Darkness clung to the edges of Rael's mind, but a presence burned at its center—vast and unfathomable. It wasn't intrusive. It wasn't forceful. It was simply there, as if it had always been.
[Do not be afraid. I am here to guide you.]
The voice was patient, steady, carrying an ancient wisdom beyond comprehension. Unlike the deities of myths, it did not demand worship nor submission—it simply was.
Rael, still kneeling, felt a strange clarity washing over him. His pain dulled. His exhaustion faded. The warmth he had felt before wasn't just hope—it was something tangible, something real.
[Your body is on the brink of collapse. Your essence is weak. But that can change. If you accept me, I will awaken what lies dormant within you.]
Rael's fingers dug into the scorched ground beneath him. His life had been a constant struggle, and now, here was something—something that offered him a way forward.
Yet, doubt crept into his mind. Why him? Why now?
"…Why?" His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
[Because you are the chosen. The one Chaos itself has deemed worthy.]
There was no arrogance in its tone, no demand for gratitude. It was simply stating a truth.
[Will you accept?]
Rael's heart pounded. The weight of his past, the pain of his failures—all of it warred against the singular certainty in the system's words.
And then, he made his choice.
"I accept."
The moment the words left his lips, a rush of power flooded his being. His bones cracked and realigned. His wounds sealed as if time itself reversed. His body, once frail and battered, was now something new.
He gasped. He clenched his fists. He felt alive.
[The Awakening is complete. Now, it is time you learned the truth.]
The sky above trembled. The world itself seemed to shift. And in that moment, Rael knew—
Everything was about to change.