Five Years Later
The city of Ardenthollow rose in sleek obsidian towers and flying vehicles that weaved between sky-rails like silent predators. Despite its modern beauty, it pulsed with unease. The streets below were guarded, not by men, but by sentient constructs known as Arbiters—remnants of an age when portals opened and the world was reshaped.
Five thousand years after the Great Shift, humanity lived among awakened beasts, supernatural bloodlines, and systems that judged their worth. Everyone had a system. But none like his.
Kael Umbros stood at the edge of the Academy's skybridge, his black cloak fluttering behind him as the wind caught at the edges. His once-messy hair now trailed down to his waist, the deep black fading to moonlit silver. One crimson eye, one violet, watched the horizon like a predator sizing up prey.
Beside him, Selene adjusted her custom rifle strapped to her back. Her hair was lighter than his, more silver than black, braided and sharp like everything about her. Her eyes, both a striking shade of amethyst, held a calculating gleam beneath her warm smile. She was the older twin by seven minutes—and never let him forget it.
"You ready for this?" Selene asked, nudging him with her elbow.
Kael smirked, the curve of his lips sharp and cold. "I've been ready since the day they threw us out."
Five years ago, they were nothing—outcasts, half-blood trash born of a scandal and cursed bloodlines. Today, they stood on the steps of the world's most prestigious Academy for Awakened.
Their wolf forms paced beneath their skin, senses sharp and restless.
Kael's hand flexed, and he felt it again—that hum. The System's whisper, buried deep within his blood. It hadn't spoken since the forest. Not fully. But it watched. And it waited.
As they stepped into the Academy's grand gate, a voice echoed across the massive square, amplified through magical runes.
"Welcome, Initiates! Today marks the beginning of your journey. From this point forward, your System will calibrate based on your potential. You will be tested, ranked, and classed."
The crowd of teens murmured in excitement and anxiety. Kael stood silent.
"Your life from now on is determined by your performance. The System chooses. The world watches. Rise—or be forgotten."
One by one, students stepped forward to the Awakening Obelisk—a towering crystal spire that shone with pulsing violet light. It would scan them, analyze their soul and blood, and assign them their Class, their Path, their Rank.
"Kael Umbros," the Overseer called.
The crowd went quiet.
Kael stepped forward, shadow trailing behind him like a beast on a leash. The moment his palm touched the Obelisk, the light flared black and red. A storm surged across the Academy grounds.
Alarms blared. Instructors rushed toward the platform, weapons drawn.
But it was too late.
The crystal cracked.
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE]
Host Detected: Kael Umbros
Initializing Core Bloodline Interface...
—ERROR: Unknown Source.
—WARNING: Authority Level [Null Crown] confirmed.
—System Integration: COMPLETE.
Text spilled across Kael's vision in a language older than time. But he understood every word.
SYSTEM PAGE ONE – CORE STATS
Name: Kael Umbros
Title: Forsaken Prince | System Catalyst
Bloodline: Vampiric-Lycan (Evolved)
Class: Bloodbound Sovereign (All-Rounder)
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Level: 1
—STATS—
Strength: 85
Agility: 80
Endurance: 83
Mana: 120
Energy: 115
Intelligence: 60
Vitality: 90
Charisma: 40
—PASSIVES—
• Half-Transformation (Active)
• Lycan Ascendance (Locked)
• Vampiric Core (Active)
• Bloodline Sovereignty (Unique)
• Beast Aura Manipulation
• Blood Manipulation
• Flight (Wings – Sealed)
—SKILLS—
• Appraisal (Observe)
• Bloodforged Strike
• Shadow Cloak
• Aura Howl
• Adaptive Combat (Passive)
A second panel blinked open.
SYSTEM PAGE TWO – SKILLS
(Additional skill details available after use or unlock.)
A third page shimmered faintly—his Inventory, an infinite space bound only to him.
Around him, the Obelisk cracked and crumbled.
Everyone stared.
"Who is he?" someone whispered. "That system... that wasn't normal."
Selene stepped forward next. Calm. Confident.
The moment her hand touched the fractured remains of the Obelisk, it flared again—silver and violet.
[SYSTEM LINK DETECTED]
—Connecting to Bound Core: Kael Umbros
—System Upgrade Initiated
SYSTEM PAGE ONE – CORE STATS
Name: Selene Umbros
Title: Twin Moon | System-Bound Strategist
Bloodline: Vampiric-Lycan (Evolved – Shared Core)
Class: Bloodweaver Sniper (Long-Range)
Gender: Female
Age: 15
Level: 1
—STATS—
Strength: 60
Agility: 90
Endurance: 70
Mana: 135
Energy: 125
Intelligence: 95
Vitality: 78
Charisma: 75
—PASSIVES—
• Lycan Precision (Passive)
• Vampiric Vision (Active)
• Flight (Wings – Sealed)
• System Sync: Kael Umbros
• Aura Manipulation
• Blood Construct
—SKILLS—
• Multi-Target Lock
• Bloodline Burst Shot
• Haze Snare
• Observe
The Obelisk let out a final sigh... then shattered completely.
To be continued...
Would you like the next chapter to focus on their first Academy trial? Or perhaps more character interactions with rivals and harem candidates?