Awakening the Gods: System's Ascension

Not the System

Slowly, Levi's eyes opened as he moved his hands around to feel the platform beneath him. But this time, there was no warm bed.

Instead, a cool breeze brushed across his skin, running through his hair, leaving it in a rough state.

“Where again this time? Ugh...” he muttered, his voice barely audible.

He reached out, running his fingers along the ground. All he felt was grass, wey and soft. Forcing himself up, he blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light.

When his vision finally cleared up, he was met with the sight of hill fading into faraway cliffs. Then there was the sky, bright and blue, like an artwork too perfect to be real.

The kind of place you'd only ever see in anime or fantasy postcards. Which meant it was definitely real. That was how he'd being seeing Astrovia.

But Levi couldn’t appreciate it. Not even a little.

His mind was still spinning, still trapped in the moment he wished never happened. He hadn't forgotten what had transpired.

The demon, and the little girl. Her head—rolling, stopping by his knees.

“I could've reached her…” Levi murmured, clenching his hand into a tight fist. "But even if I did, could I have save her?"

But it wasn’t just her death that haunted him. It was the thought of her parents. The quiet dread that would slowly fester when their daughter didn’t return.

The panic that would rise with each hour that passed. The tears that would fall when hope gave way to reality. That pain… that hollow grief… would outlive even the memory of their child’s voice.

And he hadn’t stopped it.

He squeezed harder until his nails dug into his palm enough to make them turn red.

“Wait…” he gasped suddenly, eyes wide. “Lyra…”

The memory hit him over him like a battle ram being ran into the walls of a castle. Lyra was the one who saved him. Ending the demon's life in a heartbeat. He recalled it all.

The last thing he remembered was the world around them starting to vanish, folding into nothingness.

And then it all goes blank. No memory of anything from there. Just him waking up where he is.

He looked around again, this time more frantically.

“Don’t tell me she just dropped me off in the middle of nowhere,” he said, throwing his arms up, “and zoomed off to God knows where...”

Levi turned, scanning his surroundings once more. He inhaled deeply, raising himself to his feet, and gaining his balance before he began to walk. He had no real direction in mind, just a need to move.

But as he turned, he nearly bumped into someone standing directly behind him.

He stumbled back, startled.

“And where do you think you’re going?” came a calm voice.

Levi blinked.

There was no mistaking it. That voice—firm, level, and ever so slightly amused—belonged to Lyra.

But… she hadn’t been there before. He was certain. He’d just scanned the area. And yet, there she was, standing just a few feet in front of him, arms crossed over her chest, her expression calm as always.

It reminded him of how Emilia and Zenon had appeared back then—out of thin air.

Were they teleporting? Levi wondered, eyes narrowing slightly in thought.

Well, in this world, “teleportation” might not even scratch the surface. Impossible was starting to feel like a useless word around here. A word one couldn't just throw around carelessly.

Levi stepped back a little, avoiding her gaze as he sank to the grass once more. His body felt lighter than before, but his mind… that was still a mess.

Lyra’s eyes remained on him.

“Not many people survive that kind of encounter, you know,” she said casually. “And it seems your body took care of the poison.”

She took a step forward, letting her eyes drift across the valley behind him.

“Well… it wasn’t a strong one. Just a paralytic. So I’m not surprised it wore off. But—” she turned her gaze back to him “—resisting one from an awakened demon… that’s impressive, regardless.”

Levi’s mind wasn’t fixated on her compliments. In truth, he barely heard them. All he could think of at that moment was the girl. That small, innocent girl who had stood there, smiling... and then, just like that, she was gone.

His chest tightened.

Lyra glanced at him and noticed the distant, haunted look in his eyes. She sighed, nodding her head.

“The girl’s alive,” she said suddenly.

“What…?” Levi’s head snapped up.

His voice barely escaped his lips. He stared at Lyra, eyes wide with disbelief. Did she just say alive?

No way, Levi thought, stunned. Anyone in his shoes would be. How does a little girl survive being decapitated?

“Unbelievable?” Lyra asked, reading his expression easily. “I know, right? It’s all thanks to Emilia.”

She stepped forward, the breeze rustling her long dress as she looked off into the distance.

“Luckily, I got there in time. And as for Emilia…” she paused briefly, lips curving in a smile. “Let’s just say she has powers you can’t understand right now.”

Levi stared at her a moment longer, then slowly exhaled and ran a hand through his messy hair.

“So I’d just give myself a headache if I asked for an explanation now,” he muttered, sighing deeply.

“What was that?” Levi finally asked, the memory replaying in his mind. “I was on the street with her, one moment... and then suddenly, when I touched her—”

“It’s called a Mirage Rift,” Lyra interrupted, her tone calm but firm.

“A trap,” she explained, folding her arms, “It drags whoever triggers it into a pocket dimension. They’re not common—hard to create, harder to survive.”

Levi blinked. “A pocket dimension…?”

Lyra nodded.

“Once you’re inside, the only way out is to destroy the core. That’s the anchor keeping the dimension stable. Without it, the space collapses.”

“And let me guess,” Levi muttered, “the core is never just sitting around waiting to be destroyed.”

“Exactly,” she responded instantly. “Most times, the core is fused with a creature... usually a strong one. That’s what makes the Rift so deadly. You’re forced to fight your way out.”

Levi's brows furrowed, his mind racing back through the events.

“The trigger,” Lyra continued, turning her attention back to him, “must’ve been placed on that girl. I doubt it was pre-planned. More likely, it was planted when you were distracted—maybe when you weren’t paying enough attention.”

She looked at him for a second before proceeding. “These kinds of traps are subtle. You wouldn't notice unless you were trained to look for them."

"Most people don’t even realize they’re in one... until it’s too late.”

Levi looked at her, his expression contorted with a mix of confusion and unease.

Her explanation painted a picture far too complex for something that was supposed to be random.

A trap that elaborate? And from her words, it sounded like it was laid specifically for him. It definitely wasn't just a coincidence.

But why?

Lyra could already see the question forming behind his eyes.

“I tried to tell you earlier,” she began, her voice low and serious, “but you didn’t listen. Whatever’s in you—”

“I didn’t ask for this System thing, you know!” Levi suddenly snapped, the dam of frustration finally breaking. “I didn’t sign up for any of this! One day I’m just at school, and the next there's a hole in the sky..."

"And now when I thought maybe I found a bit of peace again, there are things trying to kill me!”

He got to his feet, hands clenched tightly at his sides. “And now people are dying because of it—because of me! I can’t even protect a damn child—!”

“It’s not the fucking System!” Lyra’s voice cracked like thunder, loud and sharp, cutting through the air like a whip.

Levi froze as he instantly registered her words.

“Just shut up and listen for once, okay?!” she barked, her chest heaving.

Her outburst left him stunned. What did she mean it wasn’t the System?

“W… what do you—?” he began.

“No one knows about the System,” Lyra said, her voice quieter now but still backed by a slight frown on her face. “Hell, even I didn’t expect it. If Emilia and Byakuya hadn’t mentioned it, I’d still be in the dark too.”

She took a breath, staring him dead in the eye.

“So yes, you heard me right. The System isn’t what they want. I doubt they even know something like that exists…”

Her voice lowered and her expression darkened.

“There’s something else… and it’s more powerful and terrifying than you can ever imagine.”