The night in the refugee camp was heavy with silence, broken only by the faint crackle of dying fires and the restless shifting of children wrapped in rough blankets. Smoke still clung to the air, mingling with the scent of blood and ash, a grim reminder of what had been lost.
Alex sat apart from the others, knees pulled to his chest, staring at the ground as though it might swallow him whole. His body trembled, not from cold, but from the weight pressing down on his chest. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw flames. He saw his father, Erynder, standing tall with his sword raised, refusing to fall until his body was pierced beyond saving. He saw his mother, Mara, smiling with tears in her eyes as she whispered her final wish. He saw Lyanna his little sister her scream drowned in the roar of fire as she was torn from his side forever.
His breath hitched, and he dug his fingers into the dirt. "Why… why am I the only one left…?"
No answer came. The night gave him nothing but the sound of crackling firewood and muffled sobs from the other children.
But then
[Ding!]
The sound echoed directly in his head, sharp and mechanical. Alex froze, eyes widening. He hadn't heard that tone since… since before the attack. Since before his family was gone.
The System.
[System Synchronization Resuming…]
[Error detected: Trauma overload interfering with Host's stability.]
[Adjusting parameters… stabilization successful.]
[Player Profile Update Initiated.]
Before his eyes, faint light shimmered, and a translucent blue window unfolded in the darkness. His breath caught in his throat as the familiar interface returned, glowing against the night.
__________________________
Player Name: Alex (Sunlight)
Race: Half-Elf (Undisclosed)
Age: 7
Class: Sword Apprentice Lv. 3
HP: 220 / 220
MP: 105 / 105
Strength: 13
Agility: 15
Vitality: 12
Intelligence: 10
Willpower: 16 ↑
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Alex's eyes stung as he read the words. The numbers didn't matter. None of it mattered. What use were stats when his family was gone? His trembling hand reached out, brushing against the glowing panel. "Why… why show me this now?"
As though in answer, new lines of text scrolled across.
[New Title Obtained: Survivor of Elderleaf]
[New Trait Activated: Flame of Resolve]
[Description: Born from tragedy, this flame does not burn the body, but the soul. Increases Willpower growth rate when enduring grief or hardship.]
He clenched his fists. A part of him wanted to scream, to rip the panel apart and reject it. Survivor? That word tasted bitter. It meant everyone else was gone.
But then his vision shifted.
The camp, the smoke, the children all of it dissolved like mist. Alex gasped as warmth flooded his chest, and he suddenly stood beneath a vast sky of endless gold.
In the distance, a man stood alone upon a hill of broken blades. He wore armor so bright it hurt to look at, silver and white etched with runes that glowed like starlight. His hair was the same dark shade as Alex's, but streaked with silver, and in his hand, he carried a sword that blazed like the sun itself.
Alex's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know the man, yet something deep inside him recognized him instantly.
The Sunlight Knight.
The figure turned, and though his face was calm, his eyes carried the weight of countless battles. He studied Alex in silence, then raised his sword high.
"Even if the world burns, even if hope shatters, we rise again. That is the oath of Sunlight."
The words reverberated, not only in Alex's ears but in his very bones. His body shook violently as if those words were being carved into his soul. The golden world trembled, and fragments of light wrapped around him, forcing his small hands to close as though gripping an invisible hilt.
Alex stumbled forward, struggling to breathe. His voice came out broken, choked with sobs. "I-I can't… I can't do it. I'm too weak. I couldn't save them…"
The knight's gaze softened, but he did not step forward. Instead, his image blurred into light and shattered, leaving only a single echo:
"Then grow strong. Live. Protect."
Alex collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He reached out desperately, but the vision dissolved into darkness. The camp returned—the faint glow of embers, the muffled sniffles of children, the cold air pressing against his skin.
And floating before him was the System.
[Legacy Fragment Resonance Detected.]
[New Quest Unlocked: Path of Sunlight.]
———————————
Quest: Path of Sunlight
The fragments of the legendary knight's soul have chosen you as their bearer. To inherit his light, you must walk through darkness.
Objective: Survive. Grow. Protect.
Reward: Legacy Synchronization (Locked).
———————————
Alex's breath trembled. He stared at the quest window, unable to speak. For the first time since the flames, since the screams, something stirred faintly inside him. A tiny ember not enough to warm, not enough to heal, but enough to flicker.
He wiped his face with the back of his hand. His chest still ached, and the weight of loss hadn't lessened. The pain was still raw, still unbearable. But… his mother's voice echoed faintly in his memory. Live on, Alex. Promise me.
Slowly, shakily, he opened his mouth.
"I… I promise." His voice broke halfway, but he forced the words out. "I'll survive. I'll live. I'll grow strong enough to protect the ones I love."
The System reacted instantly.
[Promise Registered.]
[New Title Obtained: Child of Oaths.]
[Effect: Willpower +2, Resistance to Fear +10%]
Alex let out a trembling laugh that quickly dissolved into sobs. His shoulders shook as he buried his face in his arms. He didn't know how he would keep that promise. He didn't know if he had the strength. But for the first time since everything had been taken from him, he had spoken his own resolve aloud.
Around him, the night pressed on. The other children remained asleep, unaware of the vow he had just made. Unaware that, among them, a boy had been chosen by destiny.
Alex lifted his head, gazing up at the starless sky. His eyes, red from crying, still glimmered faintly with something new.
Not hope. Not yet. But something close.
An ember of sunlight, waiting to burn.