Silence followed the awakening.
It was not peaceful silence. It was the kind that came after something too large had moved, when the world needed time to understand what had changed. The air still felt heavy, as if it had not decided whether it was allowed to move again.
Aren sat on the broken stone, breathing slowly. His hands were still shaking. No matter how many times he opened and closed his fingers, the feeling did not go away.
The system screen hovered in front of him, dimmer than before.
[System Rebooting Under New Authority]
Kael crouched beside him, one hand hovering near Aren's shoulder but not touching. He looked unsure, like he was afraid Aren might disappear if he blinked.
"Aren," Kael said. "Can you hear me."
Aren nodded. "Yes."
His voice sounded normal. That surprised him. Inside, everything felt different, heavier, like a door had closed behind him and locked.
Kael let out a breath. "Good."
Around them, the people who had arrived through the gates were slowly recovering. Some stood up cautiously. Others stayed on the ground, staring at nothing. A few had already fled, opening gates and leaving without a word.
Regent Halverin remained where he was, kneeling with one hand pressed to the ground. Blood had dried at the corner of his mouth. His expression was tight, controlled, but something had clearly broken underneath.
Seris Elowen stood a short distance away. Her staff glowed faintly as she watched Aren, her eyes sharp and full of questions.
Aren tried to stand.
His legs wobbled, but Kael caught him quickly. The moment Kael touched him, the bond reacted. A faint warmth spread through Aren's chest.
Kael noticed it too. His eyes flickered gold for a split second.
"Still connected," Kael said quietly.
Aren nodded. "I can feel you."
That sentence hung between them. Kael looked away first.
The system screen flickered again.
[Stabilizing…][Link Integrity: Active]
Seris stepped closer. "Aren Valen," she said carefully. "Do you know what you just did."
Aren looked at her. "I accepted a call."
Seris winced. "You accepted authority."
Kael turned sharply. "Explain."
Seris hesitated, then spoke. "The dragon that answered you was not just ancient. It was a keeper. One of the original authorities before the system."
Halverin let out a low laugh from where he knelt. "Authority," he said. "Such a polite word."
Aren looked at him. "You knew."
Halverin raised his head slowly. His eyes met Aren's without fear. "Yes."
Kael took a step forward, anger flashing across his face. "You knew and still let them call him useless."
Halverin did not deny it. "Because if he never awakened, the seal would hold."
Aren felt something twist inside his chest. "So my life was just collateral."
Halverin's expression hardened. "So was mine. So was everyone's."
The system reacted sharply.
[Emotional Spike Detected][Authority Feedback Limited]
Aren clenched his jaw. "You took my past."
Halverin's silence was answer enough.
Seris spoke again, softer now. "Aren, the system was built to replace something. Something dangerous."
Aren looked at her. "Me."
"No," Seris said. "What came before you."
The ground beneath them trembled faintly. It was distant, but real.
Kael looked around. "That feeling again."
Aren felt it too. Not fear. Not pain. Awareness.
The system updated.
[Environmental Shift Detected][Dragon Activity Increasing]
Seris closed her eyes briefly. "They are responding to you."
Aren swallowed. "I did not call them."
"You did not need to," Seris replied. "You accepted the role."
Kael laughed quietly. "So what now. Do they bow. Do they burn cities."
Aren shook his head. "I do not know."
Halverin finally stood. He moved slowly, like every step took effort. "You will be hunted," he said. "By factions you do not even know exist yet."
Aren met his gaze. "Including yours."
Halverin nodded. "Especially mine."
The system screen shifted again, new lines forming.
[New Directive Available][Select Path]
Aren frowned. "Path."
Kael leaned closer. "What does it say."
Aren read the options as they appeared.
[Path One: Containment][Path Two: Reclamation][Path Three: Exile]
Aren's heart began to race again. "It wants me to choose again."
Seris looked alarmed. "Already."
Halverin smiled faintly. "The system adapts quickly when it loses control."
Kael shook his head. "This is insane. He just woke up."
The system did not respond to their voices. The options stayed, unmoving.
Aren stared at them.
Containment. Being locked away. Studied. Controlled.
Reclamation. Taking back what was lost. Whatever that meant.
Exile. Running. Hiding. Letting the world tear itself apart without him.
None of them felt right.
"I need time," Aren said.
The system flickered.
[Time Extension: Denied]
Aren let out a sharp breath. "Of course."
Seris stepped forward urgently. "Aren, if you choose reclamation without understanding it, the balance will collapse."
Halverin added calmly, "If you choose containment, at least fewer people will die."
Kael laughed harshly. "That is rich, coming from you."
Aren felt the bond pulse again, stronger this time. Images pressed at the back of his mind. Dragons chained in the sky. A throne cracked by betrayal.
"I will not be caged," Aren said quietly.
The system reacted instantly.
[Path One Rejected]
Halverin's eyes narrowed.
Aren looked at the remaining options.
"I will not run either," Aren continued.
Kael turned to him. "Aren, think."
Aren shook his head. "I have been running my whole life."
The system responded.
[Path Three Rejected]
Only one option remained.
The ground rumbled again, stronger now.
Seris whispered, "Once you choose that, there is no going back."
Aren closed his eyes.
He thought of the hall. The laughter. The stamp. The word useless.
He thought of Kael screaming in pain. Of chains in the sky. Of lies told so often they became history.
He opened his eyes.
"I choose reclamation," Aren said.
The system froze.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the screen shattered into countless fragments of light.
A new interface formed, darker and simpler.
[Path Confirmed: Reclamation][Authority Unlocking…]
The air roared.
Mana surged across the land like a tidal wave. In the distance, mountains shook. Somewhere far away, cities felt the ground tremble under their feet.
Kael staggered, grabbing Aren's arm. "Aren, your eyes."
Aren blinked. The world looked sharper. Colors felt heavier. He could feel distances in a way he never had before.
Halverin stepped back. "So it begins."
Seris whispered, "The old age will not stay buried."
The system displayed one final message, larger than all the others.
[World Phase Shift Initiated][Reclamation Era: Active]
Aren felt something settle into place inside him. Not peace. Not certainty. Responsibility.
Far away, dragons lifted their heads higher.
Deep underground, seals cracked.
And across the world, people felt it all at once.
Fear.
Hope.
And the certainty that the world they knew was already ending.