Fallen hero's second life

Chapter 20 :-

Frosthold – High Council Chamber

Kael stood in the center of the obsidian ring, surrounded by crystal thrones.

Twelve council members encircled him — robed, masked, powerful.

Behind him, Lyra stood watchfully, arms crossed, armor cracked from their last battle.

Above them, a glowing circle hovered — recording every word, broadcasting system-wide.

This wasn't just judgment.

This was public containment.

"Kael Veyron," intoned the central figure, High Arbiter Silen. "You stand accused of unauthorized use of sealed Vault energy, trait resonance with forbidden syncs, and contact with a Seraph-class entity."

Kael didn't flinch.

"You mean surviving everything the system threw at me?"

Whispers. Some councilors shifted uncomfortably. Others glared.

Silen ignored them. "Your reckless choices have triggered global system fluctuations. We've detected anomalies in no less than eight regions."

Kael stepped forward. "Then maybe the system is broken."

A silence fell like snow.

Lyra tensed. Her hand hovered near her blade. "Kael…"

But he kept his eyes locked on the council.

"You built this world on rules designed to control power, not protect people. And when someone steps out of line — even to survive — you call it treason."

"Enough," Silen snapped.

A loud chime echoed. A new projection formed in the air.

Mirrorfall Protocol: Partial Reactivation

Author: [UNKNOWN]

Location: Redacted

Effect: Reboot Initiated in Outer Region – Class Zero City: Ilnor

Silen turned pale.

"Who authorized this?!"

A voice echoed — not from the council.

From the system.

SYSTEM MESSAGE: OMEGA-UNBOUND

Identity: [THE ARCHITECT]

Clearance: ROOT ADMIN

Message: "The program was never shut down. Just delayed. Kael Veyron's survival means the game must restart. Begin cleansing."

Kael's eyes widened. "The Architect... he's real?"

Silen stood. "This session is over. Everyone—prepare for override lockdown—"

But it was too late.

A second projection formed.

Live feed: City of Ilnor

Screams.

Fires.

People fading like glitched pixels, vanishing from existence.

Buildings dissolving into pure code.

Entire lives… erased.

Lyra whispered, horrified, "It's not war. It's deletion."

Kael's hands clenched into fists.

The Architect hadn't just survived — he'd waited.

And now, he was playing his own game.

Outside – Moments Later

Kael and Lyra stood at the edge of the Frosthold balcony, staring toward the southern skyline.

Above the distant mountains, a streak of black flame rose into the sky.

The world was breaking.

Kael's mind spun.

Elyssia warned me.

There are enemies worse than her. Ones that forgot what it means to remember.

Lyra exhaled. "The council's going to bury this."

Kael didn't answer.

Suddenly — a ripple passed through the air.

System data warped. Reality shivered like cloth under fire.

TRAIT ALERT: UNKNOWN SIGNAL DETECTED

Message: "Knight of the Hollow Code. You have their spark. Now claim their voice."

A mark seared itself into Kael's chest — a burning rune, half-finished, as if still forming.

[FATED ROLE: VOIDBINDER — INCOMPLETE]

Trait locked. Condition: Face the Architect in a fractured region.

Kael fell to one knee, gripping his chest.

Lyra caught him. "Kael!"

His breathing slowed. Eyes burning.

Visions flooded him:

A cataclysm of lightning.

A city made of inverted gravity.

Elyssia—crying, holding a dying Kael in her arms—again.

And the Architect, faceless, watching from a throne made of fallen timelines.

"This isn't over," Kael whispered. "This hasn't even begun."

One Week Later – Frosthold Edge

Kael stood at the gates, black cloak wrapped around his shoulders.

A new sword on his back — the reforged edge of his old blade fused with the remains of Kael.119's relic.

The Wraithbrand.

Lyra stood beside him, silent, a new gauntlet etched with frost pulses.

Zeid approached from behind. "You sure about this?"

Kael nodded.

"We're going south. To Ilnor."

"You're walking into the epicenter of the deletion," Zeid warned.

"I'm not walking in," Kael said. "I'm pulling someone out."

A pulse rang through the sky.

From above, Elyssia Vale hovered in the air, descending gently like before. Her robes were different now — touched with deep midnight blue and light armor woven from starlight threads.

She landed between Kael and the wind.

"I told you I'd return."

Kael turned. "You felt it too?"

She nodded.

"The Architect has begun reconstructing what should not exist.

The Mirrorfall Protocol is evolving.

This world will soon face a cascade collapse."

Kael looked at her.

"Then let's rewrite it before it rewrites us."

Their eyes locked.

A soft tension passed between them — not quite romance, not yet.

But the seed had been planted.

And Elyssia whispered:

"I'll walk beside you. Until I remember everything... and even after."

Volume 1 Ended

The Shattered Past

Next Volume Title:

Volume 2 – Rise of the Forgotten Code

Volume 2 will feature:

Kael traveling into fractured regions erased from the system

First contact with Architect's disciples

Elyssia and Kael's memories overlapping (past love returning)

Voidbinder trait evolving

A major battle inside a collapsing timeline

Dark truths about how Kael originally died

The beginning of the second volume starts from chapter:-21

Thank you -