NoHeadphoneGamerz

In a world where the System grants power to the chosen, Kieran Vale was nothing—just another powerless human struggling to survive. But when a catastrophic event awakens his dormant abilities, he gains something far from ordinary.  

[System Initialization… Error.]

[Warning: Core Corrupted.]

Instead of a normal awakening, Kieran’s system is broken, glitching between realities. His body mutates, his bloodline shifts, and his abilities defy logic. Hunted by corporations, secret factions, and monstrous beings, he must navigate a world where strength means everything.  

With his evolving powers and a system that rewrites the rules, Kieran is no longer weak. He is Shadowborn.

But what exactly is he becoming?

Shadowborn: The Glitched System

The figure moved without sound, gliding across the chamber as if gravity bowed to its presence. Its mirrored helm shimmered, distorting Kieran's reflection—each flicker a different version of himself. Some were broken. Some were monsters.

[WARNING: Architect-Class Hostile Approaching. Defensive Protocols Compromised.]

Kieran's knees trembled. His system surged, trying to boot emergency combat routines, but the flickering never stopped. His vision fractured.

"Don't engage directly," Elias snapped, stepping forward. "You're not ready."

Kieran's pride flared. "Then why bring me here?"

"To learn." Elias raised his blade. "Now watch."

The clash was silent thunder. Elias's blade met the Architect's shifting limbs in sparks of inverted light. Every strike from the creature bent the rules—walls warping, time stuttering. Elias flowed like liquid steel, but even he was being pushed.

Kieran's mind screamed under the pressure of the entity's presence. His system cracked open a window—brief glimpses into the Architect's code. Not instructions. Not logic. Intent.

[Fragment Accessed: Directive – Cleanse Aberrations.]

"Elias—" he shouted, stumbling to his knees. "It's targeting me!"

"I know," Elias hissed. "It sees your potential. That's why I brought you here. You have to resist it!"

The Architect twisted, a spire of glass forming from its palm. It hurled it toward Kieran.

Something broke inside Kieran—his system screamed and surged. His eyes lit with strange color, and his hand moved on its own, catching the spire midair. His bones cracked—but he held on.

[Mutation Triggered: Prototype Echo-State Active.]

[User may reflect one hostile directive for 3.2 seconds.]

Kieran didn't understand—but he felt it. He turned the spire and hurled it back.

It struck the Architect in the helm.

The entity reeled, glitching. Elias seized the moment, leaping forward and driving his blade through its chest.

The Architect let out no sound—just a flash of cold light—before collapsing into a puddle of shifting code.

Elias stood over him. "Now you've seen what's coming."

Elias met his eyes. "Just a scout."

Kieran stared at the fading data left behind. If that was a scout… what the hell was the real threat?

Battle of Echoes