Aiden's head throbbed as he sat upright in the sterile chair. His wrists were bound by metallic cuffs that hummed with low energy. Across the room stood Agent Velra, arms folded, her expression unreadable.
> "Welcome back," she said. "You're officially off the roster… as a survivor."
Aiden narrowed his eyes. "Then what am I?"
Velra turned to a screen on the wall. It lit up with the words:
> HUNTER PROTOCOL INITIATED
DESIGNATION: H-047 – ECHO TYPE
NEW OBJECTIVE: APPREHEND ROGUE SURVIVORS. LEVEL 3 AND ABOVE.
FAILURE TO COMPLY = SYSTEM TERMINATION.
The voice of the system echoed across the room, cold and impersonal:
> "You are now property of the Control Division. Your survival is no longer a choice. It is an assignment."
Aiden stood slowly, yanking at the cuffs. "You want me to hunt people like me?"
Velra stepped forward. "Not people like you, Aiden. People worse than you. Rogue players. Ones who reject the reset. Ones who've gone feral. We're giving you a second chance."
A panel in the wall opened to reveal a set of sleek black armor and a strange, compact weapon—a pulse gun with a digital interface. His name was engraved on the shoulder plate.
> H-047: AIDEN SIVAR
He didn't move. "What if I refuse?"
Velra pressed a button, and electricity surged through his cuffs. Pain lanced through him, and his knees hit the floor.
> "That wasn't even 10%. You'll be given daily suppressants. Your mind will remain clear, but your body is leased. You will obey, Aiden. Or you will die."
---
Later, in the facility's loading bay, Aiden stood in full Hunter gear. Around him were others—some masked, some silent, some with eyes as hollow as his. Most were past players. Survivors turned weapons.
The control screen lit up.
> MISSION: TRACE G-382 – CODE NAME: CIPHER
LOCATION: LEVEL 7 URBAN EXCLUSION ZONE
STATUS: ESCAPED. FORMER STRATEGIST CLASS. HIGHLY DANGEROUS.
Aiden's interface buzzed in his helmet.
> "Follow orders. Stick with your unit. And don't hesitate to kill."
He boarded the black drop-transport with five other Hunters. No one spoke. They didn't need to.
Everyone here was already dead inside.
---
But as the transport descended into the shadowed city below, Aiden felt something shift in his chest—not fear, not obedience.
> Resolve.
If they were going to turn him into a weapon, he would use that blade for something else.
Not to kill the hunted—but to expose the hunters.
---