Kael Veyron stared at the symbol on the wall.
A hand.
Holding a quill.
It wasn’t particularly complicated.
In fact, compared to the crown, eye, and broken chain beside it, the symbol looked almost ordinary.
Yet Kael couldn’t shake the feeling that it was watching him.
He reached toward it.
The moment his fingers touched the wall—
CRACK.
A thin line of black light spread beneath his fingertips.
Kael immediately pulled his hand away.
The symbol vanished.
The wall returned to normal.
Kael stood there silently.
“…No.”
He looked around the empty hallway.
“System.”
[The System is present.]
“Tell me that wasn’t important.”
A pause.
[The System will not lie to the Host.]
Kael sighed.
“That’s not what I wanted to hear.”
[The System is aware.]
“Can you identify the symbol?”
[Negative.]
“Can you analyze it?”
[Negative.]
“Can you—”
[Negative.]
Kael stared at the window.
“I hadn’t even finished.”
[The System anticipated the question.]
Kael rubbed his forehead.
“You’re becoming annoying.”
[The System considers this a compliment.]
Kael turned away from the wall.
He had learned something important.
The moment he began asking questions, the world seemed determined to produce more of them.
He had wanted answers about his reincarnation.
Instead, he had discovered irregularities.
He had wanted to know about the Observer.
Instead, he had discovered someone called the second irregularity.
He had wanted to understand the Karma System.
Now he had a mission to find its creator.
And apparently—
Someone was writing again.
Kael looked at the black paper inside his coat.
THE STORY IS WATCHING.
He hated how dramatic everything had become.
The dining hall was still crowded when Kael returned.
Mira immediately noticed him.
“Where did you go?”
Kael sat down.
“I followed someone.”
“Who?”
“A student.”
Mira blinked.
“The one I told you about?”
Kael nodded.
“Yes.”
Her expression became serious.
“Did you find him?”
“Briefly.”
“What happened?”
“He disappeared.”
Mira stared.
“You chased someone through the academy and he just disappeared?”
“Pretty much.”
She looked unconvinced.
Kael couldn’t blame her.
He wasn’t particularly convinced himself.
Elena returned a moment later.
She looked at Kael.
“You left.”
“I came back.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Kael smiled.
“I was investigating.”
“Investigating what?”
Kael glanced toward Mira.
Then toward the surrounding students.
“Someone who shouldn’t exist.”
Elena’s expression changed.
Mira lowered her voice.
“The boy.”
Kael nodded.
Elena looked between them.
“What boy?”
Mira hesitated.
“That’s the problem.”
She explained everything.
Elena listened silently.
When Mira finished, Elena frowned.
“So there was a student nobody remembers?”
“Apparently.”
“And Kael followed him?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Kael leaned back.
“Because I have a terrible habit of investigating things that could kill me.”
Elena sighed.
“That’s not a habit.”
“What is it?”
“Self-destruction.”
Kael smiled.
“Close enough.”
A bell suddenly rang throughout the academy.
DONG!
Students began standing.
Elena glanced toward the entrance.
“First lecture.”
Kael’s expression changed.
“Already?”
Mira gathered her books.
“You should probably attend.”
Kael stared at her.
“You say that like I’m a delinquent.”
“You were.”
“In the original—”
Kael stopped himself.
Mira looked at him.
“In the original what?”
Kael paused.
“…In the original plan.”
Mira stared.
Elena narrowed her eyes.
Kael smiled awkwardly.
“Long story.”
Aetheris Academy’s Mana Theory hall was enormous.
Rows of elevated seats surrounded a circular platform at the center.
Ancient magical diagrams covered the walls.
Floating crystals illuminated the room.
At the front stood a large blackboard made of enchanted stone.
Kael took a seat beside Elena.
Mira sat two rows ahead.
Leon sat near the center.
Kael looked toward the professor’s desk.
Nobody was there yet.
He recognized the name written on the board.
Professor Lucien Graves.
Kael’s expression became serious.
He remembered this man from the original story.
Lucien Graves.
A mysterious scholar.
A specialist in ancient magical ruins.
He had disappeared several years into the original storyline while investigating a ruin beneath the northern mountains.
Nobody ever discovered what happened to him.
At least—
Not in the version of the story Kael remembered.
Kael leaned toward Elena.
“Have you met Professor Graves?”
“No.”
“Do you know anything about him?”
“He’s supposedly one of the youngest professors to be appointed here.”
“How young?”
“Late twenties, I think.”
Kael nodded.
Interesting.
If Lucien disappeared later in the original timeline, then perhaps his disappearance was connected to whatever was happening now.
The door opened.
Everyone became quiet.
A man entered.
Dark hair.
Thin spectacles.
Black professor’s robe.
Several books floated behind him.
He looked tired.
Very tired.
Lucien Graves placed one hand on the desk.
The books dropped neatly into place.
“Good morning.”
The students responded.
“Good morning, Professor.”
Lucien glanced across the room.
His eyes stopped on Kael.
For a fraction of a second—
He froze.
So did Pi.
The creature poked its head from Kael’s coat.
Lucien’s eyes immediately moved toward it.
His expression changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
Kael’s heart skipped.
The professor looked away.
“Today, we will discuss the fundamental principles of mana.”
He raised his hand.
A magical circle appeared.
“Mana is commonly described as the energy that allows living beings to interact with the laws of the world.”
A diagram appeared in the air.
“However, that definition is incomplete.”
The students listened.
“Mana does not merely allow you to use magic.”
Lucien’s gaze swept across the room.
“It allows you to interfere with reality.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
Reality.
The word felt strangely relevant.
Lucien continued.
“Every spell has three components.”
He raised three fingers.
“Intent.”
A circle appeared.
“Structure.”
A second circle appeared.
“And consequence.”
A third circle appeared.
“If the three are aligned, magic occurs.”
He snapped his fingers.
The three circles combined.
A flame appeared.
“Simple.”
The flame disappeared.
“But ancient magic doesn’t always follow these principles.”
Kael leaned forward.
“Ancient magic?”
Lucien nodded.
“Some spells were created before modern magical theory existed.”
A student raised his hand.
“Professor, how is that possible?”
Lucien looked toward him.
“Because our understanding of magic is not complete.”
He paused.
“There are forces older than mana.”
Kael’s eyes sharpened.
The classroom became quiet.
Lucien continued.
“Some scholars refer to these forces as the Primordial Laws.”
Kael felt something inside his chest tighten.
The system appeared.
[Warning.]
Kael stared.
Lucien continued.
“Very little is known about them.”
[Warning.]
“Some believe they govern concepts such as—”
The system flickered.
[Restricted information detected.]
Kael’s eyes widened.
Lucien said:
“Fate.”
The classroom fell silent.
“Karma.”
Kael’s expression changed.
“And…”
Lucien paused.
His gaze slowly moved toward Kael.
“…the Unknown.”
The system window exploded across Kael’s vision.
[CRITICAL ERROR.]
[External interference detected.]
[Karma System connection destabilizing.]
Kael’s breathing stopped.
Lucien’s eyes widened.
He had seen something.
He could see the System.
No.
That shouldn’t be possible.
Kael’s hand tightened beneath the desk.
The system flickered violently.
[WARNING.]
[Unauthorized entity attempting to access Host’s System.]
Kael looked directly at Lucien.
The professor’s expression had completely changed.
His calm demeanor was gone.
For the first time—
He looked afraid.
Then the classroom lights went out.
Again.
Students immediately began murmuring.
“What happened?”
“Another attack?”
“Professor?”
Lucien raised his hand.
“Nobody move.”
His voice was suddenly cold.
Kael stood.
“Professor Graves.”
Lucien looked at him.
“Stay seated.”
“Why?”
“Because whatever is happening…”
Lucien stared toward the back of the classroom.
“…it isn’t the academy.”
Kael followed his gaze.
There was someone standing there.
A student.
Black hair.
Gray eyes.
The second irregularity.
Kael’s eyes widened.
The boy smiled.
“Professor.”
Lucien’s face became pale.
“You.”
The boy slowly raised his hand.
“Good morning.”
Kael’s heart began racing.
Lucien stepped backward.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
The boy smiled.
“Neither should he.”
He pointed toward Kael.
Every student turned.
Kael’s expression hardened.
Lucien looked between them.
Then he whispered—
“You’re both irregularities.”
Silence.
Kael stared.
“You know?”
Lucien nodded slowly.
“I’ve been studying them.”
The boy laughed.
“Studying?”
His smile became colder.
“You’ve been searching.”
Lucien’s expression tightened.
“And you’ve been hiding.”
The boy took one step forward.
“I wasn’t hiding.”
“Then what were you doing?”
“Waiting.”
The lights suddenly returned.
The boy was gone.
The classroom erupted into confusion.
Students looked around.
“Where did he go?”
“Who was that?”
“Was he even a student?”
Kael stood completely still.
The second irregularity had entered a room full of people.
And only three people seemed to understand what had happened.
Kael.
Lucien.
And Pi.
The little creature was staring at the empty space where the boy had stood.
Its fur—or rather, scales—were raised.
“Pi…”
Kael looked down.
“What is it?”
Pi pointed toward the professor.
Kael followed its gaze.
Lucien was staring directly at Pi.
Not casually.
Not curiously.
With recognition.
The professor slowly approached.
“That creature.”
Kael immediately stepped between them.
“What about it?”
Lucien stopped.
“Where did you find it?”
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Because…”
Lucien hesitated.
Kael’s heart skipped.
Pi growled.
“Pi!”
Lucien immediately stopped.
“I don’t want to hurt it.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Answers.”
Kael almost laughed.
“Join the club.”
Lucien looked at him.
“You have no idea what you’ve become involved in.”
Kael smiled faintly.
“Apparently nobody does.”
The professor stared at him for several seconds.
Then he walked closer.
“Meet me after class.”
Kael raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Because there are things I cannot discuss in front of these students.”
Kael considered it.
Then nodded.
“Fine.”
Lucien turned away.
But before he could leave—
The System appeared.
[Hidden Mission Detected.]
[Mission: Question the Scholar]
Objective: Discover what Professor Lucien Graves knows about the Primordial Laws.]
Reward: 150 Karma
Bonus Objective: Discover why Professor Graves recognized Pi.]
Bonus Reward: Unknown
Kael stared.
Then smiled.
“Looks like class just became interesting.”
After the lecture ended, students began leaving.
Kael remained seated.
Elena approached.
“What happened?”
“Professor Graves knows something.”
“About what?”
“Pi.”
Elena looked at the creature.
Pi stared back.
She frowned.
“Why would he?”
“I don’t know.”
Mira joined them.
“I heard him mention the Unknown.”
Kael nodded.
“He did.”
Mira looked thoughtful.
“Isn’t that just a theoretical concept?”
Kael looked at her.
“Apparently not.”
Before they could continue—
A voice came from behind them.
“You’re asking the wrong questions.”
Kael turned.
Leon stood there.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
“What do you mean?”
Leon glanced toward the professor’s desk.
“Professor Graves wasn’t afraid of the other student.”
Kael’s expression changed.
“He was afraid of Pi.”
Leon nodded.
“I noticed.”
Kael looked toward Pi.
The creature was sitting quietly.
Almost too quietly.
Kael crouched.
“Pi.”
“Pi.”
“What are you?”
Pi tilted its head.
“Pi.”
Kael sighed.
“Right.”
Mira smiled.
“Maybe it doesn’t know.”
Kael looked at her.
“Maybe.”
But deep down—
He suspected otherwise.
That evening, Kael returned to his dorm.
He placed the black paper on his desk.
The message remained unchanged.
THE STORY IS WATCHING.
Kael stared at it.
Then—
He heard scratching.
Behind him.
He turned.
Pi was sitting beside the window.
The creature was staring outside.
Kael walked over.
“What do you see?”
Pi didn’t answer.
It pointed toward the sky.
Kael looked upward.
Nothing.
Then—
A page appeared.
Floating in the air.
A single white sheet.
Kael froze.
“What the…”
The page drifted toward him.
Words began appearing across its surface.
Not being written.
Appearing.
Kael stepped backward.
The first sentence formed.
Chapter 1: The Villain’s Rebirth.
Kael’s eyes widened.
Another sentence appeared.
Kael Veyron awakened in a world that wasn’t his own.
Kael’s breathing stopped.
The page continued.
He believed he had been reincarnated.
Another line.
He was wrong.
Kael’s expression became serious.
Then—
A final sentence appeared.
The next chapter has already been written.
The page burst into flames.
Kael immediately reached for it.
Too late.
The paper disappeared.
His system appeared.
[CRITICAL WARNING.]
[Worldline manipulation detected.]
[Someone has altered the narrative sequence.]
Kael stared.
“Someone is writing the story.”
[Correct.]
“Can you stop them?”
A long pause.
[No.]
Kael’s expression hardened.
“Can you tell me who?”
Another pause.
[No.]
Kael looked toward the window.
The moon illuminated the academy.
Everything appeared peaceful.
But Kael knew better now.
The world wasn’t simply changing.
Someone was writing changes into it.
And if that was true—
Then perhaps the events happening around him weren’t coincidences.
The Observer.
The second irregularity.
Pi.
The creature above Aetheris.
Professor Graves.
The mysterious door.
Even his own reincarnation.
Maybe they were all pieces of the same story.
Kael slowly smiled.
“Fine.”
He picked up his sword.
“If someone wants to write my story…”
His eyes hardened.
“…they’d better be prepared for me to write back.”
Behind him, Pi’s golden eye glowed.
For the briefest moment—
A second symbol appeared within it.
A tiny black quill.
Then it vanished.
Neither Kael nor the System noticed.
But somewhere beyond the worldline—
A page turned.
And a voice whispered:
“Chapter twelve.”
A pause.
“Begin.”