Kill to Evolve: The system that demands blood

Chapter 1

"Dad, if you die at work, can I get a dog?"

Ronan Vale nearly choked on his coffee. He turned to his eight-year-old son, Noah, who was casually spooning cereal into his mouth like he hadn't just said something insane.

"Excuse me?"

Noah swallowed, then shrugged. "A dog. You said no 'cause they're too expensive. But if you die, I get your life insurance, right?"

Ronan dropped his head on the table with a groan. "It is too early for this conversation."

"So… is that a no?"

"It's a what-the-hell, Noah!"

Noah grinned. "Just checking."

Ronan sighed, rubbing his temples. He was twenty-nine, broke, and constantly exhausted, working two jobs just to keep food on the table. Noah had inherited way too much of his mother's dark humor, which was great—when it wasn't being used against him.

"Alright," Ronan said, getting up. "I gotta go. Uncle Dean's picking you up after school, okay?"

Noah gave a thumbs-up and went back to watching cartoons. It was routine, something familiar. Even with all their struggles, it was a life Ronan had gotten used to.

Too bad it was all about to go straight to hell.

Ronan's main job was a security guard at Genesis Biotech, one of the top research facilities in the country. It was high pay for low effort, which was exactly the kind of job he liked.

Today, though, things were different. The whole facility was crawling with suits.

Government? Private security? He wasn't sure. But it meant one thing: something big was going on.

"Yo, Ronan!"

He turned to see his best friend, Dean Maddox, jogging over with his usual lazy grin. "You see all the new guys? Something's up."

"Yeah," Ronan muttered. "You think it's related to that accident last week?"

"Maybe. Heard some egghead got himself killed in Lab-06. The higher-ups buried it fast."

Ronan frowned. "You think it was system-related?"

Dean shrugged. "Could be. Wouldn't be the first time someone awakened and got an impossible challenge."

They both knew people who had awakened a system before. It wasn't rare, but it also wasn't some golden ticket. When someone awakened, the system gave them tasks—and if you failed, the penalty was usually death, it was a living nightmare. Everyone, infact...no one wished to be chosen by a system, because there was no guarantee that you could complete the missions you would be assigned.

Dean leaned in, grinning. "Speaking of dumb system challenges, did you hear about Jake?"

Ronan raised an eyebrow. "What happened to him?"

"He awakened last week. You won't believe what the system gave him."

"Go on."

Dean held up a finger. "Challenge: Kill a dragon."

Ronan snorted. "That's rough."

Dean grinned wider. "In five minutes."

Ronan chuckled darkly, raising a brow. "What the hell? Did the system think he was already max level?"

"No idea. All I know is that his system self-destructed the moment the timer ran out."

"Brutal."

That was the thing about systems. Some were manageable, some were powerful, and some were outright impossible. There was no fairness to it. If the system decided you weren't worthy, you were just dead.

Dean stretched. "Anyway, whatever's going on in Lab-06, it's way above our pay grade."

"Yeah," Ronan agreed. "Let's just get through the night."

Ronan's shift had been uneventful. A long, quiet night at Sentinel Security, where he and Dean were stuck watching over Sector D, the lowest priority area.

Nothing ever happened here.

That was why it was weird when the Lab-06 security feed cut out.

At first, they thought it was just a glitch. It happened sometimes—cheap wiring, bad connections. But then, the alarm blared.

The screens flickered.

Then, a message appeared on every monitor.

[EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ACTIVATED]

[ALL PERSONNEL EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY]

Dean sat up fast. "The hell is going on?"

Ronan frowned. "Lab-06 is supposed to be shut down. Why would it go into lockdown?"

Dean shrugged. "Not our problem. If they say evacuate, we evacuate."

But something didn't sit right.

Ronan had been working here long enough to know one thing—lockdowns didn't happen for no reason. If there was an intruder, the system should've flagged it. If it was an experiment gone wrong, where was the containment alert?

But there was nothing. Just a vague evacuation order.

And the camera feed was dead.

Not down—dead.

Something inside him itched. A feeling he couldn't shake.

He turned to Dean. "You go. I'll check it out."

Dean grabbed his arm. "Ron, don't be stupid. If it's bad enough for them to evacuate, you running in there is just gonna get you killed."

He wasn't wrong. But Ronan also knew how security worked. If they left, they'd be blamed. If something was missing, or if an intruder got away, the higher-ups would pin it on them.

And honestly? He needed this job.

"Five minutes," Ronan said. "If it looks bad, I'm out."

Dean sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Man, I swear to God, if you die, I'm taking your coffee machine."

Ronan smirked. "Noted."

Then, he grabbed his gun and made his way to Lab-06.

The moment he stepped inside, the smell hit him.

Iron. Burnt plastic. Something worse.

His grip tightened on his gun. The lab was a wreck—tables overturned, monitors shattered, blood smeared across the walls.

And the bodies.

At least ten of them, scattered across the room. Scientists. Guards. Their bodies were contorted, faces frozen in expressions of sheer horror.

But no bullet wounds.

No signs of a fight.

Just death.

A chill ran down Ronan's spine. He should leave. This was beyond him.

Then, he heard it.

Footsteps. Slow. Unhurried.

Ronan turned.

And saw him.

The man stood at the center of the carnage, untouched by the chaos. Dressed in a black suit, his posture was relaxed, almost casual. His violet eyes glowed faintly, watching Ronan with mild curiosity.

Everything about him screamed wrong.

Ronan raised his gun. "Hands where I can see them."

The man smiled. "You really don't understand your situation, do you?"

Then, the air shifted.

A pressure slammed into Ronan's chest.

He staggered, struggling to breathe. It was like the atmosphere had thickened, crushing his body from all sides. His gun slipped from his grip, his knees buckling beneath him.

His lungs burned. Every nerve in his body screamed.

Then, the man lifted a hand.

Ronan tried to move. To run. To do anything.

But he was stuck. Frozen.

A sharp, unbearable pain erupted in his chest—like something inside him was being ripped apart.

It was worse than being stabbed. Worse than being shot.

His own body was turning against him.

His muscles convulsed. His vision blurred. His heart—beating too fast, too weak, slowing down.

He couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.

Then, he collapsed.

He could feel the blood pooling beneath him, soaking into his clothes. His body twitched weakly, trying to fight, but he was already too far gone.

The man crouched beside him, studying him like a broken toy.

"Pathetic," he murmured. "You weren't even worth testing on."

Ronan's fingers twitched. His thoughts scattered.

Noah.

His son's face flashed in his mind.

Waiting for him at home.

If he died here—if he just let go—Noah would have no one.

No.

No, he wasn't going to die like this.

He tried to move. To cling to consciousness.

But the darkness swallowed him whole as he succumbed to unconsciousness.

[SYSTEM BINDING COMPLETE]

[EVOLUTION PATH: KILL TO SURVIVE]

[FAILURE TO EXECUTE: LIFE FORCE EROSION BEGINS]