Days had passed since Yuki defeated the goblin. He had grown stronger, though not by choice—his body healed faster now, and even his senses felt sharper. But something else was changing.
Each night, as he closed his eyes, he heard a strange language in his dreams, as though someone—or something—was trying to communicate with him. The words were unintelligible, but the tone was always urgent.
In the waking world, Yuki noticed oddities too. The animals in the forest grew quieter around him. Sometimes, when the wind blew through the leaves, he thought he heard it speak.
"Return... Forgotten One..."
The phrase echoed in his mind one morning as he stumbled upon an ancient, overgrown path that led to a hidden shrine in the forest. The stone structure was old—ancient even—covered in moss, the air heavy with a sense of timelessness. As he stepped onto its threshold, a jolt surged through him.
Ding! Memory Fragment Unlocked. ...Loading Lost Data...
Images flashed—golden cities in flames, a silver-haired child laughing as a sword shattered, a hand reaching through light. Then darkness.
Yuki gasped and fell to his knees, clutching his chest. The pain faded quickly, but the memory lingered. Carved on the shrine's inner wall were ancient symbols, but among them was a phrase he could read:
"The Echo of the Zero Shall Break the Cycle."
Yuki didn't know what it meant—but for the first time, he feared his power wasn't a gift. It was a key. A key to something locked for a reason.
Before leaving the shrine, he tried something new. He whispered, "Status." Just in case.
Opening Status Window...
Name: Yuki Kuroda
Title: The Zero
Level: 3
Race: Unknown (Analysis Failed)
Class: None
HP: 75/75
MP: 30/30
Strength: 12
Agility: 18
Endurance: 15
Intelligence: 14
Unique Skill: ??? (Unidentified)
Passive Skills:
Minor Regeneration (LVL 1)
Adaptive Memory (Locked)
Active Skills:
Shadow Step (LVL 1)
Condition: Skill Evolution in Progress
Note: Status syncing with unknown origin...
Yuki stared at the screen. No class. No race. No identity.
"Then what... am I?"