Chapter 6: The Hidden Status Window

The night was quiet, but Kael Ardyn could not rest. The city of Astria slept unaware of the turmoil within him. Alone in his small rented room, he stared at his hand, still faintly glowing with the mark of the Celestials.

Suddenly, before his eyes, a translucent window appeared, floating in the air like a ghostly screen.

Level: 1 HP: 100 Skills: None EXP: 0

Kael blinked, stunned. The Status Window hovered in front of him, simple yet strangely compelling. He reached out, his fingers brushing the air, but nothing happened. Yet the numbers and bars felt alive, pulsating with quiet energy.

“What… is this?” he murmured.

Kael’s mind raced. Had the Gate or the Crimson Wolf left this for him? Was it a curse, a gift, or something in between? He flexed his fingers, and the bars shifted slightly in response. It was as if the window was sensing him.

“Power… maybe this is the key,” he whispered, a spark of hope igniting in his chest.

He spent hours observing the window, experimenting with his movements. Each action seemed to resonate, sending small ripples through the display. Though he didn’t understand it yet, he felt an invisible tether to something far greater than himself.

A soft glow from the window illuminated his room. Kael’s mind was alive with possibilities. If he could learn to use this, if he could master whatever force was tied to the mark and the Status Window, he could surpass every hunter who had mocked him.

He clenched his fists. “I may be weak now, but this… this could change everything. I will survive, and I will rise above. No one will underestimate me again.”

Kael leaned back, staring at the pulsing numbers. The journey ahead would be long, dangerous, and uncertain, but for the first time, he felt a sense of direction. The Hidden Status Window was more than just a curiosity—it was a sign that his path had begun.

As dawn approached, Kael closed his eyes, letting the glow of the window wash over him. The world outside was still dark, but within him, a seed of potential had been planted.