Sleep was elusive that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel the stark emptiness where sensation should be in my legs. But as dawn painted the hospital room in gentle hues of orange and pink, something strange happened.

Without any preamble, a translucent screen appeared before my eyes. The words 'System Initializing' were displayed on it. I blinked, trying to make sense of what was happening. Was this some kind of cybernetic enhancement? Was I hallucinating?

"System Initialized," a new message appeared, followed by a set of five attributes: Body, Intelligence, Reflexes, Technical, and Cool. Each had an accompanying number. Body was at 1, while the others were all at 5. Below these were multiple sub-skills with their own numbers.

"What the hell...?" I muttered to myself. My gaze flickered towards my sister, but she was fast asleep in the chair next to my bed, oblivious to the strange phenomena I was experiencing.

I tried to touch the screen, but my hand passed right through. It wasn't physical, then. Was it a part of me now? Some kind of interface only I could see? If that was the case, could I control it?

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With nothing to lose, I focused my mind on the screen, trying to navigate it with my thoughts. To my surprise, it responded, scrolling through various menus and options under each attribute and sub-skill. It seemed I could earn 'experience' by learning or improving these skills.

My heart pounded in my chest. If this was real, it was a game-changer. I might have lost the use of my legs, but this system... It could open up possibilities I never imagined.

Determined to test it, I chose a sub-skill under 'Intelligence' — 'Hacking'. With a thought, a wave of information flooded my mind. Codes, techniques, algorithms — it was a lot to take in, but my mind absorbed it all like a sponge.

After what felt like hours, I felt a mental 'click'. The 'Hacking' skill had gained an experience point. The sensation was euphoric, like solving a complex puzzle. Even if I didn't fully understand what was happening, I knew one thing: This was an opportunity, a lifeline in my desperate situation.

Reality was no longer a sinking ship but a sea of possibilities. With this system, I could carve my own path in this new world. I had to figure out how it worked, master it, and use it to turn my life around.

I might not have asked for this, but now that I had it, I was not going to waste it. My gaze hardened, resolve flaring in my chest. I was ready to face whatever this world had in store for me, and with this new system, I was not going down without a fight.