The Authority left.
Humans didn't.
---
The first headline appeared twelve minutes later.
Not supernatural news sites.
Not conspiracy forums.
Mainstream media.
---
> UNEXPLAINED CITY-WIDE PHENOMENON CAUSES TEMPORAL DISRUPTION
A safe title.
A cowardly one.
---
"…They felt it," Mira said.
I hovered above the city skyline, watching lights flicker back into rhythm.
"…Yeah," I replied.
"They always do."
---
Within an hour, variations spread:
Unidentified Atmospheric Event
Solar Interference?
Government Experiment Gone Wrong?
---
No one said ghost.
No one said Remnant.
But—
They were circling it.
---
> [System Notice:]
— Human Attention Index: RAPID INCREASE
— Narrative Formation: IN PROGRESS
---
"…That sounds bad," I muttered.
---
Mira didn't sugarcoat it.
"…It is."
---
She pulled data from everywhere—phones, cameras, sensors.
Clips flooded in.
A woman dropping her coffee as time skipped.
A man swearing his watch went backward.
A child laughing because "the air felt funny."
---
And then—
Someone noticed something else.
---
A security camera.
Park sector B.
Frame 1487.
---
A tall, featureless shape.
Standing.
---
"…Shit," I said.
---
The clip was grainy.
Compressed.
But the silhouette was unmistakable.
---
The comments exploded.
---
> That's fake.
CGI.
No shadow—how is that possible?
Why is no one talking about the person FLOATING nearby?
---
"…That's me," I said flatly.
---
Mira nodded.
"…They haven't labeled you yet."
"…They will."
---
As if summoned—
A new channel went live.
Professional.
Clean.
Too calm.
---
> STRATEGIC HUMAN RESPONSE COUNCIL — LIVE BRIEFING
---
I felt it before the broadcast finished loading.
---
"…That name," I murmured.
"They chose war language."
---
A man appeared on screen.
Late forties.
Perfect posture.
Eyes that never blinked long enough to be natural.
---
"Today," he began smoothly,
"humanity witnessed an anomaly."
---
Mira stiffened.
"…I know him."
---
I glanced at her.
"…You sound unhappy."
"…Because he's not a priest," she said.
"Not a hunter."
---
Her voice dropped.
"…He's a strategist."
---
The man continued.
"We do not deny the supernatural. We categorize it."
Slides appeared.
Graphs.
Risk models.
---
"Certain anomalies seek balance," he said.
"Others seek control."
---
Then—
A term appeared on screen.
---
> CATEGORY: PERSISTENT ENTITY
---
"…Oh, screw you," I muttered.
---
"Persistent entities," the man said calmly,
"do not dissipate. They adapt."
---
The screen split.
On one side—old footage of hunters, exorcisms, clean victories.
On the other—
Me.
Blurry.
Watching.
Enduring.
---
"These entities," he continued,
"create dependency."
---
Mira hissed.
"…He's framing you as a resource drain."
---
"They save people," the man said.
Then smiled faintly.
"At a cost."
---
The next slide showed numbers.
Lives saved.
Lives lost.
---
Manipulated.
Cherry-picked.
---
"…That's not even accurate," I said.
---
"Accuracy is optional," Mira replied.
"Fear is efficient."
---
The man clasped his hands.
"We are not declaring hostility."
I snorted.
---
"We are declaring containment."
---
The word rippled.
Social media reacted instantly.
---
> Contain WHAT?
So it IS real?
Why does this feel like the beginning of a movie?
---
Mira pulled deeper feeds.
"…He's pushing a choice," she said quietly.
"…Yeah," I replied.
"Make me the problem so they feel united."
---
The strategist leaned closer to the camera.
"If this entity exists," he said gently,
"it must be governed."
---
I felt something shift.
Not in me.
In the city.
---
People listening.
Deciding.
---
> [System Observation:]
— Human Alignment Divergence Detected
---
"…They're splitting," I whispered.
---
Mira nodded.
"…Some are afraid."
"…And some?" I asked.
---
She hesitated.
"…Some are angry."
---
Footage surfaced.
A man standing between hunters and a crying woman.
"Leave him alone!" someone shouted—no idea who "him" was.
A group spray-painting symbols—not protection, not religion.
Just words.
---
LET HIM STAY
---
"…That's new," I said softly.
---
Mira's voice was strained.
"…They're choosing sides without knowing you."
---
The strategist resumed speaking.
"Until containment protocols are finalized," he said,
"any interaction with persistent entities is discouraged."
---
Translation:
Don't help him. Don't side with him. Don't believe him.
---
"…He's isolating you," Mira said.
---
I watched the broadcast end.
Watched the city digest it.
---
"…He's afraid," I said.
---
Mira blinked.
"…Of you?"
---
"No," I replied.
"Of what happens if people realize they don't need permission to care."
---
Silence fell between us.
---
> [System Update:]
— Social Pressure Load: INCREASING
— New Variable Introduced: VOLUNTARY ALLIES
---
"…Voluntary?" I echoed.
---
A notification blinked.
---
> Human Actor Request Detected
— No Authority
— No Ritual
— No System Prompt
---
"…That's impossible," Mira whispered.
---
I felt it.
A pull.
Gentle.
Human.
---
Someone, somewhere in the city—
Had reached out.
Not praying.
Not demanding.
---
Just choosing.
---
"…Looks like," I said quietly,
"they made their move."
---
Mira's voice trembled.
"…Rei. If humans start acting without the system…"
"…Yeah," I said.
---
I smiled faintly.
---
"…That's when things actually change."
---