The tombstone leaned to the side, like it had given up trying to stand proud. Poison ivy and moss smothered most of the stone.

  I ran my finger across the name engraved in the cold stone:

  Amara Solen.

  My mother.

  I wondered if it was normal for a son to stand at his mother's grave and feel nothing but questions.

  I bent down and pulled away the weeds.

  My hand rested on one of the weeds and for a while I lay there stagnant.

  A white butterfly landed on my finger.

  I gently nudged it on my palm then closed my hands enough to trap it.

  I felt it tender wings as it tried to escape .

  "Let go Kael ",my step mother commanded.

  I let go.

  It staggered, then flapped away. I sighed. I didn't watch where it went. I turned and walked away.

  Behind me, it glitched once-then disappeared.

  I set at the dinner table just me and my step mother ,yet it felt empty as if I was alone .

  "You can't visit your mother's grave anymore it disturbing our program ",she announced.

  I shrugged clenching my fist. I held back tears, I'm a system born child I can't cry .

  "Can I atleast visit her on my birthday?",I asked bitterly.

  "No . The system is your parent, your mom died because she was weak, morning for the weak makes you weak ".

  I forced a trembling smile like always.

  A part of me hated my mother for giving birth to me just to live me alone .

  I went to bed. My step mother stood infront of the door watching, like a reminder that the system is my guardian angel.

  I closed my eyes while feeling her gaze until I fell asleep.

  Back at school she was my teacher . I felt like her gaze followed me like a ghost .

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  That why when I ate alone I never thought I was alone.

  The floor squicked while swet was suspended in the air as we did karate practice.

  I dodged a right hook and connected a punch to the stomach then uppercut faster than he could react .

  He stumbled down , I rained down on him with punches then stopped when he looked at me with tears in his eyes as if begging for mercy.

  My step mother watched me on the side .

  With a thud she broke her pen .

  I landed the final blow.

  "What with that kid his scary".

  "His always smiling ".

  "I hered his a system born child ".

  "No wonder his like this. His always alone but he says his not "

  "What a creep".

  I felt empty. It not like they understand me and it not like I understand myself.

  "Kael, I... I know you're busy and everything," a girl stammered. "But I was hoping we could maybe catch lunch this weekend... if you don't mind?"

  It was rare for someone to talk to me especially like this .

  I scaned the room , no one , yet I felt her gaze .

  "Why me?".

  She turned red .

  "Because...bec..ause I ...I love you ok ".

  love... I don't think I'm capable of that feeling.

  I woke up one morning with only a name and a headache, nothing else , no memories, no clues. Just me.

  I was said to be the System's child. And yet I felt lonely, like Adam in Eden. Except Adam had God.

  The system doesn't love its children. It sees love as a waste of time. It makes humans weak and vulnerable. It built us through obedience and respect. And I've been a good boy, for all I know. It adopted me, so the least I can do, right?

  I offered one of my trained smiles-the emotional kind-and turned her down gently.

  I went past a couple making out , rain kissed my face as I departed the school.

  I went past a park on my way home , children laughed animated, some cried .

  I stopped and gazed at a mother hugging her crying child , making funny faces to make him smile then tugging the child's scarf before living.

  "Let go Kael ",My step mother commanded.

  I touched my face,"am I crying or is it just the rain ?"

  I set at the dinner table and ate the usual supper...I repeated that the following day....then again...and again...and again....and again...and again...and again...and again....and again...and again...AND AGAIN..AND AGAIN...AND AGAIN !

  I stared at my reflection in my bedroom mirror. My eyes looked like the people I'd killed during martial art practice.

  But why !But why!But why.

  "Kael it time for be-".

  "But why am I still alive!".

  "Because the system is beautiful ",she answered.

  I looked at her through the reflection then smashed the mirror.

  "Is this beautiful !"

  I smashed my wardrobe.

  "And this!"

  I smashed my computer.

  "And this !"

  "Stop at once Kael or it will result in immediate consequences ".

  I grabbed my hair and laughed .

  Tears streamed down my face.

  "Ohh what the heck I'm crying will you make funny faces to calm me down ?",I asked with my trained smiles.

  "I'm not authorized to do that".

  "To hell with you people !".

  I smashed the door as dashed out .

  I ran like the wind.

  "Watch it kid".

  BEEP.BEEP.BEEP

  Everything was to loud. I ran into alleyways and past that until there was silence .

  I stood on an old bridge,bellow it was an abyss.

  I caught my breath .

  A part of me wanted to fall and be forgotten by the world, the wind seemed to agree as it blew forward.

  THUD.THUD.THUD

  The bridge crumbled.

  I closed my eyes as I fell. I felt free , I even laughed .

  I couldn't feel my step mother's gaze anymore.

  I opened my eyes , the world glitched and became an endless darkness .

  A white butterfly illuminated the void.

  And it morfed into a woman in white clothing.

  She touched my face , her hand felt blissful.

  "Kael my son I'm glad I finally met you after so long ",she smiled, her voice radiant.

  Mom!?

  "Am I dead?",I asked.

  She giggled ,"Far from it , your journey is yet to begin Kael my son , chose the red path although it may have a lot of struggles but it is a path to freedom ".

  I took a step back .

  Have I lost it?

  She started to turn to dust .

  "Goodbye my son".

  Wait, wait , I'm not done, I need answers, wait , wait...

  "WAIT!",I tried to grab her but she crumbled to dust.

  2 buttons hovered in the void.

  One red .

  One blue .

  Code 234gate -red:become a warrior

  Code 455 gate- blue: excell as the system's child and become a noble guardian.

  A 30 second timer ticked.

  ...29...

  ....20....

  ...15...

  My hands trembled as my hands went from red to blue.

  Phantoms of my step mother and the other people appeared.

  "Come back home Kael ",My step mother began.

  "Why! I'm not even treated like a normal human !I want to find my real mother ! I want to find love!".

  "Why you ask ?",they began.

  ....15...

  "Because the system is beautiful "

  ....10...

  "The system is beautiful....the system is beautiful...the system is beautiful...the systemisbeautiful....the system is beautiful...the system is beautiful",they went on .

  A dark figure placed it hand over mine .

  It pushed my finger which hovered above the red button, before whispering to me,

  "..."