurt because he chose to."
Ethan stared at the street. "He didn't have to."
"But he did," Lily said. "That matters."
She didn't ask why Ethan moved the way he did. She didn't mention the interface. She didn't say she was scared. She just stayed.
That steadiness made Ethan's chest tighten.
That night, Ethan couldn't bring himself to go home immediately. He walked the long way, passing through empty streets.
The interface appeared again.
This time it is clearer and closer.
[Survival Protocol Update]
[New Variable Detected: Emotional Anchor Risk Increasing]
Ethan stopped walking.
"Don't," he said quietly.
The interface did not respond.
For the first time, Ethan understood something deeply and coldly.
The system wasn't just watching him. It was watching who he cared about.
And next time, it wouldn't be an accident.