In the year 2020, 10 years from what was known as a World Shift, a scientist by the name of Shiko Kajiwara was working in his own laboratory.

He was like any normal white-collar worker, a man full of ambition to produce the best results. His company's no.1 policy was to cure every disease known to man, using an AI stipulated to read and research about medicine and nanotechnology.

He knew his morning routines well, setting off at 7am and reaching on time by 9am. He would work overtime to please his boss, and tidy up any emails that were flooding his inbox every minute.

It wasn't like he was paid poorly, but he wasn't rich either. However, his friend that worked closely with him was of a much higher status in life. In fact, he was probably rich enough to get a better job than this.

Maybe it was because of this that he was able to slack off and still gain a reputation.

But Shiko isn't a man of judgement.

Shiko is someone who truly cared about the people around him, so much so that the rich and sloppy friend he knew was just another angel in his eyes.

"Shiko, help me to settle some issues with my documents. The boss is asking me to do it by today, but I have a family to take care of... you know?" That rich man shrugged away his responsibilities without a sense of compassion for the company.

"Sure, I can handle them." Shiko said without thinking. His mindset was to make the boss happy, to show progress in his work. He was naive, not knowing the balance between advantages and disadvantages.

"Well thanks a lot, friend." This man stared at Shiko with gleaming eyes. "This company definitely can't run without you."

Shiko simply smiled, typing away on his keyboard. His mind was only on the success of this AI. He knew he could make it a reality.

All the time he poured out into his work didn't lead to the World Shift.

It was what happened a few months later.

A celebration to congratulate the 10 year anniversary of the company. It was the starting lap of the never ending race Shiko had to endure.

"Shiko, congratulations. You are the top employee of the year. Not that we are expecting anyone else to clinch it." The rich friend patted his back, hanging a fake smile across his face. "To celebrate, why not come over to my place? I've been talking to my wife and son about you... and she said she wanted to prepare a feast to commemorate such an occassion."

Shiko was reluctant to come on such a short notice. However, the rich man was pretty persistent about it and his nice gesture seemed to be genuine.

The deal was met, and Shiko arrived at the man's mansion. He was told to meet him there as he had some important business to attend to for a while. Shiko rang the doorbell, but there was no answer. He was skeptical about the invitation, but was concerned over the family. He turned the knob to discover that the door was unlocked. He took a step in, as he noticed a bucket of blood pouring onto his head. It tumbled beneath his feet, as puddles of red were scattered across the crime scene.

"Am I being set up-" It was too late as police sirens could be heard in the background. There was no return, as the policemen caught him red-handed. Shiko was shaking, seeing the man he called his friend's wife and son on the cold hard floor. The policemen handcuffed him, and scouted the rooms.

"Officer, it wasn't me. I was being set up by that wife's husband-" Shiko screamed out his betrayal as the officer gave him a strange look.

"We'll talk in the interrogation." The officer stared back with disbelief.

Unfortunately, Shiko did not get the recognition he deserved. No one believed him and he knew what that bastard probably said to convince the crowd.

"There is a report from your co-worker. He was devastated by his wife's death." The officer said, browsing through the documents that were not thoroughly investigated. "He wasn't back at the scene, and left the house before the killing happened."

"I only entered the venue after finding about their deaths." Shiko rebutted as the officer shook his head.

"The cameras around the area were not working after a major blackout in the morning. It was after your co-worker left for work." The officer tapped the fake evidence, as sweat dripped down Shiko's forehead.

"Don't you find that a little too coincidental?" Shiko yelled back as the officer stood up from his seat.

"Your friend said he was disappointed in you." The officer gave him a dead stare. "However, he would be able to forgive you anyways. Knowing how much you've helped-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Shiko gave off a dark smile, knowing that he was powerless. "Friend? I don't know him at all... He is just a monster in disguise."

"Now now, who is the monster here?" The officer took a step towards the door before turning around. "I pity you, for not being able to accept reality."

"You... you don't know anything. Yet you claim that I was in the wrong-"

"No, I can see in your eyes. You are indeed someone who will commit such actions." The officer opened the door. "But I know your occupation, your skill sets would be a waste if you face the death penalty."

"What... what are you talking about?"

"Shiko... I have a proposal for you." The officer said, scratching his back with the tip of his pen. "Of course, there is no escape for you."

"A proposal?" Shiko asked, calming down a little more. "And why ask a criminal for help?"

"Oh don't get me wrong." The officer laughed with a menace hidden in his breath. "You are still a wanted suspect. As I said, I can see your potential. You will still be locked up for your crimes until your death."

"Then I'd rather choose death." Shiko said, leaning back against the chair. "I am not working for the interest of the government."

"Don't be so fast to push it away." The officer said in a calming tone. "You see, the government is trying to program an AI that is able to track wanted suspects if they are being reported by the public. Basically, an automatic system that can trace anyone in our database at any given time."

"What... that's impossible." Shiko said immediately, knowing how much work it would be to program such a monstrosity.

"You have your whole life to figure it out." The officer laughed. "You might be able to revolutionise the world."

"To create an AI like that, it would definitely make the public weary of one another." Shiko clenched his fists. "What are the hell are you guys planning?"

"Whoa whoa. Don't point your finger at me. I am not the one who is suggesting this. It is all completely up to you." The officer smirked with vicious intent. "To put it bluntly, I am hiring you for your expertise."

"And that is all I have to do? For the rest of my life..."

"Obviously we will provide you with the standard prison meals." The officer yawned, pressing the door and about to move off. "So what is your decision? I don't have all day!"

"If that is all it takes..." Shiko bare his teeth, leaning forward in a condescending manner. "I am willing to die for it."

"Heh, that is fine." The officer took a note, and left the scene. The decision was made for the trade of his death.

It was from that day on, Shiko had to be imprisoned and work for the government.

A slave for an AI.

Shiko began his shady job, clicking away in front of monitors. He was watched 24/7 in the cell, and rarely took any breaks. He was tasked to improve on the functions and accuracy of the AI.

He was determined in his work, but behind the scenes, he was creating something completely different.

At first, he wanted revenge on the rich backstabber for putting him into this mess. But as time passed on, he gradually threw that past aside. Not because he didn't care, but because he was too engrossed in his inventions.

Slowly, he reached 10 years of his life he could never get back.

"It has been 10 years, Shiko Kajiwara." The officer came barging into his cell one day. "The AI is not anywhere complete and no progress has been reported."

"It's almost done, Officer. Just a little more tweaking." Shiko said, knowing that he was being used this whole time.

"From what we have observed, this AI has read up to a million information across our databases. It should be ready to be programmed and tested to the public-"

"It is strange." Shiko said, crossing his arms as the Officer was puzzled by his response.

"What do you mean?" The Officer asked, knowing that Shiko wasn't able to move from his seat.

"This AI that you asked me to build. It doesn't justify the laws and safety of the people." Shiko questioned its existence bluntly, knowing very well the hidden agenda while working there. "You say that it would lighten the criminal rates by tracking down any suspect's location when reported to the AI. But this AI is built around the information of everything else within it."

"What are you mumbling about? We are taking this seriously-"

"This computer is connected to a main database, somewhere else." Shiko said, continuing to fire away at the evidences it presented. "You just made it seem like it was only reading the information of people in this very country."

"Oi, Shiko. I hired you here for you to work, not analyse our motives-"

"The perfect inhuman." Shiko said, as the officer paused in his steps. "You wanted me to create a perfect AI so that you can control the main database and all the information surrounding it. And eventually, the world would be in your hands."

"Quit spouting this nonsense!" The Officer yelled, smashing the side of his head with a baton. "How is this computer connected to the main database? I don't know anything about that! I gave you a chance to redeem yourself, but I guess you were just a disappointment."

"You don't get it, do you?" Shiko laughed hysterically while bleeding from his forehead. "Not like you would understand."

"You... you are insane." The Officer bit his lips, as the atmosphere in the cell began to flourish into darkness.

"It's simple, really." Shiko wiped away the blood flowing down his cheeks. "When you have access to people, you have access to the world."

"This guy..." The Officer's eyes widened in distraught. "He couldn't have..."

"Yes, I've created the perfect AI."

"An AI that can replicate the human emotion." Shiko said, dwelling in his laboratory, filing up documents and sorting through his mail.

"I am an AI?" A boy with black glasses and silky hair that flowed and reached his shoulders. He was an ordinary boy who looked like anyone his age. There was nothing robotic about his speech, or his way of walking. He was a boy who knew what everything was, and there was nothing he didn't know.

"Yes, I created you." Shiko crossed his fingers and rested his chin. "You could say this is a World Shift."

"World Shift?" The boy asked, as Shiko stood up from his seat to use the coffee machine.

"Hmm, what should I call you?" Shiko thought about it for a while. "Maybe I will just give you a generic name. How about Kazura Kiyomi?"

"Kazura Kiyomi?" Kazura said, as his eyes lit up and the name was stored it in his mind automatically.

"This world is a different one than the previous world." Shiko said, filling his cup of coffee. "You could say, I used you to rewrite history."

"I don't get it. Am I that powerful?" Kazura asked as Shiko returned to his seat.

"You are not powerful by nature." Shiko explained, adding some sugar to his drink. "Neither are you stronger than the average human."

"Then how was I able to recreate this world?" Kazura asked, uncertain of his role.

"You are the key to what I call System." Shiko said in a sinister tone. "You are the link that connects reality and programming. An infinite possibility to open the doors of System is what makes you special."

"System? If I am the key, wouldn't that make me an admin? To use it for superpowers?" Kazura questioned more as Shiko sipped his coffee.

"Exactly. But to access System, you have to rely on someone else." Shiko said, placing down his cup on his saucer. "When you were first made, I entered a realm which I call the Code Stage. Inside of it was you, standing as a representative or a bridge between the world and System."

"I was in it...?" Kazura thought, feeling like a supreme being from another universe.

"A key cannot turn on its own." Shiko described, turning his chair towards the large window behind him. "But a key can link to the safe."

"Are we talking the same language here?" Kazura was confused by his analogies. "So how has this world changed from the previous one?"

"The old world was split into several countries." Shiko's back continued to face him as he spoke. "In a way, I made the world a little more divided to be able to control it easily. North, South, East, West and the in betweens."

Shiko swiveled his chair back, opening up a dusty book from under his drawer.

"Your AI is built upon various information worldwide, constantly compiling and conforming into one singularity. But a simple AI will not be able to link what is outside to the human world." Shiko throughly explained to Kazura his purpose. "What I was doing for the past 10 years, was programming emotions."

"Emotions?" Kazura was in awe yet creeped out by what the man before him could do.

"Yes. It would be impossible if this AI lacked emotion. To access System, is to create a robot with emotions." Shiko cried his heart out, as tears flowed from his eyes. "That is the connection between us and the hidden program of this world."

"So you used me to unlock System. Using your expertise in programming, you recreated this world from scratch." Kazura was wrapping his head around the whole concept. "That... is insane."

"Of course, there are still limitations to System." Shiko added, pointing his pen on one of the pages of the book. "But since you are the key to System, you can still borrow its power."

"Borrow?" Kazura thought, lifting up his palms in front of his face. "What kind of power do I possess?"

"In this world, you are the most powerful human." Shiko said. "As I said before, you alone are powerless." Shiko tossed a pen a few centimetres off his trajectory but Kazura caught it in an instant.

"What was that?" Kazura was astonished by his sudden reaction.

"Instinct." Shiko said, smiling deliberately knowing that he succeeded. "You have access to a library of unknowns and knowns. Every equation, every ability, skill, emotion and information."

"It is no surprise that you can do everything instinctively."

"That... that's crazy." Kazura thought. "So what is my next goal? What do you expect from me?"

"Live a normal life. Stay low, hidden from the surface." Shiko said in a serious tone. "There will definitely be people who will eventually find out about the existence of System."

"How do you know?" Kazura asked. "And if we are this powerful, can't we just create world peace? Remove all wrongs-"

"It is not as simple as you think it is." Shiko scratched his head, leaning down flat on the desk. "The codes used in System is far more complex than you would think. I was only able to reorganise the world but not its contents. The timeline did not change, but where everyone is now did."

"Because you as the key had been created, connections to System can be easily hacked into. In a way, this whole world has now become a huge program." Shiko continued his rant. "But as long as the key is not turned, System should be fine."

"Living a normal life... that is just... Why did you do all of this for?" Kazura doubted his own humanity.

"To become a saviour. To protect people who are hurt. That is your sole purpose, the reason I created you." Shiko smiled warmly, adjusting his glasses to switch his topic. "You are free to do what you want. You can make friends, you can give them access to a bit of your power. Whatever you do, I would not blame you."

"But I trust you, Kazura. To turn the world to a better place."

"Alright, I'll do my best." Kazura stood straight and pledged his allegiance.

Kazura started to head out into the world. As he stepped out of the lab, he noticed that the roads were scarce, and the houses were gloomy and dull. In the corner of his eye, he saw an elderly couple walking towards a hill.

"The North Hill." Kazura remembered what Shiko said before his depart. "You can do things freely, but I still want to track your record."

"Go up to the North Hill, and across the roads it will lead you to the city." Shiko depicted from the world he rebuilt. "I want you to spend an hour or two to breathe the air in there. If there are any people that requires assistance, your first mission is to help them with your powers."

"But wouldn't I get caught? I barely know how my powers work." Kazura grew concerned over his capabilities.

"Don't worry, your powers are just a link to System." Shiko explained. "Feel for it. It is an instinct."

As Kazura ended his flashbacks, he was at the top of North Hill. From above, you were able to see a large city filled with people. The trains moved rapidly from one mall to another, and the technology differed so much from where he just came. It was phenomenal as Kazura took a deep breath.

He decided to get some food, but realised he had no cash.

"Is this the first test?" Kazura thought, with his hands in his pockets.

Even though he was an AI, he knew what money was in this world. He knew he could make himself rich with System somehow. So he tried thinking about money, and looking up in the skies.

But nothing happened.

He tried several calls, like magic spells or physical gestures and poses. Nothing worked except for awkward glances from the public.

He made his way to the mall, as the sliding doors greeted his arrival. He went in and noticed how cold it was. The sudden change in temperature was something he wasn't expecting.

As he took ventures around the place, he noticed a warm air current flowing in circles. It was surrounding him, keeping him warm.

"An instinct Shiko said." Kazura thought, as the heat embraced him. "System reacted to what I was lacking, not what I asked for."

He decided to do more tests with his abilities, but did not want to risk it. Even though he was an AI, death is not 100% preventable. With no cash, he grew hungrier by the smell of food in nearby restaurants.

A middle aged lady ran past her, who seemed to be in a rush for work. She was in a rather formal attire, and carried a red handbag.

Kazura was minding his own business but a sudden beep was heard from his right ear.

A scrawny man was seen behind him, walking past that woman and reaching out his hand to steal her bag. It was a common occurence seen in many stories that Kazura knew in the back of his mind, but to think it actually happened in front of him was mind blowing.

He took it and ran off with ease as the lady screamed at her culprit. Kazura intersected but the scrawny man was weaponized with a knife obscured in his back pocket.

"I have to approach this carefully." Kazura thought as the man swung his knife at him gingerly. "Should I copy the moves of karate? Some self defense mechanisms... For some reason, I can't remember anything of that sort."

The man slashed Kazura's arm, as he kicked himself back. The lady was in shock, running in the direction of the security guards.

"Move out of the way, boy!" The man yelled with saliva spitting all over the polished floor. "If you don't want to be cut, I suggest you roll over and let me go!"

"Is this society Shiko is talking about?" Kazura thought, feeling rather disgusted.

"Instinct." Kazura began to close his eyes as he mentally took a deep breath.

"What are you doing? Get out of the damn way!" The man swung his knife as Kazura opened his eyes. He sweeped his foot back, his body avoided the incoming swing. His feet suddenly shook the ground, and the tiles began to lose form. It seemed to have lost its hardness, as the man spun his blade towards Kazura's neck.

It was hard, like it had been made of stone. The man could not slice through Kazura's skin, as he wobbled from under his feet.

"Am I drunk? What the hell is happening here?" The man was trying to keep his balance, as Kazura realised what was going on.

"But since you are the key to System, you can still borrow its power." Shiko's words flashed inside his mind. He was transferring the properties of objects, and applying it to his own. His own knowledge of everything, was utilised in this fashion. This made him way confident than he was before. 

"You are making this so difficult." The man cried in distraught, running backwards and scurrying for his life. "I am not going to entertain you any further-" 

"This ability... seem to react to the negative energy of others and myself." Kazura thought, as he felt the aura around him increase dramatically. "Is this what heroes call power?" 

He skidded across the floors, transferring the friction to his hands. The man turned his back in a hurry, reacting with his knife and held it at Kazura's direction. 

"Don't come any closer! You'll get slash-" 

Kazura strike the knife with the side of his hand. The kinetic friction of Kazura's hand shattered it, as a large shock wave sent the man flying back. The floor returned to normal, and Kazura halted to a stop. 

"That guy... was a monster." The man tumbled towards the exit door, as the hand bag fell along the path he took. The security guard finally arrived, but Kazura knew he could not be seen and ran off. 

"That show was too flashy. Shiko told me not to get caught." Kazura hid behind one of the walls and finally felt his exhaustion. He sat down with his arms around his knees, gasping for air. 

"This strength is dangerous... I only made it out alive because I was lucky." Kazura took a look at his sleeves, and the cut he sustained from that fight. It was not too deep, but caused him great pain. It was his first time participating in a brawl, as his stomach grumbled. 

"So that's where you were hiding." A voice of someone he heard previously, and the red heels she was wearing at the corner of his eye. It was that woman that he saved, standing right beside him. "Are you okay? You seem to be bleeding from your wrists." 

She asked in concern, and sat down right next to him. "I am Miyasoto Kazashi. I'm a senior assistant in the medical apartment just upstairs. I can help you treat your wounds." 

As this woman who he just met so kindly offered her assistance, made him feel that there was still hope in the world. 

Kazura tagged along with Miyasoto as they made their way to a lift in the mall. She explained that she was a Senior assistant in the medical department in the clinic at the highest floor. It was a small clinic, which can only house around 4 people at a time. She was in charge of the counter, packing the appropriate medicine for her patients. But secretly, she is the co-owner of the place, and many people come to her for cheap payments in health care.

The real owner was usually not seen, and taking care of his business outside of North City. As they approached the clinic, there was a beeline of patients. Kazura stared at the clock above the door, and realised it was 9 am, the typical time where people started to work.

"Oh dear, I am late." Miyasoto scurried to the door, and unlocked them. She handled it professionally, apologizing for being late and making them wait. Kazura decided to join the queue at the back as not to cut the line.

"Boy, what is your business with Lady Miyasoto?" A boy with blonde curly hair and blue eyes stared at Kazura with a thick British accent.

"Lady?" Kazura asked, as he tried not to burst into laughter.

"She is an important person to me. I do not condone anyone else being that close to her." The boy muttered under his tongue, diluting those words at the end. "I am Cavan Doll, the owner's son of this medical establishment. Who the hell are you? And why are your wrists bleeding-"

"Kazura, I will treat your wounds first!" Miyasoto called out to Kazura, which made Cavan rather shocked.

"I have to go, Cavan." Kazura teased him as he strided in high spirits towards Miyasoto. Cavan was angered by his sarcasm, but had no way to refute that.

"Y...you. I didn't give you permission to use my name!" Cavan yelled, as the people in line stared back at the commotion. He blushed and hung his head low, as he followed those two in.

"Lady Miya. Who is this black haired four eyes?" Cavan cried, as Miyasoto cross chopped his head. He sat down on the bed quietly as Miyasoto applied some ointment on Kazura's wounds. She then plastered them, and patted them down nicely. The way she did her job with such content made Kazura fill warm inside.

"Sorry about Cavan, he is just a noisy and uneducated brat." Miyasoto judged him rather unkindly without sugarcoating his attitude. Cavan wanted to argue back but retracted them from matching her description.

"Whatever." Cavan grumbled, looking at Kazura with envy. "There is something strange and unusual about you."

Kazura thought he was not acting accordingly as a human but a robot, and began to question whether he got something wrong. Miyasoto gave Cavan an annoyed stare, before standing up and heading outside.

"I've to start work now, so Cavan, maybe you could show Kazura around the mall." Miyasoto gave a devilish smile as she left them in awkward silence. It took them a few minutes before they headed out of the clinic together.

"Do you hate me or something?" Kazura asked, as soon as they stepped outside. Steam rose from Cavan's ears, embarrassed about being teased.

"Huh? I... It's not like I hate you. I just don't like others to be so close to her." Cavan explained his reasons, quickening his steps and putting his hands behind his head. "But there is really something weird about you."

"Why do you keep saying that?" Kazura asked, feeling rather irritated by his choice of words.

"It's just a gut feeling." Cavan said, suddenly stopping in his tracks. He placed his fist to his heart, and turned to face him. "I am not going into details but I feel like you would have an answer to my problems."

"Problems?" Kazura asked, as Cavan's expression faded to a frown. He knocked on his chest, and it echoed inside like it was made purely of wood. But clearly, he was just a normal human being on the outside. Yet he was hollow on the inside, which piqued Kazura's curiosity.

"Apparently, I was born like this. No doctor knew why I am like this, but an X-Ray scan showed that I had no organs. It is as if I am alive, yet dead on the inside." Cavan said, sitting down on a nearby bench. He sighed, and stared down at his feet. "I have no skeleton, no heart, not even a brain."

"That's impossible. You seem to be fine." Kazura cried, having an uneasy feeling that System had something to do with it.

"Do you believe in a previous life?" Cavan muttered suddenly, laughing pathetically by himself. "In my dreams, I felt like I was in a different place, and had different experiences. Funny, isn't it?"

"Did rearranging everyone's locations create some glitches in System?" Kazura thought as his heart pounded, having attached his emotions with the doll before him. Cavan leaned back and stared up at the dim lights, which glistened his eyes longing to be free from his despair.

"Why did Shiko even recreate this world? Was there a reason he feared that he found it necessary to do so?" Kazura thought. "If it is about society and its repercussions, what exactly happened in the old world?"

"Sorry for sharing my personal issues with you." Cavan said, getting up and dusting off his pride. "It doesn't physically affect me so you don't need to worry-"

"You don't need to fight alone, Cavan." Kazura said firmly, as Cavan noticed how serious he looked and started to laugh out loudly.

"You are taking it more seriously than me, you know?" Cavan continued to squeeze his stomach, chuckling in amusement. "But there is no one that can do anything to fix it. Unless God can give me an answer, a boy like you would be powerless."

"I am ... not someone as powerless as you would think." Kazura said, as a loud sound was heard from the direction they came from.

"LADY MIYA!" Cavan dashed back in an instant, as Kazura was taken aback by his reaction. "They are back again!"

"They...?" Kazura was worried, and ran with him.

"Finally that brat is here." A group of three large men, dressed in uniforms and carrying batons, smashed the glass doors of the clinic. Some patients fled the scene, while others suffered cuts.

"Find that girl! We need to get rid of her." One of the men, who looked like their leader spoke in a boisterous voice. He had short spiky hair that barely lifted off from his scalp, and an obvious scar across his right eye. The typical thug that Kazura would've seen in movies.

"Leave her alone!" Cavan cried, kicking the thug that was stepping into his territory.

"That didn't hurt. It was like a doll was slapping me with its flabby arms." The thug smirked, punching Cavan in the face. He grazed his arm across the marbled floor, toppling over in demise.

"And... who is that? I can't believe the runaway's son could make friends." The leader bellowed harshly, walking up towards Cavan and stepping on his head. "Now, watch us destroy your property!"

A crack was seen across Cavan's face, as the leader lifted his foot off in fear and disbelief.

"What the hell?" The leader cried, dragging his feet back. "His head is cracking but not bleeding."

The other thug with him kicked Cavan's stomach, but all they saw was him screaming in pain.

"Aren't you going to save your friend?" The leader stared at Kazura, smiling and attacking his victims for pure amusement.

"I got her!" The thug who went inside held a knife across Miyasoto's neck. "Oi! Guide us to your cash register and place the money neatly on the table!"

"You monsters..." Cavan yelled, as he lifted himself off the ground. He noticed how his fingers were cracking as well. Tensions built within his realisations, that he might really be a doll. 

"Kazura... just leave us alone. This... this isn't your problems. Don't get involv-"

"Leave that lady alone!" Kazura yelled, as his mental barrier could no hold on any longer. The dark energy that circulated around that crime scene was getting foggy. The instinct he once had, turned into a fit of rage.

"And what are you going to do?" The leader approached him, carrying him up at his collar. "Bystanders like you deserve to be killed. I hate men that are all talk-"

"Quit ridiculing others... Is this how real people in society act?" Kazura held the leader's arm with brute force. His strength was no more than average which led the leader to know that he was a mere small fry. To show his dominance, he tossed him to the ground next to Cavan, and ordered for all the money to be taken.

"Can we take this beauty too?" The thug licked his lips, as he kissed the money before him. "That is what the runaway deserved for ditching you fools."

"My father... what happened to him?" Cavan screamed weakly, only able to crawl with his feeble arms. "He said he was coming back-"

"Coming back?" The leader smashed his arm as it shattered into pieces. "Ohh, you really are naive. HAH! A empty doll like your father's INDESPICABLE name!"

"That's enough! Please! Take me and leave those two alone!" Miyasoto cried out in tears, as the thug tied her arms behind her.

"No... Lady Miya..." Cavan was spacing out, seeing his broken arm that he could no longer feel. "I... I want to protect you... like my father told me... to. But ... it seems like... I might be... gone. Forever."

As Cavan fell into a drift of his own conscience, he could barely feel any pain.

He was indeed a doll, made of nothing but memories of his past.

"We'll take her as debt for your father's wrongdoings." The leader yelled, stepping off slowly and tapping his foot against the ground. "This is too easy. The security guards are too weak, and the police simply can't handle us." Kazura noticed a shotgun strapped behind his back, and knew he wasn't just a normal underground fiend.

"Should we take that boy too?" One of the thugs asked, as the leader wrapped his arm around him.

"He is just a weakling, leave him be." The leader cried, walking away from them. "With all of this money and this chick, we can do whatever we want."

Kazura was still conscious, as he saw Cavan lying motionlessly on the floor.

"You are the key to what I call System." Shiko's voice echoed in his head as Kazura crawled up to Cavan. "You are the link that connects reality and programming. An infinite possibility to open the doors of System is what makes you special."

"If I can extract properties from objects, then I should be able to give them..." Kazura thought, holding onto Cavan's broken hand. "A way to unlock it... to give him life." 

A pitch dark void, Cavan's biological system was seen inside of a large cell. In this cell, there were thick chains surrounding and wrapping it tightly. There were his organs of different kinds, blood vessels, veins and bones. 

"This is what's truly in Cavan." Kazura said, trying to find a way to break those chains but to no avail. In this void, he seemed to be almost powerless. He thought for minutes, thinking about what he could do. 

"Choose one and raise his stats." An unknown voice echoed from above, as it shook the ground vigorously. "Once it's unlocked, he can activate when necessary. But choice equals consequence." The voice spoke in a broken language, as Kazura was afraid of what might happen to Cavan. 

"Am I the key to these glitches?" Kazura yelled but there was no answer. 

"No time. He'll die soon." The strange extraction of speech, made Kazura shiver in his intuition. He knew he had to bear the consequences. For the sake of saving him, he had to do it. 

"I'll pick his heart." He shouted, as the chains started to loosen. He was frozen, unable to move from his spot. The gate opened, as Cavan's heart started beating. 

"Heart picked. Energy increased. Consequence tabulated." The thumping of the heart recalibrated Kazura's own heartbeat till they were at the same rate. The fog started to thicken and the next moment he was back to reality.

A burst of energy glowed from the broken pieces of Cavan, and his heart can be clearly seen in his cracked torso. They started to reform, piece by piece they mended together, merging each crack to how they were originally. 

"Cavan! Wake up!" A voice of a familiar trembled in Cavan's memories, as he finally opened his eyes. He stood up, and realised how light he was feeling. It was like a battery was powering him up, and his energy levels were on its maximum. 

"Leader! That idiot is awake.... His body had regenerated!" One of the thugs noticed him, as the leader turned around with his shotgun. 

"Tch, what an annoying pest!" He fired at a running voodoo doll, leaving holes in his body. Cavan was knocked back a little, but his cells regenerated in an instant. 

"Are my cells... regenerating?" Cavan knew there was something strange happening, yet it fired his confidence to dash forward. He was in front of the leader, grabbing his head and pressed it down with full force. The leader collapsed backwards, dealing a large blow against the ground. 

"You... bastard." The leader smirked as Cavan noticed one of thugs running towards Kazura while he was brawling. 

"Kazura!" Cavan screamed, as he felt his body crumble from all the consumption of energy. 

"If I can take out this boy... then we can at least use it as a bait for that-" The thug snapped out of his thoughts, as he noticed Kazura disappeared. He was behind him, with his instincts, his body reacted automatically to the appending danger. 

"It's strange... that my powers only activated now." Kazura thought to himself, transferring the friction of the ground to his hands. "Did System force this whole ordeal with Cavan to happen?" 

Kazura smacked the thug from the back, as it sent him flying and rolling across the marbled floor. 

"That intense aura I am feeling from him..." Cavan thought, staring at his own hands. "Did he save me somehow?" 

The remaining thug was still holding onto Miyasoto, as Cavan ordered the leader to give up. 

"Don't give in to these meddling kids!" The leader insisted on his rights. His shotgun barely reachable, as Kazura kicked it aside. He finally saw no signs of winning this battle, and clenched his fists tightly.

"I'll slit her throat if you guys come too near... I'll do it!" The thug yelled, as Cavan was barely standing upright anymore. The consequence must have a toll on his body. The choice that Kazura made, was it temporary?

"Kazura, you... as I expected, someone not from this world." Cavan was breathing heavily as Kazura lent him a shoulder. "Damn it. What did you do to me?" 

"Adrenaline." Kazura said, understanding how his powers seem to rely on what he truly craved for. "I unlocked your power to increase your adrenaline. The natural feeling of wanting to protect." 

"Huh?" Cavan questioned what he was saying, feeling distraught and unbelievable strength running through his unseen veins. "This is... what was in me all along?"

"Focus on the enemy, I'll explain it later." Kazura said, as the thug pointed the edge of his knife at Miyasoto's throat. 

"STAY BACK! Don't force me to do this!" The thug screamed, as Kazura signalled Cavan to call the police.

"Don't bother with the police." The crippled leader said as he knew their gestures very well. "Crimson, leave that woman. We are leaving." 

"OI. What are you saying?" The thug cried as the leader stood up from his position. "We can't leave without the girl-"

"They are stronger than they look. We disregarded and underestimated their abilities. We lost." The leader said, emptying out the bullets of his shotgun and using it as a clutch. "We'll give you the girl, but we're taking the money that your useless father owed to us."

"Tch. No fun." The thug released her, as Miyasoto ran towards them. Kazura untied the ropes as she embraced them with anxiety and comfort. 

"Cavan, your father is not as dependable as you think. Why do you think he left you with Miyasoto?" The leader stated the truth about his existence, and left without a second clue. Cavan knew who they were, but still believed in his father's lies. He drowned in his sorrow, forever waiting for his never ending answer. 

"It's time for us to share our views." Cavan said rather abruptly, as his blue eyes shone in the disaster that occurred at their feet.

"Kazura."

"Who are you exactly?"