The Absolute Rule
Chapter 6 — The Threads Begin to Pull
Night bled into morning without ceremony.
Raygen slept like someone who had been fighting nonstop for days. Bones still cracked when he shifted, muscles sore in deep, aching ways. The system worked silently inside him, knitting, repairing, optimizing.
But it couldn't erase exhaustion.
When he finally blinked awake, Asa was already up.
Not sharpening daggers.
Not stretching.
Just sitting.
In the chair by the window.
Staring at the city with a look Raygen didn't see often—something dangerously close to worry.
"You're awake," she said without turning.
"Yeah."
She didn't move. "Your evaluation results will be posted today."
Raygen rubbed his face. "Already?"
"Word of your Sovereign kill spread too far. They want to finalize your ranking before nobles start throwing tantrums."
"They already are."
Asa snorted. "Oh, trust me—compared to real noble tantrums? Yesterday was a polite complaint."
Raygen didn't argue.
He stood carefully. Pain stabbed his ribs.
Asa's glare shot toward him instantly. "Sit."
"No."
"Raygen."
He straightened, ignoring the dizziness. "We need food."
"We have bread."
"Food that isn't bread."
She opened her mouth to argue.
Then closed it.
Because he wasn't wrong.
"Fine. But you walk behind me. If you fall, I want you to fall forward, not backward. Easier to catch."
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does. Don't argue."
He didn't.
They left the apartment.
And once again—
they weren't alone.
---
The Nameless Man Follows
Invisible.
Silent.
Trailing them like a whisper beneath breath.
To the world, the morning was normal: merchants opening stalls, guild runners on errands, mana-lamps fading as sunlight claimed the streets.
To him, the world was patterns.
Threads.
Possibilities.
Choices branching like lightning in slow motion.
Raygen and Asa walked among those threads with a strange immunity—like someone had wiped the ink of destiny clean from their names.
Blank fate.
He still didn't know why.
He found that delightful.
He found it… dangerous.
He followed.
---
Market District — Early Morning
Asa chose a food stall with a long line.
Raygen stopped. "Why this one?"
"Long lines mean good food. And people who stand in lines gossip. Gossip is free intelligence."
Raygen paused. "…You learned that from your Earth memories, didn't you?"
She smirked. "Maybe."
They reached the counter. Asa ordered aggressively on Raygen's behalf—three meat skewers, fruit slices, spiced potatoes, and a bowl of something steaming and suspiciously expensive.
He stared at the pile. "I can't—"
"You're eating all of it."
"I'll explode."
"That's the goal."
Raygen sighed, but he ate.
Voices drifted from behind them.
"—that's the kid. The one who beat Raft's dogs."
"—C-rank my ass. He's hiding something."
"—House Raft's mad. Heard someone high up is taking interest."
Raygen's grip tightened on his spoon.
Asa heard it too. Her jaw clenched.
"You know," she said casually, "if nobles want to mess with you again, I can just kill one. Just one. Scare the rest."
Raygen sputtered. "Asa—no."
"It'd solve the problem."
"It would create twenty more."
She clicked her tongue. "Fine. Spoilsport."
They finished eating and slipped into the flow of foot traffic heading toward the guild.
But something was wrong.
Raygen felt it first—a prickling on the back of his neck.
Asa felt it second—her hand drifted to her dagger.
The nameless man felt it instantly.
Something else was watching them.
Not him.
Not the guild.
Not the nobles.
Something smaller.
Meaner.
Human.
He turned his head slightly toward a rooftop three buildings away.
A figure crouched there.
A young man—late teens, rail thin, nervous energy practically vibrating from him. A spy in training. Eyes flicking between Raygen and a small mirror he used for signaling.
Reporting.
To someone in the distance.
The nameless man's lightning crackled invisibly.
He didn't intervene.
Not yet.
Watching mortals scheme was… entertaining.
---
Guild Hall — The Posting Board
The guild hall was louder than usual.
Raygen's name wasn't just posted on the evaluation board.
It was the headline.
RAYGEN — PROVISIONAL B-RANK
Assessment: Exceptional Growth Potential
Restrictions: Observed for 30 Days
Recommendations: Avoid high-level dungeons until fully healed
Asa whistled. "You're officially terrifying."
Raygen scanned the hall.
People stared.
Whispers swirled.
Some admiring.
Some jealous.
Some calculating.
One man scowled openly as he read the board, jaw clenched so tight veins stood out on his neck. A broad-shouldered B-rank who clearly didn't appreciate being overshadowed by a sixteen-year-old.
Raygen ignored him.
Asa did not.
She smiled sweetly. "What's wrong, big guy? Someone outperform you?"
He glared and stomped away.
"Subtle," Raygen muttered.
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Asa shrugged.
They were about to leave when a guild attendant hurried over.
"Raygen! Asa! Message for you—"
He didn't finish.
The double doors of the guild slammed open.
A squad of armored guards strode in, splitting the crowd like a blade.
They wore Raft colors.
At their center…
A man walked with calm, unhurried steps.
Young.
Refined.
Sharp eyes.
Cold posture.
The real Lyle Raft.
Conversation in the guild died instantly.
Even Asa stiffened.
Raygen's breath faltered.
Not in fear—but because he recognized something dangerous behind that man's eyes.
Not stupidity.
Not rage.
Intellect.
The kind of intellect that hunted problems the way wolves hunted prey.
Raygen had seen the fake Lyle.
Now he saw the real one.
And this one…
This one smiled when he saw him.
"Raygen," Lyle said warmly. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."
Warmth didn't reach his eyes.
Asa stepped in front of Raygen.
"No."
Lyle raised an eyebrow. "I merely wish to talk."
"No," Asa repeated.
Lyle's smile widened slightly. "You act as though I intend to stab him in the open. I assure you—I'm far more civilized than my cousin."
Raygen stepped forward.
Asa grabbed his arm. "Raygen—"
"It's fine," he murmured.
It wasn't.
But hiding wouldn't help.
Raygen faced Lyle. "What do you want?"
Lyle studied him like a rare specimen. "A conversation. Nothing more. You embarrassed my cousin. That is amusing, not offensive."
Raygen doubted that.
Lyle continued. "But you've gained attention. Some good. Some deeply inconvenient. I prefer to understand rising factors before they disrupt existing power structures."
"…Rising factors?"
"You," Lyle clarified. "Obviously."
Raygen said nothing.
Lyle examined him, head tilted slightly.
"You are stronger than your rank suggests. Faster than your age allows. And you grow at a rate the guild cannot quantify." His eyes sharpened. "That makes you interesting. And unpredictable."
Raygen held his gaze.
Lyle stepped closer, voice dropping. "Unpredictable things… require management."
Asa's aura darkened. "Try managing him and I'll carve your ribs out."
The Raft guards stiffened.
Lyle didn't.
He chuckled softly. "You have spirit. I like that."
Then his expression cooled.
"But understand this: House Raft tolerates anomalies only when they are useful."
Raygen finally spoke.
"And if I'm not?"
Lyle met his eyes without blinking.
"Then I remove you."
Silence.
The guild hall went dead still.
Asa shifted into a killing stance.
Raygen didn't flinch.
Lyle's smile returned—thin and sharp. "Relax. I am not here for threats. Only clarity."
He turned, cape swaying.
"Thirty days, Raygen. Use them well. Impress me. Prove you belong in this city's future."
He glanced back once.
"Otherwise, I will consider you a temporary curiosity."
With that, he left.
The hall exhaled as one.
Asa grabbed Raygen's shirt. "We need to leave. Now."
Raygen nodded.
They pushed through the crowd.
The nameless man followed—crackling with quiet amusement.
"Threats wrapped in silk," he murmured. "Mortals love pretending at power."
He watched Raygen's shoulders tighten.
Asa's fists clench.
The threads of conflict twisted tighter.
Soon.
Not yet.
But soon.
---
Nightfall — A Warning in the Dark
Back on the rooftop of the bakery, Raygen sat with knees pulled to his chest.
Asa paced.
"You should've let me stab him."
"No."
"He threatened you."
"I know."
"He said he'd remove you."
"I heard him."
She growled in frustration.
Raygen watched the horizon. "He wasn't bluffing."
"No shit he wasn't bluffing."
Raygen inhaled slowly. "He's the most dangerous person we've met."
Asa stopped pacing. "Not the most dangerous."
Raygen looked up.
Asa's eyes flicked to the shadowed corner where she felt something but couldn't see anything.
Raygen didn't turn.
He didn't need to.
He knew the entity was there.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
Asa whispered, "There's something following us. I can't see it but… something is there."
Raygen's heart thudded once.
Hard.
He forced his breathing steady. "…You're imagining things."
"No. I'm not."
Raygen didn't respond.
He couldn't.
If she kept pushing…
If she kept looking…
If she kept noticing…
The nameless man remained silent, lightning rippling faintly under skin that no one could see.
She was close.
So close.
But not yet.
He would reveal himself when the moment was perfect.
When the threads aligned.
When Raygen needed him.
For now…
He watched the siblings argue quietly under the night sky.
And he smiled.
**End of Chapter 6**