Chapter 13 – The Weight of Choice
Location: The Forest of Forgotten Paths – Morning
Everything had changed.
The path I chose had made understanding myself the most difficult task.
I had to now figure out who I was, where I stood, and which direction to go. Everything around me had become like a blurred memory. It was never clear what I had become.
You remember, right?
This struggle starts the very first time a person tries to discover their true identity.
At first, I was just a shapeshifter — a lost human trapped in a strange world.
Then the System showed me my true potential.
Since that day, every day became a part of a new challenge, a new evolution.
---
Flashback (a few hours earlier):
After shapeshifting, I saw myself in a new form.
There was a darkness inside me. All of it — unexpected.
My body had become a weapon, but my mind?
It was still a victim of its past, still searching for its original self.
When Rikael's memory merged with mine, a dark voice echoed constantly within me:
> "How were you supposed to understand all this? You chose this… now you've become the predator…"
If I could control this dark power, I could become the most powerful entity in the world.
But…
Was this the right path for me?
---
Current Situation:
I had hidden myself deep within a secluded forest, just to analyze my system and understand these new powers.
Through the System, I had unlocked several new abilities:
> [New Ability Unlocked: Shadowmeld] – Become one with the environment. Move undetected for short periods.
[New Skill Gained: Bone Form] – Manifest bone structures on body for increased defense.
But these abilities weren't just to avoid enemies — they were for understanding the conflicts within me.
---
Suddenly, System Alert:
> [Warning: Hostile Entity Detected]
[Entity: Aelina – Level: High Intermediate]
Through the shadow, I saw Aelina's image — a girl vastly different from me.
If I met her face-to-face, I might have understood why she had targeted me and hidden in silence.
But this System energy inside me… it could be a trap too.
---
MC:
"Aelina? Why are you hiding this from me?
You know I need to understand this… more than I need the System."
There was something different in Aelina's eyes.
If I had paid closer attention, I'd have realized she was a "Bloodline Architect" — someone who could control others' powers, yet kept her own truth hidden.
A complex twist lived inside her… and it was going to affect me directly.
---
Aelina (calm yet intense):
> "I'm warning you, Z-00… your mission until now should be considered complete.
You must now unleash your power further… or lose your only chance at control.
You do know you carry the Architect's Core inside you, right?"
---
MC (a bit confused):
> "I… I don't understand.
I'm discovering my abilities, but how are you involved?"
---
Aelina (half-smiling):
> "There's always been a connection between your System and my bloodline.
Whether you understand it or not — you must make choices now.
To control your power, a fusion is necessary."
---
Suddenly, the atmosphere of the forest shifted.
Energy fluctuations.
Aelina's eyes flickered — and I felt a deep force trying to pull me inside.
Was this a trap?
---
> [New System Alert: Entity Merging – Possible Path Selection Initiated]
---
Choices:
> [Option 1: Merge with Aelina – Gain Forbidden Bloodline Power]
[Option 2: Resist Fusion – Maintain Individuality, Reject Bloodline Influence]
[Option 3: Reject All and Escape – Seek Independence from Both Bloodlines]
---
MC (voice low, yet resolute):
> "Aelina, I'll choose my path — in my own way.
If you're with me, we start this journey together… but how?"
---
Aelina's eyes deepened, and her voice echoed:
> "I can guide you…
But if you want to truly understand your power, you must walk this path with me.
You must discover your true form."
---
Suddenly, I stood tall:
> "Then it's settled.
I'll hold my destiny in my own hands.
No more confusion, no more games.
Aelina, join me — or stay out of my way."
---
With a final, firm decision, I activated the [Merge] option.
---
> [System Update: Fusion Complete – Bloodline and Shapeshifting Ability Fully Integrated]
---
Now I had become a new force — a fusion of shapeshifting and bloodline power.
Chapter Ends – The Balance Between Self and Power Begins.