Elian Rhys Caelus sat beneath the silverleaf tree in the sanctum garden, long after curfew had silenced the academy's halls. The moonlight above Aetherra was soft tonight, but something in the air had changed.
His eyes opened slowly.
[System Alert: An Ominous Presence Has Been detected.]
[Subject Identified: Selene Verline]
[Threat Level: Unknown]
[Order: Monitor Closely]
He didn't flinch. The alert didn't surprise him. His system rarely made mistakes. And when it did speak it meant something was wrong.
He stood, brushing invisible dust from his robe. The silverleaf tree dimmed behind him as if exhaling.
[Accessing Personal Status...]
Name: Elian Rhys Caelus
Age: 19
Race: Human (Divine-Bonded)
Element: Light (Celestial-Class)
Title(s): The Chosen, Guardian of the Fifth Seal, Weapon of the Church
Affiliation: Church of Aetherra, House Caelus
System Class: Oracle-Type (Solinar Embedded)
Stats:
Strength: 50
Agility: 53
Magic: 89
Control: 95
Intelligence: 91
Resistance: 84
Charisma: 97
Skills:
Solar Infusion (Passive)
Blinding Nova (Active)
Divine Thread Manipulation
Judgment Mark
Celestial Barrier (Advanced)
System Deity Link: Solinar, God of Judgment & Stars
****
A cold whisper followed, curling in his mind like ancient wind.
"Nareon's scent is on this one."
Solinar's voice. Sharp. Stern. Always watching.Elian didn't react. "So it's him."
"Only Nareon would embed a fragment of himself into a mortal system. Reckless. As always."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Observe. Don't provoke. Yet."
Elian let out a quiet breath. He'd been waiting for this. For something real. Not the staged challenges, the fake smiles, the carefully chosen trials the Church paraded him through like a sacred relic.
Now, finally, something stirred beneath the surface.
****
His memories were sharp when he let them be.
The orphanage on fire. His sister's scream. The priest's calm voice as he was pulled from the rubble, bathed in divine light and told he was chosen. His fate sealed before he could even grieve.They trained him like a weapon.Three years of isolation. Five years of sacred combat. Seven years of living under the weight of a title he never asked for.
And now, they expected him to be a symbol of hope. He smiled because it was easier than explaining why he didn't sleep.
In the academy's main courtyard, nobles gathered like peacocks. Colors, sigils, lineages ,Elian could name them all. He greeted them with grace, with ease, with that same perfect smile that earned loyalty and trust.But behind his eyes, the system pulsed.
[Selene Verline proximity: Moderate.] [Status: Observing. Passive. Yet unstable.]
He hadn't seen her. Not clearly. But his system showed her silhouette a shadow against moonlight. Her aura didn't shine. It bled into the cracks of reality like spilled ink.
He walked toward the central spire where class reports were posted. His fingers brushed the glass.
"Selene Verline," he whispered under his breath. "Where did they dig you up from?"
"Not where. Who," Solinar replied. "You think she's just a girl with shadow magic? She's a purpose wearing flesh."
"You think Nareon made her for me?"
"No. I think he made her for himself. But your paths are woven now. That's how the game begins."
Back in his chamber, Elian sat at his desk, staring at the sky chart carved into the ceiling.The constellations shimmered faintly the Seal of Chaos flickering ever so slightly.
The last time it flickered, the village of Trienne fell overnight.
[Data Match: Fluctuation in Shadow-Type Ether detected near academy bounds. Probable cause: Selene Verline.]
[Potential Reaction: Unknown. Suggested Action: Remain Observant. Maintain Proximity. DO NOT ENGAGE.]
Elian closed his eyes.He would follow orders. For now. But the moment her path veered toward destruction, he would do what he was trained to do.Even if it meant killing the only person in this school who didn't look at him like he was a prophecy.
Even if her shadow called to something he no longer let himself feel.
And deep in the academy's lowest archives, where only the systems dwell, two divine signals pulsed against each other like ancient warnings ,Nareon's cold ink swirling into Solinar's brilliant light.
The game had begun.
And the players were waking up.