"The moment you escape the cage... the world becomes the trap."
---
đ Somewhere Beyond the Labyrinth
The stars no longer pulsed with code. The sky was realâvast, cold, and uncaring. Kael lay on his back, eyes wide open, breathing in the first air outside the Architect's influence in what felt like centuries.
Seris sat nearby, eyes closed, meditating with slow, rhythmic breaths.
Thorne paced, one hand on his sword, the other clenched tightly. "I hate it."
Kael turned. "What?"
"The silence," Thorne said. "Feels like something is⌠waiting."
He wasn't wrong.
> [WARNING: SYSTEM STATUS â FLAGGED]
[YOU ARE BEING TRACKED BY SYSTEM AGENTS]
[TIME REMAINING BEFORE DETECTION: 02:47:31]
Kael blinked.
"We're not safe," he muttered.
Seris opened her eyes, and without hesitation, added, "We're never going to be safe again."
---
âł New Threat: SYSTEM AGENTS
The screen in Kael's vision flickered.
> [SYSTEM AGENT DESIGNATED: CODE-REAPER]
[TYPE: SHARD-HUNTER]
[OBJECTIVE: PURGE UNSTABLE PLAYER-KAEL]
A red line traced itself through the sky, far above. It wasn't a starâit was a marker. A directional vector leading straight to them.
> [YOU CANNOT HIDE. YOU CAN ONLY RUN OR FIGHT.]
Kael stood.
"Then we run smart. And fight smarter."
---
đ ď¸ Crimson ShardâAwakening Stage 3
As Kael activated his shard again, a dull hum built in his bonesâlike electricity crawling just beneath the skin. But this time, it wasn't chaos.
It was clarity.
> [SHARD RESONANCE: 78%]
[NEW PASSIVE UNLOCKED: CODE SENSE]
> Allows limited perception of incoming System processes and surveillance threads.
Kael gasped as a layer of translucent code bled over the forestâhe could see the trails of monitoring drones, detect data echoes of Agent routes, and even feel the System's influence like pressure in the air.
Thorne stepped back. "You okay?"
"I'm seeing their network," Kael whispered. "We can move around it. For now."
---
đââď¸ Escape Protocol: Initiated
They fled into the old ruinsâhalf jungle, half shattered cityâan area no longer synced with the System's timekeeping grid. Rogue terrain. Forgotten and dangerous.
> [Passive Zone Detected: Fragmented District â Z-13]
[Threat Level: Variable]
[Memory Glitch Present: Echo Structures May Not Match Reality]
"We'll use the system's blind spots," Kael said. "Zone Z-13 has enough recursive echoes to throw off a pursuit AI."
Seris raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you talk like a tactician?"
Kael grinned bitterly. "Since they made me their mistake."
---
𧹠Echo Structure: The Church of Null
At the center of the ruined district stood a gothic cathedral of black stone and red glass. The moment they entered, Kael felt a strange chill crawl across his spine.
A plaque on the floor glitched between languages before stabilizing:
> "Here lies the place where the System first lost control."
Kael turned to Seris. "You've been here before, haven't you?"
"âŚYes."
Thorne added, "This place is a trap."
Seris shook her head. "It's hope. This is where a Classless once turned into something beyond System definition."
Kael walked to the altar. A whisper brushed his ear.
> "Are you prepared to abandon even your name?"
He hesitated.
Then, a notification blinked:
> [CRIMSON SHARD RESONANCE: 83%]
[NEW OPTION UNLOCKED: SHARD EVOLUTION â TITLED PATHS AVAILABLE]
> Choose a Path: The Null King | The Architect's Error | The Crimson Reformer
Kael stood still.
Three choices. Three fates.
---
đ˘ Author's Note â Talent Engraver here!
We've officially entered the "Hunted by the System" Arc! đĽ
What do you think Kael should choose next? Should he become the Null King, embrace being The Error, or rewrite the world as a Reformer?
Let me know in the comments belowâyour thoughts mean everything to me as this is my first novel!
Please leave a review, and help this story grow â¤ď¸
â Your author, Talent Engraver