Chapter 2: The Cosmic Boon
"Why… is it so dark here?"
Karna's consciousness floated in an endless void. There was no ground, no air, no light—only silence that pressed against his very soul.
"Who turned off the light?" he murmured, half-terrified, half-confused.
"No one turned it off, child," a voice echoed—deep as eternity, soft as starlight. "You stand in the space between death and destiny."
Karna turned, yet there was no direction to face. The voice was everywhere—around, within, and beyond him.
"Who are you?" he asked.
A ripple passed through the void, and a colossal figure emerged—half bathed in light, half veiled in cosmic shadow. Stars orbited its form; galaxies spiraled in its eyes.
"I am that which exists before beginnings and after endings," it said. "Mortals call me by many names—Fate, Weaver, Cosmic Balance. But to you, I am simply the Entity."
Karna's soul trembled. "Am I… dead?"
"Yes," the Entity replied calmly. "Your mortal shell has perished, yet your spirit burns too fiercely to dissolve. Why do you cling so hard to existence?"
Karna hesitated, then spoke with quiet fire. "Because my story was never mine to end. My life was bound by cruelty—abandoned at birth, cursed for learning, killed for loyalty. I want… another chance."
The cosmos hushed.
"Another chance?" the Entity repeated. "Even gods rarely defy the flow of time. What do you truly seek?"
Karna's voice grew steadier. "I wish to return to the moment of my birth—with every memory intact. I want to change the destiny written for me… and for those around me."
The void pulsed, as though the universe itself had drawn a breath. Then the Entity laughed—a sound like colliding suns.
"To rewrite destiny itself… you are bold, mortal soul." Its eyes gleamed. "But boldness births legends. Very well, Karna. Your wish shall be granted."
A golden sigil flared between them—an intricate mandala of shifting stars and divine geometry.
"This," said the Entity, "is the Destiny System. It shall dwell within your soul—unseen, undetected, hidden from gods and cosmic beings alike."
Golden threads streamed into Karna's essence, etching radiant runes across his soul.
"With this system," the Entity continued, "you will earn Destiny Points (DP) whenever you alter the flow of fate—be it your own or another's. The greater the change, the greater the reward."
Karna watched in awe as translucent screens flickered before him—ancient yet futuristic, divine yet mechanical.
✦ Destiny System Functions
Status Window – View your identity, ranks, affinities, and karmic balance.
Destiny Roulette – Spin the wheel of fate to receive random boons, weapons, or blessings.
Destiny Shop – Exchange Destiny Points for techniques, treasures, or divine favors.
Destiny Advice – Peer into the threads of others' fates and glimpse the outcomes of choice.
Fate Rewrite(Unlockable at Maharathi Rank) – Reshape destiny itself, altering life, death, or history at your will.
"These are the tools of a Fatewalker," the Entity said. "Use them wisely. Every destiny you change sends ripples through the cosmos. The more threads you disturb, the more destiny itself will notice you."
Karna's soul flared brighter, unyielding. "Even if fate watches, I will not bow. This time, I will forge a path that belongs to me."
The Entity smiled—a smile older than time. "Then so be it."
A wave of golden light engulfed him, merging his soul with the newborn cry of destiny.
"From this moment," the Entity declared, "you shall live again—hidden from all cosmic sight. Not even gods shall glimpse your truth until you reveal it yourself. Walk your new path, Child of the Sun."
The void twisted. Stars folded into a vortex of light, pulling Karna's essence downward toward the mortal world.
"One last question," Karna whispered as he was drawn away. "Why me? Why grant this gift to someone cursed by fate?"
"Because even destiny," the Entity said gently, "adores those who dare to defy it."
The light consumed him.
And thus, the soul once broken by fate began its return—reborn as Karna, bearer of the Destiny System, destined to challenge heaven, rewrite destiny, and rise beyond gods.