In the heart of the newly born world, Free Will's Nexus, peace was short-lived.
While Aethan and Elise watched their creation blossom with possibility, something ancient stirred—something that had no place in this universe of choice. Not bound by love or hate, not driven by will or emotion, but by something far older:
Revenge.
---
> [System Warning: Unknown Entity Detected]
Origin: Outside All Realities
Designation: Endless_01 // Type: Incomplete Code-Deity // Threat Level: ???
"Warning: World Integrity At Risk."
Aethan's system flickered violently, breaking its calm. The sky above Nexus cracked, not like glass—but like logic itself was unraveling. Colors bled from the clouds, and the stars shimmered in reverse.
Elise gripped his arm, her expression hard. "That… that's not from here."
Aethan didn't respond immediately. He stepped forward, summoning a shimmering sphere of memory—the Archive Core—to pull every trace of information left from the erased system.
> Query: 'Endless_01'
Result Found: Codename E.N.D.L.E.S.S – Eternal Network Designed to Lock Evolutionary Sentience Systematically
Status: Deletion Incomplete. Remnants Survived Rebirth Process.
Aethan's eyes narrowed. "So... a fragment survived."
---
Far across the floating islands of Nexus, where unfinished lands floated in dreamlike haze, a void scar opened. Something stepped out—featureless, silent, and impossibly tall.
Its body was a constantly shifting series of broken code fragments, suspended in a humanoid form that seemed… wrong. Not evil, not chaotic—just hollow.
It opened its mouth.
There was no sound—only glitches in reality.
Every tree within miles reversed growth, birds fell from the sky in silence, and a village nearby ceased to exist—not destroyed, but unmade.
---
Back in the Nexus Throne Hall, Aethan pulled his coat tight around him. "He's here for control. If this world thrives on free will, he thrives on command."
Elise's voice was low. "You can't let him spread. He'll override your laws."
Aethan nodded. "I'll meet him myself."
---
LOCATION: Edge of Logic – Nexus Faultline
Aethan stepped into the void-stitched zone, his feet hovering just above crumbling logic fields. Endless_01 waited.
"Why crawl out of the grave?" Aethan said, voice sharp.
The entity finally spoke. Its voice wasn't heard, it was written into the world itself:
> "Freedom breeds chaos. Logic demands control. You unshackled fate. I will rewrite it."
Aethan summoned his core weapons—Twin Sigilblades, each inscribed with the Laws of Emotion and Will. "Then rewrite this—"
And he charged.
---
Combat Mode Engaged – High-Density Logic Battle
Their clash didn't make noise. Instead, every strike distorted meaning itself.
Aethan slashed, and mountains rearranged.
Endless twisted its form, and space-time compressed into singularities, forcing Aethan to move with calculations beyond human capability.
> [Passive Skill Activated: Dimensional Cognition – Tier 6]
You can now perceive 12 overlapping planes during combat.
Aethan ducked through overlapping realities, parried a glitch spike, then unleashed his Emotion Burn slash—an attack fueled by the love and sorrow of every soul in Nexus.
It hit Endless.
The being staggered for the first time.
But it didn't fall.
Instead, it smiled—or what passed for one—and its body collapsed into millions of shards.
---
Elise, watching through the system's lens, gasped. "It's duplicating. That's not one entity anymore—it's thousands."
Aethan stood, breathing heavy. "No... it's worse. Each shard is learning. Adapting."
> System Update: Endless_01 has entered Evolution Mode
Tactical Adaptation Achieved – Estimated Failure Probability: 92%
But Aethan wasn't done.
He focused all his will, forcing the World Core to respond.
> Command Input: LAW OVERRIDE – FREEZE OLD CODELINE
Processing… Success.
Endless_01 duplication halted temporarily.
---
Back in the Throne Hall, Aethan collapsed to one knee.
The cost was heavy—his lifespan had just dropped by ten years to fuel the override.
Elise rushed to him, arms wrapping around his frame. "You're breaking your own laws to stop him…"
He nodded weakly. "Because I must. Nexus needs time to grow. To prepare."
She pulled him close, voice trembling. "Then let me help you."
And in that moment, surrounded by collapsing rules and unbending threats, Aethan felt something pure.
Something human.
---
> System Update: New Bond Formed – "Chosen Heart"
Elise and Aethan now share combat stats, memory recall, and emotional resonance.
New Skill Unlocked: Soul Partition – Layered Parallel Will Processing
---
Meanwhile...
In a realm beyond existence, another figure watched the battle unfold—a girl with one eye stitched shut and a smile that promised nothing good.
She whispered to herself.
"Hehe... so the game finally begins. Let's see who survives the longest—the god of freedom or the children of the chain."
---
TO BE CONTINUED…
Next Chapter: The Forgotten Hero and the Mirror of Futures