Novels by Fantasy Freak

The warning remained suspended in front of Ethan, its pale blue letters glowing softly against the dim hospital room.[Warning: Multiple System-affiliated signatures detected. Threat classification pending.]Ethan stared at the message, trying to understand what it meant. He had only just accepted that the System was real, and now it was telling him that other people had one too. The thought made his stomach tighten. Whatever had happened to him during those three days of unconsciousness was no longer something he could dismiss as a strange dream or the result of a damaged brain. The System was real, his new abilities were real, and apparently, he was not the only person who had been given them.He reached toward the panel and touched the warning with his fingertip.The message changed immediately.[Threat classification pending.][Insufficient data.][Recommendation: Exercise caution.]Ethan stared at the final line before letting out a quiet breath through his nose. “That's not exa

Ethan remained completely still.For several seconds, he kept staring at the empty space above his bed, waiting for the strange panel to appear again. Nothing happened. There was only the white hospital ceiling, the quiet beep of the heart monitor beside him, and the faint hum of the air conditioner.Everything looked normal, but Ethan didn't feel normal. A strange warmth still moved through his body. It was faint now, almost like a gentle heat beneath his skin, but he could feel it clearly. He looked down at his hands and slowly raised his right one.He opened and closed his fingers, the movement feeling different. His fingers moved with surprising ease, each one responding exactly when he wanted it to. There was no weakness, no stiffness, and none of the heaviness he had felt when he first woke up.Ethan stared at his hand. “This isn't real,” he whispered, the words sounding weak even to his own ears.He had lived in this body for twenty-six years. He knew how his body felt. He knew

Darkness.For a long time, that was all Ethan knew.There was no sound around him. No pain. No warmth or cold. No sense of whether he was lying down, standing, or floating. There was no light and no shadow, no beginning and no end. It was an endless black emptiness that stretched in every direction.Suddenly, Ethan's eyes snapped open.A violent gasp tore from his throat as a blinding white light filled his vision. The brightness was so intense that he immediately squeezed his eyes shut again, his face twisting in pain.His lungs suddenly fought for air as he sucked in a desperate breath, but instead of relief, a burning sensation tore down his throat. His chest heaved violently as his body convulsed against the mattress.A strangled sound escaped him, though it barely sounded human.Beside him, a machine suddenly began screaming.“His eyes are open!” someone shouted, their voice sharp with surprise. “He’s awake! Get the doctor!”Footsteps rushed across the floor.Ethan tried to under

Ethan’s heart sank as the full weight of his situation finally hit him. Even if he survived the robbery, his life could still be ruined.The company was not going to believe that he had simply been an innocent victim. Millions of dollars’ worth of high priority technology had been placed in his care, and now it was being loaded into the thieves’ vans right in front of him. When the company discovered what had happened, they would want someone to blame.That someone would be him.The thought made Ethan’s stomach twist.He could already imagine the questions.Why had he stopped?Why had he not protected the shipment?Why had he failed to report anything suspicious?The answers would not matter. The company had lost millions, and Ethan was the driver responsible for the delivery. If they decided to make him pay for the loss, the debt would be impossible for him to clear.His mother needed twelve thousand dollars. He could barely survive on his current income.How was he supposed to repay

The truck rolled steadily down the highway, its old engine growling beneath the floor of the cabin as Ethan Brown kept both hands on the steering wheel.It was well past nine at night.Most of the city was becoming quiet because it was getting late. Shops were closing one after another. Most office buildings were dark, with only a few lights still on. There were also fewer cars on the highway, so Ethan did not have to keep pressing the brakes.The streetlights shone through the windshield as Ethan drove. Their warm, golden light passed over the inside of the car again and again.Ethan was too tired to pay much attention to them. His back hurt from sitting in the driver's seat for most of the day. His shoulders were stiff, and his eyes felt sore after looking at the road for so many hours.He had started working before the sun came up that morning. Since then, he had been driving around the city, delivering equipment to several technology companies and other business partners. Now, he