Cael Ardyn walked across the fractured plain, his chest still glowing faintly from the Reality Fracture. His Codex fragment pulsed like a second heart, resonating with the shards that had dissolved into him. His body burned, his mind fractured, his soul screamed. But he was alive. He was stronger. He was closer. He had survived the Fracture. He had acquired the shards. He had expanded the directive. But the system was not finished with him. The directive had fractured, and now the path shattered.
Reboot Potential: 7.00%
Emotion Gauge: Stabilized.
Anima Core: Active.
System Note: Shattered Path Detected.
Cael froze. Shattered Path. The drone projected an image—a labyrinth of broken terrain, pulsing with cursed energy, surrounded by runes that crawled across the ground. The air vibrated with power, thick and suffocating. The Shattered Path. Not a creature. Not a construct. Not a fragment. A trial. A directive. A truth. His chest tightened. If the drone was right, then the Path held the next step. The step toward reboot. The step toward humanity's fate.
He clenched his fists. He had no choice. He had to walk it.
The terrain shifted as he moved—less chaotic, more deliberate. The glitches were patterned now, forming symbols in the ground, runes in the sky. The system was no longer reacting to him randomly. It was guiding him. Or testing him. Or both.
The drone beeped.
Anomaly Detected: Shattered Path.
Distance: 9 km.
Threat Level: Absolute.
Cael swallowed. Absolute. He had faced Wraiths, Titans, Echo Alchemists, Emotion Constructs, Desire Constructs, Nullborn Armies, Eidolon Whispers, Failsafe Awakenings, Reality Fractures. But this was different. This was not a battle. This was not a test. This was truth. He clenched his fists. He had no choice. He had to go.
The Path manifested as a labyrinth of broken terrain—a maze of shattered towers, pulsing with cursed energy, surrounded by runes that crawled across the ground. The air vibrated with power, thick and suffocating. Cael staggered forward, his chest burning. The Codex fragment pulsed, resonating with the Path.
The labyrinth trembled. The air thickened. The shadows deepened. And then—he saw them.
Figures.
Reflections.
Versions of himself.
One was rage, red and burning.
One was despair, gray and hollow.
One was hope, gold and radiant.
One was desire, cloaked in chains.
One was war, endless and consuming.
One was failsafe, cold and infinite.
One was fracture, broken and unstable.
They pulsed together, resonating with his Codex fragment. His chest burned. His mind fractured. His soul screamed.
Shattered Path Detected.
Threat Level: Absolute.
Survival Protocol: Confront Yourself.
Cael screamed.
Light exploded from his chest, slamming into the reflections. The labyrinth trembled, distorted, and dissolved into particles. The ground stabilized, the air cleared, the maze trembled. Silence fell.
Cael collapsed, gasping. His interface flickered.
Shattered Path Fragment Acquired.
System Note: Directive Alignment Possible.
Reboot Potential: 7.50%.
He lay there, trembling. He had survived—but at a cost. His body burned, his mind fractured, his soul screamed. He was alive, but broken. He was stronger, but unstable. He was a survivor, but also a victim.
Fragments of memory surged.
A lab. A countdown. A voice.
"Cael, if this works… you'll be the key."
Then—another voice.
"Or the lock."
Then—a third voice.
"Or the weapon."
Then—a fourth voice.
"Or the war."
Then—a fifth voice.
"Or the failsafe."
Then—a sixth voice.
"Or the fracture."
Then—a seventh voice.
"Or yourself."
He opened his eyes.
The world was watching.
And the system was afraid.
The drone hovered beside him, scanning constantly. The path stretched into darkness, endless and broken. Cael staggered to his feet, his legs shaking. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The system pulsed.
The path shattered.
And Cael Ardyn walked into the unknown.