A World of Chains

Chapter 4: A World of Chains

Yuji stared at Lyra, completely caught off guard.

"How do you know about the system?" he asked.

Lyra's eyes widened slightly at his reaction. She seemed just as surprised. "Wait… don't tell me—you don't have a system?"

Yuji remained silent for a moment before slowly nodding. "We… actually don't have any system."

The air around them grew tense.

Lyra's reaction was immediate—her expression twisted in shock and disbelief. "What are you saying?! You don't have a system in your world?! People just… live however they want?! No restrictions? No assigned occupations? No system rules?"

Yuji was startled by her sudden outburst. "Calm down, Lyra. I don't know what you're talking about, but yeah… in my world, we don't have a system. We live as we want, do whatever we choose."

Lyra's anger only grew. Her fists clenched, her body trembling. "You… You're telling me people in your world get to choose their own path? They're not forced into a role given by the system?"

Her voice rose with every word, her emotions spiraling out of control.

Then, suddenly—her expression collapsed.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She trembled, her anger melting into sorrow as she clenched her fists against her lap.

Yuji panicked slightly, seeing her cry. "H-Hey… I don't know what you're feeling right now, but… if you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen. I might not be able to do much, but—"

Lyra let out a weak, tearful chuckle. "Help me? How can you help me when you don't even understand this world? When you don't even have a system?" She looked up at him, her expression sad yet sharp. "You were about to die to a few goblins. If I hadn't arrived, you'd be nothing but a corpse right now."

Yuji felt a sting in his chest.

She was right.

There was a long silence between them.

But then, Yuji spoke again. "Lyra… Please. Tell me what's wrong."

She wiped her eyes, took a shaky breath, and began.

"In this world, when we turn fifteen, we awaken a system. That system decides everything about our lives. Our occupation, our skills, our strengths—it all depends on the system's judgment."

Yuji listened intently.

"If someone trained in swordsmanship before turning fifteen but awakened as a basic mage, then all that training is wasted. They can only use magic. If someone is assigned the 'Farmer' occupation, they'll never be able to wield a sword or use magic. The system does not allow deviation."

She clenched her fists again. "We are bound to whatever the system gives us. No freedom. No choice."

Yuji frowned. "That's… horrible."

"It is," Lyra said bitterly. "And yet, you say your world had no system? People could just live as they pleased?"

Yuji nodded. "Until the merging happened, yeah. But now… every human from my world has a system, too."

Lyra gave a small, bitter laugh. "So your world isn't free anymore either." She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry for yelling earlier. It's just… hearing you say that, it reminded me of something."

Yuji gave her a small smile. "Don't worry about it. You were right about me, after all. I don't have any abilities. I was going to die to a bunch of goblins. And… honestly? Life isn't fair, whether you have a system or not."

Lyra glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

Yuji exhaled. "You said I could live however I wanted in my world. But that's not true." He looked up at the sky, his expression distant. "When I was old enough to understand the world, I realized I was alone. I never knew my parents. By the time I was twelve, I had to take care of myself. By fifteen, I had finally built a stable life, working part-time and surviving on my own. But… loneliness was always there."

Lyra remained silent, listening.

"I wanted a family. I wanted someone I could rely on. I tried forming relationships, but I was always rejected. I had friends, but they had their own lives. They wouldn't always be around. So yeah, maybe I had more freedom than you, but… I wasn't happy."

He let out a bitter chuckle. "And now I have a system. You awakened yours at fifteen, but I got mine at eighteen."

The air between them felt heavy.

Then, quietly, Lyra shifted closer.

She sat beside him, their bodies lightly touching.

She didn't speak for a while.

Then, softly, she said, "You wanted to hear my story, right? Then listen."

Yuji turned his head, giving her his full attention.

"I was born into a noble family. My father was a Duke—one of the highest-ranking nobles in the kingdom. We were a family of five. My father, my two mothers, my older brother, and me."

She smiled faintly. "I was always considered a genius. I loved reading, I excelled in magic, and I was praised for my potential. By the age of ten, I cast my first magic spell—before even awakening a system. That was considered a huge achievement."

Yuji nodded, listening closely.

"My brother wasn't as talented as me, but he was still strong. Our family had high expectations for both of us. You see… the system isn't completely random. If someone practices something before awakening, they have a higher chance of getting a good occupation in that field. And bloodline matters, too. A child from a family of warriors is more likely to become a warrior."

She clenched her fists again.

"So, when I turned fifteen… I was supposed to awaken as a high-level mage. Everyone believed I would."

She took a deep breath.

"But then… I got 'Basic Mage.'"

Yuji's eyes widened slightly.

"A pathetic, low-tier class. A commoner's occupation. The only skill I received was Fireball." Her voice wavered. "Meanwhile, my brother awakened as a Supreme Swordsman."

She looked down at her hands. "My father didn't treat us any differently. He still loved us both the same way. But… our enemies saw weakness."

Yuji felt a sense of unease creeping into him.

"One of my father's oldest rivals… his son awakened as a Supreme Warrior. And five years later, he led an attack against our family."

Her voice trembled. "We fought. We fought with everything we had. But how do you fight someone who was chosen by the system as superior?"

Tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"My father… my brother… they told me to flee. They said I had to survive. I didn't want to leave them… but I had no choice."

She sobbed quietly. "And now… I don't even know if they're still alive."

Yuji's chest tightened.

Without thinking, he reached out—hesitant, but firm.

He placed a hand on her head, gently pulling her into his chest.

She didn't resist.

Instead, she buried her face against him and cried.

Yuji didn't say anything.

He just let her cry.