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The Hidden Directive
Deep beneath the Empire's central capital, in a chamber sealed with Anti-Divine Wards, a council of twelve cloaked figures gathered.
They were known only as the Twelve Writs—the hidden hand behind the magical world's balance. And today, an ancient protocol had been reactivated for the first time in over a decade.
> [Spellbreaker Protocol – Status: ACTIVE]
The room fell into stunned silence.
A voice finally broke through. Cold, calculated.
> "He's resurfaced."
Another responded.
> "But that's impossible. The Spellbreaker was erased. We made sure of it."
> "And yet here we are."
At the center of the table, a projection flared to life.
Harvey Everhart, age sixteen.
Recent duel footage.
System traces.
Mana signature.
> "Same magic. Same eyes. Same… defiance."
> "What are your orders?"
> "Initiate containment. Discreetly. He must not awaken the Ashborne Core."
> "And if he does?"
> "Then we'll burn the world again."
---
Schoolyard Calm
Back at the Academy, Harvey sat in the gardens—alone.
He stared at the reflection in his tea, the wind ruffling his collar.
From the outside, he looked serene.
Inside, chaos churned.
> [Corruption Level: 5%]
[Bloodline Awakening: Partial – 17% Synced]
[Memory Fracture Stabilized: Tier 2 Access Granted]
Fragments of lost spells, languages long dead, and faces he couldn't name swirled behind his eyes.
One memory stood out—a hand reaching for him through fire.
Not to hurt him.
To save him.
> "Don't forget who you are," the memory whispered.
> "You're not a monster."
But he didn't believe that.
Not anymore.
---
Liora's Confrontation
Liora Crestfallen stepped into the garden, heels quiet on the stone path.
She didn't announce herself. She didn't need to.
> "You're not from here," she said.
Harvey looked up, amused.
> "That's a bold statement."
> "You fight like someone who's already died once."
Silence.
> "Tell me, Harvey," she continued. "Who are you really?"
He stood slowly, eyes glowing faintly violet.
> "I'm the mistake the Empire tried to erase."
> "And I'm not going to let them do it again."
---
First Attempt
That night, assassins came.
Not amateurs. Not students.
Professionals.
Wearing Empire sigils hidden beneath cloaks, they moved like shadows.
Three of them breached his dorm.
They didn't survive ten seconds.
Harvey didn't use spells.
He didn't need to.
A flick of the wrist.
A snapped neck.
A blade conjured from raw system code.
> "You think I don't know how you work?" he whispered to the last one, his foot pressing the man's throat.
> "You're thirteen years too late."
He dropped the body with a cold sigh.
> "I'm not just a Spellbreaker."
> "I'm your worst mistake."
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