Runtime Errors

Our journey to the capital was slower than Captain Leila had initially estimated. With twenty-three villagers in tow—mostly the elderly, children, and those whose homes had been completely destroyed—we moved at a plodding pace along the countryside's winding roads.

By midday of our first day of travel, I was growing restless, riding near the front of our caravan beside Leila and trying not to look as bored as I felt.

"You're not used to horseback, are you?" Leila asked, noting my awkward posture.

"That obvious?" I shifted uncomfortably in the saddle. "In my world, we have... different transportation."

"Your world sounds stranger by the minute," she said, eyeing me with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "The royal mages have many questions about your origins."

"I'm sure they do," I muttered, then noticed something odd in the distance. "What's that?"

Ahead, where the road curved around a hillside, a strange shimmer hung in the air, like heat rising from sun-baked stone—except it was a cool spring day, and the distortion was too localized, too geometric.

[ANOMALY DETECTED]

[SPATIAL DISTORTION: CLASS 3]

[WARNING: NARRATIVE FRACTURE POINT]

[RECOMMEND CAUTION]

"Everyone halt!" I called out, raising my hand. The caravan slowly came to a stop behind us.

Leila frowned. "What is it?"

"There's something wrong ahead," I explained, dismounting. "I can see a... distortion in the air. Can you see it?"

She squinted. "I see nothing unusual."

"Power scale: 10%," I whispered, increasing my output slightly to deal with whatever this anomaly might be. The warmth inside me intensified as more power became available.

[POWER LIMITER ADJUSTED: 10%]

[CURRENT MAXIMUM OUTPUT: EQUIVALENT TO ARCHMAGE]

I approached the shimmer cautiously. As I drew closer, I could see it was roughly rectangular, about the size of a doorway, with edges that seemed to ripple and fold in on themselves. The air around it felt wrong somehow—charged with potential.

"System, what exactly is this?"

[REALITY BREACH DETECTED]

[PROBABLE CAUSE: NARRATIVE INSTABILITY]

[YOUR ANOMALOUS STATUS IS CREATING FRACTURES IN WORLD COHERENCE]

"Can I fix it?"

[AFFIRMATIVE]

[ADMINISTRATOR PRIVILEGES INCLUDE REALITY MAINTENANCE]

[CAUTION ADVISED]

I turned back to Leila. "Keep everyone back. I need to fix something."

"Fix what?" she demanded. "There's nothing there!"

"Trust me," I said. "You can't see it, but it's dangerous."

Reluctantly, she nodded and ordered the caravan to maintain their distance.

I faced the spatial anomaly again, extending my hands toward it. "System, how do I seal this breach?"

[VISUALIZATION REQUIRED]

[IMAGINE REALITY AS FABRIC]

[MEND THE TEAR WITH ADMINISTRATOR AUTHORITY]

I focused on the golden regulator construct, then visualized the shimmering distortion as torn fabric in the world itself. I imagined my power flowing through my hands, stitching the tear closed, weaving reality back together.

"Seal," I commanded.

Blue energy flowed from my fingers, surrounding the anomaly. The edges of the distortion began to fold inward, the shimmer intensifying for a moment before starting to contract.

Then something reached through.

A long, spindly limb with too many joints and glistening black chitin thrust from the center of the anomaly, followed by another, then another. The limbs braced against the edges of the tear, pushing outward, forcing it wider.

[WARNING: EXTRADIMENSIONAL ENTITY DETECTED]

[CLASSIFICATION: VOID CRAWLER]

[THREAT LEVEL: SEVERE]

[REALITY ANCHOR PROTOCOLS ADVISED]

"What the hell is that?" I shouted, stumbling backward as more limbs emerged, attached to a bulbous body that defied proper description—angles that shouldn't exist, surfaces that seemed to both absorb and emit light.

[BREACH EXPANDING]

[ENTITY IS UTILIZING NARRATIVE WEAKNESS]

[IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION REQUIRED]

Behind me, I heard screams as the caravan finally saw what was emerging. The creature was now halfway through the breach, its body pulsating with unnatural rhythms.

"System, how do I stop this thing?"

[REALITY ANCHOR PROTOCOL AVAILABLE]

[COMMAND SEQUENCE: ANCHOR REALITY]

[WARNING: HIGH ENERGY REQUIREMENT]

[RECOMMEND POWER SCALE INCREASE]

"Power scale: 25%," I said quickly.

[POWER LIMITER ADJUSTED: 25%]

[CAUTION: APPROACHING DANGEROUS OUTPUT LEVELS]

The surge of power was immediate and intoxicating. Energy crackled across my skin, lifting small stones from the ground around my feet as ambient magic responded to my presence.

Focusing all my attention on the breach and the creature forcing its way through, I commanded: "Anchor Reality!"

Golden light erupted from my body, forming complex geometric patterns in the air that expanded outward to surround the anomaly. The patterns interlocked, creating a framework that seemed to stabilize the very air itself.

The void crawler screeched—a sound that bypassed my ears and resonated directly in my mind—as the golden framework contracted, forcing the breach closed despite its resistance.

"You don't belong here," I growled, pushing more power into the anchor protocol. "Go back to whatever nightmare you came from!"

With a final psychic scream that made several of the villagers collapse holding their heads, the creature was forced back through the breach. The golden framework continued to contract until the anomaly was completely sealed, then flashed brightly and faded away.

I stood there panting, not from physical exertion but from the mental strain of controlling such power.

[SPATIAL BREACH SEALED]

[NARRATIVE COHESION TEMPORARILY REINFORCED]

[WARNING: ADDITIONAL BREACHES LIKELY AS JOURNEY CONTINUES]

[CURRENT NARRATIVE COHESION: 76%]

Leila approached cautiously, hand on her sword. "What in the Six Gods' names was that?"

"A visitor from somewhere... else," I said, reluctant to explain the full metaphysical complexity. "The fabric of reality is weakening. There might be more of these breaches."

"Is this the Demon King's doing?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No. It's... it's because of me. My presence here is causing instabilities."

Her expression hardened. "Then perhaps summoning you was a mistake."

"Maybe," I admitted. "But I'm also your best chance at fixing these breaches when they appear."

Before she could respond, one of her knights called out. "Captain! Riders approaching from the east!"

We turned to see a group of mounted soldiers galloping toward us, bearing the royal standard of Aldoria—a golden griffin on a blue field.

"Royal messengers," Leila explained, her tone still cold. "Perhaps with new orders regarding you."

The riders slowed as they approached, their leader—a stern-faced man with a cropped beard—dismounting and offering a formal salute to Leila.

"Captain Leila, I am Commander Darius of the Royal Guard," he announced. "We've been dispatched to escort the Hero directly to the capital with all haste."

Leila frowned. "These villagers need protection—"

"My men will assist your group to the capital," Darius interrupted. "But the Hero must come immediately. The situation has worsened dramatically."

"What situation?" I asked.

Darius turned to me, his expression grave. "Three more villages have been attacked since yesterday. The Demon King's forces are advancing faster than ever before. And there have been... anomalies. Strange occurrences that our mages cannot explain. Tears in reality itself."

"Like the one we just encountered," Leila said, giving me a pointed look.

Darius's eyes widened. "You've seen one?"

"Katsuo sealed it," she replied. "After something tried to come through."

The commander studied me with new intensity. "Then the prophecy is true. Only the Hero can mend the breaking world."

I sighed. This was getting complicated. "I'll come with you to the capital. But you should know—these anomalies might be connected to my presence. My... arrival was not exactly smooth."

"The royal mages said as much," Darius nodded. "All the more reason to get you to the capital quickly. The Archmage Council believes they can help stabilize your powers."

After a brief discussion, it was decided that I would accompany Darius and four of his men on an expedited journey to the capital, while the rest of his forces would reinforce Leila's group escorting the villagers.

As I prepared to depart, Mira approached me with a small cloth-wrapped package.

"For your journey," she said, handing it to me. "Just bread and cheese, but made with gratitude."

"Thank you, Mira," I said, genuinely touched by the gesture even though I'd discovered I didn't actually need to eat—another quirk of my administrator-state body.

"Will you save us?" she asked quietly. "The stories always say the Hero defeats the Demon King and brings peace, but..." She glanced around nervously. "Things feel different this time. Wrong somehow."

I couldn't help but wonder if the ordinary people of this world could sense the narrative instability on some level.

"I'll do everything I can," I promised. It wasn't empty words—according to the system, restoring narrative cohesion by fulfilling the Hero's role was the best chance of preventing catastrophic world collapse.

With hasty goodbyes, we departed, riding hard eastward toward the capital city of Aldorinth. Commander Darius set a grueling pace, stopping only briefly to rest the horses.

"The capital is still a day's hard ride away," he informed me as we made camp that night. "We should arrive by tomorrow evening if we encounter no delays."

I nodded, sitting by the small campfire while the soldiers tended to the horses. "Tell me about these other anomalies you mentioned."

Darius's expression darkened. "Strange storms that rain objects from other times and places. Animals transforming into impossible shapes. A river that flowed backward for three days before vanishing entirely." He stared into the fire. "The court mages say the world is... unraveling."

"And this started after my arrival?"

"The first reports came within hours of the summoning ritual," he confirmed. "The Archmage Council believes your arrival triggered something, though they debate whether you are the cause or merely the herald."

I knew the truth was more complicated—my broken reincarnation had turned me into a walking system administrator with corrupted permissions, violating the narrative rules of this world. But explaining that would only confuse matters.

"What do you know about the Demon King?" I asked instead.

"Mordrath was once human—a royal mage who delved too deeply into forbidden arts," Darius explained. "He disappeared for a decade, then returned transformed, leading an army of demons and corrupt creatures. He's conquered the southern kingdoms already and now threatens Aldoria."

"And the prophecy says only I can defeat him?"

"'A soul from beyond the veil, bearing powers unknown to our world,'" Darius recited. "'Only such a one may stand against the darkness when the world trembles at its foundation.' That's the wording in the ancient texts."

I considered this information. If I was essentially breaking the world's narrative with my presence, perhaps defeating the Demon King would indeed restore stability—completing the expected story arc.

"Get some rest," Darius advised, rising to his feet. "Tomorrow will be another long day."

But as he walked away, a notification appeared before me:

[WARNING: NARRATIVE DETERIORATION ACCELERATING]

[DETECT MAJOR ANOMALY APPROACHING]

[BREACH EVENT IMMINENT: ESTIMATED TIME 8 HOURS]

[RECOMMEND PREPARING CONTAINMENT PROTOCOLS]

"System, what kind of anomaly?" I whispered.

[CALCULATING...]

[ANOMALY CLASSIFICATION: NARRATIVE ECHO]

[PREDICTION: ALTERNATE VERSIONS OF SCENARIO ELEMENTS MANIFESTING]

[POTENTIAL FOR TIMELINE CONTAMINATION]

That sounded ominous. "Can I prevent it?"

[NEGATIVE]

[ANOMALY ALREADY IN MOTION]

[BEST COURSE: PREPARE TO CONTAIN EFFECTS]

I looked up at the night sky, where stars glittered in unfamiliar patterns. Somewhere out there, reality was preparing to hiccup again because of my glitched existence.

"Power scale: 15%," I whispered, reducing my output to conserve energy for whatever tomorrow would bring.

[POWER LIMITER ADJUSTED: 15%]

[RESTING MODE ENGAGED]

I didn't sleep that night—I still hadn't felt the need since arriving in this world. Instead, I meditated, refining my control over my abilities and preparing for the coming anomaly. The system had mentioned "alternate versions of scenario elements"—what did that mean? Alternate versions of people? Places?

Dawn came too quickly. We broke camp efficiently and were riding again within minutes of first light. Darius pushed the pace even harder, apparently sensing my urgency.

"Something troubles you," he observed as we rode side by side. "You've been tense since awakening."

"Another anomaly is coming," I explained. "Bigger than the one yesterday."

His face paled. "How do you know?"

"I can sense it," I lied, simplifying the explanation. "We need to reach the capital before it happens, if possible."

Darius nodded grimly and urged his horse faster.

We rode through rolling farmlands and small villages, the landscape gradually becoming more densely populated as we approached the capital region. People stopped their work to stare as we passed, word of my identity somehow spreading ahead of us.

Just as the capital city came into view in the distance—an impressive walled metropolis built on tiered hills, dominated by a gleaming palace at its peak—I felt a strange sensation, like pressure building in the air.

[ANOMALY IMMINENT]

[BRACE FOR NARRATIVE DISRUPTION]

"Stop!" I shouted, reining in my horse. "It's happening!"

The sky darkened suddenly, clouds swirling in unnatural patterns. The very air seemed to thicken, making it difficult to breathe. A low humming filled our ears, rising in pitch until it became painful.

"What is happening?" Darius shouted over the noise, drawing his sword instinctively.

"Reality breach!" I called back. "Power scale: 40%!"

[POWER LIMITER ADJUSTED: 40%]

[WARNING: DANGEROUS OUTPUT LEVELS]

[PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION EFFECTS POSSIBLE]

The surge of power was like a tidal wave crashing through my body. My skin began to glow with blue light, and my feet lifted slightly off the ground as ambient energy responded to my presence.

The air before us tore open—not a small breach like before, but a massive rift that split the sky from horizon to horizon. Through it, I could see... another Aldoria. Another capital city, subtly different in architecture and color.

And riding from that other version of reality came riders—exact duplicates of Darius and his men, but with minor differences. Their armor was black instead of silver, their standard inverted in colors.

"By the Six Gods," gasped our Darius, staring at his doppelgänger.

The alternate Darius spotted us and raised his hand, halting his troops. For a moment, the two groups stared at each other in shock.

Then the alternate Darius pointed at me and shouted: "Seize the false Hero! He serves the Demon King!"

His men charged toward the breach, weapons drawn.

"Defend the Hero!" our Darius commanded, placing himself between me and the approaching duplicates.

"Wait!" I shouted. "Don't fight them—they're you from another reality!"

But it was too late. As the alternate soldiers reached the breach, they passed through into our world, and the two groups clashed in a chaotic melee.

[NARRATIVE CONTAMINATION IN PROGRESS]

[CRITICAL INSTABILITY DETECTED]

[CURRENT NARRATIVE COHESION: 62% AND FALLING RAPIDLY]

[RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE SEPARATION OF TIMELINE VARIANTS]

"System, how do I separate them?"

[REALITY PARTITION PROTOCOL AVAILABLE] [COMMAND SEQUENCE: PARTITION REALITY] [WARNING: EXTREME ENERGY REQUIREMENT]

"Power scale: 60%!" I called out, bracing myself for the influx of power.

[POWER LIMITER ADJUSTED: 60%]

[DANGER: APPROACHING CRITICAL OUTPUT THRESHOLD]

[PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION ENGAGED]

The power surge was overwhelming. My feet lifted completely off the ground as a nimbus of blue-white energy engulfed my body. I could feel my appearance changing—my eyes glowing with internal light, my hair lifting as if underwater.

"PARTITION REALITY!" I commanded, my voice resonating with otherworldly harmonics.

Golden light erupted from my outstretched hands, forming a vertical barrier that sliced between the fighting soldiers. The barrier expanded rapidly in both directions, pushing along the line of the breach above.

The alternate soldiers were forced back toward their reality, while ours remained on our side. The golden barrier solidified, becoming a wall that perfectly traced the breach's outline.

"RETURN TO YOUR WORLD," I called to the alternates, my voice carrying impossible authority. "THIS TIMELINE IS NOT YOURS TO ALTER."

The alternate Darius stared at me with a mixture of fear and hatred. "You are not the true Hero!" he shouted. "In our world, the Hero stands with the King against the false prophecy!"

"Your narrative is not this one," I replied, understanding intuitively that his reality had diverged somehow from ours. "Go back before both our worlds collapse."

With a gesture, I pushed the golden barrier forward, forcing the alternate soldiers back through the breach. Once they had all been returned, I began the more difficult task of sealing the massive rift.

"SEAL THE BREACH," I commanded, bringing my hands together in a clasp.

The golden barrier contracted, pulling the edges of the breach with it. The alternate reality visible through the rift grew smaller and smaller until, with a sound like thunder, it closed completely.

The unnatural pressure in the air dissipated. The clouds returned to normal. The only evidence of what had occurred was a lingering golden shimmer that slowly faded away.

I floated back to the ground, the blue aura around me diminishing as I reduced my power scale back to 15%. My transformed appearance returned to normal as well.

Darius and his men stared at me in stunned silence.

"What... what were they?" one of the soldiers finally asked.

"Versions of you from another possibility," I explained, feeling drained despite my infinite energy. "A reality where things happened differently."

"They said their Hero stands with the King against the false prophecy," Darius said slowly. "What did that mean?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "But we should get to the capital quickly. I need to speak with your mages and the King."

Darius nodded, but I could see new wariness in his eyes. He had just witnessed me transform into something not quite human, wielding power that defied comprehension.

[NARRATIVE BREACH CONTAINED]

[TIMELINE CONTAMINATION MINIMAL]

[CURRENT NARRATIVE COHESION: 58%]

[WARNING: COHESION BELOW CRITICAL THRESHOLD]

[WORLD STABILITY COMPROMISED]

The notification worried me deeply. Despite containing the breach, narrative cohesion continued to fall. The very structure of this world was becoming unstable, and it was because of me.

We remounted and rode the final stretch to the capital in tense silence. As we passed through the massive city gates, crowds gathered to watch, word of my arrival spreading like wildfire.

"The Hero!" they called. "The Hero has come!"

If only they knew their supposed savior was the very thing threatening their world's existence.

The palace loomed ahead, and with it, the next chapter in my increasingly complicated reincarnation. Perhaps the royal mages would have insights the system lacked. Perhaps the King would know something about the prophecy that could help me restore narrative cohesion.

Or perhaps I would only make things worse.

As we dismounted in the palace courtyard, a delegation of elaborately robed figures hurried to meet us—the Archmage Council, I presumed.

"Welcome, Hero," said an elderly woman at their head, her eyes sharp and assessing. "I am Grand Archmage Elara. We have been expecting you."

"I'm Katsuo," I replied simply.

"We know who you are," she said cryptically. "And what you are. Come—the King awaits, and we have much to discuss about the breaking of the world."

I followed her into the palace, wondering what these mages really knew about my situation. Could they already understand that I was a system administrator with corrupted permissions, violating their world's narrative structure?

Or was there something else going on—something even the system wasn't telling me?

[NARRATIVE JUNCTION DETECTED] [KEY DECISION POINT APPROACHING]

[WORLD FATE DETERMINATION IMMINENT]

Whatever awaited me inside the palace would change everything, for better or worse. The fate of this entire reality hung in the balance, all because of one fatal system error during my reincarnation.

I took a deep breath and stepped through the ornate palace doors, ready to face the consequences of my glitched existence.