Chapter 6 – System Evolution
The ruins stretched before Kael like the ribcage of a dead giant, half-swallowed by the earth, half-defying the sky. The broken arch he had entered through seemed less like stone and more like a scar carved into reality.
He had returned, despite every warning whispered by common sense, despite the aching fear that crept at the back of his mind.
The shard pulsed faintly under his skin as if mocking his hesitation. It wanted to be here. Or perhaps, the ruin itself demanded its return.
Kael drew a steady breath. "Alright," he whispered to himself. "Let's see how far this madness goes."
The air inside the ruin was damp, every step stirring echoes that felt too sharp, too deliberate. The shard's heightened perception made every detail impossible to ignore. The drip of water from unseen cracks was not just sound, but rhythm. The faint shift of dust was not mere coincidence, but sign.
He walked deeper, the silence pressing against him like a physical weight.
Then came the hiss.
Low, cautious, like a predator circling. The creature from before slinked from the shadows—its pale limbs jerky, its eyes reflecting the faintest light.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Still alive, are you? Figures. Nothing in these ruins dies easy."
The creature tilted its head, studying him. Its movements felt less random this time, almost calculating. Kael felt the shard react—vibrations humming in his bones, alerting him.
He spread his stance, raising his hands. "Come on then."
The creature lunged, faster than a human eye could follow. But Kael's vision wasn't human anymore. The shard guided him. He stepped sideways, narrowly avoiding claws that scraped sparks against stone. His hands moved on instinct, projecting a pulse of energy.
A ripple of force cracked through the air, slamming the creature sideways. It screeched, body twisting unnaturally before landing and retreating several paces.
Kael's chest heaved, the effort cutting into his lungs. A hot pain spread across his ribs. The shard's power was intoxicating, but it demanded payment.
"You don't get to drain me for free," Kael muttered through clenched teeth.
The creature hissed again, circling. Its glowing eyes narrowed with an intelligence Kael hadn't noticed before.
He forced a grin. "What? Didn't expect me to bite back?"
It lunged again. Kael focused, projecting not just forward but sideways, creating a faint distortion. The creature misstepped, crashing into loose rubble. Kael seized the chance, driving his fist into its chest. The shard flared, releasing another pulse on impact.
The thing shrieked, staggering back, before finally retreating into the darkness with frantic speed.
Kael staggered to the wall, panting. Sweat mixed with the grit on his skin.
A flicker of words drifted before his vision:
[ Combat Feedback: Success ]
[ System Evolution Detected ]
[ New Function: Echo Projection – Partial ]
Kael swallowed hard. The letters burned into his mind, fragments of a language that wasn't his, yet he understood.
"Echo Projection…" he murmured, flexing his hands. The faint shimmer of energy still clung to his fingertips.
He experimented. Focusing on a small stone near his boot, he willed the shard to respond. A ripple extended, subtle at first, then stronger. The stone quivered, then rolled an inch.
Kael grinned despite the ache in his chest. "So it's not just defense. I can… push, shape, influence."
But even as exhilaration flared, another line shimmered faintly, almost warning-like:
[ Warning: Fragment Integration Stress – Moderate ]
Kael exhaled, resting his head against the wall. "Always a catch."
For a time, he simply listened. The ruin was never silent. Beneath the surface, beneath stone and dust, there was always the hum. A vibration that synced with his heartbeat, faint but insistent.
It was then he heard it.
A whisper.
Faint, almost part of the ruin itself. His name. "Kael…"
He froze. "Who's there?"
The whisper didn't repeat, but the shard thrummed violently, like recognition. His skin prickled. He scanned the chamber, but there was only dust, shadows, and the distant scuttling of unseen creatures.
A voice in his head said it was madness. Another voice—quieter, more dangerous—told him to listen.
He pushed forward.
The ruin opened into a larger hall, half-collapsed pillars leaning like broken teeth. Glyphs etched across the walls pulsed faintly as he passed. The shard reacted with sparks of energy, painting subtle trails across his vision.
Kael reached out and touched the nearest glyph. Warmth surged into his hand, followed by a flood of clarity.
[ Attribute Enhanced: Sensory Echo – Range Increased ]
The world shifted. He could hear further. Smell sharper. Even the tiniest vibration carried layers of meaning. A single drop of water falling somewhere deep echoed like a drumbeat.
Kael staggered, overwhelmed. His head throbbed as though splitting in two. He forced himself to breathe.
"This… this isn't normal. But it's mine now."
A sound broke his focus—a scrape of stone, followed by hurried footsteps.
"Kael?"
The voice was sharp, human, and close. He spun, instinctively raising his hand. The shard flared, light tracing his veins.
From the archway stepped Liora. Dust streaked her cheek, her leather coat worn and patched. Her dark eyes locked on his glowing hand, widening in disbelief.
"You…" she breathed. "What did you do?"
Kael's heart hammered. He lowered his hand quickly, but the faint shimmer lingered. "I should be asking you the same. What are you doing here?"
"I followed," she said bluntly. Her gaze never left his arm. "You disappeared into the ruin like a lunatic. I thought I'd be dragging your corpse out. Instead… I find you glowing."
Kael hesitated, then smirked despite himself. "Guess I'm full of surprises."
"This isn't a joke," Liora snapped. "What did you touch?"
Kael weighed his options. Lying was useless; she had seen too much. But truth was dangerous.
"Something old," he said finally. "Something broken. And now it's in me."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Fragments."
Kael blinked. "You know about them?"
"Everyone's heard stories," she replied. "Whispers about people who come back from ruins… different. Most don't survive long enough to explain how."
Kael studied her. She wasn't shocked, not exactly—cautious, yes, but intrigued.
"You don't look afraid," he said.
"Oh, I'm afraid," Liora replied. "Just not of you. Yet."
The shard pulsed faintly, reacting to her presence. Kael frowned. Did it recognize her, too? Or was it warning him?
He changed the subject. "You shouldn't be here. These ruins… they're alive. They test you."
"I noticed," she said dryly. Her hand rested on the hilt of a worn blade. "So tell me, Kael—what are you planning to do with that… thing inside you?"
Kael looked down at his hand, flexing his fingers. The faint shimmer of Echo Projection rippled again.
"I don't know," he admitted. "But I think the ruins want me to learn. And I'm not about to waste the chance."
Liora's gaze sharpened. "Then you'll need someone watching your back. Power draws enemies faster than scavengers to carrion. You think you're ready for that?"
Kael smirked faintly. "I've never been ready for anything in this world. But I've survived anyway."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken tension. Then Liora exhaled. "Fine. But if you lose control of whatever that is—I'll put you down myself."
Kael chuckled, though the shard pulsed uneasily at her words. "Fair enough."
The ruin hummed again, louder now, almost approving. Shadows shifted across the walls, forming patterns neither of them could decipher.
Kael felt the pull of a deeper passage, the shard tugging like a compass needle. He glanced at Liora. "Ready?"
She drew her blade, lips curling into a wry smile. "I followed you in here, didn't I? Lead the way, ruin boy."
Together, they stepped into the darkness.
And somewhere deeper, the whisper returned, soft and deliberate.
"Kael…"