The academy went dark.
Not dim.
Not partially illuminated.
Dark.
Every magical lamp in the eastern residence tower vanished at once.
Kael Veyron stood beside his bed, staring into the darkness.
For several seconds, he didn’t move.
His mind struggled to understand what had just happened.
Aetheris Academy was protected by layers upon layers of magical barriers.
Even during the entrance examination, Kael had witnessed spells powerful enough to illuminate entire training grounds.
So why had every light disappeared simultaneously?
More importantly—
Why did the darkness feel wrong?
It wasn’t ordinary darkness.
It felt as though something had swallowed the light.
Kael’s fingers slowly tightened around the handle of his sword.
“Pi?”
A tiny voice answered from somewhere near his feet.
“Pi…”
Pi sounded unusually tense.
Kael glanced downward.
Even in the darkness, he could faintly see Pi’s mismatched eyes glowing.
The creature’s golden eye and black eye were fixed toward the corner of the room.
Kael followed its gaze.
Nothing.
Just darkness.
Then—
Tap.
Kael froze.
Something had touched the window.
His head snapped toward it.
The curtains moved slightly.
There was no wind.
Kael’s expression hardened.
“System.”
[The System is present.]
“Tell me what’s happening.”
A pause.
Then the familiar notification appeared.
[Environmental analysis commencing.]
[Magical power: Unstable.]
[Spatial stability: Fluctuating.]
[Karma density: Increasing.]
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“Karma density?”
[Correct.]
“Why?”
[The System recommends not standing in the middle of an unexplained supernatural event.]
Kael stared blankly into the darkness.
“…That’s your advice?”
[Yes.]
“Useful.”
[The System is pleased to be useful.]
Kael sighed.
Then a voice echoed through the academy.
“One.”
Kael’s blood ran cold.
The voice was neither male nor female.
It sounded distant.
Yet somehow, it came from directly behind him.
“Two.”
Pi suddenly hissed.
“PI!”
Kael spun around.
Nothing.
His sword was already halfway out of its sheath.
Then—
“Three.”
The moment the final word was spoken, something changed.
The entire academy trembled.
BOOOOOOM!
A tremendous wave of magical energy erupted somewhere beneath the academy.
The floor shook violently.
Books fell from shelves.
The window rattled.
Kael nearly lost his balance.
“What the hell?!”
Pi leapt onto his shoulder.
The tiny creature’s claws dug into his coat.
Kael rushed toward the window and pulled the curtain aside.
His pupils contracted.
Aetheris Academy was glowing.
Not with ordinary magical light.
Thin crimson lines had appeared across the enormous white fortress.
They spread along the walls like cracks.
Except they weren’t cracks.
They were symbols.
Ancient symbols.
They crawled across towers, bridges, courtyards, and floating platforms.
One by one, magical formations throughout the academy began activating.
Kael’s expression became serious.
“System.”
[Warning.]
[The System advises Host to remain calm.]
“You’re literally warning me.”
[Correct.]
“That’s not helping!”
[The System never claimed it would.]
Kael gritted his teeth.
Then another notification appeared.
[Main Quest Update.]
[Emergency Event: The Awakening Beneath Aetheris]
Objective: Discover the source of the awakening.
Secondary Objective: Identify the three irregularities.
Reward: 500 Karma Points
Failure: Unknown
Kael stared at the final line.
“Unknown?”
[The System does not know.]
For the first time since receiving the Karma System, Kael didn’t find its answer amusing.
That was a problem.
A very serious one.
The System had information about the original timeline.
It knew about Kael’s fate.
It knew about the Observer.
It knew that Pi was abnormal.
And yet—
It didn’t know what was beneath Aetheris Academy.
Kael looked toward the glowing symbols.
“So this wasn’t in the original story.”
[Correct.]
“And the Observer knew this would happen?”
[Unknown.]
Kael’s expression darkened.
“Of course.”
A sudden knock came from the door.
Kael immediately raised his sword.
“Who is it?”
No response.
Another knock.
Knock.
Kael moved closer.
“Name.”
Silence.
Pi growled.
Kael placed one hand on the door.
Then a familiar voice came from the other side.
“Kael?”
Elena.
Kael lowered his sword slightly.
He opened the door.
Elena stood outside.
Her silver hair was loosely tied behind her head, and her violet eyes were sharp with concern.
She held a small magical orb in one hand.
The orb flickered weakly.
“You felt that too?” Kael asked.
Elena nodded.
“Everyone did.”
Her gaze moved toward Kael’s sword.
“You were expecting an attack?”
“At this academy?”
Kael raised an eyebrow.
“Apparently.”
Elena looked at Pi.
The creature stared back at her.
“Pi.”
Elena frowned.
“Why is that thing frightened?”
Kael glanced at Pi.
“I don’t know.”
That wasn’t entirely true.
He knew Pi had sensed something.
He just didn’t know what.
Elena stepped into the room.
“The professors are gathering students in the central courtyard.
The academy barriers are active.”
Kael looked through the window again.
The crimson symbols had spread farther.
“Those barriers don’t look normal.”
Elena followed his gaze.
Her expression changed.
“I’ve never seen those formations before.”
“Ancient magic?”
“Possibly.”
“Could the academy be under attack?”
Elena shook her head.
“If someone attacked Aetheris from outside, the defensive formations would face outward.”
“These are facing inward.”
Kael’s stomach sank.
“Inward?”
Elena nodded.
“Something is being contained.”
Silence filled the room.
Kael slowly looked at the floor.
Something beneath them.
Something ancient.
Something that had just awakened.
Then Pi suddenly jumped from his shoulder.
“Pi!”
The creature ran toward the wall.
Kael’s eyes widened.
“Pi!”
Pi stopped.
Its tiny body trembled.
Then it placed one claw against the wall.
A faint golden glow appeared beneath its paw.
Kael stepped closer.
“What are you sensing?”
Pi turned around.
Its mismatched eyes stared directly at him.
Then it whispered—
“Three.”
Kael froze.
Elena looked confused.
“What did it say?”
Kael didn’t answer.
Pi looked toward the academy.
Then toward the ceiling.
Then toward the floor.
“Three.”
Kael’s heart began beating faster.
Three.
The voice had said it.
The System had mentioned three irregularities
The Observer had said
You are not the first.
And now Pi was counting.
Kael looked at the System window.
“Are you telling me Pi is one of the irregularities?”
[Unknown.]
“Then what are the other two?”
[Unknown.]
“Is the Observer one?”
[Unknown.]
Kael stared at the notification.
“You really need to expand your vocabulary.”
[The System considers “Unknown” a highly versatile word.]
Before Kael could respond—
A thunderous explosion shook the building.
BOOOOM!
Elena immediately summoned mana.
A violet magical circle formed beneath her feet.
“Something happened in the central courtyard.”
Kael grabbed his sword.
“Then let’s go.”
The eastern residence tower erupted into chaos.
Students flooded into the corridors.
Some wore academy uniforms.
Others were still dressed in their sleeping clothes.
Professors shouted instructions.
Magical lights flickered on and off.
Several students had already begun casting defensive spells.
Kael and Elena moved quickly through the crowd.
“Everyone stay together!”
A professor shouted.
“Do not leave the residence towers!”
Another explosion interrupted him.
BOOOOM!
The students screamed.
Kael stopped.
That explosion had come from beneath them.
The floor shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Then—
A thin crack appeared across the stone floor.
Kael stared at it.
The crack wasn’t spreading randomly.
It formed a symbol.
A circle.
Inside the circle were three points.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
“Elena.”
“I see it.”
The crack suddenly glowed crimson.
Pi began growling.
“Pi…”
Then the System appeared.
[Warning.]
[Unknown Karma signature detected.]
Kael’s eyes widened.
“Where?”
The notification changed.
[Directly beneath Host.]
Kael looked down.
“…That’s not reassuring.”
The floor exploded.
BOOOOM!
Kael was thrown backward.
Elena grabbed his arm before he crashed into the wall.
“Kael!”
“I’m fine!”
He looked toward the destroyed section of floor.
A massive hole had opened beneath the residence tower.
But there was no ordinary basement underneath.
Instead—
There was a staircase.
Ancient stone stairs descended into complete darkness.
Kael stared.
Aetheris Academy had been built above something.
Something hidden.
Something old.
And apparently—
Something alive.
A professor rushed forward.
“Everyone back!”
Several instructors surrounded the opening.
One raised his hand.
“Barrier!”
Multiple magical formations appeared.
But the moment the barrier touched the darkness below—
It shattered.
The professor’s face went pale.
“Impossible…”
Kael felt the hairs on his arms rise.
Then a voice emerged from below.
Not the same voice as before.
This one sounded younger.
Almost amused.
“Finally.”
Kael’s eyes widened.
Elena whispered.
“What was that?”
Kael slowly drew his sword.
“I don’t know.”
The voice continued.
“I was beginning to think nobody would come.”
The professors froze.
A shadow moved at the bottom of the staircase.
Kael couldn’t see its face.
Only two pale eyes.
Then—
The shadow disappeared.
At the exact same moment, every magical light in the academy turned back on.
The crimson symbols vanished.
The trembling stopped.
Silence.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then one professor whispered—
“Seal the academy.”
Another shouted.
“Nobody leaves!”
Students began murmuring anxiously.
Kael remained still.
His gaze stayed fixed on the staircase.
Something had spoken.
Something beneath Aetheris.
And it had sounded like it was waiting.
Waiting for someone.
But who?
Kael?
The Observer?
Pi?
Or—
The other irregularities?
Later that night, Kael stood on the roof of the eastern residence tower.
The academy had returned to normal.
At least on the surface.
Professors had sealed the entrance beneath the residence tower.
Students had been ordered to remain inside their dormitories.
Nobody was allowed to discuss what they had seen.
Naturally—
Everyone was discussing it.
Kael leaned against the stone railing.
The creature looked unusually quiet.
“You knew something was down there.”
“Pi.”
“You felt it before anyone else.”
“Pi.”
“You’re not going to explain?”
“Pi.”
Kael sighed.
“Fantastic conversation.”
The creature looked at him.
Then it climbed onto his shoulder.
Kael stared at the night sky.
The capital of Eldoria stretched beyond the academy walls, its countless lights shining beneath the moon.
Beautiful.
Peaceful.
Completely deceptive.
Kael knew better.
This world wasn’t following the story anymore.
He had already changed Leon’s first meeting with him.
He had befriended Mira earlier than expected.
He had avoided his original behavior.
He had obtained Pi.
The Observer had appeared.
And now something beneath Aetheris had awakened.
Too many variables.
Too many things that shouldn’t exist.
Kael opened his system.
[Main Mission: Escape Your Original Fate]
“Time Remaining: 46 Days”
Kael stared at the number.
Forty-six days.
In the original timeline, Kael Veyron would have been dead before that countdown reached zero.
But now—
He wasn’t simply trying to survive his own death.
He was becoming entangled in something much larger.
The System suddenly appeared.
[New Information Unlocked.]
Kael straightened.
“What?”
A new window appeared.
[Irregularity Classification.]
[Irregularity One: Kael Veyron.]
[Status: Confirmed.]
Kael’s breathing stopped for a moment.
His eyes moved downward.
[Irregularity Two: Unknown.]
[Status: Active.]
Then—
[Irregularity Three: Unknown.]
[Status: Active.]
Kael stared at the screen.
“So there really are three.”
[Correct.]
“Can you locate them?”
A pause.
[Irregularity Two: Location obscured.]
[Irregularity Three: Location obscured.]
Kael frowned.
“By what?”
Another pause.
Longer this time.
[The System does not know.]
Kael rubbed his forehead.
“Of course.”
Then something appeared beneath the notifications.
A single sentence.
Kael’s expression changed.
[Correction.]
[There may be more than three.]
Kael went completely silent.
“…What?”
The System vanished.
Kael stared at the empty air.
“System?”
No response.
“System.”
Nothing.
“Don’t do this to me.”
Still nothing.
Then—
A cold sensation brushed against the back of his neck.
Kael slowly turned.
Someone stood at the opposite end of the rooftop.
Black cloak.
Silver mask.
Crimson eyes.
The Observer.
Kael’s hand immediately went to his sword.
“You.”
The Observer didn’t move.
For several seconds, the two simply stared at each other.
Then the masked figure raised one finger.
Not toward Kael.
Toward the sky.
Kael looked upward.
Nothing.
Just the moon.
Stars.
Clouds.
Then he noticed something.
One star was moving.
No.
Not a star.
Something was descending.
Slowly.
Silently.
From beyond the clouds.
Kael’s pupils contracted.
The Observer lowered its hand.
And for the first time—
Kael heard its voice clearly.
“You should not have come here.”
Kael tightened his grip on his sword.
“Neither should you.”
The Observer tilted its head.
Then—
It laughed.
Not loudly.
Not cruelly.
Almost sadly.
“You still don’t understand.”
Kael’s expression hardened.
“Understand what?”
The Observer’s crimson eyes seemed to glow behind the silver mask.
“This world was never the story you remember.”
A strange pressure descended upon the academy.
Pi suddenly screamed.
“PI!”
The Observer turned toward the creature.
For the first time, its calm demeanor disappeared.
It stepped backward.
“That thing…”
Kael immediately noticed.
“You know Pi?”
The Observer remained silent.
Kael took a step forward.
“What is Pi?”
The Observer looked at him.
Then at Pi.
Then toward the descending light in the sky.
And whispered—
“The thing that even the Unknown fears.”
Kael’s heart skipped.
“What does that mean?”
The Observer disappeared.
No teleportation circle.
No spell.
No movement.
It simply—
Wasn’t there anymore.
Kael stared at the empty rooftop.
Then Pi looked upward.
The descending light was getting closer.
And for the first time since receiving the Karma System—
Kael felt something he hadn’t experienced since his reincarnation.
Fear.
Not fear of death.
Something worse.
The feeling that somewhere in this world—
Something had noticed him.
And it was coming.
[Emergency Event Updated.]
[The Awakening Beneath Aetheris]
[New Objective: Survive the First Night.]
[Reward: 300 Karma]
[Failure: Death.]
Kael slowly drew his sword.
The moonlight reflected across the blade.
“Fine.”
His eyes hardened.
“If this world wants to stop following the story…”
He looked toward the sky.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“…then I’ll write a new one.”
Above him—
The stars disappeared.
One by one.
And something enormous opened its eyes beyond the clouds.