Chapter 1: Link From the Unknown
Chen Long sat on the edge of his bed, phone resting lightly in his hand. The glow of the screen lit up his face in the darkened room. The fan hummed lazily above him, stirring warm air that barely helped.
Another pointless day had passed. School had been its usual boring mess—teachers talking too much, classmates pretending to care, and Chen doing what he did best: looking like he wasn't paying attention.
Now, at almost midnight, he was scrolling aimlessly, hoping to find something remotely interesting. His battery hovered at 3%. Still, he kept scrolling.
Then, without warning, his phone screen froze.
Static lines flickered down the display. He frowned. It wasn't the first time his phone had glitched, but this felt... different. A few seconds later, a notification appeared.
> [Unknown Number]
Want to control your world?
Install now: cmdx.world.link
There was no profile picture. No history. Just the message.
He stared at it for a moment. It looked like a scam. Probably was. But something about the phrasing made him hesitate.
Control your world?
Curiosity pushed logic aside. He tapped the link.
The screen went black for a second. Then:
> [Installing CMD//X]
Do not power off your device.
User recognized: Chen Long
Terms and Conditions accepted.
His brows furrowed. "I didn't agree to anything."
But no matter what he pressed, the screen wouldn't exit. After a few seconds, it returned to normal.
The only difference? A new app had appeared in the corner of his screen. Its icon was a clean black square with silver text: CMD//X.
He tapped it.
The interface was minimal. A loading bar moved slowly, followed by a single message at the top of the screen:
> [First Command Incoming...]
Then:
> Command #001:
"At 10:00 AM tomorrow, place your right hand on the school's main gate and remain still for sixty seconds."
Timer: 11h 42m
There was no explanation. No context. And no "decline" button.
A few seconds later, another line appeared.
> Penalty for failure: System access denied.
Chen Long locked his phone and set it aside.
"Must be some kind of prank," he muttered.
Still, when he went to sleep that night, the image of that message didn't leave his mind.
---
Next Morning – 9:55 AM
Outside the School Gates
He stood a few steps from the gate, staring at it like it had grown fangs overnight.
His phone buzzed again.
> [Command Active: 00:04:51]
Zhihao, his classmate and the only person he sometimes called a friend, gave him a confused look. "You're early today? That's new."
"Felt like showing up before the school burnt down," Chen replied with a shrug.
Zhihao raised a brow but said nothing.
At exactly 10:00 AM, Chen stepped forward and placed his right palm against the cold iron gate. He didn't know why he was doing it. Just that something about the whole thing didn't feel like a joke anymore.
He held it there. Still. Quiet.
Zhihao watched from the side, clearly confused, but didn't say a word.
The seconds dragged.
At the 58-second mark, a low vibration came from Chen's phone.
Then the screen lit up.
> [Command Completed.]
[Reward Unlocked: System Access Level 1 – Initiated]
Ability: Surface Echo – Allows limited perception of physical objects within 5 meters.
Chen took his hand off the gate. He didn't feel different. But as he turned, a strange pulse ran through his fingertips—like touching still water and seeing the ripple echo beyond what the eye could see.
His gaze fell on the school wall behind him.
And for a moment, he could sense something behind it.
A janitor walking. A falling broom. He didn't see them, but somehow, he knew they were there.
It lasted only a second. Then it was gone.
His phone vibrated again.
> Note from Spect8or:
"Good. This should be interesting."
Chen stared at the screen.
He didn't know who Spect8or was.
But it was clear now.
This wasn't a joke.
---
End of Chapter 1
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