Day 2 Before the Second Gate Awakens
Kalen stood in silence beneath the ruined obsidian altar of the Old Dominion—a forgotten relic buried deep in the Underrealms, far from the academy's gaze. Black stone twisted around his boots like coiled serpents, pulsing with a heartbeat not his own.
Before him floated a black prism—hovering just above a well of endless depth. The System's Shadow Root, the interface between the world and the source code of all known magic.
System Notice: You Are Approaching a Forbidden Node.
Accessing Core Permissions Requires Irreversible Alignment.
Do You Wish to Continue?
Kalen didn't blink.
He remembered Rae's eyes when she looked at Brent. The fire she showed when she fought beside him. The way the bond chose them—not him.
They had left him behind.
And now… he would rise above them all.
"Yes," he said coldly.
The Voice Answered. But It Wasn't the System.
"You would trade your soul for control?" the voice asked. Velvet. Mocking. Ancient.
"I already did," Kalen whispered.
From the black prism erupted tendrils of spectral code—symbols of forgotten languages, looping and flickering. They pierced into his skin, down his spine, through his nerves. Kalen screamed as he was rewritten, overwritten by the essence of something far older than light and flame.
Shadow Root Interface Engaged.
System Override Seed Initiated.
You Are No Longer a User.
You Are Becoming the Architect.
Flashback – Kalen and Vaelrick, Weeks Earlier
"Why not Brent?" Kalen asked, blood still fresh on his shirt after the trial attack.
"Because Brent burns too brightly," Vaelrick said. "He is the flare that draws eyes. You must become the dark between the flames. Subtle. Hidden. Permanent."
"And Rae?"
Vaelrick paused.
"Her soul will belong to the System, one way or another. If not through love… then through domination."
Present – Kalen's Transformation Complete
Kalen collapsed to one knee. His arm—no longer fully human—was covered in shimmering lines of code and shadowglass. His left eye glowed faint crimson.
System Fragment Absorbed – Administrator Override: Alpha-Prime.
New Class: Null Paladin
Title: Systembound Architect (Inception-Class)
Unique Abilities Unlocked:
• Codebend – Alter system rules within a set radius
• Corrupt Echo – Rewrite a bonded pair's link temporarily
• Lockgate Command – Initiate false Gate signals to confuse activation timelines
• Absorption Seal – Steal progress from nearby challengers
Warning: Continued use will degrade user's original self. Estimated Self-Loss Rate: 4% per day.
Kalen rose, not wincing at the pain.
His thoughts were clearer than ever.
He could feel Brent's flame somewhere in the distance. Feel Rae's heartbeat pulsing through the shared system core.
He could end their progress.
He could take it all.
He smiled.
Elsewhere – The Second Gate Pulses
In the chamber where Her chains trembled, the Gate began to weep black mist.
And She laughed softly.
"He's cracked the Root."
"He thinks he's the Master."
"But he's just another key."
"And when the Gate opens… it won't matter who holds the System's heart."
"Because I am the heart."
Final Countdown to Gate Activation: 1 Day Remaining
Kalen: Shadow Core Active
System: Fragmented
Observer: Preparing vessel
Gate Entity: Fully aware
Brent & Rae: Unaware of Kalen's transformation