Chapter 1: What Came From the Sky
The rooftop was quiet.
Below, the city churned with its usual chaos — distant sirens, the metallic growl of cars, and the hum of neon lights that never slept. But up here, Dontae could breathe.
He lay flat on his back, arms splayed wide across the gravel rooftop of his apartment building. The world stretched above him in endless black, starlight bleeding through the haze like cracks in a prison ceiling.
"Up there, it's quiet."
Dontae's dark eyes drifted across the constellations. He knew some by name. Orion. Lyra. The Crown. He used to dream of becoming an astrophysicist once. Of escaping this earthbound gravity in more ways than one.
But dreams didn't survive in the real world. Not in a city like this.
And yet, tonight felt different. There was a stillness in the air that pressed on his skin. The hairs on his arms rose.
Then he saw it.
A streak of light broke across the sky — a meteor, no, a comet — glowing far too bright. It didn't arc like a natural thing. It dropped. Fell. With purpose. Right toward him.
Then came the sound: a high-pitched whine, building fast, until it screamed inside his skull.
He tried to sit up. Move. Run.
Too late.
The rooftop lit up in a flash of white. And then—darkness.
He awoke choking.
Air burned his throat. Smoke filled his lungs. Rubble pressed against his chest. He rolled over, coughing, until his vision returned.
Everything was on fire.
What had once been his apartment rooftop was now a crater. Chunks of concrete were twisted and melted. A strange energy shimmered in the air — a haze that distorted space itself.
In the center of the blast zone, something stirred.
A low chittering noise echoed out. Then a shape crawled into the light.
It looked like a rat, but twisted. Hairless. Skin stretched thin over muscle. Its eyes glowed with pale blue light, its veins pulsing with energy. Its claws scraped across melted steel, and its mouth foamed with something that hissed on contact with the ground.
Dontae staggered back.
The thing turned its head, staring directly at him.
Then it charged.
He barely dodged as it launched itself forward. Claws slashed through the air, catching his jacket. Pain bloomed in his shoulder. He fell, blood trailing down his arm.
Panic surged — but somewhere beneath it, instinct rose.
And something inside him… opened.
A pressure snapped into place in his chest, like a new gravity well had been born. The rat charged again—
Dontae extended his hand.
The rat stopped midair. Hovering. Its body twisted, spine arching in unnatural ways as the air thickened like syrup.
Dontae clenched his fist.
Crunch.
The thing's bones shattered. It collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Dead.
Shards of translucent crystal burst from its corpse — floating motes of light.
They drifted toward him, spiraling. One embedded itself in his palm.
And then, without sound or voice, a cosmic window unfurled in his mind:
🜂 SYSTEM UNLOCKED 🜂
You have slain a mana-infested creature.Affinity Detected: Gravity (SSS-tier).Talent Synced: [Core Collapse] — You may express Gravity without restraint.
First Kill Skill Shard Acquired:→ [Gravitic Pull – Tier 1]A basic manifestation of your Affinity. Drag targets toward a central point.
Essence Gained: 14Level Up!→ Level 1
Dontae collapsed to one knee, breathing hard.
The world had changed. Irrevocably.
And somehow… he had changed with it.
Let me know if you'd like to continue to Chapter 2: The Weight of Power, or adjust anything about the tone, pacing, or formatting of this chapter!
🜂 SYSTEM INTERFACE: USER PROFILE 🜂
Name: DontaeLevel: 1Essence: 14 / 100Tier: 1Class: None AssignedAffinity: Gravity (SSS-Tier)Talent:→ [Core Collapse]You may express the full depth of your Gravity Affinity without restriction. Gravity effects scale with Willpower and Essence saturation.
Current Title: NoneReputation: UnknownParty: None
🜂 ATTRIBUTES 🜂
(Stats scale dynamically with Tier and Essence milestones.)
AttributeValueDescriptionStrength6Physical power, carry weight, melee force.Agility8Reflex speed, dodging ability, kinetic flow.Vitality9Health pool, regeneration rate, physical toughness.Intellect11Skill shard capacity, mental clarity, System analysis.Willpower14Gravity expression strength, resistance to control, focus.Presence7Influence on others, leadership, charisma in-system.Essence Saturation2%Determines magical efficiency and power expression.
Health: 100 / 100Essence Reserve: 30 / 30
🜂 SKILL SHARDS 🜂
Tier 1 Skills (1/3):
[Gravitic Pull] – Tier 1Creates a localized gravitational field pulling enemies or objects toward a point. Strength scales with Willpower.
Shard Quality: FreshUpgrade Cost: Unknown (Requires synthesis or higher-tier shards)
🜂 SYSTEM STATUS 🜂
System Status: UNLOCKED
Next Tier Trial: Tier 2 Trial unlocks at Level 10
Skill Capacity: 3 active shards per tier
Title Capacity: 1 equipped title (Locked until gained)
Party System: Inactive (No bonded members)
Reputation System: Dormant (Must interact with recognized factions)