Dust danced in the beams of moonlight seeping through cracked windows. Cobwebs clung to corners like forgotten memories. It was quiet—eerily so.

He kicked aside a fallen photo frame. Something rustled.

A single sheet of old paper fluttered across the room, landing at his feet.

Jace frowned. “What the hell…?”

He picked it up gently. The ink was faded, but legible enough.

> "To my daughter—

If you're reading this, then time’s caught up to us. There's something buried beneath this house. It’s not gold, it’s not power—it’s a legacy. One you were meant to pass on…

Go to the room under the floor. Place your hand on the cube. Only blood can open the path."

The rest of the letter was burnt away, edges crumbling in his hands.

Jace muttered, “Cube? Room under the floor?”

It took him a minute to realize—the old cellar.

He pulled open the trapdoor with a loud groan and descended the stairs, the air growing colder with each step.

---

The Cellar

The room was empty… except for a pedestal in the center.

Atop it sat a strange black cube, humming faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat.

Jace approached cautiously.

“You better not explode on me.”

He hovered his hand above it, hesitated—then pressed down.

ZAP!

“Shit—!”

A sting lanced through his palm, sharp as a blade.

He yanked his hand back, staring at it.

No blood. No mark.

“The hell…?”

But when he looked back—

The cube was gone.

Gone. As if it had never been there.

“What is this place…?” he whispered.

Then—

DING.

A faint chime rang in his ears.

Words flashed in front of his eyes—but not on any screen.

Just... there.

In the air.

---

[SYSTEM INITIATED]

> Blood Match Confirmed.

> Ancestral Lineage Detected.

> Welcome, User: Jace Arkwell.

He stumbled back, breath caught in his throat. “What the hell is this?!”

More words began appearing—like a game interface projected into his vision:

---

[USER STATUS]

Name: Jace Arkwell

Health: 120/120

Fatigue: 40%

Experience: 0/100

Strength: 5

Agility: 6

Perception: 7

Intelligence: 6

Mentality: 5

Stamina: 4

---

Jace blinked. “What… stats? Like a… game?”

He waved his hand through the air, half-expecting the text to vanish.

It didn’t.

“Is this real? Am I losing my mind?”

He took a deep breath. Every instinct in his body screamed this was wrong—but another part of him… the part that had faced death and survived?

It whispered This is just the beginning.

Then—

DING.

Another message popped up, pulsing red.

---

[You Have 1 Pending Video Message]

> Would You Like to View Now?

---

Jace stared at it, heart pounding.

He hesitated.

“…What the hell did Grandma get herself into?”