My heart dropped.
I gazed at him, expecting fury ,disappointment at the very least ,but his expression was blank.
He walked forward and placed a hand on the rusted metal door. For a moment, he simply stood there.
Then, without turning, he asked,
"Do you know who Systemfall is?"
The question startled me.
"No," I replied, hesitant.
He stared at the door as if something beyond its rust was worth studying.
A drop of sweat slid down my temple, hitting the ground with a deafening thud.
"There was once a boy who believed he was the main character in a world full of NPCs," he began.
"He dominated everything. Joined the army. And sought to become the man who'd bring down the System."
I felt my heartbeat echo in the silence.
Long ago, the gate had opened. If left unclosed, monsters would pour through, slaughtering the dwellers of the world.
To counter this, an army was formed.
Among them was Mikel ,a prodigy. He cleared an entire gate in just three minutes, alone.
They believed he was the prophesied destroyer of the Dark System ,the force behind the monster horde.
They called him:
Systemfall.
It was a name passed down, now reserved only for the greatest warriors of that era.
Mikel trained relentlessly, rising above all. Then came the Dawnbreak War.
"Hey Mikel! We're counting on you!" a comrade laughed, slapping his back.
He looked up to see his teammates grinning at him.
"Of course," he smiled. "I'll end the dark empire that birthed this cursed system."
A massive red gate opened ,and they charged in.
A monster lunged the moment they stepped through.
Mikel hurled his axe, slicing off its arm. He vanished and reappeared behind it, catching the falling weapon and severing the beast's head in one clean strike.
Blood rained down. The warriors cheered.
"Above you—!" someone shouted.
But the blast struck before he could move.
That was the moment Mikel learned:
he was nothing but an ant in the universe.
Clutching his broken shoulder, he stumbled back, blood pouring.
He looked around ,his comrades lay scattered, broken. Some were barely recognizable.
He collapsed to his knees and looked up.
In the sky, two beings clashed.
One shrouded in black aura.
The other radiant with light.
"Not monsters. Not human. Something older — far beyond even nightmares."
He raised his trembling hand toward them.
The white aura overwhelmed the black.
"My light… was never close to shining that bright," he thought.
"Even if it was… it would never outshine darkness.
In the beginning, there was darkness. And even after light was born to bring good… darkness always lingered."
A voice echoed near him — calm, cruel.
"Mikel, is it? A boy who thought he was the sun…
but forgot there are billions of stars larger.
What a vain life ,to be ended by a stray blast from warriors far above your league."
Mikel turned his head, and he was astonished, struggling to speak.
"Who… are you?" he asked.
The being stepped forward and extended a hand.
With a gentle, eerie smile, it said,
"Clueless boy. Come, little ant… and let me show you what your kind only dreams of seeing."
A shiver crawled down my spine.
The chief commander turned away from the door and began walking.
"Aren't we all pawns on a chessboard?" he said quietly.
"Dreaming to become something more?"
He didn't stop walking.
"Our fate is sealed. Our lives follow a pattern a routine written long before we breathed.
To break it would be foolish… but to master it?" He paused. "That would be wise."
He stopped.
His tone shifted suddenly, casual almost amused.
"Oh. I nearly forgot. The squad selection ceremony begins shortly.
An esteemed guest from the royal family will be joining us today."
At the mention of royal, Kaein stirred.
Just a small movement ,a twitch in his resting posture , but it was enough.
I opened my mouth slightly.
Questions rose like a storm inside me, pushing for release.
But I said nothing.
Silence wrapped around me like chains.
And before I knew it… I was alone.
I leaned against the wall behind me, hoping for warmth. But the metal was cold.
Cold like truth.
Cold like blood drying on skin.
The air felt cold as I stood alone in the hall.
Above us, six squad leaders sat, gazing down like silent kings.
Kaein, as usual, stood upside down on the ceiling, reading another novel.
The commander stepped onto the podium, torchlight casting gold across the room.
"My fellow warriors, we meet again," he said. "You will now be chosen by the squad leaders. If none choose you... well, you'll have to start from the bottom again."
I took a deep breath.
Lucen was picked by every squad a rare honor. He chose the most dominant without hesitation.
One by one, those around me disappeared, chosen. It was like I was a rotten apple in a basket of oranges.
"It seems only Kael remains."
I tensed.
Of course no one would want a murderer. A cheater.
Memories flickered. Guilt stung. But I was pulled back by the sound of a bell ,soft, haunting. Beautiful.
We were told to kneel. Not to lift our heads. Lest we die.
I lowered myself. My eyes stayed fixed on the marble floor as footsteps echoed. Soft. Graceful.
A reflection rippled on the floor , a golden dress made from the finest cloth. Bare, feminine feet touched the stone with reverence.
The man beside me trembled. Then ,foolishly he looked up.
Blood sprayed. His body collapsed beside mine.
Warmth soaked beneath my fist. My heart kicked against my ribs. I gritted my teeth.
She stopped in front of me.
I felt her gaze ,not cruel, not kind. Familiar, which made me tilt my head almost raising it.
"Young warrior," she said, her voice like light through stained glass, "what delightful eyes you have. How far can you see with those eyes of yours?"
Her voice stirred something old inside me , something I'd forgotten. I felt a connection an odd come I couldn't describe.
What did she mean? Haven't I seen enough already?
But no... I remembered my mother's words.
I haven't found the truth.
I haven't found the answer.
I haven't found her.
I opened my mouth. Closed it.
Then finally, I whispered,
"To the depths of life itself."
Her tone shifted , now softer, like a cry across time:
"Make it happen."
Then she walked away, her footsteps fading.
The air went still.
The man's blood cooled on the floor.
I rose slowly, trembling. Everyone else remained calm. I couldn't look at the corpse. I just walked.
I wandered the hallway, lost in thought ,until a hand pulled me into a hidden passage.
I reached for my knife ,but he caught my hand and covered my mouth.
"You still can't relax," Kaein sighed.
"How can I meditate when life keeps moving so fast?" I muttered.
"I doubted you, kid," he grinned. "But you pulled a ten out of ten. We have to celebrate!"
He led me down the passage like it was a victory parade.
Candlestands lit up as we walked, bursting into flame like magic.
"Where are you taking me? I'm underage!" I protested.
He snorted.
"You act older than you are, Kid."
We stopped at a wooden door. He pushed it open.
"Have some fun."
The air inside reeked of beer and sweat ,but also something warmer. Familiar. Not drunk... just alive.
The room turned. Faces grinned, tankards raised.
"Hey guys!" Kaein called. "Brought fresh meat!"
They all looked my way. I froze.
"He's young , perfect test subject."
"Let's fight!"
"Drinking contest?"
" I don't think I properly introduced myself ",Kaein began.
"I'm Kaein, seventh squad leader," he announced. "This chaotic crew? We're the Angel Heroes. Losers, mostly. Wanna join?"
No time to respond. Someone threw the uniform at me.
"Try not to die, kid!" someone laughed.
And I… laughed too.
Laughed hard.
They paused, confused.
"He's crying," one of them whispered.
And yeah, I was.
For the first time in this cold, cruel world, I cried tears of joy.
Not pain. Not fear. Not guilt.
Joy.
It felt wrong ,like the System would punish me for feeling this way.
But right now, none of that mattered.
I knew the system would steal this moment from me but , for now it was mine.