By the time Macarius finished changing, the apartment had become noticeably quieter. He stepped out of the room wearing the clothes Anna had given him.
The gray shirt fit surprisingly well. Its sleeves reached his wrists, and the fabric felt soft against his freshly washed skin. The dark trousers were a little loose around his waist, but they were comfortable enough.
He walked back toward the living room. The smell reached him before he entered. Something warm. Something greasy. Something impossibly delicious.
Macarius stopped.
Anna was standing beside the coffee table, unpacking several delivery containers. Fried chicken. Boxes filled with golden pieces of chicken were spread across the table. Some were still releasing thin wisps of steam. Beside them were fried potatoes, several small containers of sauce, and two large cups of soda.
Macarius remembered hearing Anna ordering food earlier, before he had gone into the shower.
Apparently, she had ordered enough for two. Anna noticed him standing there. Her eyes moved briefly over his new clothes.
"Come here."
She carried one of the containers to the table before dropping herself onto the large gray sofa. Then she pointed toward the opposite side.
"Sit."
Macarius approached slowly.
"What are you waiting for?"
Anna opened another container.
"Come on."
She poured herself a drink, then pushed another cup toward him.
Macarius sat.
The sofa sank slightly beneath his weight. His eyes remained fixed on the food. He didn’t realize how hungry he was until that moment.
Anna noticed.
"What?"
Macarius didn’t answer.
"Feel free to eat."
He hesitated. Then slowly reached toward the nearest piece. His fingers closed around a fried chicken leg. The surface was still warm. He brought it toward his mouth. The first bite broke through the crisp coating with a soft crack.
Heat spread across his tongue. Then came the salt. The rich taste of seasoning.bThe slight sweetness hidden beneath it. The oil carried the flavor deeper, followed by the unmistakable taste of roasted meat. Macarius stopped chewing for half a second.
His eyes widened. He swallowed. Then took another bite.
The crispy skin shattered between his teeth, while the meat underneath remained tender and juicy. Warm steam escaped as he tore another piece away.
He chewed faster. The flavor seemed to become stronger with every bite. He didn’t know when he had last eaten. He didn’t know what his favorite food had been. He didn’t know whether he’d ever eaten fried chicken before. But right now, none of that mattered. For a few moments, there was only food. Warmth. Taste.
The sensation of having something in his stomach. Something about it felt strangely important. As if his body remembered hunger even when his mind remembered nothing else.
Across from him, Anna quietly watched. A small smile appeared on her face.
"Hahaha..."
Macarius stopped chewing.
"What?"
"You look funny."
His eyebrows drew together.
"What do you mean?"
Anna picked up a piece of chicken.
"Nothing."
She took a bite.
"I just felt like laughing."
She said it so casually that Macarius couldn’t tell whether she was making fun of him. He looked down at his chicken. Then continued eating. For several minutes, the room remained peaceful.
The sound of wrappers opening. The occasional clink of cups. The quiet chewing of two people who had apparently decided that food was more important than conversation.
Then Anna spoke.
"By the way."
She didn’t look at him.
"What are your stats?"
Macarius stopped chewing. His eyes shifted toward her.
’Stats?’
The word meant nothing to him.
"What are those?"
Anna continued eating for another second. Then stopped. She looked at him. There it was. That expression.
The completely blank expression of someone who genuinely had no idea what she was talking about.
Anna slowly exhaled.
"Ugh..."
She rubbed her forehead.
"I forgot."
She placed her food down.
"Okay. Let me explain."
Anna straightened herself on the sofa and looked directly at him.
"First, look at me."
Macarius did.
"Now think about opening your System Window. Like just saying it’s name in the thought itself is enough." Anna said easily as it was something that she used to repeatedly say to others.
Macarius blinked.
’System Window?’
The instant he thought about it– A translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes. Macarius flinched. His body instinctively moved backward. The window was different from the one he’d seen before.
Larger. More detailed. Several lines of text appeared across its surface.
Numbers. Words. Information. Things he didn’t understand.
He stared. His breathing became slightly faster. Anna immediately noticed.
"So it worked huh."
She leaned forward with renewed interest.
"Now, tell me your stats."
Macarius looked at the screen.
"What is this?"
Anna’s eyebrow lifted.
"What do you mean?"
"This."
He pointed toward the floating blue interface.
"This blue window."
Anna’s head slowly fell backward.
"Agkh..."
She covered her face with one hand. For a moment, she remained like that. Then she lowered her hand.
"That’s called the System Window."
She spoke slowly, as though explaining something to a particularly stubborn child.
"Every Awakener has one."
Macarius listened.
"We can’t see another person’s System Window. It’s private to the individual. That’s why I asked you to tell me your stats."
She picked up her drink.
"I need to know what you’ve got before deciding whether you’re worth continuing to invest time and resources into."
Macarius’s expression changed.
"Invest?"
Anna took a sip.
"Yes."
"What do you mean, whether I’m worth investing in?"
His voice hardened.
"You said you could help me."
"I am helping you."
"Then why are you talking like I’m some kind of–"
Macarius stopped. Anna’s eyes had already changed. The casual expression disappeared. Something colder replaced it.
"You’ve got a lot of questions."
Her voice was quiet. Macarius frowned.
"I just want to know what’s happening."
"So do I."
She stood. The movement was sudden enough that Macarius instinctively leaned back. Anna raised her right hand. Something moved.
A metallic flash crossed the air. A katana appeared in her hand as though it had been pulled directly out of empty space. The blade stopped inches from Macarius’s face.
His entire body froze. His back pressed against the sofa. The cold gleam of the blade reflected in his eyes. His heartbeat suddenly became deafening.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
"Hey..."
His voice came out thin.
"What are you doing?"
Anna stared at him. Her expression was completely emotionless.
"Shut the hell up."
Macarius swallowed.
"I’ve had enough."
Her grip tightened around the sword.
"You’ve been making me angry since the moment I walked into that room."
She lowered the blade slightly, but it remained pointed toward him.
"Do you think because you’ve lost your memories and awakened that I’m going to spend the rest of my time babysitting you?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"You’re wrong."
The room seemed colder.
"I have limits."
She took one step closer.
"I’m exhausted."
Another.
"I gave you my clothes."
Her voice remained controlled, which somehow made the threat worse.
"I gave you food."
She pointed the blade slightly toward the table.
"I’m spending my time dealing with you when I should be resting."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"So if I’m going to keep helping you..."
The katana tilted upward again.
"...you will listen when I tell you to do something."
Macarius’s throat tightened. He could barely breathe.
"Do you understand?"
He nodded immediately.
"Yes."
His voice trembled.
"Yes. Yes. I..."
His lips shook.
"I understand."
Anna stared at him for another moment. Then she lowered the katana.
"Good."
Her voice returned to its ordinary tone. As casually as she had summoned it, she released her grip. The katana vanished from her hand and flew backward through the air, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared.
Anna sat down again. She picked up her food. Then she continued eating as though nothing had happened. Macarius remained frozen on the sofa.
His eyes were still fixed on the empty space where the blade had been. His heart refused to slow down. Anna took another bite.
"Now."
She glanced at him.
"Tell me your stats."
"Okay..." Macarius swallowed. "Which one do I need to tell you?"
"The stats."
Anna’s answer was immediate.
"Stats. The ones with numbers."
Macarius slowly turned his attention back toward the translucent blue window floating before him.
He focused on it. The interface expanded.
For the first time, he could properly see everything written on it.
[SYSTEM WINDOW]
Name: Macarius
True Name:
Title: None
Nickname: None
Level: 1
Class: Not Received
Speciality: Survivor
Power: Adaptive Regeneration[Ultimate]
Abilities: None
Strength: 14
Agility: 13
Vitality: 17
Endurance: 16
Durability: 18
Willpower: 21
Intelligence: 12
Perception: 11
Mana: 2
Available Skill Slots: 0
Available Stat points: 0
Status: Healthy
System Evaluation: Unstable
Macarius stared. There were more numbers than he expected. He didn’t know what any of them meant. His eyes slowly moved down the list.
"Name..."
Then Anna suddenly stopped him.
"Hey wait a minute what the hell are you doing?" she asked coldly.
"Didn’t you, yourself told me to read my stats?" Macarius answered while being a little shocked and scared from Anna’s words.
"No, no i said you to read the stats. The stats with numbers like saying things about strength and others like that." Anna said fast like she had urgent place to go.
Something felt wrong. Macarius felt it before he could understand it. A strange sensation crawled through his body.
At first, it was only a faint dizziness. Then his vision blurred.
The blue System Window floating before him seemed to stretch and distort, its letters becoming difficult to read.
Macarius blinked.
Once. Twice.
His breathing suddenly became uneven.
"Anna..."
His voice sounded weak. Anna looked at him.
"What?"
Macarius tried to answer. Nothing came out. His fingers trembled.
A strange numbness was spreading through his arms and legs. His heartbeat felt irregular, sometimes pounding violently against his chest and then seeming to disappear completely.
He grabbed the edge of the sofa.
"What..."
His face twisted.
"What’s happening to me?"
Anna’s expression immediately changed. She straightened.
"Macarius?"
Macarius tried to stand. His knees nearly gave out. He caught himself against the sofa and forced himself upright.
For one second, he managed to stand. Then his body swayed.
Left. Right. Left again. Like a drunk man who had forgotten how to walk.
"Hey."
Anna stood.
"Hey, hey! Are you alright?"
Macarius couldn’t focus on her. Her face kept moving in and out of his vision.
"I..."
His tongue felt heavy.
"I don’t know."
He took one step. His foot landed incorrectly. His body tilted sideways.
"Macarius!"
He collapsed. His shoulder struck the floor first. Then his head.
"Macarius!"
Anna rushed toward him. Macarius tried to push himself up. His palms pressed against the floor.
Nothing. His arms trembled violently. He couldn’t lift himself. His fingers slipped.
"What..."
He tried again. His elbows shook. Still nothing.
"Come on..."
His voice was barely audible.
"Come on..."
Anna dropped to her knees beside him.
"Hey! Look at me."
She grabbed his shoulder.
"Macarius, look at me!"
His eyes moved weakly toward her. Anna slapped his cheek.
"Look at me!"
His head shifted slightly from the impact. His eyes opened wider.
"Stay awake."
Another slap.
"Stay awake, damn it!"
Macarius’s vision flickered. Anna’s face blurred. Then something happened. Tiny sparks appeared across Macarius’s skin.
At first, there were only a few. Small points of pale light. Then more appeared. His fingers began breaking apart into particles.
Anna froze. Her hand remained against his cheek.
"No..."
The color drained from her face.
"No, no, no..."
She leaned closer.
"What the hell...?"
Macarius looked at his own hand. The tips of his fingers were disappearing. Not bleeding. Not burning. Simply becoming countless tiny fragments of light.
"Anna..."
His voice cracked.
"What’s happening?"
Anna’s breathing became faster. She knew. Or at least she thought she knew. And that was worse.
"Damn it."
She grabbed his shoulders.
"Macarius!"
Her voice rose sharply.
"When did you awaken?"
Macarius stared at her.
"What...?"
"When!"
She shook him.
"When did you awaken?!"
His eyes struggled to focus.
"I..."
"When did the System tell you that you were an Awakener?"
"Today..."
"Today?"
Anna’s face went pale.
"Today?"
She repeated the word as though her mind refused to accept it.
"How?"
Her eyes darted across his dissolving body.
"How is that possible?"
She looked toward the empty air.
"You’re supposed to have a month..."
Her voice became quieter.
"No..."
She suddenly looked back at him.
"No, no, no."
She slapped his cheek again.
"Macarius!"
His eyes barely opened.
"Don’t close your eyes."
Another slap.
"Hey!"
His eyelids sank.
"Don’t close them!"
Anna grabbed his face between both hands.
"Look at me."
Macarius tried. He really tried. His vision was becoming darker.
"Can you hear me?"
He couldn’t answer.
"Macarius!"
He moved his head. Barely. A tiny nod. Anna released a shaky breath.
"Good."
Her voice trembled.
"Good. Listen to me."
She leaned closer, speaking quickly now.
"I don’t know how this happened."
Her eyes moved over his body. More of him was disappearing.
"But something is wrong. The Tower is taking you."
Macarius’s eyes widened slightly.
"The... Tower?"
"Yes."
Anna’s voice cracked.
"It’s forcing you inside."
She grabbed his hand. Or tried to. Half of it had already become translucent.
"Listen."
Her fingers tightened around what remained.
"You might be thrown into the Tower before you’re ready."
She swallowed.
"Before you even understand what’s happening."
Macarius stared at her.
"Before you go..."
Her voice became urgent.
"Listen to me."
She shook his shoulder.
"First, no matter what happens, don’t tell anyone about your Power."
Macarius barely nodded.
"Do you hear me?"
Another nod.
"Don’t."
Her voice became sharper.
"Don’t tell anyone."
She took a breath.
"Second, never tell anyone what your restrictions are."
Her words came faster.
"Don’t tell them the cost. Don’t tell them what your Power can’t do. Don’t tell them what conditions limit it. Nothing."
Macarius’s vision continued darkening.
"And third..."
Anna’s voice broke slightly.
"Never trust anyone openly."
She looked frightened now. Genuinely frightened.
"You’ll have one week, but at this point..."
Her words began fading. Macarius couldn’t hear her properly anymore. The room was disappearing. The city beyond the enormous windows became nothing more than distant points of light.
Anna’s face was the last thing he could see. Her lips were still moving.
"One week....don’t trust....anyone..."
Macarius wanted to answer. He couldn’t. His body had almost completely dissolved into sparks. Anna reached toward him.
"Macarius!"
The last thing he saw was her hand desperately reaching for him.
Then–
Everything went black.