Kael opened his eyes to the jostling of the carriage wheels over uneven dirt. The stench of damp straw and rusted iron surrounded him, his hands shackled loosely before him. His wrists throbbed from chafing metal, and his clothes were no better than rags.
Memories came flooding back—his trial, the betrayal, and the king's cold declaration: exile to Lorent.
Once a prince—now cast away like refuse.
Outside the barred window, the land stretched out barren and gray, whispering tales of ruin. Even the guards escorting him had grown silent, their mockery lost in the fatigue of endless travel.
Yet amid the haze, something stirred.
[SYSTEM BOOTING...]
A glowing blue screen materialized before his eyes, floating in the air, unreadable to anyone else.
[Heavenly Infrastructure System Initialized. Binding Host... Success.]
[Welcome, Kael Ardyn. You are now recognized as the Sovereign of Lorent.]
Kael blinked. "What...?" he muttered, but the guard ahead didn't react.
[Primary Directive: Rebuild, Restructure, Rule.]
[Quest Unlocked: Secure Shelter Upon Arrival]
[Reward: Basic Infrastructure Blueprints]
He exhaled slowly, the corners of his mouth twitching upward despite the weight of chains.
The world had abandoned him—but something greater had chosen him.
And Kael Ardyn, exiled prince of a decaying kingdom, was not about to let the opportunity go to waste.