2025-03-11 16:48:46First Bond – Stella Vasquez
The scent of antiseptic and something faintly floral reached me before I saw her. I was staring at the floating system screen, my mind racing over the warning it had just given me, when the sound of heels clicking against the tiled floor pulled my attention back to the present. Then she walked in. Dr. Stella Vasquez. She was young for a doctor—late twenties, maybe early thirties. Dark hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, sharp hazel eyes that took in everything with a mix of curiosity and calculation. Her white coat fit perfectly over her frame, giving off an air of competence that wasn’t just for show. She paused at the doorway, glancing down at the tablet in her hands. "Caden Kelly?" "That’s me," I said, shifting slightly against the stiff hospital bed. Her gaze lifted, meeting mine, and for a split second, something flickered across her face. Confusion. Like she recognized me. I frowned. "Do I know you?" She hesitated before stepping further into the room. "No. At least, I don’t think so." Her voice was smooth and professional, but there was an underlying note of uncertainty. "You’ve made quite the recovery, Mr. Kelly. When you were brought in, your condition was critical. And yet, here you are. Stable. Alert." I gave her a lazy smirk. "What can I say? I’m full of surprises." Her lips twitched, but she didn’t return the smile. Instead, she walked closer, pulling a penlight from her coat pocket. "Let’s check your vitals." She leaned in, and I caught another whiff of her scent—warm, subtle, distracting. The light flickered in my eyes as she checked my pupils, her face inches from mine. My heart did something weird. I ignored it. "Any dizziness? Headaches?" she asked, her voice softer now, almost… gentle. "Not really." Her brow furrowed. "Pain?" "Less than I should have," I admitted. Her fingers brushed against my wrist as she checked my pulse, and a strange sensation rippled through me—like a low hum just beneath my skin. The system screen in my vision flickered. [Bonding Detected.] I tensed slightly, but Stella didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes were fixed on my wrist, her expression shifting. "Your pulse is strong. Too strong for someone who lost as much blood as you did." I pulled my hand back casually. "Guess I really am lucky." She didn’t look convinced. She reached for the tablet again, scanning my charts. "Your wounds are healing at an accelerated rate. The human body doesn’t recover like this." I could hear the questions forming in her mind. Could see the sharp intelligence behind her eyes. She wasn’t the type to ignore something like this. Before she could press further, the system screen flashed again. [Bond Established: Dr. Stella Vasquez] [Stat Boost Acquired: +10% Recovery Rate] I sucked in a breath. The warmth in my chest spread, a strange sense of clarity settling over me. I felt stronger. More… alive. What the hell just happened? I lifted my gaze back to Stella, and for the first time, I noticed it—her pupils dilated slightly, a faint pink hue dusting her cheeks. She felt it too. Her fingers flexed around the tablet, and for a brief second, she looked almost… flustered. But just as quickly as it appeared, she masked it, clearing her throat and straightening. "I’ll need to run more tests," she said briskly. "Your case is—unusual." I smirked. "You mean miraculous?" She exhaled, clearly torn between skepticism and fascination. "Something like that." Our eyes locked, and an unspoken understanding passed between us. She didn’t believe in coincidences. Neither did I. Something was happening. And she was part of it. --- The rest of the day passed in a blur. Nurses came and went, checking my vitals and asking routine questions. Liz stayed for a while, her overprotective nature in full force, but I convinced her I was fine. Barely. But through it all, my mind kept drifting back to Stella. The system had bonded me to her. What did that mean? I needed answers. And I had a feeling she did too. --- Night fell, casting long shadows across the hospital room. The hallways were quieter now, the beeping machines the only sound filling the space. I shifted, feeling the energy in my limbs, the strange warmth still humming beneath my skin. Then, the door opened. I turned my head just as Stella stepped inside, this time without her white coat. Just a fitted black blouse and jeans. Off-duty. "Couldn’t stay away?" I teased. She rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it. Instead, she leaned against the door, arms crossed. "I looked into your records," she said. "Before your attack, you were a perfectly normal, healthy man." I raised a brow. "Flattering." She ignored me. "Then you show up here with injuries that should’ve killed you. And now? You’re healing like nothing happened." I held her gaze. "What do you think is happening, Doctor?" She hesitated, then sighed. "I don’t know. But I do know one thing." She stepped closer, and that same electric pull crackled between us. "You’re not normal anymore." I smirked. "I was never normal to begin with." Her lips parted, just slightly. For a second, the air between us thickened. Her fingers twitched at her sides like she was resisting something. She felt it. This connection. Whatever it was. Then, a loud crash echoed from the hallway. Both of us snapped to attention. Stella turned toward the door. "That came from the west wing." My system flared to life. [Warning: Hostile Presence Detected.] My heart pounded. Someone was here. Another crash. Then—a scream. I threw off the sheets. "Stay here." Stella grabbed my wrist. "Caden, wait—" But it was too late. I was already moving.
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A Dance with DeathThe moment I sensed the presence, I knew something was wrong.Too quiet.Too still.Then—the attack came.A whisper of movement. A blur of silver.I twisted, barely avoiding the blade as it whizzed past my face. The knife embedded itself into the wall an inch from my skull.I didn’t get a chance to breathe. A second blade was already flying toward me.I dropped low, rolling across the ground as it slammed into the metal floor, sparks flickering on impact.I spun to my feet—but she was already there.A woman, moving like a shadow, stepped into the dim emergency lights with a predatory grace. A sleek black combat suit hugged her athletic frame, the dark fabric shifting with every calculated step.But it was her eyes that stopped me cold.A deep, piercing violet—glowing faintly in the low light.Sharp. Dangerous. Unwavering.She wasn’t just here to fight.She was here to kill."Caden Kelly," she murmured, voice like silk laced with poison. "You're more trouble than I e
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The System’s LiesThe chamber flickered to life around me. The walls pulsed, and golden data streams wove through the air, forming images—no, memories—so vivid they felt real.A battlefield stretched before me. The ground was scorched, littered with bodies. Smoke coiled into the sky, thick and suffocating. And in the middle of it all stood them.The anomalies.They weren’t the monsters the system had made them out to be. They weren’t destroyers, weren’t threats to civilization. They were people. People with abilities that defied the system’s design. And for that, they had been hunted.A line of towering figures loomed in the distance—cold, mechanical, ruthless. The system’s enforcers. Their armor gleamed under a crimson sky, their weapons humming with barely restrained energy. No mercy. No hesitation.Then, the slaughter began.I watched as the anomalies fought back, their abilities twisting reality itself. Fire and lightning danced at their fingertips, the ground cracked beneath thei
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The Forbidden ArchiveThe canyon stretched before me, a jagged scar in the earth carved by time and secrets. The air was dry, thick with the taste of dust, but beneath it, something else pulsed. Something old. Something waiting.The Forbidden Archive.It wasn’t supposed to exist. Every record of it had been erased, every trace buried beneath centuries of silence. And yet, here it stood—a colossal structure wedged between the towering cliffs, its dark stone shimmering with unseen energy.Two obelisks flanked the entrance, each covered in shifting runes that pulsed like living veins. The symbols twisted and re-formed as I approached as if they recognized me. Or worse, expected me.A whisper of movement.I stopped, my muscles tensing. A shadow peeled away from the entrance, stepping into view. The figure was tall, draped in a crimson cloak that billowed despite the still air. The hood obscured their face, but I could feel their gaze piercing through the fabric, measuring me, weighing my
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Understanding the PowerDarkness clung to the chamber like a second skin, thick and suffocating. I sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, my hands resting on my knees, palms up, trying—desperately—to still the storm raging inside me. My power wasn’t just something I wielded. It was something that wanted to wield me.The flickering torches cast distorted shadows against the walls, as if they, too, were uncertain of what they were becoming. The energy inside me coiled, alive, eager. It burned beneath my skin, pulsed through my veins, whispered in my mind.Control it, I told myself.But it laughed.Not aloud—no, that would be easy to fight. The real battle was more insidious, more intimate. It was the whisper that slithered through my thoughts, the weight pressing against my ribs, the hunger lurking beneath my every breath."You crave it," the voice inside me murmured. "You always have."I shut my eyes tighter. My pulse hammered in my ears."No," I breathed. "That’s not me.""But it i
CHAPTER 35
The Hunter Becomes the HuntedThe neon lights flicker above me, casting long, distorted shadows against the rain-slicked pavement. The undercity breathes in short, sharp bursts—the hum of generators, the distant shouts of drunken gamblers, the occasional echo of a gunshot deeper in the slums. I keep my hood low, my face hidden beneath the dim glow of passing advertisements.Every step I take feels measured, deliberate. The bounty on my head has tripled overnight, and now the city itself is hunting me. Every set of eyes lingering too long could belong to a mercenary weighing their chances. Every whispered conversation could be about me.I pass a group of thugs loitering near a broken-down hovercraft, their voices dropping as I move past. One of them, a brute with cybernetic arms and an ego too large for his own good, sneers.“Dead man walking.”I don’t break stride. I don’t react. That’s exactly what they want—a sign of weakness, a flicker of fear. But fear has no place here. Not anymo
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Unintended ConsequencesThe battlefield was silent, but not with peace—only with death.Smoke curled from the wreckage, twisting in the cold wind. The ground was littered with bodies, some still twitching, others unnervingly still. Sparks spat from broken ships, their engines gutted, the metal carcasses groaning under their own weight. The acrid scent of burning wires and blood coated the air, thick enough to taste.I stood in the center of it all, my hands slick with something warm. My breath came steady, controlled. Too controlled. I should have felt something—guilt, regret, even relief—but instead, there was just… nothing.My fingers curled into fists, but the emptiness didn’t go away. I looked down at the nearest body, a man barely older than me, his helmet cracked open, his chest rising in weak, ragged jerks. His mouth twisted as if trying to form words, but all that came out was a broken cough.I knelt beside him, my face unreadable even to myself. "You’re dying."His bloodstain
CHAPTER 33
The Battle EscalatesThe sky darkened, thick clouds rolling in like an omen.From above, the air rippled as ships descended in eerie silence. Their hulls reflected the ruined cityscape, bending light like a mirage, making them appear almost invisible. Not the usual loud, flashing entrances of military dropships—no, these were hunters. They didn’t announce their arrival. They didn’t need to.I wiped the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand, the metallic taste grounding me. My muscles burned, my ribs ached, but the real problem wasn’t pain. It was numbers.Too many. More than before.They moved with precision, forming a tight, deliberate circle around me, closing off every possible escape route. No wasted motion. No hesitation. They had done this before.One way in. No way out.A familiar figure stepped forward—the bounty hunter I had fought earlier. His mask was cracked from our last encounter, revealing part of his face. A jagged scar ran down his cheek, an old wound, but the
CHAPTER 32
First BloodThe city was dead.Ruins stretched as far as I could see, the skeletal remains of skyscrapers jutting into the sky like broken ribs. Shadows pooled in the cracks of shattered streets, their silence heavier than the wind howling through the wreckage. Everything smelled of rust and decay—of something old, abandoned, forgotten.I moved carefully, every step deliberate. The air was too still, too watchful. My skin prickled with unease, a familiar warning curling in my gut. Something was wrong.I wasn’t alone.The feeling slithered down my spine like ice. I’d learned to trust my instincts, and right now, they were screaming. The city was supposed to be empty, but I could feel the presence lingering just beyond sight.A vibration rippled through the ground beneath my boots. Subtle, but there. A footstep? A shift in weight? My pulse quickened as I scanned the ruins.Nothing.But I knew better.A voice cut through the silence, smooth and taunting. “You don’t know what you are, do
