"There is no such thing as a second chance. Only a rewritten fate."
– Inscription above the Gates of the Academy
**
The air shimmered with an unnatural stillness as Kayn stood at the edge of the colossal platform, suspended thousands of feet above a swirling maelstrom of cosmic energy. Below him, the World Vein pulsed with violet lightning, stretching endlessly in every direction like the roots of a divine tree.
He wasn't alone.
Thousands of candidates from across the multiverse stood in orderly rows behind him—humanoids, beastfolk, draconics, avatars of forgotten realms. Some wore robes of starlight, others radiated flames, shadows, or the cold of the void. All had gathered here for one reason: to pass the Trial of the Ascending Blade and earn admission to the legendary Interdimensional Sword Academy.
Yet Kayn felt... detached.
The Supreme System, nestled within his consciousness, pulsed quietly.
[Notification]
You have entered: Interdimensional Entry Platform – Gate Alpha.
Status: Rank evaluation pending…
Scanning competitors… Threat level: average.
Warning: anomaly detected – Origin Seed near.
Kayn narrowed his eyes.
Origin Seed?
Before he could ask, a ripple passed through the platform. Above, a golden rift tore through the sky. From it descended an enormous blade—no, a floating fortress shaped like a sword, with runes glowing along its spine.
A voice like thunder echoed in every soul:
"Only those who withstand the Sword's Gaze may enter. Let your heart be naked before the Cosmos!"
A wave of force burst outward. Several candidates collapsed instantly, coughing blood. Illusions—visions—poured into their minds, conjuring memories of regret, sin, loss.
Kayn stood still. And then, it came.
The vision.
Lyana.
Her silver hair floating under starlight. Her voice like wind across ancient ruins.
"You promised me eternity."
Then blood. Her body shattered like glass. His own hand… soaked in it.
"You failed me…"
Kayn's jaw clenched. He willed the image away, but it burned behind his eyelids. His chest tightened. Why was this memory so vivid? Was it a future yet to come—or a past he could no longer escape?
[Supreme System – Accelerated Synchronization with Cosmic Memory…]
Emotional illusion suppression: successful.
Mental resistance: A+
He exhaled slowly. Around him, dozens had already been disqualified—writhing in spiritual agony. A few stared at Kayn with awe… or fear.
From the fortress above, a portal opened. A path of light descended, spiraling toward the platform.
The first phase was over.
**
Inside the Sword Academy, the laws of space twisted like threads in a loom. Corridors bent, stairs floated into voids, doors opened to realms you didn't enter—but earned.
A voice guided the newcomers.
"Welcome, Initiates. You are now within the Domain of the Blade—where strength alone does not prevail. Here, Will is supreme."
Kayn moved with practiced ease, absorbing his surroundings. His senses, sharpened by both past and system, caught details others missed: hidden sigils behind statues, whispers from void-walls, a shift in mana currents.
[Mini-Quest Activated]
"Whispers of the Dormant Blade"
Objective: Decipher three ancient symbols in the atrium before the second sun sets.
Reward: Fragment of a forgotten technique.
The academy wasted no time.
Kayn smirked. So it begins.
**
The atrium was a vast dome open to a starfield that should not exist within a structure. Floating books, spectral teachers, and holographic monsters drifted through the air as students took their orientation tests.
But Kayn wasn't here to follow the herd.
He slid between marble pillars, toward a shadowed alcove where an unlit brazier stood. He whispered, "Rä'ek Vel Thorr," the ancient tongue of Destruction.
The brazier ignited—blue fire spiraling upward to reveal one of the three runes.
[1/3 Ancient Runes Discovered]
Behind him, a voice interrupted.
"Where did you learn that language?"
Kayn turned.
A girl stood at the threshold—tall, composed, with crystalline eyes that reflected stars. Her uniform bore an elite emblem: Primordial Heir – Celestial Faction.
Kayn's gaze sharpened.
Lyana?
No… Not quite.
Her face was hauntingly similar, but her aura—cold, precise—lacked the warmth he remembered.
"I read," Kayn replied flatly.
The girl tilted her head. "That tongue hasn't been spoken in this realm for over ten thousand cycles."
"You should update your databases."
She studied him a moment longer. "Name?"
"Kayn."
Her eyes flickered.
[Supreme System – Analysis in progress…]
Subject identified: Mirielle, Clone-Descendant of Lyana Variant C21.
Genetic Memory Fragment: 12% match with original.
Threat level: low… for now.
So, this was one of the fragments… an echo of her. The Academy wasn't just a place of training. It was a crucible of convergence—where pieces of the past returned under new faces.
"Try not to die," she said, turning and vanishing into a warp glyph.
Kayn stood in silence.
"That wasn't her… and yet…"
He clenched his fists.
*
Later, in the Initiation Hall, the Head Instructor appeared: a being encased in obsidian armor, surrounded by orbiting swords of light. His voice shook the marrow of every student.
"I am Mael-Kor, Warden of the Academy. Today, you will prove your right to exist."
He gestured, and the floor split into dozens of dueling arenas.
"The First Rite: Reconnaissance Combat. Pick your opponent. No death—unless fated."
Kayn stepped forward immediately.
"I challenge the Primordial Heir."
Gasps echoed.
Mirielle, seated in the upper ranks, stood slowly. Her crystal gaze narrowed.
"You seek pain?"
"I seek answers," Kayn replied.
**
The arena shifted into a crystalline dome. Spectators lined the walls, systems streamed battle data to guilds and realms across the multiverse.
[Duel Initiated]
Kayn (Unlisted System Anomaly) vs. Mirielle (Primordial Heir)
Mirielle drew a blade of starlight. Elegant. Deadly.
Kayn summoned the Supreme Sword—not fully awakened, but humming with volatile potential.
Their swords clashed—once, twice—a storm of sparks and afterimages. She moved like moonlight, precise and graceful.
But Kayn…
He fought like memory and chaos.
Every strike, a question. Every block, a confession.
She frowned.
"You fight like you've loved me before."
He smirked. "I have."
She faltered—a blink—just enough.
Kayn pressed in, sword against her throat. The crowd gasped.
[Duel Concluded – Winner: Kayn]
Bonus: +300 Prestige. Access Unlocked: Living Archives Sector.
Mirielle stepped back, breathing hard.
"You… you're not supposed to exist."
Kayn leaned close.
"And yet, I'm here."
**
That night, Kayn wandered to the edge of the academy, where the stars shimmered like tears above a frozen lake. The Supreme System spoke:
[Hidden Protocol Detected – Connecting to Legendary Wife Fragment...]
Emotional synchronization: 8%
Shared memory: blocked
Main Quest Updated: "Recover the Fragments of Lyana."
He whispered to the wind.
"Lyana… where are you?"
The wind answered—not with words, but with the faint scent of wildflowers.
The same scent from their final night, before the gods tore them apart.
**
As Kayn turned to return to the academy halls, a shadow detached itself from the stars—massive, winged, bearing eyes of molten obsidian.
"Found you at last, Azarel," it growled.
[ALERT – Enemy Entity Detected: Varion's Spectral Hunter – Level Unknown]
The sky cracked.
**
Chapter Summary in One Sentence:
Kayn enters the Interdimensional Sword Academy, awakens fragments of Lyana's presence, and challenges the fabric of fate through a duel that reawakens ancient memories—just as Varion's forces close in.
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