He

Staring out the window, just as his thoughts began to drift, the world before his eyes seemed to shimmer—a faint ripple in reality, as though the air itself started to bend.

His breath hitched, and in the next moment, a red, translucent panel flickered into existence directly in front of his eyes.

It was unlike anything he'd ever seen—or had he seen it before?

Sadly, this thought slipped away like sand through his fingers. The panel hovered in the air, its glowing edges faintly radiating with inky black light. And, elegant yet alien symbols etched themselves into its surface, shifting slowly into words he could comprehend.

[System Notice]

!ERROR!

System Update Starting.

Two Souls Are Present In The Host Body.

Emergency Fusion Process Initiated: Two Souls Integration in Progress...

The words hammered themselves into his brain, sharp and undeniable, and beneath them, a faint, pulsating bar began to fill slowly with, as if measuring some kind of progress.

Seeing all these, unease started to prickle at the edges of his consciousness. "Two souls?" he murmured, his voice barely audible as his fingers twitched involuntarily. What did it mean? Was he the fusion—or merely one of the pieces?

But, before he could delve further into his thoughts, a sudden pressure gripped his chest, an overwhelming pain crashing over him. His vision swirled, the world beyond the window fading into a blurry mess as the panel remained stark and unyielding before him.

Memories—fractured, alien, and yet achingly familiar—began to surface, mingling with his own. Two lives early similar but very different he didn't recognize unfolded in brief flashes:

Both lives of solitude and pain. Of killing and killing over again.

But, while one was doing it for fun. The other was doing it mostly out of duty.

Slowly, his knees buckled, and he gripped the edge of the window frame for support, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The progress bar continued its slow march toward completion, every flicker movement on it sending another wave of intense pain through his being.

"This..." he muttered, his voice trembling. "Who... am I becoming?"

Alas, the floating panel offered no answers but only a dreadful declaration.

....

While time seemed to race by for the rest of the world, for Sethius, every second stretched into what seemed to be an eternity of agony. It felt as though he had endured that torment for years, the searing pain etching itself into his very soul.

Thankfully, at last, the pulsating bar reached 100%, and with a soft chime, a new window materialized before his eyes.

[System Notice]

Fusion Complete: Two Souls Integration Achieved. Updating the original Status of the Host.

The words seared into his mind as the new pieces of information flashed once, before vanishing into the air with a faint ripple. The pain that had wracked his body moments before dissipated as suddenly as it had come, leaving a strange calmness in its wake.

Sethius gasped, his trembling hands releasing the window frame as he straightened. His chest rose and fell with deep, deliberate breaths, his body alive with a newfound energy that invigorated him. He finally felt... whole.

His thoughts were sharper now, clearer, but at the same time more... chaotic. Two voices were present inside his mind now—no, two sets of instincts—lingered in the corners of his subconscious.

One was cold and calculated, thriving on chaos and bloodshed, living on the ecstasy of taking lives.

While the other disciplined and unrestrained, was as chaotic as the first one, probably even more.

Together, they formed what was He.

And, as the strange sensations coursed through him, another translucent panel materialized before his eyes.

[System Notice]

Integration Stabilized. Access To All System Features Unlocked.

Do you wish to open your Status Window? [Yes/No]

Sethius had no hesitation, his silver brows furrowing as he stared at the glowing words. He now fully understood what this "System" was and why he had it.

"Yes," he said, his voice steady, the word ringing with newfound authority.

In an instant, the panel expanded, transforming into an intricate display of text and symbols. Rows of glowing information filled his vision, with each detail neatly displayed on the screen.

--------| System Interface |--------

[Name]: Sethius Von Nevermore

[Race]: Royal Vampire

[Status]: Healthy

[Age]: 14

[Rank]: E

[Class]: Swordsman

[Legacy]: None

[Traits]: Innate Sword Body (SSS+), Battle Maniac (A+), NEW! Eye of Mimir (SS+)

[Laws]: Sharpness, Blood, NEW! Darkness

[Masteries]: 

NEW! Peak Swordsmanship ☆☆☆☆☆ -(Progress: 9%)- [SEALED]

Basic Mana Manipulation ★★☆☆☆ -(Progress: 69%)-

NEW! Intermediate Cooking ★☆☆☆☆ -(Progress: 1%)-

------------------------

NEW! [Quests]