Third point of view
The underground sanctum beneath the Duchy's long-forgotten chapel was far older than Leon expected.
Pillars carved from obsidian bone circled a pulsing stone altar at its center. Etchings of forbidden glyphs—twisting, eldritch spirals—glowed faintly in hues of violet and crimson. The air was damp with age and something metallic.
Blood.
Vex's breath hitched beside him. "This place… it's like it's alive."
Leon stepped forward, each footfall echoing with a dull resonance. The moment his hand brushed the altar, his system flared:
> [System Alert: Interference Detected. Ancient Binding Magic Present.] [Warning: Foreign Divine Script Detected—Do Not Proceed.]
Leon ignored it.
He traced a familiar sigil on the altar's face—a mirrored ouroboros, the symbol of the original prophecy. But instead of hope or divinity, this one radiated dread.
This wasn't just an altar. It was the origin point of the prophecy—where the Church rewrote fate.
"Nyra," Leon called out. "Scan the perimeter. I want traps, magical threads, runes—everything."
The half-elf crouched, fingers glowing as she scanned the floor. "Someone's been here… recently. Within the last few days."
Vex drew closer, sniffing. "Holy scent. Not natural." Her red eyes narrowed. "The Church sent someone. A high-ranking one."
Leon didn't move. "They know I've deviated too far from their script. They're not waiting anymore."
He activated his vision rune, bathing the space in blacklight clarity.
Etched on the back wall—hidden beneath an illusion—was a mural.
It depicted him.
Leon Drayven, cloaked in black fire, standing at the center of a burning world. The demon horde at his feet. A crown of bone on his head. The mural labeled him in divine script:
"The Final Boss: Devourer of Fates."
He stared in silence.
This wasn't just prophecy. It was programming.
The Church hadn't predicted he would become the villain—they designed it. They etched it into the ley lines, embedded it in the holy relics, and laced it into Cain's soul.
"Vex. Look at the base," Leon ordered.
The demon child dropped to her knees, eyes sharpening. "It's a summoning focus… no, a sacrificial link. They fed people's belief into this. Turned fear into power. This altar made you the villain."
> [System Alert: Hidden Protocol Triggered.] [Unlocking Archive: "Original Hero Designation – Redacted."]
Leon's hand trembled as an ancient memory—not his own—flashed across his vision.
Cain, twelve years old, standing in this very room.
Surrounded by hooded priests, with Elira by his side, their foreheads were marked with divine light. The High Priest's voice echoed:
"From this day, the villain shall rise. The world will hate him, and you, Cain, will slay him. And Elira… you will weep, so your tears may sanctify the legend."
It wasn't fate. It was a lie.
They weren't heroes. They were actors in a cosmic performance.
And he was the scapegoat written to die.
Hours later, they emerged from the chapel into the cold night. The stars overhead seemed quieter, as if the heavens were listening.
Leon sat at the edge of the ruined fountain, letting the memories churn.
He had rewritten too much already. Saved too many people. Defied too many death flags.
He had to make a choice—fast.
"Nyra," he said at last, "how long until the Church discovers we've cracked the altar?"
She folded her arms. "If they haven't already, I'd be shocked. We left traces. Magic echoes."
"Then they'll send someone," Vex muttered.
Leon stood. "No. They'll send everyone."
> [System Notice: Divergence Level—73%.] [System Classification Changed: You are no longer a "Villain." New Class: "False Hero."] [Warning: The Hero must eliminate the False Hero.]
Leon's heart sank.
They had reclassified him. That meant Cain was now authorized—no, compelled—to hunt him down.
And worse: it would escalate.
---
Imperial Capital – Cathedral of Light
Cain's body trembled violently on the marble floor as the High Priest forced the cursed relic deeper into his chest. Black veins spread from the wound, crawling across his skin like writhing chains.
"Leon… he's corrupted everything," the priest hissed. "He's infiltrated the script. Become the false messiah."
Cain screamed.
His eyes—once pure blue—turned gold, then bled red at the edges.
"Make him the villain again," the priest whispered. "Kill him. Slaughter his sympathizers. Burn his duchy. Purge the heresy."
Cain convulsed.
> [Divine Synchronization 46%... 59%... 72%...] [Designation: Judgment King. Status: Prototype.]
Cain rose.
But something inside him snapped. His voice, once filled with doubt, now echoed like a god's.
"There will be no mercy."
---
Back in the North
Leon gathered his allies within the great hall.
Maps sprawled across the table. Letters opened and sealed. Threats coming from every direction.
"We don't have time," Riven said, hand on his sword. "If the prophecy was forged, then we've already committed sacrilege by breathing."
"Exactly," Leon answered. "Which is why I won't run anymore."
He turned toward a large vault built into the wall—a vault that hadn't been opened since the First War.
He raised his hand.
Voidflame danced at his fingertips.
"Time to wake the buried sins."
> [System Alert: Unlocking Forbidden Arsenal—The Void Armory.]
Chains shattered. Seals burst into smoke. The door opened with a groan that sounded like the world exhaling its own guilt.
Inside were weapons forged not by men—but by concepts.
A blade that could sever destiny.
A staff that silenced gods.
And a black cloak woven from the dreams of those erased by history.
Leon stepped inside, knowing each item would shave years off his soul.
He donned them anyway.
Because now he wasn't just rewriting fate.
He was declaring war on the gods who forged it.
---
That night, a shadow cut across the sky. A star fell—no, burned—down through the heavens.
It crashed into the northern cliffs behind the duchy, unleashing a shockwave that cracked the mountain face in two.
From the crater rose a figure in white armor, golden runes pulsing across his chest, eyes glowing with judgment.
Cain had arrived.
Behind him, winged holy knights descended like angels of death.
Vex, watching from the tower, screamed.
"Leon—it's him. He's here."
Leon didn't flinch.
He stepped out into the courtyard, Voidblade in hand, eyes locked on the glowing figure who had once called him friend.
"Let's end your story, Cain," he whispered.
Cain raised his hand.
The sky split apart.
> [System Alert: Fatal Flag Detected.] [Cain has activated Divine Protocol: "World Reset."] [Rewriting all anomalies…]
Leon collapsed to his knees as time itself began to warp. Buildings twisted. Trees reversed their growth. His allies began to vanish, pixel by pixel.
"No… not now—!"
> [System Override: Executing Emergency Protocol—Final Loop.]
Leon screamed.
--