The forest outside the ruins was quiet, as though the earth itself held its breath. Rihan leaned against a tree, still shaken from the Shade's attack. The warmth of Lyra's healing lingered in his chest, soothing but surreal.
He glanced at the golden-haired priestess, who now knelt in prayer before the ruined temple. A faint halo of light shimmered around her as she whispered in a tongue Rihan didn't recognize.
"Your wounds are stable now," Lyra said gently when she rose. Her emerald eyes met his, calm but searching. "But you must be more careful. Shades feed on fear… and you were drowning in it."
Rihan scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Yeah… thanks for saving my life. Again."
Elira's sharp gaze flickered between them, her bow still in hand though lowered. "You knew his name," she said firmly, "before he even spoke it. Explain."
Lyra nodded, her expression serene. "I am a priestess of the Sacred Order of Lumina. For weeks, visions have plagued me—fragments of a boy pulled from another world, a boy who carries a light strong enough to either save Arcanis… or destroy it."
Rihan's heart skipped a beat. "Save… or destroy?"
Lyra's voice softened. "The threads of fate twist both ways. You are… the one at the center."
The words hit him harder than the Shade's strike. He was just a normal high-schooler. How could he possibly save—or doom—an entire world?
Elira's lips tightened, but she didn't argue. Instead, she asked, "If your visions speak true, then why appear now?"
Lyra's gaze flickered toward the temple ruins. "Because the Abyss grows stronger. Even here, near the borders of Sylvaris, Shades should not be appearing. The veil is weakening."
---
The System chimed suddenly before Rihan's eyes:
[New Quest: Form the First Bond]
[Objective: Accept your allies. Survive together.]
[Reward: Team Combat Interface unlocked.]
Rihan blinked, reading it twice. "Uh… this thing again," he muttered.
"What thing?" Lyra asked curiously.
Rihan hesitated. Should he tell them about the System? About the quests only he could see? Would they even believe him?
Before he could decide, Elira's sharp eyes caught his hesitation. "Secrets are dangerous here, Rihan. If we are to survive together, speak plainly."
Rihan took a deep breath. "Alright. You'll think I'm insane, but… ever since I came here, I've been seeing… a system. Like a game. It gives me quests, shows me my skills, even tracks my survival."
Lyra didn't laugh. She didn't even look surprised. Instead, she whispered, "Just as the prophecy said… a traveler marked by fate, guided by unseen laws."
Elira's brows furrowed. "…You truly are not of this world."
Rihan gave a nervous laugh. "Told you it sounded insane."
But Elira didn't argue further. Instead, she turned toward the forest path ahead. "Insane or not, it has kept you alive. For now, that is enough."
Lyra smiled gently. "Then perhaps it was destiny that we meet. Three threads, bound by chance… no, by design."
---
The three of them set camp nearby as the sun dipped low. Lyra conjured a soft barrier of light, casting the clearing in a faint golden glow. Elira prepared her arrows while Rihan fumbled with trying to make a fire the old-fashioned way.
As night settled in, the forest grew eerily silent.
Rihan stared into the flames, the weight of everything pressing down on him. A new world. A system only he could see. Prophecies, visions, monsters. And now two girls—one a warrior princess, the other a priestess—standing by his side.
For the first time, he wasn't completely alone.
Lyra broke the silence. "Rihan… when I healed you, I felt something unusual. Your soul burns brighter than most, but there is… a shadow entwined with it."
Rihan stiffened. "A shadow?"
Elira's hand instinctively moved to her bow. "What does that mean?"
Lyra shook her head. "I do not know yet. But it is not natural."
Rihan forced a smile, though unease gnawed at him. "Great. I'm basically a walking question mark."
"Not a question mark," Lyra corrected softly. "A fulcrum. One on which the fate of Arcanis may balance."
---
Suddenly, the ground trembled. A distant roar echoed through the forest, low and guttural, carrying with it an unnatural chill.
The campfire flickered. Birds scattered into the night sky.
Elira was on her feet instantly, bow drawn. "That was no Shade."
Lyra's face paled, her grip on her staff tightening. "Something far worse has awakened."
The System blared before Rihan's eyes:
[Warning: Abyssal Beast detected.]
[Survival Odds: 22%.]
Rihan's blood ran cold.
Whatever was coming, it was only the beginning.