[Welcome!]
In his mind's eye, Felix saw the word sitting there. Even though the word had no color or tone, he felt like it did. It exuded green even though it was plain text. That and the feeling of aggressive cheerfulness.
[Welcome!]
The second iteration of the word slammed into his mind like a physical force. He tried to collect his thoughts.
[Welcome!]
He felt that even with all the magical events taking place, this still felt a little surreal. It occurred to Felix that a mental system message was heavily indicative of this reality being a simulation.
[Welcome! You are Experiment 667! Your Soul's Designated name is @/e?!...Recalculating]
Uh oh.
[Recalculating]
Alright, I take back what I said. I swear it's real.
Felix looked around wildly, like a trapped animal.
[Recalculating]
Just give me a system cheat, no hard mode, please.
[...]
Pretty please?
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
[Recalculating?]
He sat stunned.
Was that a goddamn question?
[-ERROR-]
Fuck. That actually hurts.
[-ERROR-]
He clutched his head in pain.
Look, I don't even want a system
[-ERROR-]
Alright, that is getting ominous.
[-ERROR-]
Ow...
[System Reboot]
"Do you react better to voice commands?" Said Felix tentatively. No response appeared in his head. "Well, I suppose that's a no then." He heard a plop and looked down to see a drop of blood from his nose fall on the cover of the book. "I really hope this book is blood proof." Then he fell forward and smacked his head into the manual on the table as he passed out.
----------------------------------------
Felix's consciousness was shocked awake by a jolt of pain to his head.
AAAHHH why do I keep waking up to my head full of pain? Was I a bad person in my other life?
[...]
Oh no, it's back!
[...]
It's come to finish me off!
He stood up. He felt desperate enough that coming clean to Elder Rong and begging for help sounded like a good idea.
[...]
[...]
[...]
[...]
[System Safe Mode Initiate]
Oh, thank goodness.
Relief rushed his system as he sat back down. Though he could feel his hands shake as adrenaline still flooded his system.
[-ERROR- source being verified.]
Please just stop. I would be happy if this just stopped.
[-ERROR- issue found!]
[Original host soul destroyed]
[Current host is an abomination containing a fragment of the original test subject's soul and other souls]
[Soul homogeneity at 45%]
[Body and soul synchronization at only 75%.]
...What? An abomination?
Felix stared vacantly into the air. He just felt overwhelmed.
[Solution to current -ERROR- Found. In light of the host being evaluated as an abomination, the system suggests system assisted suicide.]
[Initiate system assisted suicide?]
[Yes or No]
Felix felt the "Yes or No" offer hang in his mind, actively prompting him for an answer. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
"I'm... I'm an abomination" He said. His eyes closed in pain.
I am just some Frankenstein horror show, aren't I? Masquerading in the body of some poor boy.
Felix sat there for a long time. Even when the daylight dimmed outside, he sat and just observed that "Yes or No". He thought of the different families that he remembered from different lives. He thought of the confusing mixture of dreams and desires that collided around in his head, making it tough to decide what he really wanted.
Am I the inheritor of these people's wills, or am I the monster that makes a mockery of their lives? At this point I don't know what I should do.
He refocused on that prompt that lay in his mind, his will hardening.
Then if that is the case, I choose life. I choose to be a spark that survives the rain and the wind.
He felt his entire self synchronize with this choice. The various parts of himself that he now knew comprised more than one person came to an accord.
And when I find out who did this to me, to us, I will burn their very fucking soul to ash!
With that thought, Felix selected "No".
[No accepted]
[New iteration needed]
[System Reboot]
"Oh goddammit!" yelled Felix. His head impacted the book for the second time that day.