The silence stretched thick in the chamber as Rowan's party fanned out behind him. Six players total, armored and armed, their weapons gleaming faintly in the ruins' eerie light. Their eyes locked on Kael's wrist, where the Seal of Worlds pulsed faintly, its silver surface etched with shifting runes.
Kael rose slowly to his feet, every muscle coiled, his grip tight on his sword hilt. He had known Rowan only briefly, fought side by side in beginner fields, shared meals at taverns. The man had seemed easygoing then, more focused on cracking jokes than competing for loot. Now, Kael saw the truth in his expression—the calculating hunger of someone who wanted what wasn't his.
"You shouldn't be here," Kael said evenly.
Rowan smirked. "Funny. I was about to say the same thing." He tilted his head toward the bracelet. "That doesn't belong to you."
Kael's pulse thundered in his ears. He could still feel the lingering hum of power from the First Fragment, its energy woven into his veins. It had chosen him. The voice had been clear. But looking at Rowan's party, he knew they wouldn't care about divine selection or fate. To them, this was loot. Rare loot. And loot could be taken.
"You're making a mistake," Kael warned.
Rowan shrugged. "Maybe. But if I don't take that thing now, someone else will. Better it's me, don't you think?" He hefted his axe onto his shoulder. "Don't make this harder than it has to be. Hand it over."
The demand stoked something in Kael's chest, a heat that burned away hesitation. This wasn't just about the bracelet anymore. This was about survival, about destiny. He couldn't let it go.
"No."
Rowan's smile hardened. "So be it."
The clash erupted in an instant. Rowan lunged forward with surprising speed for his bulk, his axe arcing in a wide swing. Kael barely managed to sidestep, the blade slamming into the stone floor with a deafening crack. He retaliated with a swift slash, sparks flying as his sword glanced off Rowan's armored pauldron.
The others moved in. A mage raised his staff, a bolt of fire screaming across the chamber. Kael ducked, heat licking his cheek as the spell exploded against a pillar. An archer loosed an arrow, and Kael twisted aside, the shaft whistling past his ear.
There were too many of them.
Time… The word whispered in his mind, a faint echo from the fragment. Kael gritted his teeth and focused.
[Ability Activated: Temporal Shift Lv.1]MP Cost: 120
The world slowed to a crawl. The firelight froze mid-flicker, arrows hung suspended in the air, and Rowan's next swing dragged through syrupy resistance. Kael's breath came sharp and quick, every detail around him magnified in crystalline clarity.
He darted forward, slipping past Rowan's guard, and slashed twice at the mage before the man could even blink. Blood spattered the stone, and when time snapped back into place, the mage collapsed with a cry, health bar plummeting into red.
Gasps erupted from Rowan's party. "What the hell was that?!"
Kael staggered, dizziness washing over him as the ability's toll struck. His MP had dropped dangerously low, and his limbs felt heavy, sluggish. He'd bought himself a moment, nothing more.
Rowan roared, fury igniting his eyes. "Kill him!"
The chamber exploded into chaos. Arrows rained from the archer, clanging off stone as Kael weaved between pillars. A rogue flickered in and out of the shadows, daggers slashing for Kael's throat. Sparks flew as steel met steel, Kael parrying desperately, every strike rattling his bones.
Pain blossomed across his side as an arrow found its mark, tearing into his HP. His vision pulsed red at the edges. He couldn't keep this up. Not against six.
Move, think, survive.
He ducked behind a broken column, fumbling through his inventory. Health potion—small. He downed it in one gulp, the warm burn sliding down his throat as his HP ticked upward. But it wasn't enough.
Rowan's heavy footsteps closed in, the man's laughter echoing. "You fight well, Kael. Better than I expected. But you're not a hero. You're just another player in my way."
Kael's grip tightened on his sword. He couldn't overpower them. Not yet. But he didn't need to. He just needed to live.
The ruins shuddered suddenly, as if the battle had awoken something deeper within. Dust rained from the ceiling, and the faint hum of the Seal resonated through the chamber. Rowan faltered, glancing around in confusion.
"What was—"
Kael didn't waste the moment. He sprinted toward a narrow passage at the edge of the chamber, his boots slamming against stone. Shouts rang out behind him, arrows clattering against the walls as he plunged into the dark corridor.
The twisting tunnels blurred into one another, Kael's breath ragged, his wounds aching. He ran until the sounds of pursuit faded, until only the echo of his heartbeat remained.
Finally, he collapsed against a wall, sweat dripping down his brow. His HP hovered dangerously low, his MP nearly drained. He was alive—barely.
He glanced down at the bracelet, its runes glowing faintly as if mocking him. Or perhaps encouraging him.
"Why me?" he whispered, voice hoarse. "Why give me this?"
The silence offered no answer, only the steady pulse of the Seal against his wrist.
Kael closed his eyes, forcing his breathing to slow. He couldn't stay here. Rowan's party would search, and they wouldn't stop until they claimed the Seal for themselves. He had to grow stronger, fast enough that no one could threaten him again.
The fragment's voice echoed faintly in his mind. Twelve pieces. Twelve truths. Each step forward binds you tighter to destiny.
Kael clenched his fists. If that was true, then he had no choice but to walk the path laid before him. Rowan might have betrayed him, but Kael would rise. And when the time came, he would face Rowan again—not as prey, but as equal. Or as executioner.
He pushed himself back to his feet, determination hardening in his chest. The ruins stretched deeper ahead, unexplored chambers waiting in the darkness. Danger lurked, but so too did power.
Kael stepped forward, the flicker of the torch casting long shadows against the walls. For the first time, the whispers of the ruins no longer felt like threats.
They felt like promises.