SHADE-BOUND Ascention System

The whisper

The hospital room was cloaked in shadows, the only light coming from the faint glow of the machine beside Henry’s bed, its steady beeping a constant reminder that he was still here. Alive. Somehow.

His body didn’t feel like his own. Every muscle ached, heavy with the memory of the crash, but there was something else—a restless energy crawling under his skin, like a current he couldn’t shake. Two weeks had slipped away while he lay unconscious, leaving Lily and Tom to fend for themselves. The thought of their struggle, of their mother’s absence, pressed against his chest like a stone. But it wasn’t just guilt that gnawed at him. Something felt… wrong. The air itself seemed sharper, heavier, as if the world had shifted while he was out.

Henry stared at the ceiling, his head throbbing with a dull ache. He tried to piece together the accident—blinding lights, the scream of a truck, then nothing. But the more he thought, the more that strange, electric feeling pulsed inside him.

Then it came.

[System Connection Established.]

Henry froze, his breath catching. It wasn’t a voice, not exactly—just a thought, clear and undeniable, like it had always been part of him.

[The Core has bonded with you.]

His heart pounded. Was he losing it? He wasn’t crazy, was he?

He blinked, waiting for the sensation to fade, but it didn’t. Instead, his vision flickered, like a screen coming to life. Words and numbers scrolled through his mind, sharp and vivid, as if etched into his thoughts.

Henry gasped and sat up, his ribs screaming in protest. Pain lanced through him, but he barely registered it. The air felt charged, his skin prickling with a strange awareness. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

“What the hell is this?” he whispered.

[The Core: A unique system built for limitless growth.]

A system? The word felt foreign, like something from a game, not his life.

He stared at his trembling hands, his mind racing. This couldn’t be real. Could it?

[Core Functions Unlocked: Status. Growth Paths: Awaiting Choice. Enhancement Options Available.]

Henry’s breath hitched. He gripped the hospital blanket, the rough fabric grounding him as his pulse hammered. This wasn’t a dream. It was happening.

“Show me… my status,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The air seemed to hum, and then—

[Status:]

[ Henry Gray.]

[ Level: 1. Rank: F. ]

[Health: 79/100 (Recovering). ]

[Energy: 80/100 (Replenishing).]

It was like a stat sheet from one of Tom’s old video games, but this was him—his life, broken down into numbers and words.

His fingers twitched, adrenaline flooding his system. The world felt sharper, more alive. “This isn’t possible,” he muttered. “Why me? Why now?”

The system didn’t answer. It sat there, silent, waiting.

Then—

[Core Functions: Adaptive Growth Active. Enhance perception to analyze surroundings. Beginner Enhancement Available. Proceed?]

His heart raced. Could he trust this thing? Whatever it was, it had to be why he was alive. Maybe even why the accident happened.

A chill ran through him.

He exhaled, steadying himself. “Proceed,” he said softly.

The moment the word left his lips, everything changed.

His vision sharpened, the dim hospital light suddenly vivid, its faint flicker now a clear pulse. He could see the tiny cracks in the ceiling, the faint dust motes drifting in the air. The hum of the machines separated into distinct sounds—the soft whir of a fan, the click of a relay. The blanket against his skin felt textured, every thread distinct. Down the hall, he heard footsteps—quick, purposeful, someone in a hurry.

Henry swallowed hard. It was subtle but real. He was changing.

His hands shook, not from fear but from the weight of it all. This system—this Core—was a door to something he didn’t understand. And there was no going back.

The next morning, Lily and Tom arrived, their faces lighting up when they saw him sitting upright, more alert than the day before.

Lily’s shoulders relaxed, her eyes softening. “You look… better,” she said, though her voice held a trace of doubt, like she was afraid to hope.

Tom grinned, but it was hesitant. “You sure you’re okay? You were out for so long.”

“Two weeks, I know,” Henry said, managing a small smile. His mind was still tangled in the system’s presence, the strange hum that hadn’t left him. “I’m fine. Really.”

Lily sighed, rubbing her temples. “We’ll figure this out,” she said, more to herself than to him. “We always do.”

But Henry saw the exhaustion in her face, the weight she carried. For the first time, he didn’t feel powerless. This system, whatever it was, gave him a spark of hope.

Days passed in a blur of tests and puzzled doctors. They couldn’t explain his survival, let alone his rapid recovery. “A miracle,” one nurse muttered, but Henry knew better. He could feel the Core inside him, a quiet pulse driving him forward.

Then, it spoke again.

[Quest: Register as a Hunter within 24 hours. Failure will result in consequences.]

Henry’s brows furrowed. “What consequences?” he asked under his breath.

Silence.

He pressed again, but the system stayed quiet. A knot of unease tightened in his gut. Whatever it meant by “consequences,” he didn’t want to find out.

He glanced at the clock. Late afternoon. He could wait until morning, but something told him not to delay. The Core wasn’t asking—it was demanding.

Decision made, he swung his legs over the bed and reached for his clothes, wincing as his muscles protested.

The hospital staff tried to stop him.

“Mr. Gray, you’ve only just woken up!” a nurse protested.

“You need more observation,” the doctor insisted, his voice heavy with concern. “This is reckless.”

Henry met their eyes with a calm he didn’t fully feel. “I’m fine,” he said, signing the discharge papers with a steady hand.

Minutes later, he stepped outside, the cool evening air hitting his face. Neo-Veridia stretched before him, its neon-lit streets alive with noise and motion. The smell of damp pavement and distant exhaust filled his lungs.

He pulled his jacket tighter, the system’s quest echoing in his mind. Tomorrow, he’d head to the Hunter’s Association. Whatever the Core had in store, he wasn’t going to wait to find out what happened if he ignored it.