Within the emperor's throne room, chaos had thoroughly ensued. The room was packed with all sorts of people, from the nobles of the capital to the advisors and even some normal citizens expressing their worries. Everyone was bickering. Outside, it was even worse. The guards, those who had not decided they were suddenly above working for the empire, that is, were trying their hardest to control the damage, but there were just too many people. It had to be understood that the capital had more than 300,000 people living within its walls, and only around 50,000 of them were guards. This would normally be fine for the number of people, but with people gaining sudden super speed and strength, the guards were being stretched thin.
As for the emperor himself, he was sitting on his throne. His fist was resting against his cheek as he stared down at the bickering crowd with a tired expression, when suddenly the throne room's door burst open and in walked three individuals, all wearing black-plated armor and caked in blood and dirt.
The room fell into silence as three men looked around for a moment before swiftly walking towards the emperor and taking a knee.
"Your majesty." Said the one at the center. A man the emperor knew well, as he was one of the best generals of his army. But seeing him here, in the capital… That was not good.
"Just give me the bad news, general." He said, squeezing the arm of his throne to brace himself and cracking it by accident because of his increased strength.
"...The border has been overrun by tens of thousands of beasts, Your Majesty; they are all heading towards the capital."
***
Sylas was eventually woken up at 6 am, his body and mind feeling refreshed as he let out a yawn and stretched. Rising out of his bed, he quickly used the bathroom before taking a quick shower. Once he was finished, he made his way into the kitchen and started cooking up some breakfast for everyone. Normally, his mother would take care of this, but considering what happened yesterday, Sylas decided to take care of it himself and give her a break.
As he cooked in silence and sipped on a cup of coffee he had made for himself, his mind wandered over yesterday's insane events. Whether it was the sky cracking, the loud boom and wind that followed, or the changes in his body. None of that was too crazy in his opinion. Instead, Sylas was most confused by the thing that had appeared in his vision.
The so-called "Primal system."
It left many questions in his mind, and with not a lot of answers, if any at all. The system claimed things like him being the only eligible candidate in the galaxy. Now, Sylas had no idea what galaxy meant; it was not a word he was familiar with. But if he had to take an educated guess, he would assume it had something to do with space. Now, he did not know much about space, but what he did know was that there were more planets. Specifically, the stars above that one might see in the night sky were some of those planets.
So with that in mind, the word "galaxy" had to be referring to more than just his own planet, maybe even every planet in the sky above. He did not know if they all had life on them, but if they did, that would mean he was the only candidate out of so many people; he almost could not comprehend the amount.
Removing the eggs and bacon from the pans, he set the table. His brothers slowly woke up from the smell of food and made their way into the kitchen with groggy eyes. The first of which was Adam.
"Morning," Sylas said while sipping his beverage.
Adam grunted in response but said nothing and took a seat. As he went to grab a spoon to scoop some eggs onto his plate, the spoon bent under the strength of his hand, and Adam's eyes widened. "What the?"
Staring at this scene, I myself was also left confused. Why was he suddenly unable to control his strength? Yesterday, it had been fine, and everyone seemed to adapt to the increase naturally. Why was it now that things were different?
Wait.
If Adam was suddenly experiencing issues with it, then… Why was it not? Letting out a long sigh, I walked over and made a plate for him while also pouring him a glass of juice, handing him a fork gently. Adam managed to grip the fork without breaking it and started slowly eating his breakfast. Shortly after that, two other siblings walked into the room, followed by my mother not long after. Everyone sat in silence and ate, not really speaking much.
The silence was fine for me. Normally. Right now, it only made me think more about the questions spiraling in my head, but those questions only led to even more. It was like an endless cycle of questions, but ones that I had no way of answering.
I hated that. The fact that I could not figure out the why or the what of something. It was like a scratch just out of reach. Extremely irritating.
I need answers. I thought my mind was thinking of the system again. Would something like that have them? Surely whatever it was would have what I want to know. Or at least some of it. As if sensing my sudden interest in integrating, as the system called it, the panel snapped into my view.
"Would you like to integrate the system?"
(Days left: 2)
"Galaxy Designation: K-47."
"Eligible Candidates: 1."
"Current Selection: Sylas."
Scratching my head, I felt frustration bubbling up inside. I WANTED answers, but was it worth it? Was it worth accepting something, integrating something into me that I did not know of? Obviously, I'm not expecting to have the answers to everything, but when it involves me and has unknown effects… I just could not bring myself to make that decision easily. Luckily for me, my hesitation seemed to bring forth more information as the blue screen flashed once more.
"Primal System is not required for survival."
"The Primal System is not native to Kalos."
"Integration will anchor the Primal Framework to this galaxy."
"Only one System may exist per galaxy."
"Integration is irreversible."
"User compatibility: Extremely high."
"If integration is declined, another will be selected."
Immediately, a few things stood out to me. The first two were that integration could not be undone, and the second was that it was not required for survival. The first one was honestly kind of expected, but as for it not being required… that was big. It means that if I let the time run out or decline the system, it would not mean I am unable to survive. But then that begs the question.
What makes the system different? I waited for a moment to see if the system would give me more answers, but after a few minutes and no new panel appearing, I knew that it would likely no longer give me anything else. Now it was up to me, either I accept the system and use it to grow. Or I reject it and follow the normal path.
As I was thinking about my decision, I felt something at my feet. It was faint and hard to detect, but with my increased senses, I could feel a tremble from the ground.
Another earthquake? I wondered at first, before the feeling got stronger. No. This is not an earthquake. Jumping up from my seat, I looked up and saw my father, mother, and Adam all looking at the floor. Ignoring that, I ran over to the window that looked out towards the forest as the trembling only continued to grow.
Oh no.
Using my increased vision, I was able to make out figures deep into the treeline. A lot of figures at that. Thousands. As I turned to yell for my dad to come look, I almost jumped upon seeing him standing behind me, also looking out the window. His face was grim. Saying nothing, he walked over to the table.
"Get to the basement. Now." He ordered, and my brothers all quickly did as he said, with my mom pushing them gently from behind. Glancing back out the window, I saw the first of the beasts break through the trees, their hulking figures making my eyes widen. There were all kinds of animals: wolves, bears, rabbits, and foxes. Even things like monkeys, which I did not even know were in the forest, could be seen.
"Sylas!" My father yelled from behind, turning, I saw him standing at the basement doorway, waving his hand for me to get moving. Right as I started to sprint towards him, the house shook violently, and I lost my footing, falling over. Panic filled my body as I tried to scramble back to my feet, knowing that the beast tide was only seconds away.
Unfortunately, my panic led to the worst happening. As I tried to grab onto a support beam in the middle of the house, I used too much strength and the wood shattered in my hand. The house creaked before the roof fell inward, blocking my way to the basement. SHIT
"SYLAS!" My father yelled from the other side, his voice filled with worry.
Coughing, I yelled back, "I'm fine dad! Don't worry about me, just protect my brothers and mom!" Not waiting to see if he heard me or would yell back, I sprinted towards the back of the house and busted out a window, breaking into a barrelroll. Shooting a glance to my left, my face fell. The beast tide was here. Not wasting any more time, I sprinted off the back porch.
THERE! I thought seeing a part of the treeline where beasts were not spilling out from and dashing toward it. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, and my ears rang from the thunder or roars to my side. Shooting another glance at the beasts, I caught a glimpse of something massive that looked like a bear.
Great! I thought and ignored the beast. I just needed to make it to the treeline, and then losing the bear should be easy. Within seconds of that thought passing, I dashed past my first set of trees, running deep into the forest.
I ducked beneath a low branch, boots slamming against the forest floor as bark exploded behind me. The bear was not slowing down, its big lumbering feet crashing loudly behind me, the sound of it tearing through trees like they were nothing. I risked a glance over my shoulder again and immediately wished I hadn't. The thing was big, much bigger than I initially realized. But not just large—Wrong. Its muscles bulged unnaturally beneath its fur, shifting like they didn't quite fit inside its own skin. And its eyes… They were focused.
Not wild.
Focused.
Cutting sharply to the right and pushing off a tree trunk to redirect myself. My foot dug too hard into the dirt, launching me forward several meters as I used my strength from the tense situation. The ground trembled again.
This time, however… It wasn't just from the tide. There was another sound, faint, distant. Then a crash sounded, not behind me but deeper into the forest. Glancing past the bear, my stomach dropped.
The beasts weren't charging in some sort of rage, but instead, they were feeling. All running outward, away from something further within the forest. The capital wasn't their target; it was their escape route. Something that just happened to be in the way, just like my family's farm.
What the hell is coming? I questioned inwardly.
A roar shook the air behind me, and I barely had time to dive forward as a massive paw smashed into the earth where I'd been standing. The impact sent dirt and shattered roots flying, the shockwave knocking me off balance. I hit the ground hard and rolled, scrambling to my feet.
That had been close. Too close.
Sprinting again, my lungs burning like they had been doused in lava, the trees grew denser the deeper I ran. Branches clawed at my clothes, and roots twisted beneath the soil. Ahead, I noticed a ravine suddenly appear. With no time to think, I jumped. For a split second, I felt weightless.
Clearing the gap farther than I ever could have before, relief barely had time to form before something slammed into my back midair. Pain exploded down my back and through my ribs as claws tore across my shoulder. We crashed onto the opposite side in a violent tumble. I barely rolled away before jaws snapped shut inched from my head.
Scrambling back, heart hammering against my chest, my foot caught a root.
I fell.
The bear rose onto its hind legs; the sight was much worse up close. Its fur was torn in places, flesh bulging and shifting beneath it like something inside was trying to reshape it. Veins pulsed visibly along its neck. Its breath reeked of blood.
And its eyes locked onto mine.
Not with hunger.
Purpose.
Suddenly, the sky cracked one more, and in its place, the system appeared.
It's not native to Kalos.
Only one system may exist per galaxy.
If integration is declined, another will be selected.
The world is changing. The beasts are changing. If someone else becomes the anchor, then… What kind of system shapes this galaxy? A tyrant? A coward? A hero? The bear's paws rose as the system panel flickered in my vision again.
[Critical survival probability: 3%.]
[Integration recommended.]
I still wanted answers. But more than that— I refused to let someone else decide what this world would become.
The paw descended.
"Integrate"
Everything broke. Not outward. Inward. It felt like something ancient slammed into my spine and rooted there. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, each pulse heavier than the last.
Thud, thud.
Thud, thud.
Thud, thud.
The forest sharpened.
No.
I did.
The scent of damp soil flooded my senses. I could hear the grinding of the bear's muscles, the rush of blood through its veins. The air itself felt textured against my skin. My body tightened, not swelling widely or exploding with power but condensing.
The bear's paws crashed into my forearm, and the impact drove me several inches into the soil. But it didn't crush me like it would have before, even with the strength that Aether gave me. A sound tore from my throat; it was like some sort of primal roar. Not out of fear or even anger.
Instinct.
I pushed. The bear's eyes widened slightly as resistance met its strength. Not equal. But no longer prey. Twisting my body, I redirected the paw just enough for it to slam beside my head instead of into it. Instead of scrambling away, I moved forward.
My fist drove into its throat, and I felt something give; the bear recoiled with a furious roar, swiping wildly. Claws tore across my side, drawing blood, but the pain felt distant. Secondary. My body adjusted without me thinking, shifting weight, correcting balance.
This is what it means.
Primal.
No skills, no spells. Just flesh and bone. Will.
The bear lunged again, but this time I stepped into it, one hand caught its lower jaw. The other gripped its upper snout as every tendon in my arm screamed as I held its bite inches from my face.
Our eyes met again. Animals. Humans. Something in between.
With a roar, I twisted violently, using its own momentum to slam it into a tree thick enough that three men couldn't have wrapped their arms around it. The truck cracked on impact. Before it could recover, I drove my elbow down into its skull.
Again.
And again.
Until its body went still. Silence settled over this patch of the forest. Staggering backwards, chest heaving, and blood dripping from my shoulder and side, a faint blue glow flickered at the edge of my vision.
[Integration complete.]
[Primal Framework anchored to Galaxy K-47.]
[System initializing…]
Then— From deeper within the forest— something roared. And it was not a beast. I lifted my head slowly toward the sound. Whatever caused the tide…
It was still coming.