” Chapter twelve.”
The voice echoed through the darkness.
“Begin.”
Kael opened his eyes.
He was standing in his dormitory.
For several seconds, he didn’t move.
His sword was still beside him.
Pi was still sleeping on the windowsill.
The room looked exactly as it had before.
The books.
The desk.
The bed.
The academy uniform hanging beside the wardrobe.
Everything was normal.
Too normal.
Kael slowly looked toward the clock.
Six in the morning.
He frowned.
“Didn’t I just…”
He couldn’t finish the sentence.
His memory felt strange.
He remembered the floating page.
He remembered the words appearing on it.
He remembered the voice.
But there was something else.
Something he couldn’t grasp.
Kael walked toward the mirror.
His reflection stared back.
Same face.
Same dark hair.
Same eyes.
Nothing unusual.
He touched the glass.
Cold.
“System.”
[The System is present.]
“Did anything happen while I was asleep?”
[No.]
Kael frowned.
“Are you sure?”
[The System is certain.]
“Then why does it feel like something happened?”
[The System cannot answer subjective questions.]
Kael stared at the reflection.
Then Pi suddenly woke.
The tiny creature’s golden eye opened.
It looked at Kael.
“Pi.”
Kael glanced toward it.
“What?”
Pi climbed down from the windowsill.
It walked toward him.
Then—
It stopped directly beneath the mirror.
Kael followed its gaze.
His reflection hadn’t moved.
But Pi’s had.
Kael froze.
The reflection of Pi was staring directly at him.
The real Pi wasn’t.
Kael slowly turned.
Pi was looking toward the floor.
He turned back.
The reflection was normal.
Kael’s expression hardened.
“Did you see that?”
Pi looked up.
“Pi?”
Kael stared at the mirror.
Nothing.
“Forget it.”
He stepped away.
But deep inside—
He knew he hadn’t imagined it.
Something had happened.
Something had touched the world.
And it had happened while he was sleeping.
Aetheris Academy was unusually quiet that morning.
The previous night’s disaster had left its mark.
Several towers were damaged.
Sections of the central courtyard remained sealed.
Magical repair formations floated around the academy, slowly restoring shattered stone and broken barriers.
Students walked through the halls in groups.
Nobody wanted to be alone.
Rumors had multiplied overnight.
Some claimed the creature in the sky had been a forgotten god.
Others believed an ancient demon had awakened beneath the academy.
One particularly creative student claimed the entire incident was caused by a professor failing an experiment.
Kael almost believed that one.
He entered the main hall with Elena.
She glanced toward him.
“You look distracted.”
“I didn’t sleep well.”
“You barely sleep at all.”
“That’s because I’m busy.”
“Doing what?”
“Trying not to die.”
Elena stared at him.
“You’re becoming obsessed with that.”
Kael looked at her.
“Would you rather I become obsessed with dying?”
“No.”
“Then we’re making progress.”
Elena sighed.
They continued walking.
Kael’s thoughts returned to Professor Lucien Graves.
He had asked Kael to meet him after class.
Today was the day.
Kael wanted answers.
But he knew better than to trust a mysterious professor simply because he had information.
Especially after discovering that the second irregularity had been hiding inside the academy.
He needed a plan.
The System appeared.
[New Daily Mission.]
[Attend all scheduled classes.]
Reward: 25 Karma
Kael stared.
“Seriously?”
[Yes.]
“After everything happening, you want me to attend class?”
[Knowledge is valuable.]
“That’s surprisingly reasonable.”
[The System occasionally experiences moments of wisdom.]
Kael nodded.
“Don’t get used to it.”
Then another notification appeared.
[Hidden Mission Progress Updated.]
[Find the Author: 5%]
Kael stopped walking.
“Five percent?”
[Correct.]
“What did I do?”
[The Host discovered evidence of narrative manipulation.]
“That’s worth five percent?”
[Yes.]
Kael sighed.
“At this rate, I’ll finish the mission in three years.”
[The System does not recommend rushing.]
“You’re enjoying this.”
[The System refuses to answer.]
The first class passed normally.
Combat Training.
Kael was paired with several students for basic sparring exercises.
His swordsmanship had improved considerably since his first training session with Gareth.
Not enough to make him powerful.
But enough to stop looking completely helpless.
His opponent was a first-year student with a wooden sword.
“Ready?”
Kael nodded.
The instructor raised his hand.
“Begin.”
The student rushed forward.
Kael stepped aside.
The wooden sword passed beside him.
Kael turned.
One strike.
The opponent blocked.
Another.
Block.
Kael changed his footing.
The next strike landed against the student’s shoulder.
“Point.”
The instructor nodded.
Kael lowered his sword.
The student smiled.
“You’re pretty good.”
Kael blinked.
“Thanks.”
The instructor looked at him.
“Your technique is rough.”
Kael’s expression fell.
“But your instincts are improving.”
“I’ll take that.”
[Karma +5.]
Kael blinked.
“Why did I get Karma?”
[Positive recognition.]
“Apparently being complimented is profitable.”
[The System encourages healthy relationships.]
Kael stared.
“Who are you and what did you do to my System?”
[The System remains the same.]
Mana Theory came next.
Professor Graves entered the room exactly on time.
His expression was calm.
But Kael noticed something immediately.
The professor looked tired.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
As though he hadn’t slept in several days.
Lucien began the lecture.
“Yesterday, we discussed the Primordial Laws.”
Several students whispered.
The events of the previous night had made everyone more interested.
Lucien continued.
“Today, we will discuss one particular concept.”
He raised his hand.
A strange symbol appeared.
An incomplete circle.
“The Unknown.”
Kael leaned forward.
Lucien looked across the class.
“The Unknown is not simply something we haven’t discovered.”
The symbol rotated.
“It is a category used by scholars to describe phenomena that cannot be properly placed within existing laws.”
A student raised his hand.
“Professor, does that mean the Unknown is just another word for something we don’t understand?”
Lucien shook his head.
“No.”
His expression became serious.
“The Unknown is something that may not obey the rules we understand.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
That sounded familiar.
Pi suddenly stirred inside his coat.
Lucien noticed.
His gaze moved toward Kael.
“Mr.
Veyron.”
Kael looked up.
“Yes?”
“Would you like to explain the difference?”
Kael thought for a moment.
“The unknown is something we haven’t discovered.”
He glanced at Pi.
“The Unknown is something that may not be discoverable using the rules we’re familiar with.”
Silence.
Lucien stared at him.
Then slowly nodded.
“Excellent.”
The classroom murmured.
Kael blinked.
“Really?”
Lucien nodded.
“Very.”
[Karma +10.]
Kael smiled.
Maybe he wasn’t as terrible at academics as he thought.
Then Lucien said something that erased his smile.
“That distinction may be the most important thing you learn this year.”
The professor turned toward the board.
“Because there are things in this world that cannot be understood by studying the world.”
Kael stared.
“What?”
Lucien continued writing.
“You must study what exists outside it.”
Kael’s eyes widened.
Outside the worldline.
The second irregularity.
The strange void.
The black door.
The Author.
Was Lucien deliberately teaching them this?
Or was it coincidence?
Kael didn’t believe in coincidences anymore.
The class ended.
Students began leaving.
Kael remained seated.
Lucien looked toward him.
“You stayed.”
“You asked me to.”
“Good.”
The professor walked toward the door.
“Follow me.”
Kael stood.
Pi climbed onto his shoulder.
Lucien noticed the creature.
“You brought it.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it follows me.”
Pi said proudly:
“Pi.”
Lucien sighed.
“That wasn’t an invitation.”
Pi ignored him.
Kael followed the professor through several corridors.
They eventually reached an old section of the academy.
Unlike the newer halls, this area had no magical lamps.
Ancient stone walls surrounded them.
The air was colder.
Kael noticed something immediately.
There were no students.
No professors.
No guards.
“Where are we?”
“The old archive.”
Kael’s eyes widened.
“The academy has an archive?”
“Several.”
“Why haven’t I heard about this one?”
“Because most students aren’t allowed here.”
They reached a massive door.
Lucien placed his hand against it.
Ancient symbols appeared.
The door opened.
Inside were thousands of books.
Scrolls.
Magical tablets.
Crystal records.
Some were so old that their covers had nearly turned to dust.
Kael stared.
“This place is enormous.”
“It contains records older than the kingdom.”
Lucien walked toward a particular shelf.
He pulled out a thin black book.
Then he handed it to Kael.
Kael looked at the cover.
No title.
No author.
Just the symbol of a quill.
His heart skipped.
“The same symbol.”
Lucien nodded.
“You’ve seen it before.”
Kael looked at him.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Kael hesitated.
Then answered.
“On the wall.”
Lucien studied him.
“And?”
“A page appeared.”
The professor’s expression changed.
“What did it say?”
Kael told him.
Lucien became silent.
Finally, he whispered:
“It has begun again.”
Kael frowned.
“What has?”
Lucien opened the black book.
The pages were blank.
Every single one.
“Thirty-two years ago, I found this book.”
Kael listened.
“I was researching ancient ruins.”
Lucien turned a page.
“Every page was blank.”
Another page.
“Until one night, words appeared.”
Kael leaned closer.
“What words?”
“The name of a person.”
Kael’s expression hardened.
“Who?”
“Mine.”
Silence.
Kael stared.
“Your name?”
“Yes.”
Lucien’s voice was quiet.
“It appeared alongside a date.”
“What date?”
“The date I would disappear.”
Kael’s eyes widened.
“What happened?”
“I ignored it.”
Lucien closed the book.
“Three months later, I entered an ancient ruin.”
He paused.
“I found this.”
Kael looked at the book.
“And?”
“I didn’t disappear.”
Kael frowned.
“What?”
“I survived.”
Lucien’s eyes darkened.
“But everyone who entered the ruin with me disappeared.”
Kael said nothing.
Lucien continued.
“I spent years trying to understand what happened.”
“And did you?”
“No.”
He looked at Kael.
“But I learned one thing.”
“What?”
“The book doesn’t predict the future.”
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“Then what does it do?”
Lucien answered:
“It records the version of reality that is being written.”
Kael’s blood ran cold.
The black book suddenly opened by itself.
Pages began turning rapidly.
Lucien stepped backward.
“Impossible.”
Kael stared.
Words appeared.
Slowly.
One sentence at a time.
Kael Veyron entered the archive.
Kael’s eyes widened.
Another sentence.
Professor Lucien Graves told him the truth.
Kael’s breathing stopped.
Another.
The two irregularities met.
Kael looked around.
“That’s us.”
Lucien’s face became pale.
“No.”
“What?”
“Read the next line.”
Kael looked.
A final sentence appeared.
The first irregularity will die before sunset.
Silence.
Kael stared at the page.
Then looked at Lucien.
“First irregularity.”
Lucien whispered:
“That’s you.”
Kael’s heart sank.
“No.”
Lucien looked at him.
“Kael…”
The book began burning.
Kael grabbed it.
“Wait!”
The flames disappeared instantly.
The pages were blank again.
Kael stared.
Then his system appeared.
[Critical Mission.]
[Protect the Scholar.]
Objective: Prevent Professor Lucien Graves from dying before sunset.]
Reward: 500 Karma
Failure: Unknown
Kael looked at the clock.
11:43 AM.
I’ve got less than seven hours.
Then—
A sound echoed through the archive.
Tick.
Kael turned.
Nothing.
Tick.
The sound came again.
From somewhere behind the shelves.
Lucien’s expression changed.
“Someone is here.”
Kael drew his sword.
Pi’s golden eye began glowing.
The air became cold.
A voice whispered through the archive.
“First.”
Kael’s heart raced.
Then another voice answered from somewhere else.
“Second.”
Kael slowly turned.
A third voice whispered.
“Third.”
The lights went out.
Kael’s sword tightened in his grip.
The System appeared.
[Warning.]
[Three irregularity signatures detected.]
Kael froze.
Three?
The second irregularity wasn’t supposed to be here.
The Observer wasn’t supposed to be here.
So who were the other two?
Then—
Something moved between the shelves.
A silver mask appeared.
Crimson eyes.
The Observer.
It stepped into the faint moonlight.
Kael raised his sword.
“You.”
The Observer ignored him.
Its gaze remained fixed on Lucien.
Then it said:
“Professor Graves.”
Lucien’s face became pale.
“You found me.”
The Observer nodded.
“Yes.”
Kael’s expression hardened.
“What do you want?”
The Observer finally looked at him.
“You already know.”
Kael tightened his grip.
“No.”
The Observer’s eyes narrowed.
“You just haven’t remembered yet.”
Before Kael could respond—
A black-haired boy stepped from behind another shelf.
Gray eyes.
The second irregularity.
He smiled.
“Looks like we’re all here.”
Kael stared.
The boy looked toward Lucien.
“Sorry, Professor.”
Then toward Kael.
“You’re going to hate what happens next.”
Kael raised his sword.
“Try me.”
The black book opened again.
A single sentence appeared.
THE FIRST PAGE HAS BEEN WRITTEN.
Then another.
NOW THE CHARACTERS MUST FOLLOW.
Kael stared at the words.
A cold feeling settled in his chest.
“No.”
He lowered his sword slightly.
“I’m done following.”
The book suddenly slammed shut.
The entire archive shook.
And somewhere deep beneath Aetheris Academy—
A fourth presence awakened.