Chapter 1) The Day We Burned for Power
They call it "Burning Day." Once a year, when the sky shifts from blue to a deep violet haze and the ground warms as if the world itself is holding its breath. It's when we turn seventeen. When the Zone chooses who we'll become.
I'd waited for this moment all my life. Not because I craved power, well, maybe a little, but because it meant finally stepping out of the shadow of childhood. It meant being seen.
We stood in the plaza, the seven of us, shoulder to shoulder, half-laughing, half-terrified.
"Think I'll get a Warrior class," said Kien, flexing like a clown. "Maybe something with dual swords and a cape."
"You? More like 'Support-Type: Complains Constantly,'" Leyra shot back, her grin sharp.
We all laughed. I did too.
My name's Cael. I wasn't the smartest, or the strongest, or the fastest, but I held my own. Good enough to spar with Kien and not get wrecked. Good enough to race Leyra and not get smoked. We weren't elite, but we were tight. We were ready.
The Zone was different from the world beyond. Here, systems didn't come at birth, they were earned. Or rather, they were granted. A ritual, a flare of old energy, a voice no one understood humming in the void. And then: a name, a role, a future. That was the system.
All of us gathered under the dome that crowned the central square. Thousands of kids. Every district, every family. On the platform, the Archons stood cloaked in white and silver, their presence unreal, like statues built of will.
One by one, names were called.
"Leyra Varn. Step forward."
She smirked at us, straightened her jacket, and walked. A beam of white light engulfed her. The air vibrated. Then came the echo:
"System Granted: Shadowhunter. Stealth-Type."
Everyone cheered. Even those who didn't know her. That was the tradition.
Then it was Kien. "Warrior-Class. Blade Dancer."
Marn got "Spellbinder." Elen got "Beast Whisperer."
On and on. Applause. Light. Applause. Light. The system always knew.
Then,
"Cael Dray. Step forward."
My legs moved before my thoughts caught up. Everything inside me was thrumming. Not fear. Not quite. It was... pressure. Like standing at the edge of something massive and ancient.
I walked into the light.
The warmth hit me instantly. My breath caught. The air shimmered around my skin. I waited.
And waited.
The humming... it faltered.
Something flickered in front of my eyes, just for a moment, a screen like everyone else's. But instead of glowing blue, it stuttered, glitched, then,
[ERROR: SYSTEM CORRUPTED]
[RETRYING…]
[RETRY FAILED]
[CORRUPTED CORE DETECTED]
And then nothing.
Silence.
No title. No class. No power.
Just me. And a dozen thousand eyes.
The murmurs started slow. Confused. Curious.
"Did it break?"
"Is that even possible?"
"What did he do?"
Then came the laughter. First from a few strangers. Then from people I knew. Even one or two of my friends.
I stood there, trying to breathe, my fists clenched.
Inside me, something buzzed. Faint. Flickering. Like a whisper through broken glass.
Not now. Not yet.
Just silence.
Then, everyone started laughing.
Mocking.
"Look at him! This loser didn't even get his system! Pathetic!"
I turned around, expecting to see my friends still by my side, but they were already walking away, not even glancing back. Just… leaving.
That was the moment I felt it for the first time.
That crushing sense of being completely unwanted.
I stood there, frozen, while the thousands of other students, thousands of teenagers, began to disperse, called away by their assigned guides, each one heading toward their new destiny. Some looked at me and whispered behind their hands. Others didn't bother to hide their laughter.
And I just stood there, alone, thinking, Why? Why me? I waited my whole life for this…
No one was home when I got back. No one ever was. I lived alone.
That night, I needed air. I needed to think.
It was raining.
I walked the empty streets, letting the cold drops soak through my clothes. I didn't care. I didn't feel anything anymore. My thoughts were tangled, confused, angry, desperate.
That's when they found me.
Down a narrow alleyway, under the broken streetlights.
Four guys. Three girls.
They surrounded me, sneering, like wolves who'd found an easy target.
One of them laughed, "You really thought you were something, huh? No system, no power, no worth."
"You're nothing," another spat. "You don't even deserve to be called human."
I stared at them, heart pounding.
And then, even though I should've stayed silent, I said it.
"You only feel strong because you're picking on someone who didn't awaken. If I had my system… I would've torn you all apart."
They stopped laughing.
Then came the pain.
They kicked. Punched. Beat me until I could barely breathe. My vision blurred. My ears rang.
"Still think you're strong?" one hissed, kicking me in the ribs.
"You're just trash. Weak, pathetic trash."
I don't know how long they went on.
Eventually, they left.
I lay there, bleeding, broken, staring at the dark sky through the haze of rain.
And then,
A voice.
Calm.
Sharp.
Not human.
> [SYSTEM DETECTED…] [COMPATIBLE HOST FOUND.] [ACTIVATING: INITIATING SEQUENCE.]
My breath caught.
What…?
The system had finally spoken.
To me.
,
I couldn't move.
The pain in my ribs pulsed like a second heartbeat. My fingers twitched weakly against the gravel as I lay sprawled under the cold glow of the city's system lamps. Somewhere behind me, laughter faded into the night, those bastards didn't even look back.
They'd all received their systems today. Glowing interfaces, personalized stats, missions, and flashy class titles. They celebrated like heroes.
And I had… nothing.
No screen. No stat window. No voice.
Not until now.
> [Condition triggered: Humiliation.]
[+1 Strength.]
[Analyzing Host... Connection Stabilized.]
[Welcome, Designation: Reserve Unit #000.]
My eyes widened. A soft glow flickered in front of me, a barely visible interface, trembling like it was ashamed to exist.
"Reserve…? What does that mean?" I rasped. My voice came out broken. Blood stuck to my teeth.
> [You are not the Chosen.]
[You are not the First.]
[You were activated because the others succeeded.]
[Your growth will occur through loss. Through shame. Through pain.]
I didn't know whether to laugh or scream. Even now, even after being thrown away, I didn't get a second chance. I got leftovers. I was a Plan B.
A shadow passed by. A tall guy from the neighboring district, someone I recognized vaguely. He slowed, looked at me with a mix of pity and disgust, then kept walking.
He hadn't seen the interface. No one could. Just me.
I was alone.
> [You grow stronger each time you're broken.]
[System Type: Reactive Failure-Based Progression.]
[Path: "Broken Ascension."]
[Skill Unlocked: "Endurance of the Fallen" Lv.1]
[Effect: +10% Pain Resistance. Triggers on severe emotional distress.]
A shiver went through me. Not from fear.
But clarity.
This was my power. This was how I would rise.
Not by being chosen. Not by being blessed.
But by dragging myself out of the dirt. Again. And again. And again.
And one day, they'll look up, and I'll be the one looking down.