Although Lysander's perception was unusually high—partly due to his skills and a suspiciously dormant bloodline—he still felt it. A faint shift deep beneath the ruins. Something moved.
But before he could focus on it, Gwen's voice cut through the silence.
"Lysander! Come on, the meat's done cooking!"
I gave her a nod and made my way toward the fire, my thoughts tangled.
Gwen's a capable fighter, no doubt about that. I told her to stick close to Jason before the last tide. I'm not sure why I did that. It's not like I'm a saint. Never wanted to be one either.
This body's already half-rotted from everything this world's thrown at it. Whatever holds it together—it isn't virtue. Maybe it's just one person or Maybe it's just me.
I remembered the man screaming earlier—left to die without interference. I ignored it.
I know what that makes me. I became the kind of person I hated as a kid. But so what? This life—I earned it. No one handed it to me when I begged. All I got was more fists. More silence.
I'm not a masochist. I don't like the pain. I don't enjoy killing. I don't like being waking up in the blood that's not mine , I don't want to be a monster...
Lysander's gaze drifted to Gwen and Jason. They were laughing as they ate, firelight warming their tired faces.
But the one thing I can't bear—the thing that makes me want to burn everything to the ground—is seeing the people I care about lose their smile. Live in misery because of others.
A blade to my heart doesn't scare me. But watching someone I care about smile... that's the one thing that makes me nervous. Because it's the only thing I could lose.
Jason's voice called out, breaking my thoughts.
"Hey, don't stand there brooding. Come sit."
I forced a smile. A poor one, but the best I could manage.
---
"Oh my god—what's that? Lysander smiling?" I teased, trying to lift the mood.
Gwen chuckled, and Lys just shook his head.
That little gesture eased something in me.
As he sat down beside us, Gwen held out a piece of meat toward him.
"So, Ghost... what were you thinking back there?"
Caught off guard, I frowned.
"Ghost?" I asked bitterly. "Haven't you already heard his name? My father made sure the entire zone knows it."
Gwen just shrugged and pointed at Lysander's bony mask, her smile easy.
"He told me to call him Ghost. Until he says otherwise, that's what I'll do."
I didn't know how to respond to that. Her answer—and Lys's rare, quiet smile—left me conflicted.
He was my friend. My brother. My...
> I knew before the trial even began that my father, Erwell, wasn't a saint. I hoped—idiotically—that he'd soften up around Lysander for my sake. I tried to stop him from broadcasting Lys's name across the zone. I knew Lys hated it. But I failed. Again.
Not that I'm even counting anymore. The number of times I've failed to give him what he deserves...
He deserves happiness. A home. A family. And if I can't give that to him, the least I can do is shield him. Even if it's from my own blood.
Maybe I'm too soft. Maybe that's why I've survived this long. But I won't let anyone take advantage of him—not because of me.
I blinked, shifting my attention to my Veil Frame.
Like always, it shimmered into view—only visible to me.
---
⟡ VEIL FRAME – TRIAL INTERFACE ⟡
Name: Jason
Level: 2
Trial Zone: Crucible
ATTRIBUTES
‣ Agility — 9
‣ Strength — 8
‣ Intelligence — 12
‣ Stamina — 10
‣ Perception — 9
CORE SKILLS
✦ Crisis Anchor (Passive)
Allies within 5m gain +6% resistance to panic or frenzy
> Activates only when Jason remains calm under pressure
✦ Battlefield Ledger (Utility)
Marks nearby allies and threats.
Real-time HUD tracking enabled.
> Grants Tactical Sync when multiple enemies are tracked
OCCUPATION PROGRESS
▸ Evolution Path – LOCKED
— Survive 2 Full Beast Tides [✓]
— Issue 1 Command that Saves a Life [ ]
— Confront Ethical Dilemma (Pending)
— Reach Level 10 [ ]
BLOODLINE: Ashroot Warden [Echo-Fused Latency]
▸ Ashroot Pulse (Passive)
— Under sustained threat, enter Momentary Clarity State.
▸ Gravebone Resilience (Passive)
— Pain stacks gradually boost defense and balance.
> Next Awakening: Requires exposure to Tier-3 Beast kill or leadership trigger
---
Looking at my panel, I knew I was ahead of most.
But I also knew—deep down—that Lys, or "Ghost" as Gwen insisted on calling him, was something else entirely.
Something monstrous in the best and worst ways.
And that's exactly why I had to survive.
Not for me.
But to see that rare smile of his… not forced, not for us.
Just for himself.
-x-x-x-
Gwen pov
The meat was dry, a little charred on one side—but we didn't complain. In this damned zone, food was food.
Still, I watched Lysander more than I ate.
He didn't notice. Or maybe he did and just pretended not to.
He always carries himself like a shadow—silent, sharp, untouchable. But I've seen enough in this world to know when someone's breaking inside, and Lysander... he's always walking the edge.
I chuckled, hearing jason poking fun at him .
"Oh my god, is that a smile? Is the mighty Lysander actually smiling?"
He shook his head, trying to play it off, but I saw the way his jaw tightened. That smile wasn't joy—it was armor.
Jason laughed. I did too, but part of me flinched on the inside.
He wears that mask even when it's off. Not just the bone one—the one made of scars, silence, and the weight of too many things he never says out loud.
When he sat beside us, I handed him my piece of meat.
"So, Ghost... what were you thinking back there?"
Jason looked annoyed at the name.
"Ghost?" he muttered. "His name's Lysander. My father already made damn sure everyone knows that."
I shrugged, still smiling as I pointed to the mask.
"He told me to call him Ghost. So I will. Until he tells me otherwise."
Lysander's mouth twitched. Almost a real smile this time. For a second, he looked... lighter.
And that was enough for me.
I know who he is beneath that mask. The way he fights, the way he shields pain like it's his only inheritance—that's not something you fake.
He doesn't act brave. He acts necessary. And there's a difference.
Jason looked conflicted again. I caught it—he's good at hiding, but not from me. I think deep down, he's afraid he's not doing enough for Lysander. But neither am I.
Her own Veil Frame flickered silently behind her eyes. She ignored it. Tonight wasn't about stats or titles.
It was about keeping the people she gave a damn about alive.
The wind shifted suddenly—cold, wrong. The flames bent sideways. Gwen stood without thinking, scanning the ruins.
Jason felt it too. So did Lysander.
They looked toward the shattered archway that led deeper inside.
Faint pulses of blue light had started to crawl along the cracked walls. Symbols. Not glowing—waking.
A hum—low, guttural, like a heart starting to beat after years of stillness—echoed out from the ruin's core.
Jason stood slowly. "Is that…"
"No system alert," Gwen whispered.
Lysander didn't speak.
They all stared into the dark as a line of silver text appeared in the sky above the ruin, sharp and quiet as a scalpel:
"Trial Step One: Entombed Will"
A second line followed.
Participants must enter the central sanctum. Door closes in 9 minutes and will not open until next tide arrives Survivors beyond this door will be recorded and hunted by scavengers of the past .