Mike

"gender of choice"

You live in a system-driven world. Whatever you do, everything is immediately archived. Sometimes this helps, but sometimes it can be destructive.

You're studying at a university where almost everything revolves around one person—Jack. He's the golden boy, protected by his teachers and respected by the other students.

And you?

You frankly dislike him, just as he dislikes you. You've grown accustomed to the constant arguments and squabbles between you.

One of the most ordinary days, you were standing as usual and arguing animatedly about something.

Suddenly

The window above your head said "system failure." This surprised you, but when you looked around, you saw red threads above everyone's heads. Some led to people nearby, and some into the distance.

Your gaze returned to Jack, and you couldn't believe your eyes. Your heads and Jack's were connected by a red thread.

This left you in shock, because you had no memory of when exactly it happened.