Indecision Protocol Online

It began with light.

Blinding, overwhelming light that poured into Adrian's eyes like someone had cranked the brightness on the universe.

And then—green.

Vivid. Alive. A kind of emerald overdose so loud in color it made Adrian squint. His breath caught.

The trees towered above him in impossible shapes, their canopies thick and interwoven like some sentient tapestry. Sunlight filtered through the leaves in rippling patches, shimmering with every gentle gust of wind. The air smelled of moss, pine sap, and something crisp—like water too clean to belong in any modern plumbing system.

Birds called to each other in languages not quite familiar, chirps and trills and singsong coos that echoed too perfectly through the forest. Insects buzzed from branches and unseen burrows, underscored by the faint creaking of bark as the trees seemed to breathe in slow, mighty cycles.

Adrian spun in a slow circle.

This wasn't GalaxyMart.

This wasn't even Earth.

There were no tile floors. No flickering fluorescent lights. No mop. No bucket. No awkward post-catch conversations. Just trees, wind, and noise—nature in ultra high definition.

He staggered back, knees buckling slightly as he took in the scope of it all. "W-what the hell—"

Then panic flared like a match inside his chest.

Where was the girl?

Where was the store?

Where the actual hell was he?

One second he'd been bracing for the awkward aftermath of accidental heroism, and the next—this. It didn't make sense. There'd been… something. A voice? A sound? Something happened and now he—

He stopped cold as he remembered.

The system.

That voice in his head that sarcastic, mocking, icy, feminine and awful.

He heard it now—faint, like static curling at the edges of consciousness, sharpening into clarity with the inflection of a disapproving GPS.

[System boot bypassed.]

[Oh good, You're awake.]

Adrian flinched. "No. Nope. I'm not hallucinating you again—"

[Incorrect. You are not hallucinating. If you were, you'd be somewhere far less embarrassing.]

He turned in a slow circle. The world still sparkled. Still smelled like fairy tale mulch. His heart pounded like a warning klaxon.

"What is this?! Where am I?!"

[Please remain calm. That will make your immediate expiration less pathetic.]

Adrian gaped. "What the—ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Did you kidnap me?!"

['Kidnap' is such a legally sticky word. Let's go with: I politely made a decision for you.]

[You've clearly never made one before, so consider this… charitable automation.]

"You teleported me! Without my consent!!"

[Observation: You were doing nothing meaningful. I added purpose.]

[You're welcome.]

"You threw me into a forest! With birds! And smells! And—AND NO BATHROOMS!"

[Counter: You were previously spending your existence cleaning vomit on linoleum.]

[Statistically, this is an upgrade.]

Adrian groaned. "Why me? Why am I stuck with a talking system from hell?"

[Incorrect again.]

[You are not important enough to receive a 'System.']

[What you have is a semi-functional, sarcasm-enabled Chaos Agent Program. A glorified background noise with onboarding privileges.]

He opened his mouth. Then closed it.

Then opened it again.

Then shut it because—well, how do you argue with a passive-aggressive screensaver?

A breeze rustled the leaves overhead. Dappled sunlight danced over Adrian's hoodie. He took one shaky step forward—and then everything changed.

A roar tore through the trees.

Deep. Violent. Like tectonic plates colliding with God's subwoofer.

Adrian's heart fell into his shoes.

He slowly turned.

The trees trembled, scattering birds. Bushes rustled. Earth shifted.

And then it emerged.

A wolf—no, not a wolf. Not really. Wolves didn't get this big. Wolves didn't grin.

It stood four meters tall at the shoulder, fur like iron filings woven into storm clouds. Its jaw unhinged slightly with a low, rumbling growl that shook Adrian's ribs. Red eyes glowed like coals jammed into sockets too knowing. Its mouth curled into what could only be described as glee.

Adrian took a step back. His body locked.

[Alert: An Alpha Wild Wolf has detected your presence.]

[Estimated hostility rating: terminally playful.]

The wolf's tongue flicked over yellowed teeth the size of Adrian's forearms.

"Th-that's not real," Adrian said, inching back. "That's not—this isn't—"

[Reminder: Organ rejection is not just physical. Panic faster.]

The wolf prowled forward, muscles rolling under its hide with predatory slowness.

Adrian's brain screamed GO. But his legs...

Did not move.

[Analysis: Host immobile. Recommended action: flee.]

[Urgency level: You're-about-to-die.exe]

"I—I can't—"

[Wonderful. I synced with a human vegetable.]

The wolf's gaze sharpened.

And then—finally—Adrian moved.

He didn't choose to.

His legs chose. His fear overruled the executive branch of his brain and launched him into a flailing gallop of limbs, screams, and survival instincts at war with coordination.

His arms wheeled like windmills. His sneakers slapped mud. He nearly clotheslined himself on a low branch. Somewhere in the chaos, he screeched like a twelve-year-old seeing a haunted clown.

Behind him, the wolf gave a slow, satisfied snort—and followed.

Not running.

Strolling.

Like a man in no rush to grab a snack he already owned.

[Notification: Your behavior has amused the Alpha Wild Wolf.]

[+10 Chaos Points earned.]

[Notification: The Alpha Wild Wolf sees you as a prey item it can toy with before dismembering.]

[+25 Chaos Points earned.]

Adrian didn't hear the pings. He was too busy crashing through undergrowth, tripping over roots, and ricocheting between bushes like a pinball made of fear.

His lungs burned. His throat ached. He tasted copper. He—

CRACK.

He stepped into a hidden ditch. His ankle twisted. He went airborne for half a second and landed shoulder-first in a tangle of moss and agony.

And then he felt it—fire across his back.

The wolf's claw had grazed him.

Not a gash. Not a fatal swipe.

Just enough to burn.

Just enough to hurt.

[Notification: You have survived a strike from an Alpha Predator.]

[Note: It did not aim to kill you.]

[Reason: It wants you to struggle first.]

[+100 Chaos Points earned.]

Adrian's mind buckled.

The pain lit up old scars. Not physical—mental.

Bullies. Always bullies.

Their fists slamming into his stomach after class. Laughter echoing in locker rooms. How he curled inward. Said nothing. Did nothing.

He was their stress toy. Their disposable punchline. Every slam into a wall was accompanied by a look that said: you're weak, and you know it.

He remembered how he hid behind vending machines just to avoid eye contact.

How he lied to teachers. "It was nothing."

How he excused black eyes as "an accident in gym."

They didn't want to kill him either.

Just to see him fold.

To break him before the world even had a chance.

Just like this thing.

Just like now.

His breath hitched as he tore through the last line of trees—and saw it:

A cliff. A roaring waterfall that emptied into a churning river far, far below.

He skidded to a stop, gravel slipping beneath his sneakers.

He turned.

The wolf emerged from the shadows behind him, still slow, still grinning.

It knew. This was its moment.

It had chased him to the edge—waited for him to break.

Adrian stared back.

He is breathing hard, covered in scrapes, sweat, and questions.

The wolf growled low.

Adrian blinked. Blinked again.

And he felt something new.

Anger.

Not the kind that burned wild and uncontrolled. But a slow, focused pressure—growing inside his chest.

Enough.

He was not someone's toy.

Not anymore.

He met the wolf's gaze.

And he stepped backward.

Off the cliff.

[Notification: You have made a decisive decision.]

[+1,000 Chaos Points earned.]

[Notification: Congratulations on choosing to end your life in a less pathetic way.]

[+500 Chaos Points earned.]

[Notification: You have survived an Alpha Predator encounter.]

[+1,000 Chaos Points earned.]

Air roared in Adrian's ears as the world around him dropped away. Wind screamed past his face. Water surged below—wide, angry, frothing like a giant's boiling kettle.

He flailed through the air like a broken weather vane.

"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna—OH GOD I'M GONNA—"

[Report: High probability of death detected.]

[Also: You chose this. I merely encouraged better posture.]

"YOU'RE THE REASON I'M FALLING TO MY DOOM!"

[Incorrect. Gravity is the reason. I'm just the background music.]

As the water surged below and the wolf's roar echoed from above—

Adrian twisted mid-fall, catching a final glimpse of the cliff edge—of the Alpha Wild Wolf staring down at him. It's angry that its prey escaped and it once again released a guttural roar and left.