The sky had never looked so broken.
Cracked clouds… ash falling like snow… and a sun that refused to shine fully.
This was the world Aiden Vale grew up in — a world that died long before he was born.
A siren wailed in the distance.
"Allexaminees, report to Arcane Dawn Academy Gate 07."
People rushed through the ruins, forming a long line toward a massive silver gate.
Floating drones scanned every student like they were criminals.
Aiden pulled up the hood of his torn jacket and stepped forward.
"Next."
The scanner hovered before his face.
A soft *chime* sounded—
then suddenly flickered.
"ID… not found."
The guard raised an eyebrow.
"Kid, where's your registry? Everyone has one."
Aiden didn't blink.
"I don't."
That made several people turn.
In this age, everyone had a mana code.
Everyone… except him.
Because Aiden was pure human—
one of the last ones left.
The guard scoffed.
"Pure human? Those things died out years ago."
Aiden didn't reply.
The scanner flickered again… trying to read something that wasn't there.
Then—
BOOM!
A tremor shook the ground.
Screams filled the line as dust rained down.
From the broken street behind them, a creature crawled out — tall, bones twisted outward, eyes glowing white.
A Hollow Wraith.
"MONSTER!!"
Panic erupted. Students scattered.
The wraith lunged toward the nearest examinee — a small girl who froze in terror.
Aiden moved before thinking.
He grabbed a broken pipe from the ground and sprinted.
The monster turned toward him — jaws opening—
But Aiden ducked, slid under, and rammed the pipe upward through its skull.
Crunch.
The wraith twitched… then fell.
Everyone stared.
The guard's jaw dropped.
"You— you killed a Wraith? With a pipe?!"
Aiden simply exhaled, dropping the metal.
That's when it happened.
A whisper.
Cold.
Metallic.
Inside his mind.
"…Initialization complete."
A glowing black interface appeared before his eyes—
visible only to him.
```
[ECLIPSE SYSTEM BOOTING...]
Error: Host has no mana core.
Error: Species detected: Pure Human.
Scanning…
Success.
SYSTEM COMPATIBILITY: 0.01%
Would you like to proceed?
```
Aiden's heart stopped for a second.
His entire life, he was the only one with no mana, no abilities, nothing.
And now…
A system?
He swallowed.
"…Proceed."
The interface pulsed.
```
[WELCOME, LAST HUMAN]
[ECLIPSE PROTOCOL ACTIVATED]
[SKILL: SHADOW ESSENCE – LOCKED]
[FORM: SHADOW FORM – LOCKED]
[QUEST AVAILABLE]
```
Suddenly a black ripple spread under his feet—
A faint shadow that didn't match his body.
Aiden froze.
What… what is that?
Then a new message blinked:
```
Daily Quest:
Defeat your first shadow.
Reward: System Synchronization +1%
Failure: Physical deterioration.
```
His pulse quickened.
Shadow?
Where—?
The ground beside him darkened…
Like something was crawling up from the depths of the earth.
A shape formed.
A twisted darkness rising like liquid smoke.
Everyone around him backed away.
Aiden stared.
This shadow…
It looked exactly like him.
His voice cracked:
"…You'v
e got to be kidding me."
The **shadow clone** smiled.
A grin made of pure darkness.
Then charged at him.