Silence.
For a long moment, there was nothing—no sound, no breath, no sense of self.
Then, faintly, the rhythm of a heartbeat broke the void.
Thump… thump… thump.
Warmth returned.
Air filled his lungs for the first time in years. It burned—sharp, electric, real.
Kael Draven opened his eyes.
Light filtered through the cracks of a high, arched ceiling. Gold lines pulsed within black stone like veins of molten mana. Every inch of the throne room glowed faintly, alive with breathless stillness.
He sat motionless on a throne that hummed softly beneath him. The obsidian seat was cold at first, but then it responded—threads of golden light crawling across its surface, tracing the sigil of twin dragons.
Kael lifted a hand. His gauntlet was real metal now, not data. It glinted under the faint light, it weight pressing against his arm like gravity reborn.
He flexed his fingers slowly, hearing the sound of leather creak.
"...I can feel."
His voice echoed softly through the chamber, low and uncertain.
[System Notice: Booting Sequence Complete.]
[Sovereign Core Online.]
[Host Synchronisation: 100%.]
The words cut through his mind with cold precision.
A faint blue glyph materialised before his eyes—a perfect circle of light filled with runes spinning slowly in formation.
[Welcome, Emperor Kael Draven.]
[World Link Established — Realm: Ethernia.]
[All City Structures: Transferred.]
[Population Data: Converted to Biological Form.]
Kael stared silently.
The interface was unlike anything from World Conquest Online.
Sharper. Colder.
It pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, as though it knew him.
A faint rustle stirred the air.
Someone was breathing nearby.
He turned his head slightly.
There—kneeling a few paces away—was a woman.
Black and silver uniform. Silver hair cascading down her back.
Her head was bowed, hands trembling slightly as she whispered,
"...My Lord."
Alyss
Kael blinked. For a moment, the lines between code and life blurred.
Her breath was visible in the cold air. Her body cast a shadow on the marble floor.
She was real.
He spoke softly, the sound strange to his own ears.
"Alyss… you're here."
She looked up. Her eyes—violet and trembling—met his. For the first time, they weren't made of pixels.
They shimmered with fear, relief, and something unspoken.
"I never left," she whispered. "The world ended… but I awoke here, before your throne. I thought I was alone until you breathed again."
Kael's heart thudded once, heavy and disbelieving.
He lowered his gaze to his hands again. The armour felt natural.
He could sense mana pulsing faintly under his skin, like rivers of light flowing through veins.
[System Scan Initiated.]
[Host Level: 1000 (Sovereign Tier)]
[Status: Stabilised]
[Mana Density: 98% above native world average]
[Authority Granted: System Emperor — Domain Control Active]
Kael exhaled slowly. "...So it wasn't deletion. It was a transfer."
The voice returned, monotone and absolute.
[Affirmative. Transfer to Dimensional Layer: Ethernia — Complete.]
[World Rule: Compatible.]
He frowned. "Ethernia…" The word carried weight, echoing faintly in his mind. "Where… is that?"
[Data Not Found.]
The system fell silent again.
Alyss rose to her feet hesitantly. "My Lord, the air here feels… alive. The mana is dense. It seeps through the walls."
Kael glanced toward the tall stained-glass windows. The world beyond them shimmered faintly—golden clouds drifting over unfamiliar mountains. Sunlight poured through the glass, warm and gentle, yet filled with power that made the skin tingle.
For a long time, he listened—to the hum of the throne, the pulse of the mana lines running through the floor, the faint rhythmic breath of life itself.
Finally, he spoke.
"Everything feels… wrong. Too real to be code. Too perfect to be a dream."
Alyss bowed her head. "My Lord… is this the afterlife?"
Kael chuckled softly, shaking his head. "No. I've died too many times in the game to believe in something that kind."
He pushed himself up from the throne. The weight of his armour settled evenly, balanced as if moulded to him. His boots touched the marble floor—no clipping, no latency, just solid sound.
Each step echoed through the chamber.
He could hear his heartbeat against the silence.
[System Synchronisation: Territory Core Linked.]
[City Elysion Prime – Mana Core Operational.]
[Population Awakening Sequence: Pending Command.]
Kael paused mid-step. "Population awakening?"
[Confirmation Required: Activate Elysion Prime's Core?]
He hesitated. His city—the entire empire he had built—might still exist here, not as code, but as something alive.
A sense of awe, fear, and exhilaration twisted together inside him.
His eyes hardened. "...Not yet.
[Command Deferred.]
He turned back toward Alyss. "If this world truly exists, then we must move carefully. We need information."
Alyss nodded quickly, regaining composure. "Understood, my Lord."
Kael studied her quietly. Her uniform was no longer rendered texture—it was cloth, slightly wrinkled from movement. Her gloves bore faint dust. She looked… human.
And yet she knelt before him with absolute faith.
[Warning: Generals Dormant.]
[High Command not yet synchronised.]
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"So they're still asleep…"
Alyss raised her head slightly. "My Lord?"
Kael looked down at her, his voice calm and steady.
"Summon the generals. One by one. I want them awake before the day ends."
Alyss placed her right hand over her heart and bowed deeply.
"As you command, Emperor."
[Command Registered: Awakening Sequence — High Command Authorised.]
Kael watched her turn and walk toward the massive double doors at the end of the hall.
Her footsteps echoed faintly against the still air.
The world outside was unknown. The rules were new.
But the empire… his empire… had survived.
And this time, it would not be bound by code.