When Bran opened his eyes, it was dark. His head throbbed, and his body felt heavier than it should have. Slowly, he realized he wasn't in his apartment. He was lying on the floor of an unfamiliar room, faint silver light spilling from strange symbols etched into the walls.
Above him, floating runes pulsed gently. A voice—mechanical yet calm—echoed in his mind.
"Player detected. Vital signs unstable. Initiating stabilization protocols."
The system. Not an AI, not a person. The Runic System itself was speaking, assessing him, guiding him. Bran's stomach knotted with a mix of fear and awe.
"Anomaly confirmed. Potential exceeds expected thresholds. Warning: physical overload may occur with improper activation."
He tried to speak, but his throat felt dry, his mouth heavy. The memory of the fire—the raw, searing energy—flashed in his mind. He had touched the runes too soon, too recklessly.
"Quest available: Learn the First Rune. Objective: Cast Ignis in controlled environment. Reward: Rune Points +1."
A small, hovering rune appeared in front of him. It glowed softly, less threatening than the one that had knocked him unconscious, but no less real.
Bran's hands shook as he whispered the word:
"Ignis…"
A small flame flickered above his palm, steady and controllable this time. Heat radiated, tangible but not painful. Relief flooded him, and yet a deep unease lingered.
The system pulsed again, words appearing in his mind:
"Control is earned through practice. Misuse results in consequence. Train or fail. This world will require rebuilding. You are one step forward, Player."
Bran swallowed hard. The system was guiding him, testing him, preparing him—but for what, he did not yet know. All he understood was that his life had irrevocably changed. The game was no longer a game. The runes were real.
And he was no longer just a player,he was becoming something else...