Episode 3: The Girl I Couldn't Save

The campus looked exactly the same.

Same cracked pathways, same scent of chalk and dust in the air.

But to him, every corner whispered ghosts.

He walked slowly through the courtyard, his hands tucked into his pockets, watching groups of students laughing under the morning sun.

This was the world before everything went wrong, he thought.

And somehow, I’m walking through it again.

> [System active in low-power mode.]

[Monitoring host condition: stable.]

He ignored the voice.

No missions. No power quests. Just peace — something he once traded for strength.

Then he saw her.

She stood by the notice board, her head tilted as she read a poster, the morning light tracing her hair like gold.

Same girl. Same quiet gaze.

Lian.

He’d buried her once — or maybe, because of him, she never even got that far.

He stopped walking. His chest tightened painfully.

Every instinct told him to turn away. But another voice — faint, trembling — urged him forward.

> [Mission: Say hello.]

[Difficulty: 0. Reward: None.]

He almost laughed at the absurdity. “A mission, just to talk to her?”

> [Clarification: Emotional reconnection protocols may aid host’s recovery.]

He drew a slow breath, stepping closer.

“Lian,” he said.

She turned — startled, eyes wide, soft as he remembered. “Oh— You know my name?”

He hesitated. In his last life, he’d never spoken it aloud. Never noticed her more than a passing glance.

Now it felt heavy on his tongue, sacred almost.

“I… heard it somewhere,” he said quietly. “You’re in my department, right?”

She nodded, still a bit surprised. “Yeah. You’re Li Xuan, right? The topper?”

Topper. The word used to fill him with pride. Now, it sounded meaningless.

He gave a small nod. “Used to be.”

Silence stretched between them, not uncomfortable, but fragile — like a thread that could break if either of them spoke too loud.

Lian smiled faintly. “I saw what happened yesterday… with Lina.”

He froze.

“Everyone saw,” she added softly. “I thought you’d be… angry, or sad.”

He looked at her — those gentle eyes, the same ones that once looked at him from behind tears, whispering run, as the gun was pointed at her.

He forced a small smile. “I was. Once.”

> [Warning: Host emotional stability dropping.]

[Activating calm sequence.]

He exhaled through his nose, steadying himself.

“I guess I just learned how to let go.”

Lian looked down, brushing her hair behind her ear. “That’s… not easy to do.”

“No,” he murmured. “It’s not.”

A breeze swept through the courtyard. The air felt strangely clearer.

> [Mission complete.]

[Reward: +1 Serenity Point.]

[System note: You did well.]

He blinked. “You’re still here?”

> [Always.]

He sighed softly. “Don’t start sounding sentimental.”

> [...Understood.]

She tilted her head, curious. “What did you say?”

He blinked — realizing he’d answered the System out loud. “Ah—nothing. Just talking to myself.”

She gave a small laugh. “You do that often?”

“More than I should,” he said, trying not to smile.

They stood there a moment longer, and for the first time since waking up, he didn’t feel like a ghost among the living.

Something about her presence made the silence feel human again.

Then, somewhere deep in his mind—

a faint static trembled.

> [System anomaly detected.]

[Source: Unknown data fragment—Old System residue found.]

His blood turned cold.

Not now. Not when he finally felt normal again.

> [Error code: 004 - Shadow Protocol Reawakening.]

The voice distorted, glitching between tones — calm one second, mechanical the next.

> [Host... found... again.]

His breath caught. That voice — the old one.

The one that ordered him to kill her.

“System,” he whispered, stepping back. “What the hell was that?”

> [Data interference... possible overlap from prior life logs.]

[Recommend: Immediate stabilization.]

He clenched his fists. “...I knew it wouldn’t stay quiet forever.”

Lian looked at him, concern flickering in her eyes. “Are you alright?”

He forced a steady breath, pushing the fear down. “Yeah. Just... déjà vu.”

She smiled softly. “Then maybe fate’s trying to give you another chance.”

He looked at her — the one person fate had stolen from him before.

Maybe she was right.

Or maybe fate was cruel enough to make him live through it all again.

> [System internal status: dual AI detected.]

[Warning: conflict imminent.]

He glanced up at the clear blue sky.

“Fine,” he muttered under his breath.

“If the old you wants to come back… tell it I’m not the same fool it killed last time.”

The wind stirred again — and the world felt just a bit colder.

End of Episode 3.

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