The words still echoed in his head: [Welcome to the Shadow System.]Liam rubbed his temples, breathing fast. “System… what does that even mean?” he whispered.[Daily Quest Initiated: 50 pushups. 50 squats. 10km run.]He froze. The glowing text hung in the air before him, bright as a ghost. His pulse quickened. “This isn’t real.”[Timer: 6 hours remaining. Failure will result in physical regression.]“Regression?” he repeated, frowning. “What are you?”A jolt of electricity shot through his body, sharp and cold, dropping him to his knees. “Alright! Alright, I’ll do it!” he gasped.The pain stopped. The words blinked. [Acknowledged. Begin.]He started with pushups, counting through gritted teeth. His muscles screamed. Sweat dripped onto the cold floor. Each movement felt heavier than the last.By the thirtieth pushup, his arms trembled. By the fortieth, his breath was ragged. He collapsed, face pressed against the floorboards. “I can’t.”[Weakness detected. Adaptation required.]A faint

Wind howled through the academy towers. The bells rang, not the morning bell, not the curfew bell, but the alarm. Ravenhold was under attack.Students poured into the halls in chaos. “Rift breach! The outer barrier’s broken!”“The monsters are inside the west courtyard!”Liam jolted upright from his bed. His heart pounded. The voice of the System whispered sharply in his head: [Warning. Rift Beasts detected nearby. Survival priority activated.]He threw on his jacket and ran, joining the flood of terrified students.Outside, the rain came down in silver sheets. The ground trembled. Through the storm, he saw it, a monstrous wolf-shaped beast, its skin cracked with molten light, eyes burning red.Its roar split the night. Screams followed. Kane Drayden stood at the front line, golden aura blazing.He raised his hand and unleashed a spear of light that struck the beast’s shoulder. It howled but didn’t fall. Kane shouted, “Form the barrier!”Four students joined hands, magic circles glowi

The nightmare returned. Always the same, a dark hall filled with cold fire and whispering chains.Liam stood at its center, the floor beneath him carved with unfamiliar runes. From the shadows, a deep voice murmured, “Free me… and I will make you limitless.”He tried to move but his feet were rooted to the ground. The pendant around his neck glowed violently. “You carry my mark, Liam Cross. The world has forgotten me… but I remember you.”He screamed, and woke with a start. Rain tapped softly against his window. His sheets were soaked with sweat. The System flickered before his eyes:[Dream anomaly detected. Traces of external energy: 8%][Recommendation: Avoid deep sleep cycles.]He wiped his face. “Great. Even my dreams are cursed.”He got up, threw on his jacket, and walked outside into the cold dawn. The academy courtyard was empty except for the lingering fog.For a long moment, he just stood there, trying to breathe, but the voice in his head wouldn’t stop. “Free me…I will make

The cheers had stopped hours ago. The arena still smelled of burnt stone and blood.Inside the infirmary, Liam woke to the scent of herbs and the faint glow of moonlight through the window.Every breath hurt. Every muscle screamed, but it wasn’t the pain that made him tremble, it was the voice. “You hesitated. You could’ve ended him. Yet you stopped.”Liam gritted his teeth. “Get out of my head.”“You can’t silence what you are, heir of shadow.”He sat up abruptly. “I’m no one’s heir!”The door burst open. “Liam!”Rhea rushed in, worry written across her face. She stopped at his bedside, eyes scanning the bandages on his chest. “You’re supposed to be resting.”“I’ve rested enough.”Her tone hardened. “You almost died in that ring. Whatever power you unleashed nearly destroyed half the arena.”He looked away. “I didn’t mean to.”“You lost control,” she interrupted. “And next time, you might not come back from it.”The silence between them stretched, heavy, sharp. Finally, Liam said qui