The Cause Progression System

Chapter 7: The Cause Progression System is Initiated

Nathan and Emily stepped cautiously into the next chamber, their nerves still raw from the Architect's Test. The room's walls glowed faintly, lines of energy pulsing toward a crystalline pedestal at the center.

Before either of them could comment, glowing words appeared—not in the air like before, but directly in their minds.

System Message: You have unlocked the Cause Progression System (CPS). Your journey now includes growth through understanding, faith, and action. Complete quests, gain experience points (XP), and level up to unlock new abilities and insights.

Nathan froze, clutching his head as though he could physically dislodge the glowing message. "What the—did you see that? In your mind?"

Emily's eyes widened as she nodded. "Yeah. It wasn't like the hologram back in the first chamber. This was… personal. Like it's part of me."

As the first message faded, a second one appeared, flashing faintly in their vision:

System Message:

Tutorial: Levels of Faith

• XP Gain: Earn XP by completing challenges, answering questions, and sharing truths about the Cause.

• Faith Levels: Each level represents your growth in understanding and strength of faith.

• Abilities: With each level, you unlock new abilities that help you defend the Cause, understand deeper truths, and engage with others more effectively.

• Next Level: 100 XP required to reach Level 2. Current XP: 0.*

Before Nathan could process the message, another notification flashed before their eyes:

Current Party:

[Slot 1: Emily, Level 1 (XP: 0/100)]

[Slot 2: Nathan, Level 1 (XP: 0/100)]

[Slot 3: Unavailable]

[Slot 4: Unavailable]

The party screen materialized as a faint, glowing image in their minds. Emily and Nathan's pictures were displayed side by side, though both were slightly greyed out. A faint lock icon shimmered over each of their portraits.

Nathan frowned, studying the image. "Look at that. Our faces are there, but… we're greyed out? Like we're locked in or something. Does that mean we can't leave this 'party'?"

Emily tilted her head, squinting at the display. "Looks like it. And what's with those other slots? Are we supposed to add more people?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "What people? We're the only ones here. Unless this system expects us to pick up random glowing crystal beings on the way."

Emily smirked. "You never know. But seriously, why would a system let us add team members? And who would we even trust to bring into… this?"

Nathan groaned, gesturing at the faint lock icons. "And what if we don't want to stick together? What if I don't want to deal with your constant commentary?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. Looks like we're stuck with each other whether we like it or not. But still, it's strange. Why give us a team feature and then lock us in? That feels… deliberate."

Nathan leaned against the pedestal, his voice lowering. "It's not just deliberate—it's controlling. Like someone wants to make sure we don't split up. And if that's true, what else is this system going to force us to do?"

Emily glanced at him, her expression softening. "Maybe it's not forcing us. Maybe it's trying to teach us something. Like, we're stronger together. And those extra slots… maybe they're for something we haven't seen yet."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "That's awfully optimistic of you. What happened to being suspicious of mysterious mind-hacking systems?"

Emily smiled faintly. "I'm still suspicious. But I also know we won't get anywhere if we don't trust each other—and this system—for now."

Nathan sighed, crossing his arms. "Fine. But if this thing starts turning us into some weird mind-controlled team, I'm out."

Emily gave him a playful shove. "Deal. But until then, try not to drag the party down, okay?"

As the system messages faded, a door on the far side of the chamber opened, revealing a winding staircase. The faint hum of energy from the walls seemed to pulse in time with their steps as they walked forward.

Deep down, Nathan and Emily both knew the system was more than a tool. It was connected to them—and each other—in a way they didn't yet understand. But for now, they had no choice but to move forward together.