The darkness had been endless. Cold, suffocating, as though he had been suspended in nothingness for a thousand lifetimes. And yet, when Kaelen opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was the warmth. The air—thick with the scent of earth and the musk of wet grass—was strange to him. It felt too real. Too… alive.
His hands were no longer stained with his own blood. The deep, painful wound from Alina's betrayal had disappeared, leaving behind nothing but smooth skin and the faintest traces of scar tissue. His armor, too, had been replaced by a new, tattered tunic, threadbare in places and stained with dirt.
Kaelen pushed himself to his feet, his body moving as if it hadn't been shattered moments before. He glanced around, confused.
The world before him was nothing like the one he had known.
The ground stretched out in all directions, covered in tall, golden grass that swayed gently in a breeze that smelled like rain. The sky above was a dull gray, but not a stormy kind of gray—it felt timeless, like the world had been suspended in this moment for eternity. The landscape stretched out endlessly, with towering trees in the distance, their leaves whispering faintly in the wind, as if they were trying to speak a language lost to time.
But there was something else in the air, too. Something Kaelen could feel in his bones—a tension. An unspoken power, pulsating beneath the earth, vibrating through the air, settling into the back of his mind.
He wasn't alone.
*"Welcome to the Realm of the Forgotten,"* the voice from the void spoke again. It was now familiar, even though it sent a chill down his spine. *"This is the world you have been summoned to, knight. Here, you will rise—or you will fall. Your emotions will be your strength, your curse, and your only means of survival. The Forgotten System will guide you, but your choices are your own. Choose wisely, for every decision will shape you."*
Kaelen clenched his fists, the familiar burn of anger welling up inside him. He hated this feeling—the feeling of being manipulated. Of being controlled. But the anger wasn't just directed at the voice in his head anymore. No, now it was directed inward, at himself. How had he let it get this far? How had he been so blind to Alina's deceit?
*"Where am I?"* he asked, his voice rough with frustration.
*"You are in a world where the gods no longer rule. This land has been abandoned, left to decay, to be forgotten. The power that once sustained it has been drained. But you, Kaelen, are different. You are the key to its revival—or its destruction. The Forgotten System will bind you to this world, and you will rise from the ashes of your betrayal."*
The last words lingered in the air, a bitter reminder of the life he had lost.
Kaelen closed his eyes, trying to steady his breathing. The power—the anger—was boiling up within him. It had always been there, a quiet undercurrent to his resolve. He had fought for honor, for love, for Alina. And now, what was left of that? What was left of him?
He opened his eyes again, and before him, a glowing screen materialized in the air. It was faint, almost like a reflection, but clear enough for him to see.
---
**[System Notification]**
**[Name: Kaelen]**
**[Class: Fallen Knight]**
**[Title: The Betrayed]**
**[Level: 1]**
**[HP: 100/100]**
**[MP: 0/0]**
---
The information blinked on the screen, seemingly mundane. But Kaelen's eyes narrowed. A class? A level? This system, whatever it was, was more than just a game—it was his reality now.
*"What is this?"* Kaelen demanded, his voice sharp.
*"This is your starting point. The Forgotten System measures your emotional resonance. Your power is derived from the choices you make, from the emotions you channel. You will grow stronger with each decision. But be careful, Kaelen. Choose wisely."*
Kaelen took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. *"I don't need your guidance. I didn't ask for any of this."*
*"Perhaps not. But the truth remains. You are here, in this world, with a purpose. To save it or to destroy it—your emotions will decide. And in time, so will your actions."*
Kaelen's mind raced as the weight of the system's words pressed down on him. He clenched his fists again, feeling the burn of his rage flood through him. He was a knight—a protector. But that life had ended when Alina betrayed him. His love had turned to ashes, his heart shattered.
But… now he had power. Power to do something with all the pain, all the anger he felt. Power to make sure that betrayal didn't go unpunished.
He wasn't just a fallen knight. He was something more now. Something that could reshape this broken world.
The screen before him flickered again, displaying a new notification.
---
**[Quest: The Beginning of the End]**
*Objective: Discover your purpose in the Realm of the Forgotten. Gather your strength and prepare for what lies ahead.*
*Reward: 100 XP*
---
Kaelen's jaw tightened. This was just the beginning. But he wasn't going to let this world, or anyone in it, decide his fate. He would choose his path. And if he had to burn everything down to do it, then so be it.
He stepped forward into the unknown