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Louis had always looked up to his mother.
Her hand, larger than his head, would gently cradle his tiny one as she smiled down at him.
Despite her towering stature and intimidating appearance, Benladra possessed a remarkably kind heart.
She often took her son to the forest or mountains, encouraging him to explore nature and release his inner dragon instincts. She would play along, chasing him through the trees, and Louis would giggle whenever she caught him hiding and tickled his belly.
His early years—his childhood—were not so bad.
Louis received abundant love and attention from his mother, though not as much from his father. Still, Gustaf was present most of the time.
Watching.
Analyzing.
Obsessively documenting everything he observed.
Whenever Louis asked why his father didn't join their games, Gustaf would offer a faint smile and say he wasn't fit to run around.
While Benladra always made time to spend a full day with her son, Gustaf never did. He worked from dawn until night, barely sleeping. Yet his wife loved him dearly and supported his efforts whenever she could, always striving together to build a better world.
Louis's childhood remained joyful until he began to realize he was not quite like his mother or father.
He never awakened any powers. His Esper abilities never surfaced, and his dragon heritage manifested only as a pair of small horns on his forehead.
Still, Benladra remained optimistic. She helped him train in her own ways, secretly hoping he might one day transform.
But Louis couldn't help feeling he had disappointed her time and again, never meeting anyone's expectations.
He had the body, strength, and reflexes of an ordinary human. The only trait he inherited from his mother, beyond physical features, was immunity to Fantasium.
Louis vividly remembered the day his parents finally gave up trying to help him awaken his powers.
He was ten years old. In dragon culture, hybrids born between a dragon and another race often had their powers sealed until the age of ten. At that point, they could awaken by receiving their dragon parent's Draconic Energy into their Dragon Heart.
It was a peaceful, harmless ritual. Benladra, having lived over fifty thousand years, had witnessed it hundreds of times.
Every relative with a hybrid child had joyfully helped them awaken at this age. Their children would claim their powers and soar into the skies with their dragon parent.
"Mom! Mom! Today's the day, right?" Louis had been so excited, bouncing around adorably. His long golden locks and bright yellow eyes made him look like a little angel—too cute to resist. "Uncle Drakda said I'll finally awaken my dragon powers at ten! I'm so excited!"
"Yes, my dear," Benladra replied, caressing his head with her large, blue-skinned hand and smiling gently. "Today is the day."
Together, they walked toward a grand altar in her Divine Realm, surrounded by nature and dozens of guests. His father stood among the Espers who had come to witness the event, while many dragons from Yggdrasil had also gathered.
The Dragon King himself did not attend. Benladra had explained why a year earlier.
"My father cannot cross the boundaries of Yggdrasil. His power is the pillar of that world. If he leaves, both he and Yggdrasil will perish. He became forever tied to that realm after saving it from a cataclysm fifty thousand years ago."
Louis longed to visit his grandfather and the rest of his dragon kin, but his frail body made it impossible. Gustaf had sternly told him that the only way to survive Yggdrasil's atmosphere—rich in Fantasium—was to awaken his dragon transformation. Otherwise, he would die before taking a single step into the realm of magic and gods.
So Louis trained diligently: roaring like a dragon, clawing at objects, running on all fours, and leaping like flying animals—all in hopes of channeling his "inner dragon" and awakening at ten.
Now, the moment had arrived. Surrounded by humans and dragons, Louis and his mother approached the Altar of Dragon Awakening.
He recognized many familiar faces among the dragons—uncles and aunts who had visited over the years. The tallest and most imposing was Benladra's younger brother, Drakda, the Abyssal Dragon of Calamity. Even in his Dragonoid form, he was a formidable figure, said to possess three heads and the size of a hundred mountains in his true dragon form.
Louis admired Uncle Drakda. He felt more like a father than Gustaf, always playing with him, sparring, and teaching him magic.
Meanwhile, Gustaf remained distant, relentlessly focused on his work. Louis still remembered how his father had forgotten his birthday the previous year and hadn't attended the party Benladra had prepared. The next morning, Gustaf acted as if nothing had happened, even as Benladra cried in bed.
Over time, Louis began to resent his father—not just for being absent, but for making his mother cry.
"Did you know, Louis?"
"Hm?"
Louis looked up at his mother. Her gentle smile and bright yellow eyes soothed his anxious heart.
"Uncle Drakda and I are hybrids too. In fact, aside from two of our younger siblings, all of the Dragon King's children are hybrids."
"Huh? I… I didn't know."
"Yes. The blue skin your uncle and I have comes from our mother, Belladaan. She was a member of the Ice Giant Tribe of Yggdrasil."
"Oooh! That's awesome! So I have Ice Giant blood too?!"
"Well, who knows? Maybe you'll awaken it someday."
"I can't wait! So you couldn't transform when you were a kid either, Mother?"
"Ah, no. I was the opposite. As the Dragon King's first child, I was born in my dragon form. It took a few years to channel my Dragonoid form."
"Oh, so it was reversed…"
"Yes, it can happen that way. But I'm glad you were born in your Dragonoid form—it made it easier to blend into human society."
"Ah, well, I guess so…"
Louis wouldn't have minded being a dragon forever. He would have gladly left this sorrowful world to join his dragon family in Yggdrasil and meet his legendary grandfather.
But things rarely go the way we hope.
When the ritual began, Benladra gently infused Draconic Energy into Louis's body through his head. The boy squirmed and screamed in agony.
"Gaaahhh! Aaaagh!"
"Resist it, Louis! You can do it! Grit your teeth like I taught you!"
Uncle Drakda, full of hope, cheered from among the other dragons, who mostly watched in silence.
"Wait, does it hurt? Should I stop, Louis?"
"N-no…! No! I can keep going! Uugh!"
Louis dropped to his knees, trying to summon his "inner dragon" and reveal his true form—to finally prove his worth to his father.
"GAAAHHHH!"
RUMBLE!
The ground trembled and the skies darkened. Everyone watched in awe.
Louis's true dragon form was emerging.
His eyes glowed, becoming reptilian.
Faint, crystal-like scales appeared on his hands.
His horns grew longer, and a tail seemed ready to sprout.
And then—
"Ugh…! Ngaaah…!"
Louis vomited blood and collapsed, convulsing violently.
"Louis! No!"
Benladra panicked, halting the ritual and healing him with all her magic. Gustaf summoned nurses, who rushed the boy to the organization's hospital.
Drakda and the other dragons stared in stunned silence. Some mocked the child, laughing that the Dragon King's eldest daughter couldn't produce a proper heir. Drakda punched them but also seemed disappointed, walking away without a word.
Louis never saw his dragon family again. They returned to Yggdrasil, and the chance to join them was lost.
When he awoke in the hospital, his parents were at his side, their faces filled with worry.
It was the first time Louis had seen his father cry.
"Louis! You're awake… please don't overexert yourself," Benladra said, gently caressing his hand.
"Mama… I couldn't do it…" Louis sobbed. "I'm sorry… I disappointed everyone… I just wanted to be a dragon like the rest of you… why can't I do it?"
Benladra shook her head, tears streaming down her face. She hugged him tightly and stroked his hair.
"There's nothing to apologize for, my dear son. It's not your fault. We love you no matter what—even if you can't become a dragon," she said. "Right, Gustaf?"
"Yes," Gustaf replied.
♢♢♢♢
Louis awoke in a large hospital bed; tubes connected to his body. A machine hummed quietly behind him, supplying purified Fantasium.
This was the tenth time he had dreamed of those events since eight years ago.
It felt as if his own mind were tormenting him, forcing him to relive the pain and question his worth.
"The voices are gone."
His eyes were clearer now. The madness that had consumed him seemed to have vanished.
"I didn't take any of that into consideration…"
He sighed, removed the tubes, and sat on the edge of the bed, reflecting on everything that had happened.
Now that he had time to think, he began to process the flood of emotions and information.
And among the many questions swirling in his mind, one loomed larger than the rest:
"Who is this Entity helping me regress?"
From what he could gather, it was someone who despised his grandfather, the Dragon King, and sought to use Louis as a weapon to destroy the entire royal bloodline.
"To think I ended up with one of that old man's enemies lodged inside my head…"
Louis had heard countless tales about his grandfather from his mother—stories of the vicious foes he had vanquished to protect Yggdrasil and rise to power. Yet no one had ever sounded quite like this Entity.
He sighed. There was no way to communicate with it now. The Entity only spoke to him in death. Louis had tried reaching out before but received no response.
It was as if life itself suppressed the Entity's existence, while death gave it voice. He remembered how it had once bloomed grotesquely from his body—an image he could never forget.
"Is it a parasite inside my soul? How do I even get rid of this thing?"
He clenched his teeth, biting his lip until it bled. His eyes reddened with fury and frustration. Nothing enraged Louis more than feeling powerless—unable to resist fate.
And once again, the answer was clear.
"I have to grow stronger…"
Only through strength could he seize control of his destiny and confront the enemies ahead.
Only with power could he purge the parasite from his soul and escape the endless loop of regression—a cycle that felt both like salvation and torment.
"I don't know the aftereffects of regression… I haven't suffered anything yet. But I can't take it for granted, not if it's tied to a monster that wants to slaughter my entire family."
With a clearer mind, Louis resolved not to rely on regression. He would grow stronger by his own will. If he continued dying just to fix small mistakes, his life would lose all meaning.
"…Wait, the voices?"
His eyes widened. He turned toward the door.
Nothing.
Yet for a moment, he felt it again—that eerie sensation of being watched.
Louis felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly dressed and began planning, now that he had absorbed a vast amount of knowledge from William's memories.
The existence of William was a mystery in itself. It was as if, upon death, another soul had tried to enter Louis's body before his own had fully departed. Both souls wrestled for control and ultimately merged, but Louis's mind remained dominant, absorbing William's emotions and memories.
"My father said I had a mental illness… How could I forget something so important?"
Confused, Louis stared at the pills beside him. The door behind him creaked open, putting him on high alert—only to reveal a small spider-shaped robot.
"Greetings, Prince Louis. I have been sent to monitor your condition. Your father recommends that you remain in bed for a day or two to fully recover."
Resisting the urge to kick the machine, Louis asked, "What happened to me? Why am I here?"
"Your father had to immobilize you because your schizophrenia reached critical levels. According to him, you were experiencing hallucinations and auditory delusions."
"So I have an illness like that… Why wouldn't I remember something so important?"
"I am not equipped to answer that, Prince Louis. I apologize for my limitations."
"…"
"However, your files indicate that you tend to experience memory loss when overexerted or exposed to trauma. Some suggest it is your mind's way of protecting you from memories better left forgotten."
"What?"
"That is what the records state."
"…"
"Professor Gustaf noted that since you awakened a Fantasy Heart and obtained a Spiral of Madness, your symptoms may have worsened. He recommends taking your medication daily."
"…Then why doesn't he come here and tell me himself? Why send a robot? Is he afraid of me?"
"Professor Gustaf is likely occupied. I apologize on his behalf."
Louis suppressed the urge to crush the robot underfoot. Perhaps William's memories had helped stabilize his mind and made him less impulsive—at least sometimes.
"Forget it. I'm going back to my room. Move aside."
"But your father instructed—"
"Move. That's an order."
"Yes."
The robot scurried out of his path as Louis walked through the depths of the VPI. He had too much to think about and too many plans to make. Sitting idle was not an option.
"The smell of disinfectant in this place makes me sick."
Louis despised the VPI headquarters. It was a cold, ominous facility where he constantly felt watched. Cameras were everywhere, and the unsettling presence likely came from Anomalies and Entities contained in the lower levels.
While heading back to his room, Louis reviewed classified files about the hidden power system of Sinners Academy: the Spiral of Madness, also known as the Spiral of Incarnations. Those who used the first term viewed it as a curse that could drive its wielder insane. The second name came from those who saw it as humanity's last hope against the Dimensional Convergence and the Entities it unleashed.
This power was considered more dangerous than Esper Psychic Abilities because it was tied directly to a person's darkest emotions, obsessions, and delusions. To obtain a Fantasy Heart, one had to let Fantasium flow freely through their bloodstream and embrace their own "Fantasy," attempting to impose it on the world. That was why Louis had found himself tested by his own memories—he had to embody his delusions and obsessions as reality.
By devouring his own madness, the Fantasy Heart would manifest the Spiral of Madness: clean, empty, and blank. It would remain without a specific Incarnation unless the person awakening it was a unique being, such as a Sinner—someone born between humans and Anomalies, Entities, or Grievances, like Louis.
"But what is my Spiral called?"
He couldn't recall ever hearing its name.
{The Hollow Spiral of the Ashen Wyrm}
"…?!"
A voice whispered in his mind. It sounded almost like his own, but twisted.
It spoke the name of his Spiral.
"Ashen Wyrm…"
Louis searched the database and compared it with William's knowledge of Spirals and their Incarnations. There was no record of the Hollow Spiral of the Ashen Wyrm, and William's memories offered no insight either.
"This can only mean one thing: this Spiral is my own creation."
Spirals of Incarnation could take many forms based on a person's obsession, though they often followed similar patterns. Multiple people could awaken the same Spiral.
So far, twenty-four Spirals were registered in the database. William also knew of six additional "DLC Spirals" that could be unlocked using Spiral of Madness Stones—purchased with real-world currency.
"But this isn't a game anymore. Those limitations no longer apply."
Most importantly, something unprecedented had occurred: Louis hadn't died or turned into a zombie. He had used the immense Fantasium within the Resonance Heart to awaken his Fantasy Heart. The future had already shifted and might continue to diverge from William's memories.
"So I've discovered the thirty-first Spiral…"
Louis looked at his palms. A spiral of white ash emerged, displaying nine circles. Only the smallest—the ninth—was active and glowing red. Spirals were ranked by the position of the Ring of Madness within these circles. The red ring marked his current level: Tier 9, the weakest.
If he grew stronger, he could ascend to Tier 8, then 7, 6, and so on, up to Tier 0. Tier Zero Awakened were akin to gods. Only two had ever been recorded. When they awakened, the surrounding area transformed into a Fantasy Realm, and the Laws of Reality were rewritten.
At Tier 0, one could impose their Fantasy upon the world, reshaping it entirely. This was how Earth's two Fantasy Realms were born: The Blinding Crucible and The Weeping Nest.
The Great Headless Venerable of Nine Suns reshaped most of Asia into a realm of eternal daylight, illuminated by nine suns—each replacing one of his heads. His Eyes saw all things.
The One-Hundred Limbed Fallen Abyssal Mother transformed Africa into a realm of perpetual shadow and sorrow, ruled by her grief and despair.
"This is why my father feared the Spiral of Madness… At its peak, it can turn you into a monster. Reaching the pinnacle means nothing if you lose control."
These two Venerables were once celebrated heroes. Nine Suns had been a renowned Esper, and the Abyssal Mother a powerful Sinner. They fought to protect the world from the Dimensional Convergence and its horrors.
But at Tier Zero, they ceased to be themselves. They became the embodiment of their Spirals, merging with their Incarnations.
Their true names were erased from the archives, as they carried the power to drive people mad.
Nine Suns had practiced the Spiral of Enlightenment, mastering Holy Light, Fire, and Sunlight, along with the absorption of knowledge. The Abyssal Mother had wielded the Spiral of Compassion, specializing in healing and absorbing others' pain.
Louis sighed and dismissed the files that only deepened his melancholy. He turned to the technical classifications.
"There it is."
He found the names for each Spiral stage:
Spiral Tiers
Origin Realm, The Lost (Tier 9–7): Awakening phase. The Fantasy begins as one loses themselves.
Adept Realm, The Fallen (Tier 6–4): Powers deepen and become thematic. The Awakened fall too far into their Fantasy to return.
Elite Realm, The Enlightened (Tier 3–1): Near-divine mastery. Reality bends around the Incarnation.
Mythic Realm, The Worshipped (Tier 0): The Incarnation becomes a living archetype, rewriting the world with their Fantasy.
Each Spiral had unique names for its Tiers. Louis had heard his Spiral's Tier 9 name: Flicker of Ash.
It was said that those who reached the Mythic Realm became immune to the Dimensional Labyrinth. Some believed the two Venerables would one day leave Earth with their Fantasy Worlds, saving only those they chose.
"To resist the Dimensional Labyrinth and the Convergence, one must embody their Spiral and create a perfect world. That was the 'Secret Ending' of the game."
In that ending, Mirai would awaken her Spiral, reach Tier Zero, and impose her Fantasy World—a peaceful realm free of monsters and despair.
But that ending never came to pass.
"There are also abilities tied to Spirals and spells linked to Elemental Affinities. I should be able to check my Status Screen, right?"
Though Louis knew this wasn't a game, there was an in-world explanation for the System's existence. A sentient A.I. named Andromeda, originating from Yggdrasil, had been granted to the Awakened by the Dragon King—thanks to Benladra's pleas.
"Status Display."
FLASH!
With a single thought, Louis summoned his personal information. His stats appeared, including Madness and Fantasium.
Of course, Francisco. Here's the continuation of the professionally polished chapter, maintaining your stylistic tone and avoiding excessive semicolons or em dashes:
♢♢♢♢
Name: Louis Drakeheart Yggdrasil
Classification: Sinner (Dragon–Human–Anomaly)
Spiral: Hollow Spiral of the Ashen Wyrm
Tier: 9 – Flicker of Ash
Fantasy Heart: Level 3/20
Vitality: 90
Strength: 60
Intelligence: 70
Dexterity: 100
Fantasium: 500
Fantasium Affinity: 87%
Madness Index: 43%
Bonds:
Dragon Family Bond – Mother Benladra (Level 10/10)
Elemental Affinities:
Ash Element: A Rank
Ice Element: A Rank
Void Element: S Rank
Incarnation:
Gravewalker – Tier 9 (Growth: 21%)
Known Abilities:
Ashen Frost – Tier 9 (Growth: 15%)
Potential Abilities:
Pending Spiral Resonance
♢♢♢♢
"…Void Element?"
Louis stared at the screen, surprised by the depth of information. His System Status revealed far more than he had expected. It detailed his stats, elemental affinities, and even tracked his levels of Madness and Fantasium Affinity—two metrics that fluctuated constantly.
The Madness Index measured how close someone was to losing control. If it reached 100%, the person would temporarily descend into insanity, and their Spiral could consume them. Sinners had to walk a fine line, resisting their own madness while drawing power from it.
Fantasium Affinity, on the other hand, was a measure of harmony with Fantasium itself. Reaching 100% triggered a Fantasy Awakening, which could grant new abilities, boost stats, or unlock new elemental affinities. It was what gamers called "Bonus Time."
Affinity didn't increase solely through high-quality Fantasium items. It also grew through forging bonds with others.
"Sinners grow stronger by forming bonds… Did that mechanic really carry over into reality? How inconvenient."
Sinners Academy had been a dating sim at its core, wrapped in turn-based strategy and RPG mechanics. Romance and emotional connection were central to its progression system. In this world, those mechanics had translated into the power of Bonds.
Louis's only bond was with his mother, a Family Bond at maximum level. It granted him passive bonuses that likely made him stronger than he would have been otherwise.
But deeper bonds, especially Romantic Bonds, could unlock entirely new abilities and boost stats. William's memories suggested that maxing out a bond with a Sinner could even awaken their Spiral.
"Is that really possible? There's no mention of it in the registry…"
Louis scoured the database but found nothing confirming that bonds could awaken Spirals. The absence of information irritated him. He decided to set the topic aside and focus on the rest of his Status.
"Levels… just like in the game."
Sinners Academy had been a turn-based strategy RPG. Players controlled up to eleven characters on a grid-based map, moving units each turn while the enemy did the same. It wasn't an action game, so William's memories couldn't help Louis with combat techniques or weapon handling.
If anything, Louis considered William a pathetic figure—someone who had achieved nothing and died by being eaten by a television. He chuckled at the thought.
Then he felt guilty for laughing, as if he were mocking himself.
"Haaa… Having two egos and two sets of memories in my head is exhausting."
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