(Gravity Arc — Locked Sequence I)
The void was quiet.
Not peaceful.
Not empty.
Quiet like a courtroom before a verdict.
Kael stood at the edge of something that did not belong inside reality.
A door.
No…
A concept pretending to be a door.
It had no frame.
No material.
Only an outline carved into existence by an authority that predated creation.
Above it floated words that should not be readable.
Yet Kael understood them instantly.
"LOCKED ARC: GRAVITY — ENTRY DENIED"
The System spoke.
Not with sound.
With inevitability.
[OMNIPOTENT SYSTEM NOTICE]
User: Kael Voyran
Existence Status: Partially Returned
Seal Integrity: Cracking
You have reached the First Locked Arc.
Arc Name: Gravity
Definition: The force that drags forgotten things back into truth.
Requirement to Enter:
One memory you erased
One name you buried
One price you cannot undo
Kael's jaw tightened.
"So this is it."
The Architect appeared behind him, hood trembling like it was afraid of what stood ahead.
"You weren't supposed to reach this point so soon."
Kael didn't look back.
"I didn't choose soon."
"The Arc chose now."
The Echo flickered beside him, voice like broken starlight.
"This door…"
"…is not a path forward."
"It is the universe asking you one question."
Kael whispered.
"What question?"
The Echo's eyes hollowed.
"…Do you deserve to exist again?"
Silence.
Then—
The door pulsed.
And the void beneath Kael's feet shifted.
Gravity.
Not physical.
Narrative gravity.
The pull of something unfinished.
The Door Opened Without Permission
Kael did not touch it.
He did not command it.
He did not even breathe.
Yet the Locked Arc responded.
Because Kael's existence was no longer optional.
The outline cracked.
And for the first time in countless chapters—
The System's voice trembled.
[WARNING]
The Locked Arc was never meant to be entered.
This Arc does not contain quests.
This Arc contains verdicts.
The door opened.
And Kael stepped through.
The Place Between Chapters
He expected darkness.
He expected void.
He expected gods.
Instead—
He found…
A library.
Infinite shelves.
Infinite books.
Infinite stories.
All of them unfinished.
All of them abandoned.
All of them sealed.
The Architect froze.
"…No."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"What is this?"
The Echo whispered, voice breaking.
"This is where erased arcs go."
Kael turned slowly.
Each book had a title.
But the titles were wrong.
Not names.
Not events.
But absences.
"The Day Kael Didn't Save Her."
"The Timeline That Survived Without Him."
"The Version of Sera That Kept Breathing."
Kael's breath stopped.
His fingers twitched.
And then…
A book fell off the shelf by itself.
It landed at his feet.
Its cover was blank.
Until it wasn't.
Words bled into existence.
"Chapter 0 — The Origin's First Hunger"
Kael's blood turned cold.
The Architect backed away.
"No… no no no…"
Kael looked up.
"What is the Origin doing here?"
The Echo answered with dread.
"It isn't doing anything."
"…This is where it started reading you."
The lights in the library dimmed.
The shelves began to creak.
And then—
A presence turned the page.
Kael froze.
He wasn't alone.
Something unseen was inside the Locked Arc with him.
Something that had been waiting since before Kael had a name.
Then the System spoke again.
Soft.
Almost respectful.
[LOCKED ARC EVENT]
The Reader has noticed you.
Reward: None
Punishment: Attention
Survive the next page.
Kael clenched his fists.
The Forgotten Star ignited in his chest.
His Crown flickered.
His existence screamed.
And somewhere beyond the shelves—
Something smiled without a face.
Kael whispered:
"…So this is the Gravity Arc."
The Echo whispered back:
"No."
"This is the Arc that proves…"
"…you were always being watched."