Evan lay motionless on the cold apartment floor.
His eyes were closed. His chest no longer rose or fell. The world around him was silent, frozen at the exact moment his life had ended.
There was no pain, no fear. Just nothingness.
Then, all of a sudden…
A faint pulse echoed through the darkness.
Thump… thump…
The ring on Evan’s finger, an ancient ring he had worn for three years without question, began to vibrate. The red stone embedded at its center glowed softly at first, then brighter, until crimson light spilled across the floor.
Deep inside Evan’s subconscious, something was woken.
DING!!
“Host detected.”
The voice was cold, mechanical and emotionless.
Evan felt himself drift, as though he were floating between sleep and waking.
Did I just hear someone? he wondered.
“Vital signs: zero. Soul imprint: stable. System activation conditions met.”
“What…?” Evan tried to speak, but his lips didn’t move. His body felt distant, unreal. “Who’s there?”
There was a brief pause, as if the voice was processing his question.
“Cheat Code System initializing.”
Evan’s thoughts spun wildly. System? Cheat code? Am I dreaming?
“I’m dead,” he said, panic creeping into his voice. “I was shot. I felt it. My heart stopped. So how am I… thinking?”
“Your physical body has entered biological death,” the mechanical voice replied calmly. “However, consciousness is possible under system rules.”
“That makes no sense!” Evan shouted. “If my body is dead, then I should be gone too!”
“Incorrect,” the voice answered. “The ring bound to your finger is a system server. Upon host death, emergency activation protocol was triggered.”
Evan froze. “The ring…?”
A distant memory came back into Evan’s mind, as he thought back to the day he got that ring. It was three years ago, on a rainy night. A stranger collapsed on the roadside, Evan had helped him, paid for his treatment, and refused any reward.
The man had only smiled weakly and slipped the ring into Evan’s hand, and asked him to always keep the ring close. Evan tried to ask why, but the man said nothing and only told him to keep the ring safe.
“You’ll need this someday,” the man had said.
Remembering this, Evan spoke back to the mechanical voice…
“You’re telling me that ring… did this?” Evan asked slowly.
“Affirmative.”
Evan let out a shaky laugh. “So I didn’t just get cheated on, robbed, and killed. Now I’m hallucinating too?”
“Host Evan Cole,” the voice said, “you are at a critical junction.”
“What do you mean?”
“Explanation Paused. Priority decision required. Host must make a decision at this moment.”
A strange pressure filled Evan’s mind, and suddenly, two glowing words appeared before him, floating in the darkness.
OPTION ONE: Accept the Cheat Code System.
—Host Is Granted Second Life
—New Skills Unlocked
—Host Must Follow System Rules.
OPTION TWO: Reject the Cheat Code System.
—The system disengages.
—Host Dies Permanently.
Evan stared at the options, his thoughts racing.
“So you’re saying… if I say no, I just… die?” he asked.
“Correct.”
“And if I say yes?”
“Host will be revived.”
Evan clenched his fists as nervousness crept into him. Images of Lila’s cold smile flashed through his mind. Marcus pulling the trigger. The ring rolled across the floor.
“I don’t want to die,” Evan said hoarsely. “Not like that. Not without making Lila regret what she did to me.”
“Decision acknowledged,” the voice replied. “System acceptance confirmed.”
Suddenly—
Evan’s eyes flew open in the actual world.
A blinding blue light burst from his eyes as his body jerked violently. He sucked in a sharp breath, gasping as if he had been underwater for too long. His back arched, and he shot upright into a sitting position.
“Ah—!” Evan groaned, clutching his chest.
His heart was pounding loud and strong.
“I’m… alive?” he whispered.
His hands trembled as he reached up and touched his forehead, at the exact spot where the bullet had entered.
There was no wound.
No blood.
Not even a scar.
“How is this possible?” Evan said out loud, his voice shaking. “I was shot. I remember it. I should be dead.”
“Welcome back to life, Evan Cole,” the mechanical voice echoed in his mind. “Welcome to the Cheat Code System.”
Evan looked around the apartment in shock. The couch, the overturned gift box, the ring box lying open on the floor, everything was exactly how it was when he was shot.
“It’s real…” he murmured. “This isn’t a dream.”
He staggered to his feet, his legs unsteady. “You brought me back,” he said slowly. “You actually brought me back.”
“Revival complete. Minor cellular reconstruction successful.”
Evan swallowed. “So… what now?”
Before the voice could respond, a piercing scream tore through the air.
“AAAAAH!”
Evan flinched and spun toward the window. The scream came from outside, sounding raw, terrified, and abruptly cut short.
“What was that?” Evan asked urgently.
There was a brief pause.
“System notification,” the voice said. “While host consciousness was inactive, global conditions deteriorated.”
“What do you mean deteriorated?” Evan demanded.
The lights in the apartment flickered.
“A catastrophic virus has spread across Earth,” the system continued. “Designation: CP2 Virus.”
Evan’s eyes widened. “Virus?”
“The CP2 Virus reanimates deceased biological organisms,” the system explained. “Infected entities exhibit aggressive behavior and loss of higher cognition.”
Evan’s breathing quickened. “Reanimates the dead…?”
Another scream echoed, closer this time. Followed by a guttural growl that made Evan’s blood run cold.
“You’re saying…” Evan whispered, dread creeping into his voice, “…the dead are walking?”
“Correct.”
Evan shouted, “WHAT?!”
A loud crash sounded from the hallway outside his apartment, followed by frantic footsteps and desperate pounding on doors.
“Open up!” a woman screamed. “Please, open the door!”
Evan backed away slowly. “This can’t be happening,” he muttered. “This is insane. First I die, now you’re telling me the world’s ending, taken over by zombies?”
“Host Evan Cole,” the system said calmly, “this is the beginning of the apocalypse phase.”
Evan’s eyes widened in shock…
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