Academy — Administrative Corridor:
The corridor was active.
Instructors moving.
Trainees passing.
Orders being given.
Everything looked normal.
Kael walked through it.
Hands in pockets.
Same pace.
But something followed him.
Not a presence.
Not a feeling.
A gap.
Like something behind him wasn't being recorded properly.
Registration Office:
"Next."
Kael stepped forward.
A clerk sat behind a desk.
Standard process.
Identity check.
Rank confirmation.
Mission logs.
"Name."
"Kael Dravion."
The clerk typed.
Paused.
Typed again.
"…One moment."
Kael leaned slightly.
"…Something wrong?"
"No."
But the tone said otherwise.
System Panel:
The screen flickered.
DATA FOUND
DATA ERROR
RETRIEVAL FAILED
The clerk frowned.
"That's strange."
Kael:
"…Happens a lot?"
"No."
The clerk tried again.
This time—
The system responded differently.
DATA FOUND
ACCESS RESTRICTED
Silence.
Shift:
The clerk's posture changed slightly.
"…Wait here."
Kael sighed.
"…Sure."
Inner Office:
Two instructors stood inside.
"What is it?"
The clerk handed over the display.
"…This shouldn't happen for a trainee."
One instructor read it carefully.
"…His record is incomplete."
"That's not possible."
"…It's not missing."
A pause.
"…It's overwritten."
Outside:
Kael leaned against the wall.
"…Takes longer every time," he muttered.
Inside:
"Check lineage records."
The system pulled up family data.
Or tried to.
DATA CORRUPTED
PRIMARY LINEAGE — UNDEFINED
Silence.
"…Undefined?"
"That field cannot be empty."
"…It isn't empty."
The instructor zoomed in.
For a brief moment—
A symbol appeared.
Faint.
Then—
Gone.
Decision:
"…Close it."
"What?"
"Now."
The system shut down.
Outside:
Kael looked up slightly.
"…Something just got turned off."
Return:
The clerk came back.
"You're cleared."
Kael blinked.
"…That was fast."
"Proceed."
No explanation.
Corridor:
Kael walked away.
Same pace.
But now—
Something felt different.
Not outside.
Inside.
Thought:
"…Undefined," he repeated.
He didn't know why that word bothered him.
But it did.
Upper Archive Layer:
Deep within the academy—
Beyond accessible systems—
A dormant record flickered.
Not activated.
Not accessed.
Triggered.
Hidden Data:
A sequence attempted to form.
Name: —————
Status: Removed
Classification: ——— MARK
The data glitched.
Then disappeared.
Observation Chamber:
Marek stood with another instructor.
"You saw it."
"…Yes."
"That symbol—"
"…Don't say it."
Silence.
"…It matches the archive fragment."
Marek didn't respond immediately.
Then—
"…We're not dealing with a person anymore."
Academy Grounds — Evening:
Kael sat alone again.
Watching nothing in particular.
"…Why does everything feel like it's hiding something?" he muttered.
No answer.
Distant Ruin Zone:
Far beyond reach—
A structure shifted.
Not physically.
Recognitionally.
Like something had acknowledged a signal.
Echo:
A faint trace moved through the ruins.
Not Veyra.
Not energy.
Something else.
Following—
Kael:
Back at the academy—
He looked up suddenly.
"…Again."
That same feeling.
Stronger this time.
Not empty.
Focused.
Final Line:
"…What even am I?" he whispered.
No one answered.
But something had already begun...
END OF CHAPTER 13...
TO BE CONTINUED...