Chapter 1: The Reader's Vow
Cold.
I died like an untended candle—just faded quietly into the dark.
Not the dramatic chill of some fantasy battlefield or the bite of a winter snowstorm—but the quiet, relentless cold of a dying apartment in winter. The worn heater in my tiny room had long since given up, leaving me shivering beneath a threadbare blanket. I died there—alone, unseen, unheard, and with no hand to hold in my last moments. My life was a chain of silent tragedies: family gone, friends faded, a ghost wandering in a sea of seven billion.
But even in that isolation, I wasn't truly empty. I was a reader—a desperate wanderer in countless fictional worlds. I devoured mangas, light novels, webnovels through sleepless nights; stories were my only warmth. And among all those worlds, Fate was my sanctuary. I knew its heroes, villains, and heartbreaks like my own breath. I had lived in that universe more fully than I ever had in reality.
My final, bitter thought before oblivion whispered: "I wish I could have lived in one of those worlds. I wish I could have protected them."
And then… I woke up.
Not in some ethereal dreamscape, but a sterile, white hospital room. The soft beep of monitors echoed around me, an odd symphony I wasn't used to.
Beside my bed, head bowed, was her. Lilac hair spilling softly over her face. Her uniform—a curious black and purple suit—marked her as something extraordinary.
Mash Kyrielight.
The Shielder. The girl I had read about, who should have been just a character in a story now real before me.
Her amethyst eyes fluttered open, still hazy with sleep, but their sharp glance betrayed faint shadows beneath—soft lines etched by exhaustion and relentless duty. She blinked, then widened with relief. "Senpai! You're awake!"
That word slammed directly into my heart—the familiar honorific, the tremor in her voice. This wasn't some fever dream. This was Chaldea.
"I..." My throat felt raw, dry, as if I'd forgotten how to speak.
"You collapsed during your orientation as a new Master," Mash said, biting her lip nervously. "Your mana levels spiked... then dropped to zero. I was... really worried." She glanced away, a soft blush coloring her cheeks. "B-but you look okay now, right?"
That awkward stammer—pure Mash. Even across the boundary between fiction and reality, her personality remained true to the stories I'd treasured.
And I knew her fate.
Singularities—battles across shattered timelines that defied logic. Lostbelts—crippled branches of history erased from existence. Her life—a cruel countdown ticking down far too quickly.
None of that mattered anymore.
Looking into those earnest eyes full of hope and fear, warmth bloomed inside me. Fragile, fierce, and utterly consuming.
I must protect her. No matter the cost.
My hand moved of its own accord, trembling as I reached up and brushed her cheek. She flinched, startled, then leaned into the touch, eyes closing for a brief moment in contentment.
Warm. Real.
The endless cold from my former existence shattered into dust.
"I'm okay," I murmured. "Thank you... for worrying about me."
She smiled softly—small but searing into my soul like a brand.
And in that instant, something stirred deep inside—an ancient power awakening. The air shimmered faintly, and for the briefest flicker, I thought I saw light coalescing like a star between my fingers before vanishing.
I barely understood it yet. But I would master it.
Mash was my first treasure. My reason.
Though my vow began with her, I knew there was room for others to join this burning legacy.
For her—and for those yet to come—I would rewrite Fate itself.
[A/N: For readers new to Fate:
Imagine fractured timelines spawning apocalyptic battles called Singularities and dark parallel worlds known as Lostbelts. Mash is a warrior hero bound by a ticking clock, fighting to save humanity but trapped in a tragic fate. This story is not just about fate—it's about breaking destiny to protect what truly matters.]
What's next?
While Mash holds my heart today, my vow's flame isn't exclusive. Others will join this journey.
And soon, you'll glimpse the creation power stirring inside me—an infinite force to forge worlds, rewrite destinies, and shape everything.
Because this is only the beginning.