*Downtown Manhattan — Rachel Elizabeth Dare's Loft*
The room was quiet except for the scratch of charcoal on canvas. Rachel drew feverishly—her eyes glazed, pupils flickering with unnatural green light.
Lines turned into figures. Faces she didn't know. A boy standing in a storm of ice and wind. A shattered trident. A world split in two.
Then the voice came—not hers, but echoing from everywhere:
> **"When the winter's son breaks fate's tether,
> Three realms shall tremble, none stand together.
> With borrowed strength and fractured soul,
> He'll fight the end, but not be whole."**
Rachel collapsed, panting.
Her phone buzzed. A text from Chiron:
*"Anything strange lately?"*
She stared at the drawing—Kenji's face now frozen in the charcoal. "Oh gods," she whispered.
---
*Camp Half-Blood – That Morning*
Kenji jolted awake, the *System* flashing.
> *New World Event: Prophecy Emergence Detected*
> > You are a Catalyst.
"Of course I am," Kenji muttered. He tapped the interface.
> *New Quest Chain: Fatebreaker
> Stage 1: Seek the Oracle*
> Reward: Unknown
> Penalty: System Lockdown (10 days)*
He sighed. "Looks like I'm meeting Rachel."
---
*Training Grounds*
Kenji found Percy mid-spar with Annabeth. Blades clanged. Sparks flew. When they paused, Kenji waved him over.
"Oracle saw something. About me."
Annabeth raised a brow. "You're not even Greek, are you?"
"Not originally," Kenji admitted. "But fate's got jokes."
Percy nodded. "I'll go with you."
---
*Half-Blood Hill — Oracle's Chamber*
Rachel sat on a stone seat, clutching her sketchpad. As Kenji entered, she tensed.
"You're not supposed to be here," she said. "Your soul... it's not aligned."
"I didn't choose this," he said softly. "But I need to know."
Her eyes rolled back. Mist swirled.
> **"The winds will howl when secrets break,
> One truth revealed, a kingdom shakes.
> But what is forged with stolen flame,
> Will bring both ruin and godly shame."**
When Rachel blinked back to awareness, she whispered, "You're the variable. You break the prophecy—not fulfill it."
Kenji turned, his thoughts spiraling.
> *Quest Updated: Fatebreaker – Stage 1 Complete
> +100 XP
> +1 Hidden Stat Revealed: FATE RESISTANCE (Rank: Rare)*
---
*Mount Olympus – Same Time*
Hermes appeared in a flash beside Zeus.
"He's changing the board, Father."
Zeus' eyes narrowed. "Then let's change the pieces."
---
*End of Chapter 19*