Ethan froze as the museum disappeared into complete darkness. For a moment, he could hear nothing except his own breathing, and the sudden silence felt almost unnatural after the hum of the building's electrical systems.Suddenly, the artifact pulsed in his hands. A faint vibration traveled through his gloves and into his fingers, making Ethan instinctively tighten his grip. Before he could figure out what he was feeling, the artifact pulsed again, and this time the vibration was stronger, deepening into a low hum that seemed to come from somewhere beneath the floor.Ethan stared down at it, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. “What the hell...?”He barely finished the words before the temperature of the artifact changed. It suddenly became hot against his gloves, so hot that Ethan nearly dropped it. He pulled his hands back instinctively, but before he could let go, a brilliant white light erupted from the object's surface and flooded the entire room.Every alarm in the museum

Ethan couldn't believe what he was seeing.This wasn't a normal human body. This Logan person was something else entirely. And Ethan was inside him.There were dozens of additional entries, and some of them were abilities Ethan didn't even understand. He was so focused on the floating blue panel that he almost forgot the four people standing around him.Then he felt something touch his shoulder.Ethan flinched and immediately looked away from the panel.The first woman was standing beside him, and she was staring at him with concern.“What's wrong with you this morning, Logan?” she asked quietly. “Are you feeling sick?”Ethan stared at her.The moment his eyes settled on her face, the blue panel changed. The information about Logan disappeared, and a new profile began loading.[TARGET DETECTED.][IDENTITY: LYRA NIGHTSHADE][RACE: WITCH][AGE: 126]Ethan nearly stopped breathing.One hundred and twenty-six?She looked twenty-five… maybe twenty-six. But not over a century old.The syste

Ethan’s eyes remained fixed on the system interface, his attention solely focused on LOGAN VARELLO’s INFO.If he could unlock Logan’s information, perhaps he would gain access to the man’s history, his identity, his relationships, and maybe even his memories.That last possibility made Ethan pause.If he could access Logan’s memories, he might finally understand what had happened to him. He might discover how Logan died, why Ethan had taken his place, and what kind of world he had been thrown into.But the System required him to complete a quest first.He remembered seeing one quest available in the home screen. He would check it soon. But first, he wanted to understand the System itself.Ethan moved his finger toward the third option.[ SYSTEM INFO ]The screen responded immediately.The previous list faded away, and a larger panel unfolded before him.[ SYSTEM INFORMATION ][System Designation: SOVEREIGN CLASS ][System Status: ACTIVE ][ System Origin: CELESTIAL ENGINEER ][ System

“God, please help me today,” Ethan muttered under his breath, forcing himself to take a slow breath and relax his shoulders.He gave the room one final glance, making sure he had not forgotten anything, then adjusted his jacket one more time before stepping through the door.The moment he entered the hallway, the atmosphere changed.The corridor stretched far ahead of him, wide enough for several people to walk side by side, while its polished stone floor reflected the warm sunlight pouring through the tall windows along the walls.Several magical lanterns floated beneath the high ceiling, each one carrying a small white flame that burned steadily without producing smoke. They drifted gently in the air, rising and falling by the smallest amount, almost as if they were breathing.Ethan slowed as he looked around.Everything about the place was elegant.Too elegant.At the far end of the hallway, the corridor opened into a massive circular staircase. The staircase spiraled downward arou

“Then let’s hope the king is a little weaker than a dragon,” Mira said lightly, although the faint edge in her voice suggested that she was only half joking. “Because I really don’t want to find out what happens if he isn’t.”Lyra turned toward her with an amused smile. “You should definitely hope he is,” she replied calmly, folding her arms across her chest. “Otherwise, we may have to come up with a second plan.”Mira’s smile slowly disappeared.She looked at Lyra for a moment before glancing toward Adrian. “I suddenly dislike the sound of that,” she admitted, her voice losing its earlier playfulness.Adrian ignored the exchange and returned his attention to the map spread across the table.Several sections of the castle had been marked with small symbols, each one representing a different stage of the operation. He ran his finger along the royal wing before stopping at the chamber where the king was expected to receive his morning potion.“The next phase of the plan is where you com