Chapter 16: The Veil Begins to Fracture

Kairos' mind swirled with questions as he watched Evangeline disappear into the crowd. The way she spoke, the certainty in her voice—she wasn't just guessing. She knew something.

And that meant she had answers.

His hands clenched.

"Not just mine."

The words repeated in his head, an unsettling thought forming. His system, the one thing that made him unique, wasn't his alone?

He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm. There was no point in spiraling—not yet. He needed to get back to Selene's place, clear his head, and figure out his next move.

But before he could take a step—

>[System Notice: You Are Being Observed]

Kairos stiffened. His breath caught in his throat.

A sharp chill ran down his spine, his instincts screaming at him.

Something was here.

His eyes darted around the academy courtyard, scanning the students leaving in groups, chatting and laughing as if nothing was wrong.

But something was wrong.

He felt it.

Like a pair of unseen eyes burrowing into his soul.

His vision flickered.

For a split second, the world around him shifted—like a screen glitching, warping the very air itself.

A dark, formless silhouette stood at the far end of the courtyard.

Faceless. Featureless. But undeniably watching him.

Then, just as quickly as it appeared—

It vanished.

Kairos' breath came out shakily.

No one else seemed to notice. The students kept walking, chatting, completely unaware that something unnatural had been there.

Kairos clenched his jaw.

"I need to get out of here."

He turned sharply and made his way toward the academy gates, keeping his pace steady. Selene had already left ahead of him, meaning he was alone.

And right now, he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

---

A Silent Pursuit

The walk back to Selene's home felt longer than usual.

The streets were busy, students and workers moving about, but Kairos still couldn't shake the feeling of being followed.

Every shadow felt deeper. Every flicker of movement at the corner of his eye sent his nerves on edge.

Was it paranoia? Or was something really there?

His system had warned him before. It never gave alerts for no reason.

He exhaled sharply and focused.

>[Skill Activated: Enhanced Perception]

A subtle pulse ran through his body as his senses sharpened. The sounds of the city grew clearer, footsteps against pavement, distant chatter—

And then, buried beneath it all—

A whisper.

Faint. Impossible to locate.

A voice, speaking directly into his mind.

"You are not ready."

Kairos' breath hitched.

His fingers curled into a fist. "Who the hell are you?" he muttered under his breath.

No answer.

The whisper had already faded.

He swallowed hard. This was real.

Someone—or something—was communicating with him.

And if it was telling him he wasn't ready…

Then that meant there was something coming.

---

Back at Selene's Home

Kairos arrived at the house, pushing open the door with more force than necessary.

Selene was sprawled out on the couch, idly flipping through a book. The moment he walked in, her eyes snapped to him.

"You look like you just saw a ghost," she said dryly.

Kairos let out a slow breath. "Not far off."

Selene's expression shifted slightly. She sat up, placing the book aside. "What happened?"

Kairos hesitated. He had been planning to keep things to himself a bit longer. He didn't want to drag Selene into whatever the hell this was.

But…

The system. The voices. The thing watching him.

If there was anyone he could trust, it was her.

He exhaled. "I need to tell you something."

Selene raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Alright, I'm listening."

Kairos took a deep breath.

Then he told her everything.

The hidden room. The system. The battles. The visions.

The **fact that something—**some unknown force—was watching him.

Selene listened quietly, her golden eyes focused on him. She didn't interrupt. Didn't scoff or laugh.

When he finally finished, silence settled between them.

Selene exhaled and leaned back against the couch.

"Well," she said, breaking the silence, "that explains a lot."

Kairos blinked. "…You believe me?"

Selene shot him a look. "Duh." She waved a hand vaguely. "I mean, look at you. You transformed overnight. You fought an advanced combat automaton barehanded. And now you're apparently being stalked by some cosmic entity?"

She grinned slightly. "Sounds like my kind of crazy."

Kairos let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Selene's expression softened. "You should have told me sooner, idiot."

Kairos scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well… I didn't want to drag you into this."

Selene snorted. "Too late for that."

Then, after a brief pause, her expression turned serious.

"So what's your next move?"

Kairos clenched his fists.

"…I need to know what the hell my system really is."

The moment he said it, a system notification appeared.

>[New Objective Unlocked]

[Title: Fractured Origins]

[Objective: Seek the Keeper of Forgotten Knowledge.]

Kairos narrowed his eyes.

Selene leaned over, frowning. "Did you just get a—"

Kairos nodded. "Yeah."

She hummed. "Keeper of Forgotten Knowledge, huh? Sounds cryptic."

Kairos exhaled. "Yeah, and something tells me… this is just the beginning."

Selene grinned. "Well, whatever happens next, you better keep me in the loop."

Kairos smirked. "Wouldn't dream of leaving you out."

Selene leaned back, stretching. "Good. Now, you look exhausted. Get some rest before you pass out on my floor."

Kairos chuckled. Maybe she was right.

But as he lay down that night, sleep didn't come easily.

Because somewhere out there, something was watching.

And for the first time, Kairos wondered…

Was he really meant to survive?