Silence spread through the courtyard like a crack in glass.
The obelisk's light faded, leaving glowing class symbols hovering above nearly every student's head. Warriors, Mages, Rogues, Summoners—some common, some rare. A few symbols sparked with golden edges, drawing gasps of awe.
And then there was Kael.
Nothing.
No symbol.
No message.
No recognition.
Whispers began almost immediately.
"Did his system fail?"
"Is that even possible?"
"Maybe he hasn't awakened yet—"
The Headmaster's gaze fixed on Kael.
Sharp. Measuring. No longer warm.
"Candidate," he said, voice echoing unnaturally across the courtyard, "step forward."
Kael didn't hesitate.
He walked through the sea of staring students, boots clicking against stone. With every step, he felt it more clearly—the pressure from above, like invisible eyes pressing against his spine.
The gods were watching.
Again.
He stopped beneath the obelisk.
Up close, the ancient structure hummed softly, divine runes rotating along its surface. In previous resets, Kael had felt comfort standing here. Purpose. Direction.
Now?
It felt like standing before a liar.
The Headmaster raised a hand. "System, re-evaluate candidate Kael Arctyros."
Light surged.
Runes spun faster.
The obelisk pulsed once.
Then—
Nothing happened.
The light flickered… and died.
A sharp intake of breath rippled through the professors.
The Headmaster's fingers twitched.
"That's… impossible," someone whispered.
Kael tilted his head slightly. "Is something wrong?"
A faint crack appeared along the obelisk's surface.
So small most people missed it.
Kael didn't.
He had seen that crack before.
Right before a god screamed.
The Headmaster forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Remain calm. Occasionally, the system requires manual confirmation."
He turned slightly, murmuring something under his breath.
Kael felt it instantly.
A pull.
Not physical—conceptual. As if something was trying to label him. To assign him a value. A role. A place in the story.
He resisted.
Not by pushing back.
But by standing still.
The pull snapped.
Somewhere far above the clouds—
A presence stirred.
---
[Divine Observation Layer — Outer Heaven]
"Report."
A figure seated upon a fractured throne leaned forward. Its form was indistinct, shifting between light and shadow, crowned by a halo split down the middle.
"The reset succeeded," another god replied calmly. "All parameters stable."
"Then explain the anomaly."
Silence.
A third voice spoke, lower, careful. "There is… a residual."
The throne cracked.
"That thing stayed behind," the first god hissed. "It should not exist."
"We erased that timeline."
"We erased the world," another corrected. "Not him."
For the first time in centuries, fear slipped into the divine chorus.
"Run a suppression protocol," the throne commanded. "If he cannot be classified, he must be removed."
---
Back in the courtyard, Kael felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Markus stood near the edge of the crowd, frowning hard. "Kael?" he muttered. "This isn't funny anymore."
Eryndra hadn't looked away.
Her eyes were fixed on Kael, brows drawn together as if she were trying to remember a dream that kept slipping away the moment she reached for it.
Why does he feel… familiar?
The Headmaster raised his voice. "Kael Arctyros, until further notice, you will be classified as—"
The sky darkened.
Clouds twisted unnaturally overhead, spiraling inward.
Students cried out.
"What's happening?!"
"Is this part of the ceremony?!"
A beam of pale light lanced down from the heavens, striking the ground directly in front of Kael.
Stone exploded.
Divine pressure crushed the courtyard, forcing weaker students to their knees.
From the light stepped a figure clad in white and gold armor, wings of energy unfurling behind him. His eyes burned with cold authority.
A Divine Envoy.
Gasps turned into screams.
"A-an envoy? Here?!"
"That's only supposed to happen during calamities!"
The Envoy's gaze locked onto Kael.
"Anomaly," it intoned. "You have violated the law of regression."
Kael exhaled slowly.
So they sent a messenger first.
Same mistake as last time.
The Envoy raised a hand. "By decree of the Ascendant Gods, you are to be erased."
Power gathered.
The Headmaster shouted, "Wait—!"
Too late.
The divine attack descended—pure, absolute, designed to erase existence itself.
Students covered their eyes.
Markus screamed Kael's name.
Eryndra took a step forward without knowing why.
The light hit Kael.
And shattered.
Fragments of divine energy scattered like broken glass, dissolving into nothing before they could touch him.
The courtyard went dead silent.
The Envoy staggered back.
"What… are you?"
Kael looked at his unscathed hands.
Then at the trembling envoy.
"I'm what's left," he said quietly.
He stepped forward.
No skill activation.
No system prompt.
No warning.
Kael reached out and grabbed the Envoy by the throat.
The divine armor cracked instantly.
The envoy screamed—an inhuman sound, layered with voices that did not belong to the mortal world.
Kael leaned in, eyes cold.
"You should've sent a god," he whispered.
And snapped its neck.
Light collapsed inward, screaming as it died.
The body disintegrated.
Gone.
A god's messenger—killed in front of witnesses.
Kael turned back to the courtyard.
Every student stared at him in horror.
Every professor stood frozen.
Eryndra's hand was pressed to her chest, heart racing for reasons she didn't understand.
High above, the clouds tore open.
Kael met the sky's gaze without flinching.
"Your move," he thought.
Somewhere in the heavens—
A god screamed in rage.
And the world, for the first time, failed to reset the damage.