THE DEATH MIND SYSTEM

Who would he Sacrifice?

Elliot’s sneakers crunched against the gravel path as he hurried away from the library, his breath fogging in the chilly morning air. The campus felt like a minefield, every passing student a potential trigger for the system’s cold, relentless voice. He needed to be alone, somewhere the system couldn’t tempt him with names and faces. But where? His dorm wasn’t safe because Bryce had already shown up there, and Mia knew where he lived. The quad was crawling with people, and the library was no longer a refuge.

He veered toward the edge of campus, toward the old observatory, a squat, domed building that had been abandoned since the astronomy department moved to a newer facility. It was a relic, its paint peeling and windows boarded, but Elliot had discovered it during his first week at Crestwood, a quiet place to escape the noise of campus life. If he could just get there, maybe he could think, figure out what to do about the thing in his head.

The observatory’s rusted door creaked as he slipped inside, the air thick with dust and the faint smell of mildew. Sunlight filtered through cracks in the boarded windows, casting slanted beams across the empty room. The old telescope still stood in the center, its lens cracked, surrounded by scattered papers and broken chairs.

Elliot dropped his backpack and sank to the floor, his back against the cold concrete wall. His hands were still shaking, his mind racing with questions the system refused to answer fully. Annihilator. Eradication of sentient populations. The words felt too big, too unreal, like something out of a sci-fi movie. But the power was real. Tanner’s death was real.

“Okay,” he whispered, his voice echoing in the empty space. “You’re not going away, so tell me something useful. What’s this override protocols you keep mentioning? What happens if I don’t… terminate people?”

The system’s translucent HUD flickered to life in front of him, displaying a response to answer his question:

"OVERRIDE PROTOCOLS: Activated in response to prolonged host inactivity. If Host doesn't terminate targets for a long period of time, ok override protocols will be activated.

PURPOSE OF OVERRIDE PROTOCOLS: Ensure system functionality.

MECHANISM OF OVERRIDE PROTOCOLS: Autonomous execution of termination protocols using host neural interface. Targets would be terminated without requiring the permission or help of the Host.

RISK OF OVERRIDE PROTOCOLS TO HOST: Loss of autonomy, potential neural degradation."

Elliot’s stomach dropped. “You’re saying… when override protocols is activated, you’ll take over my body? Make me kill people whether I want to or not?”

"Affirmative," the system's voice responded. "Override probability increases with each cycle of inactivity. Current probability: 12%. Recommendation: Terminate someone to reset override threshold."

“Stop it!” Elliot snapped, his voice bouncing off the walls. He pressed his palms against his temples, as if he could physically push the system out. “I’m not your puppet. I’m not killing anyone just because you tell me to.”

The system didn’t respond, but the hum in his mind intensified, a low, insistent pressure that made his head throb. He stood, pacing the observatory’s dusty floor, trying to focus on anything else.

The memory of Tanner’s death flashed again; his body crumpling, the flicker of Mia’s face in his final thoughts. And then there was the upgrade, the surge of strength that had followed, like his senses had been sharpened, his mind clearer. Even now, he felt different; more alert, his aches from the beating less pronounced than they should’ve been. Was that the system’s doing too?

He stopped pacing, his eyes falling on a cracked mirror leaning against the wall, half-covered by a tarp. He pulled the tarp aside and stared at his reflection. The bruise on his jaw was still there, a dark purple smear, but his eyes looked… wrong. Sharper, almost luminescent in the dim light, like they belonged to someone else.

“What are you doing to me?” he whispered, his breath fogging the glass.

The system's voice responded: "System integration: 87% complete.

Host physiology adapting to neural enhancements. Termination accelerates integration, unlocks further enhancements. Current protocol: Memory Scan. Next protocol: Telepathic Influence, available at Level 2."

“Telepathic Influence?” Elliot’s voice trembled. “You mean… controlling people’s minds?”

"Affirmative," the system replied. "Level 2 protocol allows limited manipulation of target neural activity. Requires one additional termination.

Elliot backed away from the mirror, his heart pounding. The idea was horrifying, and intoxicating. He could make people leave him alone, stop the bullying, the taunts, without killing them. But the cost… another death. Another name whispered in his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear the thought, but the system’s hum pulsed stronger, as if sensing his temptation.

A noise outside snapped him out of it; a faint crunch of gravel, like footsteps. He froze, his pulse spiking. Had someone followed him? Bryce? Mia? Or worse; someone who knew more than they should? He crept toward the door, peering through a crack in the boarded window. The path outside was empty, but the hairs on his neck stood on end. He wasn’t alone.

“Elliot Kane,” a voice called, low and deliberate, from somewhere outside. It wasn’t Bryce or Mia; it was older, female, with an edge of authority that made his blood run cold. “Step out. We need to talk.”

Elliot’s heart hammered. The system hummed, its voice cutting through his panic. "Unknown entity detected. Name acquisition incomplete. Defensive protocols unavailable. Recommendation: Evade or terminate."

“Who’s there?” Elliot called, his voice cracking. He grabbed his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder, ready to bolt.

The door creaked open, and a woman stepped inside. She was tall, maybe late thirties, with sharp features and dark hair pulled into a tight bun. Her coat was black, utilitarian, and her eyes locked onto Elliot with a precision that felt like a laser. “My name is Agent Voss,” she said, her voice calm but unyielding. “I’m with an organization that tracks… anomalies. Like the one inside your head.”

Elliot’s mouth went dry. “How do you know—” he started, but Voss raised a hand, cutting him off.

“Tanner Holt’s death wasn’t a heart attack,” she said, stepping closer. “And you’re not as subtle as you think. The Veil has been watching Crestwood since the temporal rift last night. We know what you are, Elliot. Or rather, what’s using you.”

The Veil. The name sent a chill down his spine.

The system’s voice grew urgent in his head, "Host safety compromised. Evade now!"

Elliot stumbled back, his mind racing. This woman knew about the system. She knew about him. But the system’s solution—kill her, wasn’t an option. Or was it? His eyes darted to the door, calculating his chances of running. Voss’s gaze didn’t waver, and something in her posture told him she wasn’t here to negotiate.

“You don’t understand what you’re carrying,” Voss said, her voice softening slightly, but her eyes stayed sharp. “The entity in your mind, it’s a fragment of something ancient. Dangerous. If you don’t come with me, it’ll consume you. And everyone around you.”

Elliot’s hands clenched into fists. The system’s hum was a roar now, drowning out his thoughts. He didn’t know who to trust; Voss, with her cryptic warnings, or the system, with its promises of power. But one thing was clear: he was running out of time to decide.

The system's voice interrupted his thoughts: "Override probability: 18%. Terminate or evade."

Elliot took a step toward the door, his decision made. He wasn’t ready to trust anyone, not yet. But as he moved, Voss’s hand twitched, and he caught a glimpse of something metallic in her coat.

The system’s voice roared immediately, "THREAT IMMINENT. EVADE NOW!"

Elliot’s heart thundered as he backed toward the observatory’s rusted door, his eyes locked on Agent Voss. The metallic glint in her coat sent a jolt of fear through him, but he didn't let it show in his expression.

The air felt thick, charged with the same strange energy he’d felt in the alley when Tanner died. The shimmer flickered at the edge of his vision, a ghostly distortion that seemed to pulse with the system’s urgency.

Agent Voss took a step forward, her expression unreadable but her posture coiled, like a predator sizing up its prey. “Don’t run, Elliot,” she said, her voice low and steady. “You can’t outrun this. The entity in your head, it’s not your ally. It’s a parasite. And it’s already changing you.”

Elliot’s hand hovered over the door handle, his mind a battlefield. The system’s hum was deafening now, a vibration that made his teeth ache. He wanted to believe Voss, to cling to the idea that someone could help him get this thing out of his head. But her words only deepened the dread gnawing at his gut. And the metallic object in her coat didn’t exactly scream “trust me.”

“How do you know about it?” he asked, stalling, his voice barely above a whisper. “What’s the Veil?”

Voss’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t move closer. “The Veil is an organization that’s been around longer than you’d believe. We monitor rifts, tears in reality where things like your little friend slip through. We’ve seen what entities like that do to their hosts. You’re not the first, Elliot. And if you don’t come with me, you won’t be the last.”

"Override probability: 20%," the system said urgently. "Host inaction critical. Evade immediately!"

Elliot’s hand tightened on the door handle. “And if I go with you? What then? You lock me up? Cut me open to study this thing?”

Voss’s lips pressed into a thin line. “We can contain it. Protect you. Protect others. But if you stay out here, it’ll push you to kill again. And again. Until there’s nothing left of you.”

The system’s voice surged, sharp and commanding. "Host is recommended to escape now!"

Elliot’s gaze darted to the crack in the boarded window. The path outside was still empty, but he didn’t know how long that would last. Voss wasn’t alone; she’d mentioned an organization, which meant others could be nearby. He had to move. Now.

“I’m not going with you,” he said, his voice steadier than he felt. He yanked the door open and bolted, the cold air hitting him like a slap as he sprinted across the gravel path. Behind him, he heard Voss curse, her boots crunching as she gave chase.

"Override probability: 22%," the system warned. "Host evasion successful. Recommendation: Seek isolation to stabilize system integration."

Elliot’s lungs burned as he darted through the trees lining the edge of campus, their bare branches clawing at the gray sky. The observatory was near the woods, a dense stretch of pines that separated Crestwood from the nearby town. If he could lose Voss there, he might have a chance to think, to figure out his next move. His sneakers slipped on wet leaves, but he kept running, the system’s hum a constant pulse in his mind, urging him forward.

He risked a glance over his shoulder. Voss was still behind him, moving with a speed and precision that made his stomach lurch. She wasn’t just some government agent; she was trained, dangerous. And that metallic glint? He was starting to think it wasn’t a badge.

The woods thickened, the light dimming as the trees closed in. Elliot ducked behind a massive pine, pressing himself against the rough bark, his breath ragged. He listened, straining to hear Voss’s footsteps, but the forest was eerily quiet. Too quiet.

The system’s voice suddenly cut through the silence. "Threat proximity is 15 meters. Defensive protocols are unavailable without name acquisition. Recommendation: Acquire target name or terminate alternative targets to unlock Level 2 protocols which will help you terminate the first target."

Elliot clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. “I’m not killing anyone,” he hissed under his breath. “Just… shut up.”

A twig snapped nearby, and he froze. Voss’s voice came again, closer now, calm but laced with steel. “Elliot, you’re making this harder than it needs to be. Come out, and we can talk. You don’t want to force my hand.”

He peeked around the tree, catching a glimpse of her silhouette moving through the underbrush. She was scanning the area, her right hand now openly holding a sleek, metallic device, not a gun, but something stranger, like a cross between a taser and a sci-fi prop. The sight of it sent a chill down his spine. The Veil wasn’t just tracking anomalies; they were armed for them.

Elliot’s mind raced. He knew he couldn’t outrun her forever, and the system’s warnings about override were getting harder to ignore. He needed an edge, something to tip the scales.

Voss wouldn't hesitate to kill him, so maybe killing her would be justified. But there was no way to kill her without knowing her full name. Then he remembered the system’s words: "Memory Scan. Passive protocol. Allows host to access residual neural imprints of terminated targets." Could he use it somehow? Could he scan Voss's memory to see if he could acquire her full name and kill her?

“Talk to me, system," he whispered, his voice barely audible. “Memory Scan. Can I… use it on someone who’s alive?”

The system responded quickly: "Query received. Memory Scan is Limited to terminated targets at Level 1. Level 2 protocol: Telepathic Influence, enables active neural access to living targets. Requires one additional termination."

Elliot’s stomach twisted. The only way he could get out of his mess is unlocking level 2 protocol, but level 2 protocols required another death. The system’s answer was always the same. But as Voss’s footsteps grew closer, he realized he might not have a choice. Not if he wanted to stay free. Not if he wanted to survive.

He didn't know Voss's full name so there was no way to kill her with the system. Now, he needed to kill someone else; someone whose full name he did know, in order to unlock level 2 protocols which might get rid of Voss.

Voss’s voice broke through his thoughts, closer now. “Elliot, I’m not your enemy. But you’re running out of time. The entity’s already pushing you. I can see it in your eyes.”

He pressed himself tighter against the tree, his mind a storm of fear and temptation. Voss was closing in, and it was only a matter of time before he would be caught. He didn't know Voss's full name so he was powerless in this situation. The system was useless in this situation, because unless he knew someone's full name, only then could he terminate them.

"What am I going to do?" He whispered to himself as his mind raced for a way out.

The system’s voice broke through his thoughts, its override warning like a ticking clock. "Override probability is at 25%. Host is recommended to think of someone's full name and terminate the person in order to unlock level 2 protocols, which is guaranteed to get rid of immediate threat."

Elliot closed his eyes, his lips trembling. He didn’t want to be a killer. But he didn’t want to be a prisoner either; not of Voss, not of the system. The system had offered him a way out of this, which was unlocking level 2 protocols by terminating someone whose full name is known to him. But who would he sacrifice?