Kieran spent his first night in Crossreach Bastion listening to people die.
The quarters assigned to unregistered souls were carved deep into the lower tier—too low for sunlight, too high to be forgotten entirely. The walls were etched with old sigils meant to suppress mana surges and soul instability. They did neither particularly well.
Screams echoed through the stone like distant thunder.
Some were short. Others lingered, stretching thin until they broke into hoarse sobbing. A few ended abruptly, cut off by the unmistakable hum of System enforcement.
Kieran lay awake on a slab of reinforced crystal, staring at the ceiling.
[SOUL RESIDUE: STABLE]
WARNING: LONG-TERM ACCUMULATION DETECTED]
"Stable," he muttered. "Sure."
The whispers were quieter now, pressed deep beneath his thoughts like sediment—but they were still there. Watching. Waiting.
When the horn sounded at dawn, Kieran was already on his feet.
The training grounds were packed.
Hundreds of combatants filled the massive arena carved into the city's mid-tier, its floor scored by old battles and fresh blood alike. Vanguard banners hung high above, their sigil—a broken shield bound by chains—glowing faintly.
Lyra stood near the edge, arms crossed, speaking quietly with a woman in light tactical armor. The woman's eyes flicked toward Kieran briefly, sharp and calculating, before returning to Lyra.
[ENTITY IDENTIFIED]
ELOWEN CRESTFALL]
VANGUARD STRATEGIST – RANK A]
Kieran felt a chill.
Before he could approach, the crowd shifted.
A path opened through the arena as a man stepped onto the field.
Caelum Vire.
He didn't wear heavy armor—just a clean white-and-gold combat mantle reinforced with luminous plates. A long spear rested casually in his hand, its tip glowing with condensed light. His blond hair was tied back neatly, his expression calm, almost kind.
The pressure he radiated was nothing like Lyra's.
It was worse.
[ENTITY IDENTIFIED]
CAELUM VIRE]
VANGUARD CHAMPION]
SYSTEM FAVOR: HIGH]
The crowd erupted.
"Caelum!"
"The Ascended!"
"He hasn't lost in three cycles!"
Caelum raised a hand, and the noise softened instantly.
Kieran watched him carefully.
No wasted movement. No tension. He stood like someone who expected the world to accommodate him—and usually did.
Lyra's voice cut through the din.
"Today's evaluation is mandatory," she announced. "Unregistered souls will be assessed for battlefield viability."
Her gaze flicked to Kieran.
"You're up."
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
Caelum turned.
His eyes landed on Kieran—and sharpened.
"Oh?" Caelum said pleasantly. "You must be the anomaly."
Kieran stepped onto the field, Nihra resting at his side. The Voidblade reacted immediately, its edge darkening, shadows coiling tighter around the hilt.
Caelum's smile faded just a fraction.
"That weapon," he said softly. "It doesn't belong here."
"Neither do I," Kieran replied.
Caelum laughed—genuine, warm. "Fair enough."
He planted his spear against the stone.
"This is a spar," Caelum said, voice carrying easily. "Yield when you can no longer fight. There's no shame in it."
Kieran met his gaze. "I don't plan to."
Something flickered in Caelum's eyes.
Interest.
[MATCH INITIALIZED]
CONDITIONS: NON-LETHAL]
SYSTEM OVERRIDE: ACTIVE]
The bell rang.
Caelum moved first.
He vanished.
Not fast—instant. Space folded as he reappeared directly in front of Kieran, spear already thrusting forward with surgical precision.
Kieran barely reacted in time, twisting aside as the spear grazed his ribs. The impact still sent him skidding backward, pain exploding through his side.
[HEALTH: 71%]
No flourish. No warning.
Caelum didn't give him time to recover.
Light flared as Caelum chained attacks together—thrusts, sweeps, feints—each one perfectly spaced, perfectly timed. Kieran blocked what he could, dodged what he couldn't, and took the rest.
Stone shattered beneath them.
The crowd roared.
Kieran gritted his teeth.
He's not testing me, he realized. He's measuring.
The Voidblade screamed in protest.
[SYSTEM WARNING]
VOIDBLADE RESTRICTED]
"Of course," Kieran hissed. "You're helping him."
Caelum stepped back smoothly, studying Kieran with open curiosity.
"You fight like someone who expects pain," Caelum said. "That's dangerous."
Kieran wiped blood from his mouth. "You fight like someone who's never been denied."
Caelum's smile thinned.
They clashed again.
Kieran pushed harder this time, feeding intent into the Voidblade instead of strength. Nihra responded, shadows lashing outward as his strikes grew sharper, heavier.
For a moment—
Just a moment—
Caelum was forced back.
The crowd gasped.
Lyra's eyes widened slightly.
Then the System intervened.
[SYSTEM BALANCE ADJUSTMENT]
TARGET: ANOMALY]
Pain detonated inside Kieran's skull.
He staggered as invisible pressure crushed down on him, forcing his knees to buckle. The Voidblade flickered, its edge dimming.
Caelum stopped.
"What was that?" he demanded, voice hard.
[NOTICE]
Match conditions remain valid.
Caelum's jaw tightened.
He looked down at Kieran—not with contempt, but something closer to frustration.
"You're being restrained," Caelum said quietly. "That's not fair."
Kieran laughed weakly. "Welcome to my life."
Caelum hesitated.
That hesitation cost him.
Kieran surged forward, pouring everything he had into a single, brutal slash. The Voidblade tore through Caelum's defenses, stopping a breath away from his throat.
Silence slammed into the arena.
[MATCH SUSPENDED]
Caelum stared at the blade inches from his neck.
Slowly, carefully, he raised his hands.
"I yield," he said.
The crowd exploded.
Lyra exhaled sharply.
Elowen Crestfall's gaze sharpened further, already calculating outcomes.
Kieran stumbled back, blood pounding in his ears. His vision blurred, whispers screaming now, furious at being denied.
Caelum stepped closer, lowering his spear.
"You could've killed me," Caelum said.
"The System wouldn't allow it," Kieran replied.
Caelum met his eyes. Something dark flickered there.
"That," Caelum said quietly, "is exactly the problem."
He extended a hand.
After a moment's hesitation, Kieran took it.
Caelum's grip was firm.
"I hope we meet again," Caelum said. "Under honest conditions."
Kieran nodded. "Me too."
As Caelum walked away, the System chimed.
[RIVAL REGISTERED]
CAELUM VIRE – ACTIVE]
Lyra approached Kieran afterward, her expression unreadable.
"You made an enemy," she said.
Kieran shook his head. "No. I made a mirror."
Lyra studied him for a long moment.
"…Get stronger," she said again. "Because next time, the System won't hesitate."
Kieran watched Caelum disappear into the crowd.
For the first time since his rebirth, he understood something crucial.
The System didn't fear monsters.
It feared competition.