The walk home felt lighter than usual.
The sky above the village was painted in soft gold and fading blue, the sun dipping slowly behind distant hills. Market chatter had begun to quiet, and a cool breeze drifted through the cobbled streets.
Ren walked steadily, his long stride relaxed.
Beside him, his three sons could barely contain themselves.
Doari walked slightly ahead, fists clenched in excitement.
"Dad," he said suddenly, glancing up, "do you think we can activate our talents now?"
Koari adjusted his sleeves thoughtfully. "Yeah… it would be interesting to test them."
Zoari simply looked at their father, waiting.
Ren chuckled.
"It won't be stable."
All three boys froze.
"What?" Doari frowned.
Ren's voice turned calm but firm. "Your aura has awakened, but it's still raw. If you try to force it now, it could spiral out of control."
He glanced at them one by one.
"That's why Dragonspire Academy exists. They'll teach you how to control your aura. How to circulate mana. How to stabilize your talents."
Koari nodded slowly.
"At what age does real training begin?"
Ren smirked. "Fifteen. That's when the intense training starts. By then, you should have full control of your base talent."
Doari's eyes gleamed.
So this is just the beginning…
"In other words," Ren continued, "be patient."
Doari crossed his arms dramatically.
"…I hate patience."
Zoari glanced sideways at him.
"That's obvious."
Later That Evening
The house was warm and filled with light.
Elia stood near the doorway as the boys rushed inside.
"Well?" she asked eagerly.
Ren smiled proudly.
"As expected… all three are warriors."
Elia blinked. "No mage?"
"None."
She sighed softly, though there was a faint smile behind it.
"Well… I suppose warriors run in the family."
The boys laughed, ate dinner, and eventually retreated to their bedroom.
That was when everything changed.
The Forbidden Experiment
The room was dimly lit by a small lantern on the bedside table.
Moonlight streamed through the window.
Doari stood in the center of the room.
"I'm doing it."
Koari immediately looked up from his small notebook.
"Doing what?"
"I'm activating my talent."
Koari's eyes widened. "Are you insane? Father said it wouldn't be stable!"
Zoari lay on his bed, arms behind his head.
"He's right."
Doari waved them off. "Relax. I won't overdo it. Just a little."
He extended his hand forward.
Closed his eyes.
Breathed.
Focus…
He remembered the feeling from earlier — the warmth in his chest when the crystal sphere reacted.
He reached for it.
Slowly…
A faint red glow began to gather around his palm.
His hair lifted slightly as if brushed by invisible wind.
Koari sat upright.
Zoari narrowed his eyes.
The red aura thickened.
Then—
BOOM.
The aura erupted violently outward.
The lantern flickered.
Wind slammed against the walls.
Koari stumbled backward.
"See?! I told you—"
The aura collapsed just as quickly.
Silence.
Doari blinked.
"…Huh?"
In front of him—
Something appeared.
A translucent crimson screen.
Floating midair.
Its surface shimmered like liquid glass, layered with glowing symbols and faint geometric patterns rotating slowly in the background.
At the top, in bold glowing letters:
[ACCESS GRANTED]
Doari's jaw dropped.
"What…"
The screen shifted.
The symbols rearranged.
New text formed.
SYSTEM INTERFACE
The background pulsed with red light.
But at the top—
The title flickered strangely.
It read:
Title: System of the ———
The final word blurred violently, as if scratched out by unseen force. Static rippled over it. The letters refused to stay visible.
Doari leaned closer.
"…Why can't I read that?"
Below it, information appeared in organized panels:
Name: Doari
Age: 9
Rank: Unawakened Vessel
Talent: Cause Shift [Low Tier]
Skill Slots: Locked (0/3)
Aura Control: 2%
Mana Capacity: Perfect (Unrefined)
Stamina: Perfect
Fatigue: None
Mental Stability: Stable
Mission Log: None
Hidden Conditions: ???
Authority Level: Restricted
Doari's heart pounded.
"I… I have a system."
Koari blinked. "A what?"
Zoari sat up immediately. "What do you see?"
"There's a screen in front of me!"
Koari stood and walked closer.
"…There's nothing there."
Doari stared at them.
"You can't see this?!"
"No," Koari said calmly.
Zoari tilted his head.
"…Interesting."
Doari grinned.
"I guess you guys don't have one. Must be because I'm the main character."
Koari narrowed his eyes.
"I doubt that's the case."
Zoari stood up.
"Move."
He stepped into the center of the room.
Extended his hand.
Closed his eyes.
Green aura flared.
This time it didn't explode.
It compressed inward.
Then—
A translucent emerald screen appeared.
At the top:
[ACCESS GRANTED]
The same distortion at the title.
Title: System of the ———
(the final name flickered and blurred violently)
Name: Zoari
Age: 9
Rank: Unawakened Vessel
Talent: Moment Delay [Low Tier]
Skill Slots: Locked (0/3)
Aura Control: 3%
Mana Capacity: Perfect (Unrefined)
Stamina: Perfect
Fatigue: None
Temporal Resistance: Minimal
Mission Log: None
Hidden Conditions: ???
Authority Level: Restricted
Zoari's eyes sharpened.
"I see it."
Doari gasped. "You too?!"
Koari stepped back slowly.
"…Then that means…"
He extended his hand.
Blue aura burst outward—more controlled than Doari's but still forceful.
A sapphire screen materialized.
Title: System of the---------
(static distorted the final word)
Name: Koari
Age: 9
Rank: Unawakened Vessel
Talent: Beast Appraisal [Low Tier]
Skill Slots: Locked (0/3)
Aura Control: 2%
Mana Capacity: Perfect (Unrefined)
Stamina: Perfect
Fatigue: None
Beast Compatibility: Unknown
Mission Log: None
Hidden Conditions: ???
Authority Level: Restricted
Silence filled the room.
Three screens.
Three colors.
Three brothers staring at something no one else in the world could see.
Koari spoke first.
"…Why is the system name hidden?"
Doari crossed his arms dramatically.
"Maybe we're not high enough level."
Zoari studied the flickering distortion.
"No."
They looked at him.
"It's not hidden because we're weak."
He narrowed his eyes.
"It's hidden because we're not supposed to see it yet."
The room felt colder for a moment.
Doari quickly shook off the tension.
"Whatever. My talent is Cause Shift. That sounds insane."
Koari adjusted his glasses instinctively—even though he didn't wear any.
"Mine is Beast Appraisal. I can understand beasts."
Doari snorted. "So you can't even attack?"
"I can still use basic mana techniques," Koari shot back. "And knowing your enemy is powerful."
Zoari looked at his screen.
"Moment Delay…"
He clenched his fist slightly.
"I can slow things."
Doari grinned.
"See? We're awesome."
Koari closed his system window first.
"We should rest. Tomorrow we enter Dragonspire Academy."
Doari dismissed his screen.
Zoari was the last.
As his system faded—
For the briefest second—
The blurred title flickered clearly.
Only for a heartbeat.
system l of Chron—
Then static swallowed it.
Zoari's eyes widened slightly.
But he said nothing.
The Next Morning
Knock. Knock.
"Wake up!" Ren's voice echoed through the door.
Silence.
He frowned.
Opened it.
"…What the—"
All three boys were already standing in the center of the room.
Fully dressed.
Bags packed neatly.
Expressions serious.
Ren blinked.
"You're ready?"
Doari grinned. "Of course."
Koari nodded. "Efficiency matters."
Zoari simply adjusted his strap.
Ren shook his head, amused.
"You three…"
Downstairs, Elia waited.
She hugged each of them tightly.
"Visit when you're free," she whispered.
"We will," they replied in unison.
Ren opened the front door.
Morning light flooded the house.
The village road stretched ahead.
Beyond it—
In the distance—
The towering spires of Dragonspire Academy pierced the sky like ancient spears.
Doari stepped forward first.
This is it.
The academy arc begins.
Koari followed.
Knowledge awaits.
Zoari stepped last.
To Be Continued…