Kyle studied the woman in white.
She stood with an elegance that suggested nobility, yet her presence radiated raw, unfiltered power. The kind of strength that didn't need to be shown—it was simply known. Her silver eyes gleamed with understanding, not threat. But Kyle didn't let his guard down.
"You're the Warden," he said quietly.
She nodded. "Of this Gate, yes. My name is Seris."
"And now that I've passed the Trial?"
"You're entitled to something most never reach—audience with the Source."
Kyle's brows knit. "The Source?"
Seris stepped closer. Her footsteps didn't echo. They resonated.
"The Source of the Gate System. The being—or mechanism—that governs the flows of this world. Few know it exists. Fewer have seen it. You'll be one of the first in centuries."
Kyle's mind raced. A being behind the system? Not just code, not just trial designs, but intelligence?
He wrapped his hand around the blade of his sword.
Seris smiled gently. "Don't be afraid, child. I didn't come to harm you. And in truth, I've been tracking you since you passed through the Whispering Gate."
He flinched. "So you know."
"All of it. The mimic. The second floor. The memory trial."
A silence.
"And the rage you harbor."
Kyle's face hardened.
"Speak not of that which you don't know."
Seris nodded solemnly. "Just. But listen to this—your fury will shape your path… or destroy it."
The room changed. The runes on the walls shone, swirling slowly about them like stars around a dark sun.
"You stand at a fork, Kyle. With the Third Fragment, you can manipulate low-level Gates. Open small tears. Even bend the rules in them."
Kyle narrowed his eyes. "And what do you want me to do?"
Seris smiled again.
"There is a Gate I want you to go through. A sealed one. It is older than the others. It isn't listed in any registry because it is older than the System itself."
Kyle raised an eyebrow. "That sounds. paradoxical."
"It is." Seris waved, and a holographic map exploded into the air. At the center was a broken sigil, pulsating with violet and gold.
This is the Rift of Ashes. It's where the Gate System first encountered this world. Something's moving inside it, something old."
Kyle studied the map in silence.
"What's inside?"
Seris's smile fell.
"A god."
The one word slammed into the air like thunder. Not metaphorical power—divine. Real.
"I'm not suicidal," Kyle answered callously.
"You're not. But you're chosen." She clicked her fingers, and a contract materialized in mid-air.
System Message:
"Special Contract Offered: [Seris' Covenant]
"Conditions: Enter the Rift of Ashes. Survive. Report findings."
"Reward: Class Advancement Path Unlocked."
Kyle's eyes widened.
Class advancement.
Something he hadn't even thought possible yet.
"You want me to explore a dead god's crypt… in exchange for power."
Seris tilted her head. "You make it sound so cynical."
Kyle smirked. "I'm still listening, aren't I?"
He read the contract again. It didn't chain his soul, didn't bind him to a faction. But it did bind him to this journey.
He signed.
System Message:
"Contract Accepted."
"Quest Created: [Into the Rift of Ashes]"
"Class Advancement: Locked until Completion."
The room trembled. A fresh Gate curled into view—taller than the rest, gold and obsidian, pulsating like a heartbeat.
Seris looked at him again.
"You'll find answers there. But not all of them will make you stronger."
Kyle nodded once.
"Good."
He stepped forward—and went through the Gate.