Morning light filtered through the dusty blinds, painting streaks of gold across the small apartment.
The city outside was alive — hoverbikes buzzing, holographic billboards flashing in the distance.
Inside, Arlen Frost was losing his daily battle with his alarm clock.
> Beep! Beep! Beep!
He groaned, dragging a hand through his messy white hair, the strands gleaming faintly even in the dim light. His blue eyes, still half-asleep, reflected the holographic clock on the wall.
"Another day," he muttered.
> "Good morning, Arlen," came the soft, mechanical voice in his head — calm, familiar, and precise.
"System synchronization is stable. Would you like to begin your daily stat check?"
Arlen smiled faintly. "Yeah, sure. Let's get it over with."
A translucent blue screen materialized in front of him.
[ SYSTEM STATUS ]
User: Arlen Frost
Level: 3
Strength: 15
Speed: 14
Energy Control: 2
Skills: Basic Combat Instinct, Quick Recovery
He stretched. "Still weak, huh?"
> "Progress is satisfactory for your level," the System replied.
"At this rate, you will reach Level 4 within three days."
"Guess that's something," he said, pulling on his uniform jacket.
To most people, the System was a blessing — a global framework that allowed humans to grow stronger, faster, smarter.
But to Arlen, it felt like more than just an AI tool.
It was... connected to him.
Sometimes, it even spoke in ways that didn't feel entirely robotic.
---
Classes were as boring as ever. Arlen leaned against the window, staring into the distant clouds.
He wasn't paying attention to his teacher — not when his mind kept drifting to the same strange dream he'd been having for months.
A burning sky.
A city in ruins.
A voice whispering his name through the smoke.
He had never told anyone about it. Not even the System.
Then, mid-thought, his wrist began to burn.
> Huh?
He pulled up his sleeve — and froze.
A faint symbol glowed beneath his skin. It looked like a ring of fractured lines circling a core of light, pulsing softly, like it was alive.
> "System," he whispered, "what's happening to me?"
> "Unidentified energy detected," it responded immediately.
"Analyzing… unknown pattern. This does not match any standard skill or enhancement."
The light grew brighter.
Then, for a split second—
The world changed.
His classroom dissolved into darkness, replaced by a landscape of fire and thunder.
He stood in a wasteland, surrounded by floating ruins and lightning tearing through the blood-red sky.
And there — in the distance — stood a man.
A tall figure cloaked in light, his hair white as snow, his eyes glowing like molten stars.
The man turned, and their gazes met.
Arlen's heart pounded. He felt like he was staring into a mirror — an older, wiser, and infinitely more powerful* version of himself.*
The man spoke, his voice echoing through the storm.
> "You've forgotten who you are."
Arlen tried to speak, but his voice failed.
> "They're coming," the figure said, the air around him rippling with divine energy.
"And when they do… you must be ready."
A blinding flash tore through the sky—
And Arlen was suddenly back in his classroom, gasping for air. His classmates shouted in alarm as he collapsed to his knees, clutching his hand.
> "System," he croaked. "What the hell was that?"
> "Unknown phenomenon detected," it replied.
"Your vitals are stable, but your energy readings have spiked beyond human parameters."
> "So what did I just see?"
> "Possibly… a memory fragment."
The word sent chills down his spine.
> "Memory? But I've never—"
> "No data available," the System interrupted. "Recommendation: remain cautious. I will continue monitoring the mark."
The symbol on his wrist faded slowly, leaving a faint shimmer beneath the skin.
Arlen stared at his reflection in the classroom window — white hair, blue eyes, and that same strange feeling that he was someone else.
Someone… powerful.
Someone forgotten.
---
That night, sleep refused to come.
He sat before his mirror, staring at the faint light still flickering under his skin.
> "System," he whispered, "what am I?"
There was a pause — long, uneasy silence.
> "Unknown," the voice replied softly.
"But something… is definitely wrong ."
And deep within his soul, that same echo from the vision returned —
a voice not from the System, but from within himself:
> "When the stars fall again… I will return."
Arlen's reflection flickered. For a heartbeat, he saw the man from his vision staring back at him.
Then it was gone.
The boy from the forbidden clan had no idea that the first fragment of his forgotten divinity had just awakened.
---