The silence in the aftermath of Ethan's awakening was almost more unnerving than the chaos that had preceded it.
The stone floor beneath him had vanished. He now stood in a vast, black void—no light source, yet everything around him glowed in a soft, dim hue. Particles of glowing data floated in the air like embers in a digital inferno. He wasn't dreaming. He could feel the subtle pressure of the air, the light sensation of gravity pulling him downward, and the unmistakable hum of something ancient—watching.
Ascension Protocol Initialization: Phase Two.Synchronization Level: 3%.Warning: System Adaptation Required. Neural Pathways Underdeveloped.Solution: Activate "System Guide" Interface.
The message flashed in glowing white text before Ethan's eyes. Before he could respond, a voice echoed throughout the void.
"Welcome, User-Prime Ethan Vale. The Ascension Protocol has determined you are suitable for integration. Initial synchronization is incomplete. Do you wish to proceed with neural and existential calibration?"
Ethan swallowed hard. "What... what happens if I say no?"
"Existence will resume. Memory will be fragmented. Destiny will be diverted. You will remain... incomplete."
That was not comforting.
He clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "Then yes. Proceed."
A sudden beam of white light descended from above, illuminating a small portion of the darkness. Within that column, a figure emerged—female in form, draped in a robe made of shifting light and code. Her face bore no features, only a shifting mask of symbols, glowing runes, and circuits.
"I am EIDRA—the Entity-Integrated Digital-Relational Assistant. Your personal guide through Ascension."
Ethan instinctively stepped back. "You're... my system guide?"
"Correct. Think of me as your interface to the laws that govern not just your powers, but this reality itself."
"Reality? You mean the real world?"
"You will learn soon enough, Ethan Vale, that the 'real world' is a sandbox governed by layered protocols. You were not born by accident."
He blinked. "Then what am I?"
"An anomaly. A key. The first user ever to trigger Ascension without artificial catalysts. You are evolving by will alone."
As the words sank in, data streams began to surround Ethan. Each stream represented skills, stats, memories, possibilities—some familiar, others alien.
A new notification blinked:
Primary System Calibration Initiated.Synchronizing Consciousness with System Interface...Please choose a specialization path:
Technomancer – Manipulate machines, AI, networks, and surveillance systems. Control technology with your mind.
Chronoblade – Bend time in short bursts. See glimpses of the future, rewind fatal mistakes.
Mindweaver – Master psychic manipulation, telepathy, emotion decoding, and illusions.
Nullkin – Absorb and reflect energy. Immune to elemental attacks. The perfect counterbalance.
Protocol Herald – Interact directly with the source code of the system. Rewrite laws of logic, matter, and existence.
Ethan's breath caught. The last one wasn't even a class. It was a statement of control.
He glanced at EIDRA. "Is this real?"
"The System does not lie. It merely waits."
Ethan stepped forward, eyeing the final option. "Protocol Herald... what's the catch?"
"Power without comprehension invites self-erasure. You will see the truths behind the world—unfiltered."
He stared at the glowing glyph. His heart raced. "I'll take the risk."
Choice Confirmed: Protocol Herald.Synchronizing... 9%... 21%... 38%...
Suddenly, Ethan screamed. The air thickened. His veins burned like molten silver. Symbols raced through his skin like tattoos trying to brand him from the inside. He fell to his knees, convulsing—but his mind expanded. Fragments of history, strings of digital DNA, alien mathematical languages—all surged into his brain.
"Hold. On."
EIDRA extended her hand, and a cascade of light stabilized his body.
Synchronization Stable: 62%.You have unlocked Protocol Access Layer-1.
New Abilities Unlocked:
Reality Patch – Rewrite a minor physical rule within a 3-meter radius. (Cooldown: 60 seconds)
Code Sight – View the invisible data streams of nearby objects and people.
Breakpoint – Mark a moment in time to return to once. Lasts for 60 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 minutes)
Ethan gasped, lying on his back, eyes wide with a mix of horror and awe.
"I can see everything... the cracks in the walls, the hidden strings in people... like they're puppets."
"The world is code. You just never had the tools to read it before."
Then the void shifted. A landscape formed—a ruined city bathed in digital twilight. Broken billboards flickered with half-loaded ads, and drones hovered motionless in the air like paused thoughts. In the center of it all stood a giant obelisk of obsidian data, pulsing with unreadable language.
EIDRA motioned toward it.
"That is the Terminal. Your first true test lies within."
"Test?"
"Every Herald must face the first Rewrite Challenge—to alter an anchored rule of the world. Succeed, and the system acknowledges your authority."
Ethan's heart pounded. "What if I fail?"
"You won't die. But your soul will fragment. You will forget... everything."
He took a step toward the Terminal, each footfall echoing louder than the last.
As he walked closer, strange creatures began to crawl from the shadows. They weren't alive—more like corrupted code in humanoid form. Twisted faceless figures of static and glitch.
"System Defense Constructs. They sense unauthorized modifications."
Ethan raised a hand instinctively. Suddenly, floating glyphs formed in the air in front of him. His body moved before he fully understood what he was doing.
Reality Patch: Gravity Layer Rewrite – Target: Local ZoneResult: Inverted gravity field generated.
The constructs were thrown into the sky like broken leaves. Ethan staggered back, shocked at what he'd just done.
EIDRA's voice rang through his mind:
"Well done. You're adapting faster than expected."
The Terminal's gates opened slowly, revealing a spiraling staircase made of fractured stone and light.
Ethan took the first step. "Let's see how deep this goes."