The ruins still smoldered behind me as I stepped into the open streets. Dust clung to my skin, the taste of ash sharp on my tongue. The city was alive with chaos—Angelics shouting orders, Demonics slithering through alleys, citizens scattering like frightened birds.
Every eye turned toward me. Some filled with fear, others with awe. I had stripped their guardians of power, undone centuries of balance with a single refusal.
[System Notice]: Quest Active.
Quest: Defy Fate.
Objective: Survive the pursuit of Angelic Inquisitors and Demonic Hunters.
Reward: Unknown.
Penalty: Death.
The words burned into my mind, but I welcomed them. For once, the System was not dictating my path—it was reacting to me.
A shadow moved at the edge of the crowd. A boy, no older than sixteen, stared at me with wide eyes. His clothes were ragged, his face smeared with soot, but his gaze held something different—hope.
"You… you defied it," he whispered.
I met his eyes. "And so can you."
Before he could answer, a blinding light cut through the street. Angelic Inquisitors descended, wings blazing, weapons drawn. Their leader's voice rang like a blade.
"Orion Vale. Null. You are condemned."
Behind them, Demonics surged forward, shadows writhing like serpents. Their laughter was cruel, hungry.
I raised my hand, Origin Power swirling. Light and shadow twisted together, forming a barrier that shattered their attacks. The ground shook, buildings crumbled, screams filled the air.
The boy didn't flee. He stood beside me, trembling but unyielding.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Kael," he said.
"Then stay close, Kael. The world is about to change."
The System trembled again.
[System Notice]: Companion Detected.
Designation: Kael.
Status: Undefined.
Potential: Variable.
Warning: Null influence spreading.
I smiled. The System was glitching, rewriting itself around me. Even Kael's existence had become unstable.
The Inquisitors struck, their weapons blazing. The Demonics clawed, their shadows tearing at the edges. But my Origin held, unyielding.
I clenched my fists, power surging. The Angelics faltered, their wings dimming. The Demonics retreated, their shadows dissolving. None of them could stand against me.
But then the air shifted. A storm gathered on the horizon, dark and furious. Wrath was awakening.
The System screamed.
[System Notice]: Critical Error.
Entity: Wrath.
Location: Northern Wastes.
Directive: Null must be terminated.
I felt its presence, distant yet overwhelming. Fury incarnate, hunger unending. It was coming for me.
Kael's voice trembled. "What is that?"
"Wrath," I said. "One of the Seven. And it's coming."
The boy's eyes widened, but he didn't run. He stood beside me, defiant.
I stepped forward, the ground cracking beneath my feet. The storm loomed in the distance, dark and furious. Wrath was waiting.
And I was ready.