The Awakening Hall had emptied hours ago. Lanterns floated silently, casting shifting pools of golden light across the marble floor. Shadows stretched long along banners of every noble family, the ancient runes etched into the walls humming faintly with residual magic. The chaos of the Ceremony had passed, leaving only silence and the faint, lingering hum of the Fate Pillar. Samir Veyra remained, his palm pressed against the cool crystal, feeling the energy pulse faintly through his fingers.
The broken [System] screen flashed in his mind, the fragments of vision still burning like embers. He pressed again, though he wasn't supposed to. The Pillar responded violently, sending sparks across the floor, numbers and symbols swirling chaotically. Most of it made no sense, but intermittent fragments appeared:
[Future Fragment Detected: Rajin Dharva encounters betrayal within the clan.]
Samir's pulse quickened. The image was brief, jagged, and incomplete—but undeniable. Flames curled around the scene, shadows twisted across the vision, and Rajin's face appeared, twisted with rage. The Pillar's light dimmed slightly, leaving Samir bathed in a mix of residual glow and deep shadow.
A soft step made him flinch.
"Samir?"
He turned to see Anaya Korin stepping into the lantern light. Her green eyes glinted, curiosity and faint amusement in her gaze. "I saw the glitch," she said. "No one else did, right?"
"Only me," Samir answered cautiously.
"You're lucky… and dangerous," she said softly. "You need to control it. Rajin is watching you. He won't forget this."
Samir studied her. Her tone was neither mocking nor entirely neutral. "Why tell me?" he asked.
Anaya shrugged, letting a strand of dark hair fall over her face. "Curiosity. Maybe I like knowing what others don't. Maybe I want to see if you can survive this." Her eyes flicked to the Pillar, then back to him, sharp and assessing.
Samir turned his gaze back to the crystal. If he could understand this glitch, if he could stabilize it, he might control more than just fragments of the future. He closed his eyes, drew a slow breath, and let his mind reach toward the flickering code.
The [System] responded violently, lines of symbols and fragmented visions overlapping. Shapes appeared: falling figures, daggers, broken banners, brief flashes of combat. One line froze briefly:
[Target: Rajin Dharva | Event: Betrayal | Timeframe: Unknown]
It vanished before he could examine it further. Samir's heart pounded—not from fear, but from exhilaration. The power was raw, unpredictable… but undeniable.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Samir turned sharply. Rajin appeared, hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm, but his eyes calculating.
"Still staring at that broken Pillar?" Rajin asked smoothly. "I thought Fate had written you off. Maybe you're hiding something after all."
Samir met his gaze evenly. "Maybe."
Rajin smirked, tilting his head. "Careful. Some glitches are dangerous to touch. They can hurt you… or others."
Samir's mind raced. Rajin didn't know the full truth, not yet. I need to learn fast. I need to turn this glitch into my edge.
Rajin's smirk widened. "I'll be watching, Veyra. Don't disappoint me." He walked away, cloak brushing the marble, his presence leaving the hall colder in his wake. Samir felt a spark ignite inside him.
He pressed his palm against the crystal again, letting the residual energy flow into him. Symbols and fragments swirled faster, twisting into shapes that were almost recognizable: weapons, broken sigils, glimpses of movement. Then, one line froze in focus:
[Potential Skill Detected: Reality Fragmentation | Efficiency: Unknown]
Samir frowned. He didn't know what it meant yet, but instinct told him it was powerful. If he could stabilize it… if he could control it… he could reshape the events around him.
Hours passed without notice. The hall's shadows deepened, lanterns swaying slightly, and Samir experimented tirelessly. He traced sigils in the air, letting the [System] respond, analyzing fragments of the future, glimpsing small skirmishes, victories, hidden dangers, and—most importantly—Rajin's flaws.
A quiet shuffle behind him made him turn. Anaya had returned, carrying a satchel and a small water flask. She set it down beside him, her eyes scanning the glowing Pillar. Samir nodded in acknowledgment, but kept his focus.
"You're obsessed," she said lightly, leaning against a column. "But maybe you have to be. That glitch… it's not just a system error. You're seeing things no one else can. That makes you dangerous."
"I have to control it," Samir murmured. "Before Rajin—or anyone else—can use it against me."
Anaya's gaze sharpened. "Then learn fast. The world won't wait for you."
Samir returned his focus to the Pillar. This time, he traced patterns with his hands, forcing his mind to connect the fragmented visions. The Pillar flared violently, then cascades of images poured into his consciousness:
Rajin laughing at a minor victory, arrogance radiating from him.
A hidden dagger aimed at an ally in the shadows.
A battlefield swallowed by fire.
Brief glimpses of potential allies, their faces partially obscured, their fates uncertain.
Fragments of conversations, commands, and betrayals, twisting together like threads of a tapestry.
Each fragment vanished almost immediately, but Samir caught enough to see patterns. The glitch wasn't random—it highlighted what mattered, what would shift the world if left unchecked.
Night deepened, lanterns flickering against the hall's tall walls. Samir stepped back, chest heaving, mind racing. His fingers still tingled from the Pillar's energy. He realized the truth clearly now: the world had written him off as "Fate-less," but the very thing others mocked—the glitch—was his hidden advantage.
A faint, deliberate smile curved his lips. He was no longer just Samir Veyra, the ignored heir. He was something else now—someone who could see beyond what the world allowed.
He moved silently along the hall, testing the range of his connection with the Pillar. Each step produced new fragments, fragments that hinted at potential alliances, dangers, and tactical advantages. He was learning the rhythm of the glitch, feeling how it pulsed in response to his focus.
From the corridor came faint footsteps, distant but deliberate. Samir didn't flinch. He had begun to understand the rules of the glitch, the fragments of the future. Whoever approached would have to reckon with what he was becoming.
Even as the night stretched on, the hall alive with residual magic and whispering shadows, Samir stayed, experimenting and pushing his limits. The last fragments of the evening revealed Rajin again—confident, arrogant, yet with cracks Samir could exploit. He traced each detail in his mind, storing it, analyzing it, preparing.
If Rajin thinks I'm a joke… he's about to learn the truth.
By the time Samir finally stepped away from the Pillar, dawn's first light crept into the hall. Lanterns flickered out one by one. Shadows melted into the early sun, but the energy within him, sparked by the glitch, burned brighter than ever.
He had glimpsed too much, learned too fast, and the world had not yet noticed. But soon, it would.
Samir Veyra, "Fate-less," smiled quietly to himself. The game of destiny had begun—and he would play it on his terms.