Arios stood in the center of a shattered street, his silver-violet blade humming faintly as another wave of portals tore open in the sky. The creatures spilling forth were bigger, faster, more numerous than the first, but he no longer hesitated.
Unlike his father's measured and almost surgical approach, Arios's style was fluid, instinctive, and aggressive. He struck with arcs of mirrored void, weaving between the monsters with uncanny grace, letting the inevitability embedded in his system nudge his strikes, guiding him subtly. Each attack was a mixture of Selene's mirrored elegance and Lucien's void precision, yet distinct—Arios moved with youth, creativity, and a hint of improvisation his father never allowed in himself.
Seraphyx hovered nearby, tendrils flicking lazily but alert. "Stop thinking," she murmured. "The system will guide you. Flow with inevitability, not against it."
Arios exhaled sharply, letting the monster's attacks slide past him while slicing through another portal-born aberration. His hands glowed as he unleashed Harmony of the Twin Veils, a fusion of silver and void energy that tore a rift through a pack of creatures in an elegant flash of light.
System Notification: Combat efficiency increasing. Potential evolving with each kill.
Arios grinned, sweat running down his brow. "I can feel it… the system, my powers… it's like I'm finally awake."
A shadow detached itself from the horizon. Selene Dreamveil landed gracefully, her silver hair catching the dim light, her aura calm but absolutely overwhelming. Seraphyx immediately lowered herself into a kneeling position, tendrils retracted, her voice soft but reverent.
"Queen of Inevitability."
Selene inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment, but her eyes didn't leave the battlefield. She wasn't here to interfere—she had been tracking the surge of monsters, Arios's awakening, and the rifts opening across Aetherion. She came to observe, confident that her son's new guide would manage the fight, yet curious to see how her heir handled himself.
Arios froze for a split second. His heart thumped. She's… incredible. His father's presence had been one thing, but seeing his mother now—radiant, untouchable, unmeasurable—left him breathless.
Instinctively, he tried to peek at her stats. His system's interface hummed faintly… then a soft chime rang.
[Unknown Entity Detected.]
Name: Selene Dreamveil
Title: Queen of Inevitability (and many more)
Stats: Unmeasurable across all fields.
The numbers refused to appear. Only her titles shimmered, vast and layered: Queen of Inevitability, First Mirrored Six, Matron of Hidden Orders, Mistress of Veils, among others.
Arios's jaw dropped. "I… I can't… even see her strength?"
Selene's lips curved in a soft, amused smile. "Numbers are meaningless, Arios. Titles carry the weight of deeds, influence, and inevitability. Even the system cannot quantify me… and it is good that you see this."
Seraphyx gave a faint snort, as if hiding a smile beneath her tendrils. "Respect, Young Lord. Do not peek further—she will eat your curiosity like a child's snack."
Arios groaned, shaking his head. "Unbelievable… I can't even measure my own mother."
The sky darkened further. The next wave approached, larger, fiercer, with shadows that writhed like liquid nightmares. Arios gripped his blade tighter, violet and silver energies coiling around him.
Seraphyx's voice cut through the chaos, calm yet sharp. "Young Lord, keep your focus. Observe, but do not hesitate. Your style is different from your father's, remember? Creativity and instinct, combined with inevitability. Flow with it."
Arios nodded, eyes narrowing. He could feel the system adapting, his stats fluctuating as his instincts merged with the inherited powers of his father and mother.
Strength: 470 → 510
Agility: 520 → 560
Willpower: 540 → 600
The numbers surged faster than he could track. Even at sixteen, even just awakened, his combat potential was astronomical, though still far from Lucien's. His younger self—the Arios sealed away as a child—had raw power that might have rivaled him in a direct clash, yet lacked the guidance and system-enhanced control he now wielded.
Seraphyx's tendrils twitched. "Young Lord. Focus. Every movement, every strike must be precise. Let inevitability do its work. I will watch your flanks."
Arios exhaled slowly, centering himself. "Right… then let's see what I can do."
Above them, the portals churned, the first tendrils of the monstrous horde reaching for the city.
Selene observed silently from a distance, regal and calm, her aura rippling like a tide of inevitability. Even the second Revenant, standing beside her, nodded slightly at her assessment: Arios was awakening. The heir of inevitability was finally learning to wield his birthright.
And as the first monsters lunged, Arios smiled faintly at Seraphyx. "Let's do this, then. Teach me how to flow… but no talking about Dad while we fight, okay?"
Seraphyx's tendrils flicked lazily. "Impossible, Young Lord. But I'll try."
The horde surged forward. The Son of Inevitability raised his blade, violet-silver energy blazing.
And thus, the true awakening of Arios Dreamveil began.