Chapter 1 – Aric
The wind carried the scent of iron and damp earth as young Aric perched atop the ridge overlooking the village below. Magic, invisible yet omnipresent, hummed faintly beneath his fingers as he stretched out his hand, trying to coax a flicker of fire from nothingness.
It was a useless attempt. The system had long ago siphoned what little innate power he could muster. Every spark that flared in his imagination was a reminder: no one could reach their true potential here. Not yet.
Even so, Aric's eyes burned with determination. From humans to elves, dwarves, and beyond, every race in this world carried the seed of magic. But the system had made it something functional, not magnificent. A tool rather than a birthright. Most mortals had given up, focusing on the tangible: swords, shields, and survival.
He turned his gaze skyward, tracing the distant silhouette of a dragon slicing through clouds. Legends said they had walked the earth long before humans, wielding power unbounded, their roars capable of leveling mountains. Few dared to approach such creatures now—but the stories lived on, whispered in awe by mortals who still remembered the old times.
Aric clenched his fists. He didn't want to be just another mortal, shackled by limitations. He wanted to see what lay beyond the veil of the system, to understand what magic truly was before it was chained.
At that moment, the faint chime of distant bells echoed across the valley—the system observing, noting, monitoring. Every child born, every mage practicing their first spells, every thief daring to challenge fate: all recorded, all assessed.
Aric's heartbeat quickened. He didn't yet know the world's secrets. He didn't yet know of Taboo breakers, of the gods and dragons, of the entity that pulled the strings behind the scenes. But even in ignorance, one truth was clear: he would carve a path of his own, unbound by rules he was never meant to accept.
And so, from a ridge overlooking his sleepy village, Aric vowed that day: he would learn, grow, and one day surpass everything this system had imposed.