Stella looked at Eliot. The fear in her eyes slowly changed to confusion, then a small bit of curiosity. "Food?" she repeated, as if she didn't understand the word after what she had been through. Her stomach, though, rumbled loudly right then, giving her away. A slight blush appeared on her pale face.
Eliot gave a small, kind smile. "Yeah, food. You look like you haven't eaten in days. And honestly, neither have I." His own hunger was a dull ache now, but he knew how important it was to eat. "We need energy to figure this out. Both of us."
He helped her stand up. She was shaky, swaying a little, and he instinctively reached out a hand to steady her arm. Her skin was cool, almost damp. "Are you hurt?" he asked, sounding worried.
She shook her head, running a hand through her messy hair. "Just… tired. And scared. It felt like… like my insides were shaking. Like I was going to explode." She looked around the old room, her gaze resting on the scattered pieces that her uncontrolled power had affected. "What was that? What did I do?"
"You used your powers, probably for the first time," Eliot explained gently as they walked back towards the broken door. "Like me. My System calls it 'Basic Telekinesis.' You were moving things without touching them. But yours was… a lot more chaotic than mine was at first." He didn't mention the System's harsh warning of "System Overload Imminent," not wanting to scare her more, at least not yet.
They slipped out into the growing darkness. The anonymity of the fading light was a small comfort, but Eliot felt a constant prickle of worry, checking every shadow, every distant movement. Hunter-Alpha was out there.
"So, the 'System'… it's like a voice in your head?" Stella asked, wrapping her arms around herself.
"More like a see-through screen," Eliot corrected, briefly showing her his own interface so she could see the faint, transparent display. "It gives me updates, tells me about my abilities. But it's also really frustrating. It hides information." He explained the "DATA ACCESS BLOCKED" warning.
"Mine too," Stella confirmed, her eyes wide. "I just heard… flashes. Words I didn't understand. And it hurt. It felt like my head was being torn open."
They walked for a few blocks, Eliot leading the way, guided by his internal map. He knew of a small, plain convenience store a bit further down. It wasn't fancy, but it was discreet.
"You said you were 'unregistered'?" Stella asked, breaking the silence. "Is that why… why we're being hunted?"
"That's what the System thinks," Eliot confirmed, his voice serious. "It mentioned 'Protocol X' and 'Resource Optimization and Control.' It sounds like… like we're mistakes. Errors they want to fix, or 'neutralize' as it says."
Stella shivered. "Neutralize. That sounds bad."
"It does," Eliot agreed. "But it also said my existence causes 'System Instability.' So maybe that gives us power. Maybe we're more important than just targets." He looked at her, seeing a shared determination growing in her eyes. "We have to figure out what that means. What this 'System' actually is, and why it chose us."
They reached the convenience store. Eliot had only a few crumpled bills. He bought two cheap energy bars and two small bottles of water, annoyed at how little he could get. It wouldn't last them long, but it was a start.
They found a quiet alleyway behind the store, partly hidden by overflowing dumpsters. They sat on the cold pavement, unwrapping their energy bars in silence. The artificial taste was plain, but the act of eating, of fueling their bodies, felt incredibly important.
"My family… they're gone," Stella said suddenly, her voice flat. "It was an accident. A fire. I… I just woke up here. No idea how I got out. Then the… the feeling started."
Eliot felt a sharp pang of sympathy. Her tragedy was even more immediate, more heartbreaking than his own recent pain. "I'm sorry, Stella. Truly." He paused, then offered, "I lost my job. My life was pretty much a mess, even before this. But then the System hit. Made me realize… I wasn't just jobless. I was connected to something bigger. Something terrifying, but also… a chance."
"A chance for what?" Stella whispered, tearing a piece off her bar.
"A chance to fight back," Eliot said, meeting her gaze. "To not be a victim. If they want us gone, then we have to get stronger. We have to understand this power, this 'System,' better than they do. We have to learn how to fight them." He vaguely gestured to the busy, unaware city beyond the alley. "They don't even know this war exists. But we do."
Stella looked down at her hands, then back at him. "How do we get stronger? My head felt like it was going to explode just making pebbles float."
"Practice," Eliot said, remembering his own hours with the brick. "And information. My System gave me a map. It led me to you because you're an 'anomaly.' Maybe there are others. Or maybe there's a way to unlock more data from the System itself." He looked around the cramped alley. "This isn't a long-term solution. We need a safer place, and we need to start training. Together."
The silence stretched, broken only by the distant city sounds. Stella slowly chewed her energy bar, her eyes distant, thoughtful. Then, with a firm nod, she looked at Eliot.
"Okay," she said, her voice small but strong. "Together. Where do we even start?"