An hour passed since the collapse of the Dimensional Gate, and silence shrouded the lands like a suffocating blanket. In that hollow silence, Kael's breathing was the only sound that echoed through the void. He stood amidst the rubble, his mind processing everything—the prophecy, the system's hidden prompts, and the message left by the being he encountered.
"System, status," Kael whispered, not knowing what to expect.
Initializing Neural Connect... Processing...
> Name: Kael Drayce
Current Realm: Verdant Nexus
Soul Signature: Merged — (Celestial Origin 60%, Earthbound Core 40%)
Class: [Origin Shifter Lv. 6]
Unique Trait: [Dual Entity Recognition - ACTIVE]
Alternate Identity: [Cipher] - Concealed
Myst Source (new): 1100 MP Units
Energy Flow: Stable
Bonded Entities: None
A new prompt blinked.
>> [Side Quest Generated: Embers of Control]
— Discover the first three origin shards hidden within the Verdant Nexus.
— Unlock the Soul Engraving Function.
Kael grunted. "So now it begins for real."
He walked through the destruction with the System Interface trailing beside him like a translucent AI companion. The AI's voice had changed, more fluid and almost... empathetic.
"Kael, the multiverse knows your name now. You aren't safe anymore."
Kael stopped walking. The air around him vibrated.
"Then let them come."
---
Meanwhile, in a sealed observatory on the Crystal Moon orbiting Xytherium-4, a council of robed figures discussed him in whispers.
"He's awakened the Origin Shift."
"This is too soon. The Convergence hasn't even begun."
"We have to warn the Guardians of Layer Five."
A hooded figure stepped out of the shadows.
"No. Let him proceed. If he is truly the one, he'll reach the Prism Gate on his own. If not, the Trials will consume him."
---
Back on the Verdant Nexus, Kael headed toward the Nexus Ruins, the only known location tied to the original architects of the Realm Gates. The journey wasn't simple. Even with his abilities, he had to move with caution. Strange anomalies were appearing—time pockets, corrupted beasts, inverted gravity zones.
System Prompt: Chrono Flux Detected in Radius — Engage Time Anchor?
Y/N
Kael pressed his fingers together, forming a shimmering seal in the air.
"Anchor. Now."
The world snapped into clarity.
But just as he made it through, a ripple of laughter echoed. Deep, amused, and terrifying.
"Kael Drayce. The one who hides behind the Cipher. Come, let us test your resolve."
He turned instantly, activating [Flash Veil] and moving sideways into a high ledge. His eyes narrowed. No physical form. But pressure—immense, soul-crushing pressure—was falling upon him.
System Alert: Entity Class Unknown — Possesses Forbidden Markings.
Kael's mind raced. Not even the System can identify it?
He didn't flinch. He couldn't. If he failed now, everything would collapse.
He extended his hand and summoned his signature technique: Phase Rend. A blade of distorted energy burst forth, slashing through the thin veil of reality.
There was a flash of gold, then black—and silence.
When the smoke cleared, a single feather fell from the sky, pulsating with multiversal energy.
>> Achievement Unlocked: Touched the Edge of the Void.
Kael caught the feather.
"I'm coming for the truth. Even if the entire multiverse stands in my way."
The silence of the chamber was almost sacred. The walls pulsed with faint, celestial symbols, and at the center stood Ash, the weight of the Multiverse pressing down on his shoulders. He stared into the crystalline window of his Smart System, now upgraded to the legendary tier: INFINITUS. It shimmered with endless potential, unlocking layers of data he hadn't accessed before.
> INFINITUS Interface: Fully Unlocked Status: Unknown potential tier Alternate Identity: ACTIVE – SHADOW SOVEREIGN Reality Compression: 4.3% Completed Quantum Gene Pulse – Online
Ash's heart pounded. He wasn't just a participant in the multiversal game anymore—he was a controller, a creator. But with power came sacrifice.
"I'm sorry, Elle," he murmured under his breath.
Just moments before, Elle had offered herself as the fuel for the Quantum Key's final phase. Without her sacrifice, the portal to the Realm of Broken Time wouldn't have opened. And in that fragmented timeline, Ash had seen something—no, someone—unexpected.
His own reflection, older, battle-scarred, and cloaked in obsidian armor. A version of himself he didn't recognize.
"I am you," the reflection had said, "from a cycle you failed to break."
He clenched his fists. That couldn't be his fate. Not again. Not ever.
"Activate Code: Omega Trace."
The system pulsed.
> Omega Trace: Tracking your past multiversal cycles... Identified: 47 Recurring Timelines Common Anomaly: Entity—VIRION.
That name again. Virion.
Ash had fought him in fragments, caught whispers of him in alternate universes. Always a step ahead, always feeding on chaos. The villain cloaked in mystery.
"System, run predictive encounter simulation: Virion vs Shadow Sovereign."
> Simulation running... Result: 3.7% chance of survival.
The room spun.
Only 3.7%?
He took a deep breath. No. He wasn't that person anymore. He wasn't the scared student. He wasn't the masked vigilante who hid in the shadows. He was Ash—the Sovereign.
A sudden pulse jolted through the air. The portal to the Realm of Broken Time flickered, and a figure stepped through. Drenched in silver fire, it was a girl—maybe thirteen years old—with crimson eyes and an aura of pure entropy.
"I am Zera," she whispered. "The Key unlocked me."
Ash stared. She had Elle's voice. But this wasn't Elle.
Zera looked up. "You created me, Ash. I'm your consequence."
He took a step back.
> System Warning: ZERA contains residual codes from Quantum Echo Loop. Potential anomaly: Daughter Entity.
Daughter?
Ash's mind raced. If Elle had sacrificed her body to the portal and the system had stored her consciousness... had it combined her essence with the Infinite DNA structure within the key?
He stepped forward. "Zera, what do you want?"
"To finish what you couldn't," she replied, raising her palm. "To end Virion."
A shockwave of chaotic light burst from her fingers. It wasn't an attack—it was a message.
Visions flooded Ash's mind. Virion standing on top of a dead galaxy. A destroyed Earth. A broken moon. A single voice echoing:
> "Only one of you can exist."
Ash fell to one knee. This wasn't just about power anymore. It was about identity.
And he needed to remember who he was.