The corridors of the palace were silent, save for the faint echo of Kael's boots against the marble floor. The scent of incense—once comforting—now clung to the air like smoke after a funeral. Two knights walked behind him, their armor polished but their eyes clouded with unease.He could feel it without turning—their fear. Not of him, but of what he represented now.
A curse. A failure. The prince who broke the system.At the end of the hall stood the massive bronze doors of the High Council chamber. Beyond them lay his father, his family, and the judgment that would decide his fate. Kael hesitated for only a heartbeat before pushing them open.The sound thundered through the chamber.
The room was suffused with a cold blue glow from the suspended mana crystal above the council's table. Six figures sat beneath it—nobles, priests, and mages, their faces pale with disbelief. His father, King Aldric Solarel, stood at the head of the table, his golden armor shining dimly in the mana light.For a moment, their eyes met. And in that single breath, Kael understood that the father who had once lifted him upon his shoulders after every training bout would never look at him the same way again."The system has spoken," the king said. His voice was calm, but every syllable trembled with concealed panic. "You are not my heir. You are an anomaly—one who has brought disorder to Solarel itself."Kael stepped forward, confusion cutting deeper than anger. "I didn't ask for this! I don't even understand what happened—""Silence!" snapped one of the priests. "Your birth corrupted the divine order. The crystal rebooted because of you. Even the gods recoil!"Kael's fists clenched. The markings that had burned into his palms during the awakening pulsed faintly through the fabric of his gloves. He lifted his gaze, meeting the eyes of the people who had raised him, trained him, loved him. None dared return his look."So that's it?" he said softly. "You'll cast me out like a broken sword?"The king's hand trembled upon his throne's armrest. "You will leave the palace by nightfall. If you remain, the system may collapse entirely. For the safety of our kingdom, you must never return."The words struck harder than any weapon. Kael bowed stiffly, his throat burning with unshed anger. "Then I'll leave," he whispered. "But remember this—if the system collapses, it won't be because of me. It will be because you refused to see the truth."He turned and strode from the chamber, the silence of the council following him like a curse.That night, beneath the cover of darkness, Kael left the palace through hidden passages known only to the royal bloodline. The air outside was far colder than he remembered. He paused briefly at the city's edge, gazing up at the royal banners fluttering in the moonlight. The sigil of Solarel—a sword encircled by light—seemed almost mocking now.He adjusted his cloak and pressed onward.By dawn, he had reached the outskirts of the capital. The cobblestone roads gave way to worn dirt paths, and the scent of decay began to fill the air. The outer ring was a place where the kingdom's authority hardly reached—a land haunted by failed dungeon gates and the whispers of monsters.But it was also where truth hid.At the heart of the ruins, a soft glow pulsed from a fissure in the earth. Kael stared at it, the energy tugging at something deep within his soul. His markings flared in response.A dungeon gate.Unlike the stable ones he had read about, this gate flickered between form and void, its edges rippling like heated glass. No guard dared patrol near it. The banners that once warned "ENTRY FORBIDDEN" lay torn and forgotten.Kael took a deep breath, then stepped through.Instantly, the world shifted.
He stood within a corridor of translucent stone, the air heavy with mana. The walls pulsed faintly as if breathing. Every step echoed like a heartbeat.The dungeon felt alive.Symbols flickered at the edge of his vision, lines of code and runes blending into incomprehensible patterns. Yet his instincts—some mix of fear and curiosity—pulled him deeper.Then came the voice."Architect recognized."It was mechanical, distant, and ancient—neither entirely human nor divine. His pulse quickened."What are you?" Kael whispered."System Core… damaged. Reboot incomplete. Directive: locate Architect. Restore function."A low rumble shuddered through the floor, and part of the ceiling collapsed, scattering dust. Kael ducked instinctively, then reached out on impulse, focusing on the fragments. To his astonishment, the debris halted midair, pieces shimmering faintly before locking together again, reforming the arch.He exhaled shakily. "I… repaired it?"No. Not repaired. Reshaped. Rewritten.For the first time since his exile, a spark of purpose ignited inside him.If the system shunned him, he would learn how to control it.Kael pressed onward until he reached the core chamber—a sphere of floating light surrounded by cracked runes. It pulsed erratically, as though desperate to remain alive. Reaching out, he touched it.A surge of energy burst through him. Visions flashed before his eyes—ancient warfields, collapsing dungeons, towers filled with glowing crystals—images of a civilization that predated the kingdom itself. He saw fragments of data rewriting, structures shifting according to unseen commands. And then... a phrase echoed, just like the one from the awakening."The System Breaker awakens. The cycle resets."Kael staggered back, gasping. The dungeon trembled. Walls split, the air burning with wild energy. He sprinted toward the entrance, the collapsing floors chasing him like a living storm.At last, sunlight broke through as he emerged from the portal. The dungeon collapsed behind him, sealing itself in a massive implosion of light and ash.He stood at the edge of the crater, breathing hard, hands trembling with raw power.For the first time, he understood the truth. The system wasn't divine—it was mechanical, ancient, and decaying. And his awakening hadn't destroyed it. It had changed its rules.Somewhere far to the north, a new dungeon gate flickered open where none should exist. The chain reaction had already begun.Kael lifted his eyes toward the horizon. "If destiny has laws..." he murmured, the wind carrying his words, "…then I'll be the one to rewrite them."The sun rose over Solarel, gilding the ruins in light—heralding the dawn of a world on the verge of transformation.