Desperation and Determination

Neon City was still shrouded in darkness when Dante, exhausted and wounded, returned to what he called home. His refuge was an old abandoned apartment in the lower levels of the city, where sunlight rarely reached and misery was a constant. He had lived there for as long as he could remember, ever since his parents died in an industrial accident when he was just six years old.

Since then, Dante and his younger sister, Lena, had learned to survive together in an ruthless world. Now sixteen, Dante had developed a resilient and cunning personality. He was protective, especially of Lena, whom he had promised to keep safe at any cost. His life had been a series of battles against hunger, despair, and the gangs that controlled the slums.

As he entered the apartment, he noticed an unsettling silence. "Lena, are you here?" he called, but there was no response. The empty feeling in the place filled him with growing fear. Lena's small bed was unmade, and some of her belongings were scattered on the floor.

Dante looked around with increasing anxiety. The signs of a struggle were evident: an overturned chair, a broken lamp, and traces of blood on the floor. Lena had made it back to the apartment, but something had gone terribly wrong.

He tried to recall the events of the previous night. They had gone out late, a last-minute decision to look for food and supplies. He had felt something was wrong but ignored his intuition. Now, seeing the mess and signs of a fight, he cursed himself for not being more careful.

"Kade's thugs" Dante thought, his mind racing. Kade was a small-time criminal known for kidnapping people and delivering them to sinister organizations that performed experiments with cybernetic implants. Although not important himself, Kade was ruthless and efficient in his work, doing the dirty work for those who operated in the shadows.

He remembered how the thugs had relentlessly chased him the night before. They had been too well-coordinated to be mere street robbers. And now, seeing the trashed apartment, it couldn't be a coincidence. Lena had been kidnapped, and all signs pointed to Kade being behind this.

"This is my fault," Dante murmured, feeling a knot in his stomach. "We shouldn't have gone out so late. I should have protected Lena better."

Trying to calm himself, he began pacing back and forth in the apartment, running his hands nervously through his hair. His gaze settled on the bioluminescent mark on his arm. He needed help, a way to save Lena, and he remembered the device that had fused with his body. It was time to find out what it could do.

"How do I activate you?" he murmured, trying different words as he continued his frantic pacing. "Start. Turn on. Operate." Nothing seemed to work.

Frustrated, he punched the wall with his fist. "Activate!"

Immediately, the device reacted. A holographic screen appeared in front of him, with an interface displaying a series of statistics. His eyes widened as he read them:

Name: Dante

Race: Human

[Strength: 3]

[Agility: 4]

[Reflexes: 5]

[Intelligence: 12]

[Charisma: 2]

[Energy: 4]

Below the statistics, another screen appeared:

[Skills: None]

Dante looked at the numbers, feeling a mix of disappointment and hope. His stats were low, except for his intelligence, which stood out. This explained how he had survived so far, using his wits more than his physical strength.

As his eyes fixed on the screen, memories of that fateful night hit him hard. "We shouldn't have gone out so late," he scolded himself. "It's my fault the thugs chased us. I should have protected Lena better."

The feeling of guilt overwhelmed him, making him clench his fists until his knuckles turned white. Frustration began to take over. Although this system seemed promising, he had no idea how it could help him in this critical moment.

"What do I do now?" he murmured in desperation. "I don't know if this will be of any use, but I need to find Lena."

He explored the interface further, trying to understand how it worked. There were menus for skills, missions, and a map that seemed to show a simplified version of Neon City. However, many of the options were locked or inactive.

"What kind of implant is this? What is it really for?" he asked aloud, hoping for a response from the device, but there was none.

He looked once more at the holographic screen, hoping for some clue, some sign that would show him the way. But the system remained silent, its functions locked as if mocking his desperation.

"This is useless!" he exclaimed, shutting off the interface with a punch. He couldn't afford to waste more time. Lena was in danger, and every second counted.

With renewed determination, Dante left the apartment. The rain was still falling, but he didn't care. He knew he had to find his sister, and he would do it with or without the system's help.