Levi's eyes fluttered open slowly as he stared faintly at the ceiling above him. The bright lights made his vision blur for a moment as he tried to focus.
He realized he was in a hospital room. The quiet beeping of machines filled the air. His mother sat beside the bed with tears running down her face.
Evan stood a few steps away, his arms crossed in worry. The moment he noticed Levi's eyes open, his expression changed instantly.
"Levi!" he shouted as he rushed to the bedside.
Levi turned his head slowly, still weak and confused. He looked down at himself and realized he was dressed in a hospital gown. The pain in his chest was dull now, but the memory of what happened on the beach lingered in the back of his mind.
His mom noticed too that he was awake. She rushed toward him and wrapped her arms around him tightly, tears streaming down her face.
"Levi… thank God," she whispered, her voice trembling as she held him.
Levi winced slightly from the sudden movement, still weak, but he could feel how tightly she clung to him like she was afraid he might go unconscious again.
Levi instinctively placed his hands on his chest, trying to feel the bullet wounds. But when his fingers touched his skin he froze. His chest was completely healed. There were no scars, no marks, nothing that showed he had been shot.
Confusion washed over him as he stared down at himself.
His mom noticed the movement and began speaking through tears, her voice filled with worry and frustration. "I told you not to go to the beach. I told you to stay home. But you never listen to me, Levi. You never listen."
Levi instinctively sat up a little, still holding his chest as confusion filled his mind.
Evan stepped closer to the bed and stood beside him, staring at him like he couldn't believe Levi was awake. "What happened?" Evan asked. "We were looking for you everywhere. Then we found you lying there unconscious."
He shook his head, still trying to understand it himself. "You had blood all over your body… but there were no wounds on you. Nothing. It didn't make any sense."
Levi tried to make sense of everything that had happened. His mind slowly went back to the beach. The gunshots. The pain. Then that man… the strange being who appeared and forced something into his chest.
Levi frowned as the memory lingered in his mind. Was that real? he wondered, still trying to piece everything together.
Just then the door opened and Isaac walked in holding a few bottles of water. The moment he saw Levi sitting upright on the bed, his eyes widened in shock.
"Levi!" Isaac shouted as he rushed over to him, reaching out and rubbing his head in disbelief. "You're awake!"Levi tried to make sense of everything that had happened. His mind slowly went back to the beach. The gunshots. The pain. Then that man… the strange being who appeared and forced something into his chest.
Levi frowned as the memory lingered in his mind. Was that real? he wondered, still trying to piece everything together.
Just then the door opened and Isaac walked in holding a few bottles of water. The moment he saw Levi sitting upright on the bed, his eyes widened in shock.
"Levi!" Isaac shouted as he rushed over to him, reaching out and roughling his head in disbelief. "You're awake!"
Isaac was still the same playful person he had always been. He leaned closer to Levi and whispered in his ear, "We saw you leaving with a girl. What happened? Did she pour her period blood all over you or something?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he froze. He had completely forgotten that Levi's mom was right there.
The room went silent. Everyone turned to stare at him in disbelief.
"Isaac!," Evan said sharply as he looked at him in disbelieve.
"What happened, Levi?" his mom asked, her voice soft but worried.
The room fell silent. Evan and Isaac both looked at him, waiting for an answer, their faces filled with curiosity and concern. All eyes were on Levi now as the quiet hospital room seemed to hold its breath.
He tried to recall everything that had happened. The strange man who stepped out of a red portal. The glowing orb forced into his chest.
Levi instinctively opened his mouth to speak.
Suddenly a faint shimmer flashed across his vision. Words appeared before his eyes, glowing faintly, something only he could see.
Warning: If you reveal the existence of the System to anyone, your life will be terminated.
Levi froze. The words lingered for a moment before fading away.
"W-what's this?" Levi shouted, grabbing his head and covering his eyes.
"Levi! What's wrong?" his mom said quickly when she saw him panicking.
Levi didn't answer. He was terrified to say anything. The warning he had just seen still echoed in his mind. If he spoke about it… he would die.
"Levi, what's wrong?" Evan shouted, stepping closer to the bed.
Levi's breathing became heavy as he looked around the room. Then his eyes landed on the hospital restroom.
Without saying another word, he jumped off the bed and rushed toward it. He pushed the door open, ran inside, and quickly locked it behind him.
Levi locked the door behind him, his chest heaving as panic surged through him.
"What are you? Who are you?" he whispered, talking to himself, desperation in his voice.
For a moment, nothing happened. The silence pressed down on him.
Then, a faint shimmer appeared in his eyes, glowing just for him. Words floated before him like a hologram only he could see.
System: Active.
User: Levi Maxwell
Age : Seventeen.
Objective: Locate souls that are due for death and bound for Hell
Reward: Each soul reaped elongates life
Warning: Refusal to adhere to the objective will result in instant death.