The world ended for him in the screech of tires and the shatter of glass.
A flash of white, the crunch of steel folding, and then silence.
But death was not darkness.
He opened his eyes to a sky painted in shades of gold and crimson, a vast horizon split by floating mountains that defied gravity. Silver rivers cascaded down from the cliffs, weaving through emerald valleys that glowed with a light not of the sun, but of the world itself. The air was thick, rich each breath carried a pulse of vitality that pressed against his lungs like liquid fire.
He lay on his back atop marble tiles veined with silver, smooth and cold beneath his fingertips. A cathedral stretched around him, pillars rising like colossal spears, their tips lost in clouds of shifting starlight.The silence was profound too profound.
Even his heartbeat sounded intrusive, as if he had stepped into a place meant for gods, not mortals.
Then
[System Initializing…]
A voice neither male nor female vibrated through his skull, resonant like a choir and sharp as a blade. His eyes narrowed; the tension in his jaw shifted from confusion to wary curiosity.
[Omni-Dominion System Activated.]
[Welcome, Host.]
His lips parted, then curved upward not in shock, but in something colder. A smirk that tugged faintly at the corner of his mouth.
The marble beneath him reflected that
expression back at him sharp eyes that glimmered not with fear, but with calculation.
"…So this is what comes after death." His voice was calm, deep, carrying a trace of amusement. "A second chance… or a game."
The cathedral trembled. A translucent screen unfolded before him, runes spiraling outward like a blooming flower until words burned themselves into clarity:
[Quest 1: Establish Dominance]
[Failure: Death]
His brows arched. Not fear but interest. The atmosphere seemed to shift with his expression; the cold stillness of the hall grew taut, charged, like the breathless pause before lightning splits the sky.
"A game of survival, then," he whispered, pushing himself to his feet. His movements were deliberate, fluid, almost predatory. Each step echoed through the cathedral, the sound sharp, alive, as if the building itself acknowledged his existence.
He reached out, fingers grazing the edge of the glowing screen. It pulsed beneath his touch, warm, alive like the heartbeat of a beast waiting to be tamed.
He exhaled slowly. His gaze lifted toward the endless vault above, eyes narrowing with a glint of anticipation. The smirk returned, sharper, darker, as if the very act of breathing in this new world fed the hunger simmering in his chest.
"This world doesn't know it yet," he murmured, voice low, carrying across the cathedral like a promise etched into stone,"but it already belongs to me."
The silence that followed was absolute.Even the rivers of starlight seemed to pause,
listening.
And then
[System Update: Path of Dominion Initialized.]
The marble trembled, and the doors of the cathedral boomed open, spilling a rush of wind scented with iron and smoke. In the distance, flames licked at a dark horizon; the cries of men and beasts alike carried through the air, torn between war and death.
He stepped forward, shadows and firelight twisting across his face, outlining the faint, confident curve of his lips.
His second life had begun.
The marble doors groaned wider, their gilded hinges echoing like the toll of war-drums.
Wind rushed into the cathedral, carrying with it the heavy stench of smoke and blood.
He stepped into it without hesitation.
The world beyond was chaos.
A village sprawled at the foot of the cathedral's hill, its wooden homes ablaze, orange tongues of fire clawing at the twilight sky. Shadows darted through the inferno—men with twisted armor and crude blades, their laughter sharp, cruel, echoing with the delight of predators. Screams carried from every direction, shrill and desperate, cracking against the night.
The air itself seemed to recoil at the violence. Ash floated like black snow, landing on his shoulders, smearing against the pale marble behind him. He tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable his eyes narrowing, lips curving faintly. The reflection of flames danced within his pupils, yet not a flicker of panic touched his face.
[Side Quest Generated: Intervene in the Battle]
Reward: 200 Dominion Points, Skill Unlocked.
[Failure: None.]
"Optional," he murmured. His gaze sharpened, scanning the battlefield with surgical precision. Every scream, every clash of steel became a thread in his mind's tapestry, weaving into patterns of opportunity.
His jaw tightened slightly then relaxed. The faint smirk returned, curling as if the world itself had revealed a joke only he could understand.
A cry cut through the night different from the others. Clear. Fierce.
From the heart of the burning village, she emerged.
A young woman, no older than twenty, burst into view, her silver hair streaked with soot, her white robes torn at the hem. In her grip burned a blade of pure light, its glow desperate against the tide of armored raiders. Her face was smeared with ash, lips parted with ragged breaths, but her eyes blazed like a storm of defiance that could shame kings.
She cut down one man, then another, her movements fluid but frantic, strength waning beneath sheer numbers. Her expression faltered just slightly as another brute lunged, axe raised.
The man watching from the cathedral steps tilted his head, the faintest narrowing of his eyes betraying interest.
[System Alert: High-value target detected – Potential Companion.]
[Bond Path Available: Subjugate or Seduce.]
His lips parted, and for the first time since his rebirth, he chuckled. The sound was low, smooth, like velvet laced with steel.
"A choice between domination and desire… fitting."
The wind howled, carrying sparks across his face, outlining the faint curve of his smile.
He descended the cathedral steps slow, deliberate, the marble beneath his boots glowing faintly with each stride as though the world itself acknowledged his claim.
Another scream tore the air. The silver-haired girl staggered, her blade knocked aside, knees pressing into the ash-stained earth. The raider's axe rose above her, a grotesque grin splitting his scarred face.
And then
The raider froze.
A hand gripped his throat, pale fingers digging into flesh with effortless precision.
The brute's eyes bulged, weapon clattering uselessly to the ground.
The newcomer's shadow fell across the girl, his face half-lit by fire, half-veiled by smoke. His gaze flicked once to the trembling man in his grasp, then down to the woman kneeling at his feet.
Her lips parted in shock. She drew in a ragged breath, chest heaving, silver eyes widening as if staring not at a savior but at something far more dangerous.
The faint smirk remained on his face, untouched by the heat of flames or the stench of blood. His expression was calm, assured, as though this battlefield was nothing more than a stage built for his entrance.
"Get up," he said softly, voice low and smooth, yet carrying the weight of command. "You won't survive on your knees."
And as if to punctuate the words, he tightened his grip. The raider's neck snapped with a sound sharp as breaking ice.
The body crumpled.
Ash swirled in the wind. The girl's silver hair lifted with it, her wide eyes locked on the man who had ended death with nothing but a hand.
He released the corpse, brushing his palm against his coat as though discarding dust. Then, with that same faint, amused curve tugging at his lips, he turned his gaze fully upon her.
The world around them burned, yet in that moment, it felt as though the fire bowed to him.
[Bond Path Activated.]
[Choose: Subjugate… or Seduce.]