*Camp Half-Blood – Arena*
Kenji stood alone in the training ring at sunrise. The memory of the First Player's echo still lingered like static in his chest.
> *New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Mimic Training*
> *Description: Summon copies of your past fights and simulations to learn adaptive combat.*
He activated the skill.
Dark silhouettes peeled from his shadow—mirror versions of himself, one wielding his celestial bronze sword with deadly precision, another moving with heightened speed.
Kenji charged in.
---
*System Notice*
> *Skill Progress: Swordsmanship – Level 11 → 13*
> *Skill Progress: Combat Reflex – Level 8 → 10*
> *Stat Increase: STR +2, DEX +1*
---
Annabeth watched from the stands. "He's pushing himself."
Percy leaned over. "He's always been quiet, but this is something else. It's like he's preparing for something none of us can see."
"I don't think it's just training," she whispered. "I think he's *remembering* something."
---
*Camp Borders – Twilight*
That night, Chiron returned from a scouting trip with a visitor: a girl no older than fifteen, with storm-grey eyes and a heavy cloak.
"Who's that?" Clarisse asked, spear in hand.
The girl stepped forward. "I'm Lyra. Daughter of Nemesis."
Kenji's system pulsed as soon as she entered the camp:
> *System Alert: Hidden Fragment Carrier Detected*
> *Fragment 4/7 – The Equilibrium Scale (Nemesis Alignment)*
---
*Later – Campfire Council*
Lyra explained her arrival.
"I had dreams… visions. A voice told me I held something that could unbalance fate. That I needed to find 'the one with fractured time.' I'm guessing that's you, Kenji."
Kenji remained still.
"Then I saw the others," she continued. "A cult, cloaked in darkness. They're searching for all of us—those with fragments."
Annabeth stiffened. "They've made a move?"
Lyra nodded. "They're hunting. And they're getting stronger."
Kenji's system lit up.
> *Quest Update: Fragment Holders Located – 2/7*
> *Optional Quest: Protect the Bearers*
---
*System Update*
> *Dungeon Unlock: Equilibrium Rift (Lvl 25+)*
> *Dungeon Type: Balance-Based Trial – Victory Unlocks "Chaos Resistor" Trait*
---
Kenji looked at Lyra. "We'll protect each other. And we'll find the rest."
In the shadows, the wind whispered a different truth:
> *The Fragments aren't just power—they're pieces of a broken lock… and something's trying to break free.*
---
*End of Chapter 27*