Ren's world, once small and unremarkable, had fractured. His apartment was in ruins, but the true devastation was internal. He was no longer a bystander; he was a secret. He shoved the glowing crystal—a "core" from the defeated monster—into his pocket, its unnatural warmth a constant reminder of his new reality. The disembodied voice in his mind, Kael, was silent now, but its words replayed on a loop: You are an anomaly. Hide your power.
He spent the rest of the night in a state of terrified limbo, huddled in the corner of his destroyed living room. He tried to access the blue screen again, but it remained dormant. The world outside, oblivious to his secret battle, continued on. The next morning, he called his landlord, a nervous tremor in his voice as he stammered an excuse about a "gas leak."
As he packed a small bag with what little he had, the blue screen flickered back to life, the light almost blinding in the dim apartment.
[Quest Activated: The First Stepping Stone]
[Objective: Process a Monster Core.]
[Reward: Skill Unlocked: Energy Manifestation. 100 XP.]
He pulled the crystal from his pocket. The screen provided a detailed diagram, showing him how to activate the core. He hesitantly followed the instructions, a nervous knot in his stomach. The moment he pressed his palm against the crystal, it dissolved into a thousand shimmering particles of light that swirled into his body. He felt a cool, clean energy surge through him, making his nerves sing.
Suddenly, a new line appeared on the screen.
[Skill Unlocked: Energy Manifestation. Allows the user to create and control energy blasts. Type: Passive/Active. Gained: 100 XP.]
Ren stared at his hands, which now hummed with a subtle, electric blue glow. It was a skill, not a raw Aethel power. He closed his eyes, concentrating, and with a thought, a small orb of shimmering blue energy formed in his palm. It was clumsy, flickering erratically, but it was there. His own, terrifyingly secret power. The system was more than just a power; it was a teacher.
He realized he needed to practice, to understand what he was. But where? The city was full of Aethels, and a single mistake could expose him. He looked out his broken window, his eyes catching on a news report about a series of "rogue Gate" sightings in the old, abandoned subway tunnels beneath the city. An idea, reckless and desperate, began to form in his mind.
He was no hero, but he couldn't go back to being a bystander. He had a Gate in his home. He had killed a monster. He had to understand his power, and the only way to do that was to face what was coming. The hunt had begun, and he didn't even know he was the prey.