Kael and Lyra moved through the shattered streets, the glow of his System panels illuminating the debris around them. Every shadow seemed alive, twisting with movement. Kael's mind was racing. The System Error flashing at the top of his stats was impossible, yet it was real.
He stopped at the remains of a collapsed building and crouched. The glowing numbers above his hands shifted again, lines of energy pulsing from the back of his neck. That circular, blade-like device; static, yet alive with neon, white light; was the origin of the suit's strange energy. Kael ran his fingers along it, feeling a vibration like electricity and metal merged.
"Kael, are you okay?" Lyra's voice broke his focus. She had seen the glowing circle from the back, had noticed how it seemed to power him. Her eyes reflected the white light, wide with awe and fear.
"I think… I think it's giving me power," Kael said, voice low. "It's like the suit is alive, but it's part of me. See this circle? Everything flows from here. My strength, my skills… maybe even the way I fight."
Lyra studied the circle, hesitant to touch it, and then glanced at the streets around them. The monsters were not far off, twitching and jerking like puppets on invisible strings. Numbers appeared above Kael as he flexed his fingers: Endurance +3, Reflex +2.
Kael tested it. He focused on a small stone nearby and punched through it. Sparks flew from the suit lines, tracing paths back to the circular core. Damage 12. He grinned. The suit responded instantly, his strength amplified unnaturally.
He realized the circle was more than a static device. It was a hub, a command center for the suit, feeding energy into every movement. It pulsed with power, silent but potent, and he could feel it syncing with his nervous system.
"Kael… be careful," Lyra whispered, voice tight. "What if it's dangerous?"
Kael shook his head. "I don't know yet. But I think it's my advantage. Everyone else has a normal System. I don't. I have… this." He gestured toward the glowing circle, and his suit pulsed along every seam like lightning.
A distant screech made them both freeze. Monsters were approaching again. Kael felt a thrill run through him. The circle glowed brighter. His hands tingled. He raised a fist, ready to test the full extent of this anomaly.
The city was alive with danger, but for the first time, Kael Ardyn felt a spark of control. The System Error was not a weakness. It was a weapon, and he intended to master it.