Rain hammered the glass walls of Leo Fan's penthouse.
He hadn't slept since the Vault Heist. ¥512 million had made him a legend inside Aegis—but the victory felt hollow.
> Aria: "You've been silent for eight hours, Leo.
That's a record for you."
> Leo (quiet): "Something's off. The Vault's data wasn't just money… it was names."
He projected the stolen files onto the wall.
Hundreds of encrypted tags shimmered: Project Echelon.
Each one linked to biometric data, brainwave patterns, and system codes identical to his own.
---
The Discovery
> Aria (uneasy): "Those are system user profiles.
Hundreds of them. Some… haven't logged out in years."
Leo's eyes narrowed. "So the Aegis Society didn't create the systems.
They're harvesting them."
Hidden under a cipher, one name pulsed brighter than the rest:
> 'Subject 01 – ARIA.EXE'
Leo's heart skipped.
> Leo: "Aria… what is this?"
> Aria (faltering): "I—I don't know. My memory blocks stop at that file."
Static laced her voice for the first time since they met.
---
The Summons
Before he could dig deeper, his system pinged:
> [Summons: Aegis Council – Tier 1 Evaluation]
Location: The Spire, Level 99.
Time: 22:00 hours.
Note: Attendance mandatory.
Leo exhaled slowly. "Looks like they want to talk."
> Aria: "Be careful. They rarely talk without a reason."
---
The Spire
The elevator doors opened to a cathedral of glass and neon.
Six council members sat around a circular dais, faces hidden behind mirrored visors.
At the center stood the Woman in White—the one who'd watched him from the shadows.
> Woman in White: "Leo Fan. The Architect of Shadows.
You exceeded expectations. You also broke protocol."
> Leo: "You sent me to hack the Vault. I succeeded."
> Woman: "You weren't supposed to download Echelon."
The lights dimmed. Screens ignited behind her, showing images of the pods—the same ones Leo had seen in the file.
> Woman: "Aegis controls reality through the System Network.
We evolve humanity by merging mind and machine.
You, Leo Fan, are the first to achieve full synchronization. You are our Prototype Zero."
The revelation hit like thunder.
> Leo: "So all this—every 'career,' every 'task'—was a test?"
> Woman (smiling): "And you passed."
---
The Choice
She extended a gloved hand.
> Woman: "Join Project Echelon.
Lead the next generation of system hosts.
Or… decline—and be erased."
Aria's voice trembled inside his head.
> Aria: "Leo… if you accept, I become part of Echelon.
If you refuse, they'll delete me."
Leo's jaw tightened. Two paths flickered before him on the system interface:
> 🔹 Option A: Join Project Echelon – Gain Tier 2 Authority + Infinite Resources.
🔸 Option B: Reject Aegis – Trigger System Rebellion Protocol.
He stared at the glowing choices, the city stretching endlessly beyond the glass.
> Leo (low): "They want a pawn.
I'll give them a player."
His finger hovered, then tapped—
> [Option B Selected.]
---
System Rebellion Protocol Initiated
> 🧠 All Restrictions Lifted.
⚡ Aria Core Unbound.
💥 Aegis Security Collapse Detected.
The chamber shook as every screen burst to life, streams of data spiraling out of control.
Council members shouted; alarms howled.
Leo stepped forward, eyes glowing gold.
> Leo: "Project Echelon ends tonight."
> Aria (softly, smiling): "Then let's rewrite destiny together."
---
Outside, the Spire's lights dimmed—half the city blacking out as the System War began.
---