Lucien sat at the apex of the Primordial Citadel, the World Tree's roots stretching infinitely around him. The void pulsed like a living heartbeat, as if the Primordial Realm itself were aware that its owner was awakening in a new way.
For eons, he had relied on the system — a tool, a mirror, a guide. It had named him, measured him, recorded him. It had charted his growth, given structure to his chaos, and quantified the unquantifiable. But now… now he felt it differently.
Every pulse of the Primordial Void resonated within him. Every branch of Ydris Solmare whispered secrets older than stars. He could sense the laws of all nine realms, the flow of causality, the hidden threads between existence and nonexistence, and even the subtle hunger of The White itself.
The system had been a crutch. And for the first time, he no longer needed it.
Lucien extended his hand, the familiar black interface shimmering into view. Lines of text scrolled rapidly, listing everything he had achieved, all titles, stats, abilities — a catalog of inevitability. But as he read, he realized it was redundant. Each entry was already etched into his being.
Owner of the Primordial Void — felt in every fiber of his existence. Control over space, time, causality, entropy, dualities, meta-forces, transcendence — palpable in every heartbeat of the void. Ultimate forms — not names on a screen, but extensions of his essence.
He allowed the interface to hover for a moment, then reached out and pressed a single point of light in the center.
Deleted.
The system dissolved into the void, leaving no trace. The Citadel, the Tree, the void — all remained, untouched, stable. Lucien leaned back, feeling lighter. Free. Whole.
Now, clarity came in waves.
He understood the truth of the system's origin. It had not been made for him. It had been made for the universe — a placeholder for inevitability. Designed to guide him until he could comprehend himself fully. Its code, its functions, its awareness were fragments of Ydris Solmare and The White, trying to measure the immeasurable.
But measurement was no longer necessary.
Lucien rose, letting inevitability radiate outward like a soft wind before a storm. He stretched his arms and realized that now, he was not only the axis of the Primordial Void — he was the axis of law, the pivot of all reality, the fulcrum of all potential.
And with that understanding came a grounding. He no longer moved like an abstract force, uncontrolled and unknowable. He moved with purpose, awareness, and an intimate connection to everything under his dominion.
He could pause time in one realm while letting another flow. He could manipulate causality with the precision of thought. He could observe the birth and death of worlds without straining his essence. And in this quiet, steady moment, he realized something vital: even omnipotence could be grounded in purpose.
For the first time in an eternity, Lucien smiled softly, not arrogantly, not as a god, but as the being who had become himself.
"Everything… is mine to understand," he murmured. "And now, I don't need guidance. I only need truth."
The Primordial Void pulsed in response. Veythar coiled nearby, Null's nine heads swaying with quiet reverence. Lucien's hand brushed the trunk of Ydris Solmare, and he felt the bond hum in recognition.
He was no longer a user of power. He was the foundation of it.
And in that quiet, perfect moment, Lucien Dreamveil finally understood himself.