You fill my lungs and take away the air [Global Examination]

Chapter 2: Pulled me in till I came alive

154 furrowed his brow as he rubbed his throat, temporarily distracted from the paperwork that Qin Jiu had assigned him (or rather, he stole from 001's desk while he was out of the office). There was a mild itch in his throat that had been there since he had woken up, and as tolerant as 154 was, an internal itch such as this was actually one of the few things that, quite literally, got under 154's skin.

Objectively speaking, there was nothing to worry about; itchy throats were quite normal amongst most people, being symptoms for many things like common colds and allergies. And it wasn't like 154 was suffering from any other symptoms, like a fever or even a runny nose, so really, 154 wasn't concerned in the slightest.

154 peered at the empty glass of water on his desk. He probably wasn't drinking enough water, that was why his throat was dry and itchy.

He'd just get some more water later, maybe look for some cough drops as well. And maybe sleep a bit more; 922 always complains that 154 doesn't sleep enough, but 154 is too busy to listen to him, his table covered with countless stacks of paperwork that the asshole System kept giving them.

For fucks sake, if the System wanted to shuffle people codes around so badly, as well as making all sorts of other administrative changes... why where the Head Invigilators the ones stuck with all the paperwork!? It wasn't like they were the ones who were insistent on these changes.

154 let out a small sigh, and in a moment of weakness, he slumped forwards, resting his head against his arms as a makeshift pillow... as uncomfortable as it was on his arms and shoulder joints.

All this paperwork wasn't a pleasant routine, and only served as a reminder of how hopeless their situation was, being forced to watch as more and more people were taken by the System, as fewer and fewer got out unscathed...

But it was the routine he deserved.

He can't complain, didn't deserve to complain, not when 154 was partially responsible for all this pain and suffering, even if he was only a former part of the System.

And as much as 001 wanted to spite the System and not do his paperwork, knowing that there was nothing the System could do to him anyways, 154 couldn't afford to take such a risk.

154's position was far more precarious than that of everyone else; not even Qin Jiu's delicate situation, being involved in rebellion that resulted in the System wiping out his memories and making him the Head Invigilator while You Huo was kicked out, would put his life in as much peril as 154's.

Unlike Qin Jiu, 154 was trapped in a world where he didn't belong, would never belong.

He wasn't a person, only the bits and pieces of empathy and humanity the System once had, an amalgamation of broken, unwanted code that had been thrown away, and yet, he wasn't fully a program either, because programs had no semblance of humanity, of emotions and feelings, only knowing how to stick to their base code and follow instructions blindly because they didn't know any better.

154 was stuck drifting along the boundary between two worlds, was neither a person nor a program, and would never be accepted by either side.

All the energy he had, he devoted to thinking up ways to take down the System, or at least, somehow access the System's back-up station once again and release everyone's memories.

If 001 managed to get his memories back... then it was fine, everything should be fine, because Qin Jiu was the strongest person that 154 knew... besides from Chu Yue, still somewhere within the System, but 154 couldn't figure out where she was, and You Huo, who 154 literally had no way of reaching or making contact with.

By the time the System fell, 154 would cease to exist alongside it, so if there was anyone could trade their life and health for everyone else who had been trapped within the System... it was 154, because his existence was forfeit anyways.