By sunrise, the Crimson Tournament was no longer a royal announcement. It had become a world event. Luna stood on the balcony of the temporary royal palace, looking over Ironstone as thousands of people filled the streets. Merchants had arrived overnight. Adventurers crowded the gates. Guild banners hung from rooftops. Soldiers struggled to control the growing crowds while system screens floated above every major road. The largest screen displayed one message. CRIMSON TOURNAMENT ALL KINGDOMS HAVE ACCEPTED THE INVITATION Luna stared at it. "All of them." Kael stood beside her, arms folded. "Apparently." "That wasn't supposed to happen." "You keep saying that." "Because it's true." Kael looked at the screen. "How many kingdoms were supposed to participate?" "Three." "And now?" Luna counted the names appearing beneath the main announcement. "Eight." Kael's expression hardened. "Eight kingdoms." Luna nodded. "Kingdom of Valeria. Kingdom of Dra

The system message remained suspended above the arena. ROUND TWO CHAMPION MATCH LUNA ASHWOOD VS KAEL RAVENCREST ONLY ONE MAY ADVANCE The crowd was already roaring. Luna stared at the message, unable to move. Kael stood beside her, equally silent. "This has to be a mistake," she said. Kael shook his head. "Not anymore." Luna looked at him. "You can't fight me." "I can." "I mean you shouldn't." His eyes softened. "Neither should you." The system suddenly changed. TOURNAMENT FORMAT UPDATED CHAMPION MATCH CANCELLED NEW FORMAT: KINGDOM TEAM COMPETITION Luna blinked. "What?" The crowd fell silent. A new message appeared. ALL QUALIFIED CHAMPIONS WILL FORM TEAMS TEAM CAPTAINS WILL BE SELECTED BY COMBAT RANKING BLACK PHOENIX GUILD CAPTAIN: KAEL RAVENCREST Luna turned toward him. Kael stared at the screen. Victor immediately laughed. "Congratulations, Captain." Kael looked annoyed. "I didn't ask for this." Victor slapped his

The warning from the previous night refused to leave Luna's mind. EMOTIONAL BOND: 63% TEMPORAL COLLAPSE THRESHOLD: 80% She had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the black symbol on the balcony floor. She heard the stranger's voice again and again, warning her that if her bond with Kael reached eighty percent, the system would force one of them to kill the other. Luna didn't know whether to believe it. That was the problem. In this world, even lies could become real. She stood in front of the mirror in her room, tightening the straps around her wrists. Her reflection looked different from the woman who had died in the real world. Luna Ashwood's face stared back at her, but the fear in her eyes belonged to Aria. Or perhaps they both belonged to her now. A knock sounded. "Luna." Kael. She immediately turned away from the mirror. "Come in." The door opened. Kael stepped inside wearing his black tournament armor. His sword rested at his

The crimson light beneath the arena continued pulsing like a living heartbeat. Luna stood on the staircase, staring into the darkness below. The voice had called her Aria. Not Luna. Not Luna Ashwood. Aria. Her old name. The name nobody in this world should have known. Kael stood beside her, his sword drawn. "Luna." She didn't answer. "Luna, look at me." She finally turned. His expression was calm, but his eyes were filled with concern. "Are you all right?" "No." He nodded. "Then we deal with it together." Before Luna could respond, the entire staircase shook violently. Ryan grabbed the railing. "What is happening?" The system appeared. UNAUTHORIZED SYSTEM ACCESS DETECTED TOURNAMENT INTERRUPTED TEMPORAL INSTABILITY: 81% Luna's eyes widened. "The tournament is collapsing." Victor looked down the staircase. "Then we should probably get out." A second message appeared. EMERGENCY TOURNAMENT PROTOCOL ACTIVATED ALL REMAINING MAT

The Crimson Core cracked above Luna's head. Red light poured through the arena, flooding every platform and turning the entire labyrinth into a sea of crimson. Luna could barely breathe as she stared at the man emerging from the shattered crystal. His white coat was spotless despite the destruction around him, and his expression remained disturbingly calm. Dr. Elias Vane. The original system architect. The man Luna remembered from the night she died. "You," she whispered. Kael immediately stepped in front of her. "You know him?" Luna couldn't answer. Memories were returning too quickly. A laboratory. Cold white lights. Her laptop. A system interface. A man's voice telling her she had discovered something she wasn't supposed to see. Then darkness. Then death. Then waking up as Luna Ashwood. Elias smiled. "You remember." Luna tightened her grip around her blades. "You killed me." "I corrected a problem." Kael's sword came out. "You have