In the beginning, it was said the world was woven from invisible strings — endless lines of light that bound all things together. The ancients called them Threads, and from their interlacing came the foundation of life, magic, and fate itself.
To possess a Thread is to hold a fragment of creation's design within one's soul. To command it is to tug, however faintly, at the very weave of the world. Every living being is born with the potential to awaken a Thread, though most never do. For those blessed or cursed to awaken, it occurs at the age of ten, when the soul's first light stirs, and its pattern is revealed.
Threads manifest in many forms. Some are Elemental — fire, water, wind, earth, light, or ice, mirroring nature's primal harmonies. Others are Conceptual, born of ideals, emotions, or human truths: Courage, Wrath, Diligence, Pride. There exist Threads of Law, rare as starlight and feared as curses, capable of bending the principles upon which the world itself rests.
Beyond these lie Weapon Threads, which bind a soul to an armament — sword, bow, spear, or instruments beyond comprehension and Familiar Threads, which forge a bond between Threadbearer and spirit, beast, or construct. These entities act as extensions of their master's will and can grow in strength alongside them.
Yet even these pale beside the true anomalies: Forbidden Threads. These are neither inherited nor learned but awakened from the world's first tapestry — remnants of the primordial weave, bestowed as punishment, mercy, or design. Their wielders are remembered not as saints or heroes, but as cataclysms.
Every awakened soul is tethered to its Core, the vessel through which Threads are nurtured and sustained. The Core determines how deeply one can resonate with their Threads, how bright the soul may burn before it consumes itself.
The journey of the Core begins at the Initiate, where light flickers unsteadily, and ascends through the Adept, Expert, Master, Grandmaster, Saint, and Paragon, until reaching the Ascendant, those whose spirits blaze so fiercely that the world itself bends in acknowledgement. Legends whisper of beings beyond even that: the Eternals, whose very existence redefines reality.
Threads, too, ascend through their own hierarchy from the Dormant, whose power is simple and raw, to the Divine, whose touch is so ridiculous that it warps destiny itself. Between them lie the Lesser, Refined, Ascended, Sovereign, Transcendent, and Mythic ranks of Threads — each one representing a deeper resonance with the fabric of existence and a more potent power. No two flames burn alike, and no two souls sing the same note in creation's symphony.
Some are born beneath the banners of ancient bloodlines — Heritage Threads, passed down through generations, binding family names to legacies of power. The House of Solareth, for instance, was once renowned for its twin Threads of Light and Ice. But as centuries passed, the Frost faded, leaving only the brilliance of Light behind.
Until now.
Levi Ardyn Solareth, the eldest and only son of Duke Draken Solareth, was born threadless. At ten, when the other heirs of noble blood awakened their threads, no glow came to his soul. No whisper of power stirred within him. In a world where worth was measured by one's Thread, he was branded hollow — a blemish upon the house of light.
But fate, it seemed, had merely been silent — not absent.
When a Threadbearer awakens, it is not merely the soul that stirs — it is the world itself that takes notice. Threads hum with recognition, weaving their essence into the Core and mind of their master. And from that resonance, the Status Veil emerges.
The Veil is no ordinary vision; it is the language of existence, the reflection of the Core's essence and the Threads it harbours. To gaze upon it is to feel the pulse of creation within one's chest.
First appears the Name and Race— the mark of identity, the soul's declaration to the weave. Then, the Titles — earned, inherited, or bestowed. Titles are more than mere words; they are reflections of history, destiny, and perception. A single Title can empower or cripple its bearer — offering divine strength or a curse of weight. Two Threadbearers of equal Core Rank may stand worlds apart in strength because of the subtleties of their Titles or the potency of their Threads. These invisible factors — minor in appearance, monumental in effect — shape the intricate balance of power across the world.
Then comes the Core Rank, measuring one's harmony with their body — the breadth and depth of what their vessel can sustain. Yet rank is not everything. A Master with a rare synergy of Threads or an empowering Title may surpass a Grandmaster momentarily. But as ascension continues, the gulf between ranks becomes immeasurable, and only the exceptional can cross it.
Finally, the Threads reveal themselves — divided between Heritage Threads, passed down through bloodlines, and Acquired Threads, born from the soul, forged through ritual, or earned by conquest. Weapon Threads and Familiar Threads may be crafted, gifted, or taken from a vanquished foe. Each Thread is inscribed with its Type — Elemental, Conceptual, Law, Weapon, or Familiar — and its Rank, reflecting both potential and affinity. Some houses bore the Threads of the Seven Deadly Sins, others the Heavenly Virtues, relics of ideals that shaped empires. Those who possess rare or powerful Threads often flaunt them, seeking reverence, alliances, or fear. But such displays are a double-edged blade; for every ally drawn by brilliance, there are ten enemies drawn by envy.
It is rare for a Threadbearer to awaken more than one or two Threads. Additional Threads are typically gained later in life, most often Weapon or Familiar Threads. Four Threads upon awakening, however, is not impossible — but it is largely unheard of, an omen of potential or calamity.
The Status Veil neither judges nor warns. It merely reveals truth — the full weight of one's being. In its reflection, a Threadbearer sees both their limits and the endless path beyond them.
In this world, Threads define identity, Cores define potential, and Titles define destiny.
And at this point in time, Levi was staring right at his future.
However, as his gaze continued downward, he found the same thread that he had never managed to unlock in his previous life lying there on his status veil—rank undefined and law not stated. It was a strange thing to look at.
Name: Levi Ardyn Solareth
Race: Human
Titles: The Lightless Heir, Dying Sun, Prince of Blades, The Returned, Warlord, Ghost of the Sun, Heavenly Virtue, Monarch.
Core Rank: Initiate[partial awakening]
Heritage Threads:
Aurora Dominion—Type: Elemental (Light), Rank: Undefined
Cryo Dominion — Type: Elemental (Ice), Rank: Undefined
Acquired Threads:
Diligence — Type: Concept (Virtue), Rank: Mythic
[??????] — Type: Law (Null), Rank: Undefined
What he could take pride in, however, was the plethora of titles he possessed. It seemed that he had not lost a single one of them, and he wondered why. If he had to make a guess, it would be because of the power of diligence. It was quite the precarious power.
The thread of diligence possessed a special property called persistence of the soul. Every single minute spent in suffering, in effort, or in time invested into mastering something could not be undone, even by death or curse. In other words, he remembered progress and saw every single title he had attained in his previous life. Every single advancement he made with the thread of diligence did not reset.
"What a dreadful power," he said to himself. However, he was more than pleased by the development, and now it was time for him to begin planning his way forward.
"But first, let's take a look around the duchy and see what's going on. I'm quite curious to know just how tight the security is around here. It's been ten years, after all."