⊙---Mentor System Part 1

The world warped around him, the air growing thick with pressure, before a dark-clad figure materialized before him, as if the very fabric of reality had exhaled him into existence.

Kael's heart hammered against his ribcage as the stranger's presence washed over him, sharp and suffocating like the cold edge of a blade at his throat. 

The man stood tall, cloaked in black leather, his features hidden beneath a hood. Even without visible weapons, Kael could feel the danger in the air, like the weight of a predator's gaze settling on his skin.

The stranger's lips curled into a grin—one that never quite reached his eyes. "Kael Avryon," his voice slid through the space like silk, smooth and dangerous. "I've been waiting for you."

Kael's system chimed again, its mechanical voice cutting through the tension in the air.

[Mentor Located]

[Mentor System Now Syncing…]

Kael's breath hitched. His heart skipped a beat. Wait—didn't he have a say in this? Why was the system dictating his life, playing him like a pawn in a game he didn't understand?

Unease slithered through him like a snake, and it wasn't just the system—it was him. This man before him, this stranger. Could he trust him?

"The name's Varin." The man's grin widened, and his fingers casually flipped a dagger from one hand to the other. The movement was effortless, smooth—too practiced. "Welcome to Erendath, young Reborn."

Before Kael could react, Varin's hand shot out, seizing his wrist in a grip like iron.

Kael's stomach lurched as the world ripped around him. A violent pull yanked him through space, the scenery blurring into streaks of black and green, the rush of motion dizzying and suffocating. When his feet finally hit solid ground again, the world steadied—but the scent of damp earth and pine filled his lungs, the air thick with the bite of wilderness.

They were in a forest clearing. Isolated. Trapped.

Varin released him, taking several steps back, his posture shifting like a coiled predator, ready to strike. His dagger continued to dance between his fingers, the motion fluid, hypnotic.

Kael's heart pounded in his chest as Varin's smirk turned razor-sharp. "Let's see what you're made of."

Kael barely had time to breathe before Varin's gaze locked onto him, pupils narrowing with lethal focus.

"Now—" Varin's grin deepened, his voice like ice. "Attack me with everything you've got."

Kael stood still in the clearing, his feet planted firmly, but his mind a whirlwind. His gaze flickered to Varin, the words heavy in the air between them. "You want me to attack you?"

Varin blinked, then straightened, his eyes narrowing as he took Kael in. The expression on his face shifted, a flicker of disbelief passing through his features. "Hold on. Don't tell me..." His voice dipped, darkening as the weight of realization hit him. "You don't know how to fight?"

Kael's chest tightened. His throat went dry, and his mind scrambled for an answer. But nothing came. He hesitated too long.

Varin's brow twitched, a hint of frustration creeping in. "You're kidding me." He exhaled sharply through his nose, rubbing his temple as if trying to ease a growing headache. "You're seriously a total noob?"

Noob. The word echoed in Kael's mind like an alien sound, distant and foreign, like it didn't belong.

Varin's eyes flickered with something dangerously close to despair, a silent curse hanging in the air. He had agreed to this—this mentor quest—because the system promised something valuable in return, but now... this? A beginner? A complete blank slate?

With a clenched jaw, Varin summoned his system interface, his fingers moving with frustration. "Sion," he snapped, his voice cutting through the tense silence. "Explain. Did the system just decide to screw me over? Why the hell did it assign me a newborn fawn when I need a warrior?"

A soft chime answered him, and the air shimmered as Sion, the system guide, materialized beside him—a wraith-like figure, translucent and ever-shifting, its form barely solid in the air.

"No," Sion's voice was calm, its tones almost soothing, as though it understood the storm brewing in Varin's chest. "This is your fate. If you succeed, he will help you repair your Rebirth Core."

Varin's scowl deepened, his hands curling into fists.

My Rebirth Core.

The thought was a bitter taste on his tongue. The Rift Lord. The battle two years ago had nearly killed him. It had taken everything—his strength, his sense of self—and left him with a shattered Rebirth Core. He'd survived, but it had come at a cost. A cost that now chained him to a broken body, unable to grow stronger, unable to level up.

Kael.

The one the system claimed could help him repair it. The Reborn who had come from nowhere, dropped into this world with no memory, no skills. No experience. Nothing.

Varin's eyes narrowed as he stared at Kael.

He exhaled, dragging a gloved hand down his face in frustration. Years of solitude had made him believe he was the only one—the only one—to be brought back. But Kael... this kid...

The weight of the situation hit him like a hammer. Another Reborn. Another chance to fix what had been broken.

But Kael was... this.

A weight settled in Varin's chest. Something else. Something heavier than just frustration.

Nostalgia.

He pushed it down, hard.

Without thinking, he moved.

Shadowstep.

One moment, he was standing a dozen feet away, and the next, he was in front of Kael, his sudden presence so close the pulse of red in Kael's eyes was undeniable. The boy flinched, his body going taut as he stepped back, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Shadowstep..." Kael murmured, his voice catching as he met Varin's gaze.

Varin smirked, his teeth flashing like a wolf's grin. At least Kael recognized the technique.

"You've already received your skills," Varin said, voice low, almost challenging. "So why didn't you fight when I told you to?"

Kael hesitated again, his gaze flickering uncertainly. Then, with a quiet sincerity, he spoke. "I was curious."

Varin's brow arched, incredulous. "Curious?"

Kael's gaze locked with his. His voice was soft but steady. "Did you come from the same world as me?"

The question hit Varin like a blow to the gut. He blinked, caught off guard. His smirk faltered, and for a moment, he felt a strange tightness in his chest.

Came from the same world?

That should've been obvious. They were both Reborn, right? They should both be from Earth. But the way Kael spoke, the way he looked at him... there was something else there. Something off.

Varin's expression darkened as suspicion began to crawl up his spine.

"You…" Varin's voice was low, edged with something hard to place. "You're not from Earth?"

Kael's face lit up. A grin broke across his face, sharp and wide. "So you are from Earth?"

Varin exhaled, the tension draining from his body. Gods, that almost gave me a damn heart attack.

Kael's grin faded as he studied Varin's face. "You look surprised," he said, voice quiet, almost amused.

Varin quickly regained his composure, clearing his throat and crossing his arms, suddenly feeling much more guarded. "Yeah, well. Macmillan State. You?"

Kael's eyes widened, and his smile grew. "Macmillan?" His voice held a note of disbelief, but also something else—relief. "You're from Macmillan too?"

Varin stiffened.

What are the odds…?

He held up a hand, silencing the conversation before it could deepen further. "Alright. Enough of this reunion crap. I don't care about my past life, and I sure as hell don't plan on reminiscing." His voice was firm, cutting through the air with authority. No arguments, no protests.

Kael's excitement faltered, his expression softening with an almost childlike innocence. "…I understand." His gaze flickered away, just for a moment, before returning, a silent understanding passing between them.

And for that brief second, Varin swore he saw something else in Kael's eyes—a relief so subtle, it was almost imperceptible.

Kael was too soft for this world.

Varin sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah. I get it." He threw a sharp glance back at Kael, a half-grin twisting his lips. "Now—can we get back to the part where I beat some survival skills into you?"

Kael let out a breath, the tension leaving his shoulders. He dropped into a stance, his expression suddenly more focused, less unsure.

Varin grinned in return. This would be interesting.

It was time to see what this 'Reborn' was made of.

Ping!

A system alert flared to life in both their visions.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:]

Mentor System Initiating…

Combat Mode: START

A sudden weight settled in the air. A low, thrumming pulse spread through the clearing as the system enforced its will. The wind stilled. The distant hum of the forest faded.

Kael barely had time to react before Varin moved.

A wicked grin stretched across the mentor's face as he flicked his dagger between his fingers—too fast, too precise. His stance was relaxed, almost casual, but Kael wasn't fooled. There was something lethal in the way Varin carried himself, something coiled and waiting to strike.

"Alright, kid," Varin murmured, eyes gleaming like a predator's. "Let's see if you can survive."

Then he vanished.

A blur of motion—

Shadowstep.