Elmi_barsorcere

---

In a world where the remnants of an ancient, catastrophic war lie buried beneath the ash of a broken society, Kael Riven is an outcast, thrust into a brutal system that governs those with power. Born with a dark past and an even darker destiny, Kael discovers he is the heir to the Rampage Monarch, a being of destruction whose legacy is tied to the ruin of countless realms.

As Kael navigates the crumbling cities and forgotten ruins, he must come to terms with the chaos that comes with his newfound abilities, which grant him unimaginable power at the cost of his humanity. Along the way, he faces enemies who would use his power for their own gain, while a mysterious organization—The Ashen Order—seeks to control or destroy him. Torn between redemption and destruction, Kael’s path to ascension is fraught with betrayal, death, and the constant reminder of the terrible legacy he must inherit.

With each step toward his destiny, Kael grapples with his humanity, fighting to break free from the blood-soaked chains of his past, even as the ashes of those who came before him threaten to consume everything he has left. The only question that remains: can Kael rise above the ashes of his legacy, or will he become the very monster he's meant to defeat?


---

Ashes of Ascension

Amber sand stretched beyond the eye's reach, heatwaves distorting the ruins of what once was a great city—now swallowed by dust and war.

Kaien sat alone on a broken monument, the wind howling around him like a choir of ghosts.

He was younger. No system. No powers. No flame.

Just a soldier in a war no one remembered.

"Day 316," he muttered into a cracked recorder. "Still no response from High Command. Rations low. Ammo lower. Morale…" He laughed bitterly. "What's morale?"

He looked down at the cracked dog tags in his hand.

The redacted part? Yeah. That had always bothered him.

Why didn't they want him to know who he was?

Kaien reached for his sidearm—empty—and turned.

Dr. Solari. Before she became what she is now.

Hair tied back, white coat stained with ash, a datapad glowing in her hands.

"I told you not to survive," she said coldly.

"This wasn't your loop to live through."

He blinked. "The hell does that mean?"

She sighed, like explaining it bored her.

"You were supposed to die on Day 100. When the city fell. That's when the system kicks in for the next candidate. But you… you're stubborn."

He stepped back. "You're saying this is a simulation?"

"No," she said. "I'm saying it's a filter. A test."

And then—she pressed something on her pad.

Sand froze mid-blow. The sun pixelated.

"You passed the survival phase," Solari said, turning away. "Let's see how you handle rebirth."

The city burned in reverse. His body began to shatter into strings of data.

And just before everything reset—

"You'll forget this. You always do."

Back in the present—Kaien snapped awake.

Still in the alley. Still with Riven.

Riven looked at him, worried. "You okay?"

CHAPTER 20: THE FIRST LOOP