Chapter 7: The Correction Protocol

The quiet of the hospital room was a lie. Draven sat in the chair peeling the red apple.

His mind was fighting a war on a completely different front.

Ten minutes before Estella finally opened her eyes, Draven had questioned the thing that put him in this body.

He stared out the window at the towering steel skyscrapers of the city, thinking hard.

’System,’ Draven demanded.

’Give me some answers. Where am I, and why did you pull a dead soldier out of a desert to put him in a teenager’s body?’

Hummm.

The air in front of him shimmered. A series of blue screens snapped into focus.

[Host Origin: Classified.]

[Current Location: Bastion Seven. Outer Ring Medical Facility.]

Draven read the words. Bastion Seven. He remembered the lore of the novel. The world had ended decades ago.

Humanity survived by building massive walled megacities called Bastions to keep out the endless tides of monsters that roamed the Dead Zones.

’That does not answer the second question,’ Draven pushed. ’Why me?’

[Protocol: Correction Initiated.]

[Reason: The designated ’Protagonist’ of this timeline, Neville Hennesy, possesses a fatal psychological flaw. His persistent habit of showing mercy to hostile threats results in a 99.8% probability of total timeline collapse. If left unchecked, humanity will be wiped out within five years.]

[Your Purpose: You are the backup plan. You are a Commander. You possess the tactical ruthlessness required to eliminate the threats he spares and fix the timeline.]

Draven stopped peeling the apple for a fraction of a second. A cold smile touched his lips.

’It makes perfect sense. Neville is an idiot. His naive belief in the "power of friendship" is going to get millions of people killed.’

The universe had realized its chosen hero was a liability. So, it drafted a hitman to clean up his messes.

[Directive 01: Secure an alliance with the ’Star of Ruin’.]

[Objective: Prevent Estella Everdawn from becoming an apocalyptic threat. Anchor her to your side.]

Rustle.

Draven dismissed the screens just as he heard the hospital bedsheets move. Estella was awake. He finished peeling the apple, sliced it, and handed her a piece.

"We need to have a talk about what happens next, Estella," Draven said. He took a bite of his own apple slice.

Crunch.

Estella chewed the fruit slowly. She looked at him. Her pale eyes were filled with gratitude and deep confusion at the same time.

She noticed how the morning light caught the sharp, focused lines of his face. A faint, unfamiliar heat rose to her cheeks. She quickly looked down at her hands.

"How did you know where to find me?" she asked softly.

"You said you came to clean up a mess. But I was kept in a secret basement. Nobody knew I was there."

Draven had prepared for this.

’I cannot tell her that this world is based on a novel. It would sound crazy. I have a perect cover story for this. What do you call a man who can predict Future?’

"I have a trait," Draven said. He kept his voice low and serious.

"It is a rare one. I see things before they happen. Prophetic foresight."

Estella’s eyes widened. She stopped chewing.

"Prophetic magic? That is incredibly rare. The highest Guilds kill for seers."

"I saw you in my dreams," Draven continued as he weaved the truth of the novel into his lie.

"I saw the obsidian chains. I saw the violet dust. I saw them trying to turn you into a weapon. They were going to call you the Star of Ruin."

Estella shivered. She pulled her knees up to her chest.

’He saw me,’ she thought as her heart did a strange, sudden flutter.

’He saw my pain, and he actually walked into the dark to get me out.’

"I do not want to be a weapon," she whispered.

"I know," Draven said.

"That is why I came for you. But I saw something else too. I saw a future where the Bastions fall. Where the walls break and monsters overrun the cities because the people in charge were too weak and too stupid to make the hard choices. I saw everyone die. Including us."

He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. He looked her dead in the eyes.

"I am not going to let that happen," Draven stated.

"But here is the reality of your current situation. If you walk out of this hospital alone, the government will put you in a foster shelter. Eventually, they will test your mana. They will realize how dangerous your magic is. They will lock you up in a secure lab, or worse, they will try to use you themselves." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Estella stared at him. Her breathing grew faster. She knew he was right. The world was cruel to orphans with scary powers.

"What is the alternative?"

"Me," Draven said bluntly.

"We become partners. We stick together. We enroll in the Hunter Academy. We use their resources, we get strong, and we make sure no one can ever put a chain around your wrists again."

He held out his hand. He was offering her a lifeline in a world that wanted her dead.

Estella looked at his hand. She remembered how warm it felt in the freezing sewer. She looked up at his face. He was staring at her with such solid, unshakable confidence.

It made her stomach tie into nervous, fluttering knots. She reached out and grasped his palm. His skin was rough, but the warmth sent a jolt straight up her arm.

Her grip was weak, but her eyes were determined.

"Okay," she whispered as a small blush dusted her pale cheeks. "I am with you."

Ding!

[Directive 01 Complete!]

[Alliance with the ’Star of Ruin’ secured.]

[Reward: Inventory Unlocked (Size: 100 lbs) & 500 System Points.]

’An inventory! This is going to be huge. I need to run some experiments on this thing first before using it. It is going to be a critical asset.’

Before he could check the ring, a sharp sound echoed through the room.

Knock. Knock.

The door swung open. The Hunter Association official from the night before walked in. He wore a sharp gray suit and carried a silver briefcase. He smiled brightly.

"Mr. Mordis! Miss Everdawn! Good morning," the official beamed.

"I bring excellent news. The Association has fast-tracked your paperwork."

Click.

He opened the briefcase and pulled out a sleek black metallic card. He handed it to Draven.

"Your official A-Rank Hunter License," the official said. He then handed Draven a small digital cred-stick.

"And this is your Vanguard Scholarship grant. Fifty thousand credits to get you settled and properly equipped before the Academy term begins next month."

Draven took the cred-stick. Money was ammunition. Without it, they were just two kids on the street. With it, they were players on the board.

"Thank you," Draven said smoothly.

The official turned to Estella. He pulled a clear crystal orb from the briefcase.

"Now, Miss Everdawn. We need to register your mana pool to finalize your discharge and get your ID printed."

Estella looked at the orb, then at Draven.

Draven caught her eye. He gave her a very small shake of his head. He mouthed a single word: ’Hold back.’

Estella understood. If she let out the full power of her Star Magic, the government would steal her away.

’I do not want to go with them. I want to stay right here, next to Draven.’

She placed her pale hand on the glass. She took a deep breath, fighting her natural instincts, and pushed only a tiny fraction of her energy into the orb.

Hummm.

The crystal lit up with a bright, solid gold light. It matched Draven’s reading perfectly.

The official gasped. He nearly dropped his datapad. He looked from Draven to Estella in absolute shock.

"Solid gold," the official muttered.

"Another A-Rank? Two in one night? This is unheard of. The Association Director will be absolutely thrilled."

The official hurriedly packed up his briefcase. He promised to have her license delivered within the hour before rushing out the door.

Draven waited until the door clicked shut. He tossed the cred-stick in the air and caught it. He looked at Estella.

"Get dressed," Draven said, tossing her a set of simple clothes the hospital had left on the table.

"We are going shopping. And then, we need to test what we can actually do."