Nexus born

The days following the elemental awakening ceremony felt strangely hollow for Kael. The initial rush of achieving Low Novice rank had faded, replaced by the persistent sting of his peers' taunts. He was a Novice, yes, but a "broken" one, a strange anomaly even among the varied magic-users. The routine of the orphanage resumed, now punctuated by basic magical exercises that felt agonizingly slow to his keen mind. He practiced the simple visualizations for conjuring a spark, but while the other children struggled to draw forth a specific elemental flare, Kael's inner warmth produced only that same formless, universal shimmer.

Late one night, long after the other orphans had succumbed to the heavy slumber of childhood, Kael lay awake in his narrow cot. The orphanage was steeped in silence, save for the rustle of straw and the distant creak of old timbers. He felt the familiar, subtle hum behind his eyes, a sensation that had become a constant, almost comforting companion since his rebirth. Tonight, however, it felt different. It was stronger, a deeper resonance, as if something within him was stirring from a long sleep.

He focused on the sensation, a quiet, desperate plea rising within him. Show me. Show me what you are. Show me how to be strong. He closed his eyes, willing the feeling to intensify.

Suddenly, it wasn't just a sensation. It was a presence. Not a voice, but an instantaneous, overwhelming flood of information. It bloomed in the forefront of his mind, clear as if etched on a hidden internal screen, yet utterly invisible to the outside world.

[SYSTEM AWAKENED]

[User: Kael]

[Primary Affinity: ??? (Universal/Unbound)]

[Core Ability: Crimson Sight - Fading Mark (Passive)]

[Fading Mark Active Abilities:]

[Enhanced Focus (Level 1): Improves perception and analysis of physical details and energy flow.]

[Emotional Resonance (Level 1): Detects strong emotional auras (visualized as faint colored shimmer).]

[Current Status: Low Novice (Arcane Rank)]

[Quest Log: Empty]

[Inventory: Empty]

[Skills: Empty]

[Experience: 0]

[Mana: (Locked)]

[Initiating Tutorial Protocols...]

[NEWBIE PACK ACQUIRED!]

[Contents: Initialized Core Abilities: Enhanced Focus (Level 1), Emotional Resonance (Level 1)]

[Note: Further abilities and resources will unlock with progression and understanding.]

Kael gasped, not aloud, but a silent, internal explosion of shock and disbelief. A system? Like in the old-world games he used to read about? This was beyond any fantasy tale he'd ever known. This was real. And it was inside him. He tried to open his eyes, but the internal "screen" remained, overlaid on his vision, yet completely distinct from the physical world. He could see the shadowy outlines of his sleeping bunkmates and the ghostly, translucent data overlay simultaneously.

He quickly closed his eyes again, his heart hammering against his ribs. This was truly his secret, his alone. No one, not the sneering Borin, not the weary Elder Maeve, not even the stern Novice instructors, would ever know. This was the source of his difference, perhaps the key to his survival.

He probed the "system" tentatively. He thought "Status," and the information immediately refined, highlighting his Arcane Rank and the details of his Crimson Sight. He thought "Skills," and the empty field seemed to mock him, yet also ignite a fierce determination. Mana Locked. That was concerning, but it implied it could be unlocked. He understood now, with a chilling clarity that superseded the common understanding of magic. The energy that coursed through him, that resonated with the Crimson Sight, was his own. It was distinct from the world's ambient mana, the elemental wellspring the instructors constantly spoke of. He could perceive mana, manipulate it, even influence it, but he did not draw from it in the traditional sense. His spark, his "universal" affinity, was a manifestation of this personal, unbound energy, not a channeled elemental flow.

A cold, calculating excitement began to replace the shock. He had dismissed their elemental magic as weak, limited. But this… this system hinted at something far grander, a power beyond their comprehension. He was still a small, ostracized child in a cold world, but now, he held a silent, hidden weapon. The path to power, once a distant aspiration, now had a detailed map, etched only for his eyes.

He spent the rest of the night exploring the rudimentary interface, a silent, desperate student. The system didn't speak, but it responded to his thoughts, revealing layers of information about his potential. He was an outcast, scorned for his "broken" magic. But they were wrong. His magic wasn't broken. It was just different. And now, he had the instruction manual.

The System's First Lessons

The next morning, Kael moved through the orphanage with a new, quiet purpose. The breakfast porridge still tasted bland, the communal room still smelled of dust and unwashed bodies, but his perception had irrevocably shifted. It was like living life with a heads-up display only he could see.

During the morning chores, he experimented with Enhanced Focus. He commanded the system to activate it, and instantly, the world around him sharpened. When sweeping the floor, he didn't just see dirt; he saw individual grains of dust, tiny fibers, and minute imperfections in the stone tiles. When carrying water from the well, the surface of the bucket rippled with crystalline clarity, every subtle current visible. He found himself noticing the precise angle of a worn step, the exact tension in a frayed rope, details that would have previously escaped his childish gaze, but now registered with profound significance to his adult mind. It was a meticulous, almost scientific observation of reality, far beyond simple eyesight.

Later, during the Novice training session, his peers were struggling with a basic fire-spark exercise. Kael activated Emotional Resonance. The air around Borin, who was particularly vocal about his own small, struggling flame, shimmered with a distinct, greenish-yellow hue – an aura of frustration and envy directed at the other children who were doing better than him. Kael also perceived faint streaks of blue (sadness) from a girl named Lyra, who couldn't get her spark to ignite at all. It wasn't just knowing what they felt, but seeing a visible representation of it, a silent language of emotions. He could now "read" the room in a way no one else could. This insight didn't make him empathetic; it made him strategic. He understood their weaknesses, their hidden insecurities, and it strengthened his resolve to exploit them, to rise above them.

His own magical training remained a peculiar challenge. The instructors guided them to "feel the element." Kael, with his "universal" affinity, didn't feel a specific element. Instead, he activated Enhanced Focus, and through the system's guidance, he began to perceive the raw, undifferentiated mana in the air around him, flowing like invisible currents. He understood that the mana was there, a pervasive medium, but it wasn't what he used. While other children tried to coax fire from the very concept of fire, Kael simply tried to pull in the raw mana and shape it, using his own unique energy, as if it were clay in his hands. He wasn't drawing mana into himself; he was commanding the mana around him with the force of his own will, powered by his mysterious internal source.

His attempts still produced only that shimmering, colorless spark, but the ease with which he did it was starting to become noticeable. He didn't strain, didn't pant with exertion like the others. His spark appeared, flickered, and vanished, almost casually. The "Mana Locked" status in his system still confused him slightly, but now he knew it wasn't a hindrance; it was a fundamental difference. He wasn't meant to use mana like them. He was meant to use his own unique energy, the power of the Crimson Sight, to interact with the world's mana.

One afternoon, a Novice Instructor, a young man named Bren with perpetually furrowed brows, watched Kael. "Your control is... peculiar, Kael," he mused, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "So effortless, yet without clear direction. It is as if you are breathing the magic, rather than drawing it." He shook his head. "Still, consistency is good. You are progressing, despite your… unique affinity."

Kael merely nodded, a carefully blank expression on his face. Effortless. The word resonated with the system's own silent efficiency. He wasn't following their elemental paths; he was finding his own, guided by an internal compass no one else could see. The orphanage might be a prison, his peers a source of constant scorn, but with the silent system as his tutor, Kael had found a new, secret battleground. And on this field, he was already miles ahead. His ambition burned brighter than any flame Borin could ever conjure.