THE RISE OF THE SYSTEM OVERLORD

CHAPTER 4

Shadows in Motion

I could feel it—something was wrong.

It started as a faint unease, a prickle at the back of my neck. But as I glanced around my hospital room, that feeling solidified into certainty. Someone was watching me.

The sterile walls, the beeping machines, the scent of antiseptic—it was all the same. But the air felt heavier, charged with an invisible tension I couldn’t explain.

Stella had just left to check on a few test results. The moment the door clicked shut behind her, the room felt… different.

I sat up slowly, wincing at the lingering ache in my ribs. My body shouldn’t be healing this fast. Not naturally. The system pulsed faintly in my vision, a quiet reminder of what had changed in me.

Then, the hospital intercom crackled.

"Code White. All available security personnel report to the west wing."

A security breach.

I swung my legs over the bed, muscles stiff but functional. Outside, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. Voices murmured in clipped tones. I stepped closer to the door and peered through the small glass panel.

Two men stood by the nurses’ station, dressed in black suits, speaking in low voices.

They didn’t belong here.

One of them pressed a hand to his earpiece. “Target confirmed. No resistance expected.”

My pulse spiked. They were looking for someone.

And I had a feeling I knew exactly who.

My fingers curled into fists. Think, Caden.

I could stay put and hope they’d walk past. But something told me they wouldn’t. The way they moved, the precision of their actions—these weren’t ordinary men.

They were professionals.

I took a step back, my heart pounding. My hospital gown clung to my skin, cold and damp with sweat. If I had even the slightest chance of getting out of this, I needed to move now.

A cart of medical supplies sat in the corner of the room. I grabbed a scalpel, gripping it tightly as I searched for another way out.

The window.

I rushed over, yanking up the blinds. The glass was reinforced, but if I could break through—

A shadow moved in the hallway.

I froze.

The door handle turned.

I barely had time to react before it swung open.

A man stepped inside, his expression unreadable. Sharp features, cold eyes, a presence that screamed authority.

He took one glance at me and smirked.

“Caden Kelly,” he said smoothly. “We’ve been looking for you.”

I didn’t answer. My grip tightened on the scalpel.

He tilted his head slightly, as if amused. "Come with us. Quietly."

Yeah. That wasn’t happening.

I lunged.

My body reacted on instinct, my arm slashing forward. He dodged effortlessly, sidestepping like he had expected it. Before I could react, something solid slammed into my stomach.

Pain exploded through me.

I staggered, gasping for air as I hit the bed frame.

"Poor choice," he muttered.

The second man stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"Should we sedate him?"

"No need. He’s weak. He’ll cooperate."

I wiped the blood from my lip and grinned. "You sure about that?"

His smirk faltered.

I moved.

Faster than I thought possible, I launched myself forward, throwing my full weight into the first man. He stumbled, caught off guard. I drove my elbow into his ribs, making him grunt in pain.

The second man lunged at me, but I was ready. I ducked, barely avoiding his grip, and kicked over the supply cart. Glass shattered, scattering instruments everywhere.

They recovered quickly. Too quickly.

Before I could get to the door, a sharp pain lanced through my shoulder.

A needle.

Cold spread through my veins instantly. My limbs went heavy. My vision blurred.

I dropped to my knees.

The first man crouched beside me, gripping my chin.

"Not bad," he mused. "The system is already working."

His words barely registered. My body refused to move, my thoughts slowing.

As the world faded to black, I heard him chuckle.

"Let’s see what makes you so special."

---

I woke up to the sensation of cold metal against my wrists.

Restraints.

My head pounded the aftereffects of whatever drug they had used still lingering in my system. My body felt sluggish like I was moving through molasses.

I blinked, trying to focus. The room was dimly lit, sterile, and unfamiliar. A single metal table sat in the center, a flickering fluorescent light casting eerie shadows across the walls.

A door stood across from me.

And then I heard it.

Footsteps.

A slow, deliberate rhythm echoed in the silence.

The door creaked open, and the man from before stepped inside.

“Awake already?” He sounded impressed. “You’re stronger than we thought.”

I forced my head up, meeting his gaze. “Yeah, well… you’re dumber than I thought.”

His lips twitched into a smirk. “Bravado. Good. You’ll need it.”

I tested the restraints, but they held firm. “Who the hell are you?”

He took a step closer, placing a file on the table. “Obsidian Heitt.”

The name meant nothing to me. But the way he said it like it should carry weight, set off alarms in my head.

He flipped open the file, revealing a series of documents. Photos. Reports.

Of me.

My blood ran cold.

"We’ve been keeping an eye on you, Caden. Ever since your unfortunate… accident." His fingers tapped the table. "You’re an anomaly. And anomalies are dangerous."

I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He chuckled. “You will.”

With that, he turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him.

I exhaled slowly, my mind racing.

They knew about me.

They knew about the system.

And they weren’t going to let me go.

I glanced down at my wrists, then back at the door.

I needed to get out of here.

Now.