The System Manipulator

Chapter 9 Drifters

Zayel flinched.

A warning screen flashed in front of Tess’s vision.

This time, it was not a gentle reminder. It was not one of those polite nudges the system used when someone forgot to sit straight or breathe slower.

This one felt heavier. Tighter.

Like a leash being pulled.

BEHAVIORAL INCONSISTENCY DETECTED

WARNING: UNSTABLE OUTPUT

INSTRUCTION: CALM DOWN

NONCOMPLIANCE WILL RESULT IN RECLASSIFICATION REVIEW

Zayel watched as Tess’s system settings flickered.

For a brief second, he saw her overrides fail.

The customized dampeners she had built for herself snapped back to default, layer by layer, like Nex had reached down and reclaimed ownership.

Tess’s jaw tightened.

She stared at the warning as if it had personally offended her.

Not scared.

Not panicked.

Angry.

Zayel swallowed.

Now he understood.

No wonder Tess Calder was Class D, even with synchronization levels that brushed dangerously close to Class B. It was never about her capability.

It was about her refusal.

Her brain was strong enough to suppress the system’s control, even if only in fragments. Not enough to win. Not enough to escape.

But enough to irritate Nex.

Enough to make the system mark her as a problem.

Zayel’s gaze drifted toward Instructor Hale, expecting the usual cold, indifferent response.

He did not see indifference.

He saw tension.

Hale’s chip glowed faintly, not with a command signal, but with a warning pulse. And through Zayel’s chip data vision, an overlay appeared.

INSTRUCTOR: HALE

STUDENT ANOMALY DETECTED

CLASSROOM STABILITY: DEGRADING

RECOMMENDED ACTION: REPORT / ESCALATE

Then something else surfaced.

Something that made Zayel’s throat tighten.

Thought data.

Not spoken words.

Not system instructions.

Private thoughts.

This is beyond my control.

This is above my pay grade.

And my life expectancy.

Zayel’s eyes widened slightly.

He had never looked closely at Instructor Hale before. He had always assumed the man was calm because he did not care.

Now he saw the truth.

The stiff posture. The tight jaw. The way Hale’s eyes flicked once toward the surveillance node at the corner of the room, like he was checking whether help was already watching.

Hale was not calm.

He was pretending.

Because panic was punishable too.

Zayel’s stomach dropped as the realization hit him hard and fast.

If Instructor Hale’s chip was collecting his thoughts…

Then Zayel’s chip was collecting his thoughts too.

The same way.

The same invisible harvesting.

His chest tightened.

Fear surged up, sharp and undeniable.

Nex was not just watching.

It was recording.

Recording thoughts.

Recording fear.

Recording doubt.

And now that Zayel could see it, he could not unsee it.

Not ever again.

“Don’t worry, Zayel. I’m masking your thoughts from Nex.”

Xu’s voice cut cleanly through the panic.

Just hearing it made Zayel exhale. His shoulders relaxed without him realizing it. The pressure in his chest eased, like something heavy had finally been lifted.

He did not want to be flooded with warnings the way Tess was now.

He did not want Nex tightening its grip.

Through his vision, Zayel saw Instructor Hale confirm the report option. The data packet launched instantly, shooting upward through invisible channels.

Zayel tried to trace it.

For a moment, he saw lines stretching toward a higher authority node.

Then they vanished.

“You don’t have access to that level yet, Zayel,” Xu said gently, answering his thoughts before he could ask.

Zayel clenched his fists.

So that was it.

If he wanted answers, if he wanted control, if he wanted to know what Nex was really doing, there was only one path.

The missions.

If that was the price, then so be it.

Xu’s tone brightened immediately, almost cheerful.

“That’s very good thinking, Zayel. Use that determination. Succeed in the missions. I assure you, you can become more powerful than Nex. Freedom isn’t impossible.”

Zayel swallowed.

Then, quietly in his mind, he asked, “What is the next mission?”

One second passed.

Two.

Three.

Nothing.

Zayel’s heart began to beat faster.

A familiar anxiety crept in.

Xu… are you still there?

“…I don’t want to break your determination, but…”

Xu paused.

One second.

Two seconds.

Then he continued, sounding slightly frustrated.

“The third mission is currently unavailable.”

Zayel pressed his lips together.

Unavailable?

He almost scoffed internally. So much for efficiency.

Xu explained quickly, “You are still not fully adapted to chip data vision. Your access process is lagging. You need time to adjust. Once your perception stabilizes, the third mission will unlock.”

“I see,” Zayel murmured in his thoughts.

It made sense, even if he did not like it.

Before he could dwell on it further, Instructor Hale spoke.

“This concludes today’s session.”

Students stood and left in orderly groups, ranks separating them naturally like oil and water.

Zayel stayed seated longer than necessary, as usual.

When the room finally emptied, he checked his own status.

ERROR CORRECTION: SUCCESSFUL

BEHAVIOR: COMPLIANT

STATUS: STABLE

EFFICIENCY: INSUFFICIENT

So that was how the system recorded it.

As if last night had worked.

As if he had been corrected.

As if he had not died.

The memory made his stomach twist.

When he finally stood to leave, his gaze drifted to the empty seat beside him.

It was not empty.

Tess was still there.

Warning screens floated in front of her vision, stacked and blinking, ordering her to wake up.

She did not respond.

She was asleep.

Actually asleep.

Zayel stared.

Even with all those warnings, even with Nex screaming at her to comply, Tess’s body did not move.

Her brain had shut itself down.

Locked.

Nex could not force it awake.

Zayel felt a strange mix of awe and disbelief.

So this was possible too.

Then why could Nex always wake him?

Why could it force him to attend school even when he resisted with everything he had?

There was only one conclusion.

Tess Calder was different.

More stubborn.

More dangerous.

More special.

“Do you like her?” Xu asked suddenly.

Zayel nearly jumped.

“What? No,” he denied instantly. “I’m not. I’m just curious. And amazed.”

Xu chuckled.

“You don’t need to deny it. You’ve been staring at her for quite a while now.”