"It's important to understand that we, humanity, caused the collapse of our own civilization. The Chrysalis System was devised by the most brilliant minds of our generation to encourage adaptation to an increasingly uninhabitable planet. Our intentions were pure. We thought we were going to save the world. Instead, we ended up destroying it.."

- Written account from a document retrieved from the ruins beneath New Rome, author unknown

* * *

The light shined down on me through a window. My head rested on pillows that were light and fluffy. The blankets covering me were warm and cozy, like a gentle hug from a loved one after a long day. I reached the conclusion that the bed I was in couldn't have been my own. It was far too expensive. Having slept on straw for the past decade, a mattress was as alien to me as the imperial court.

I opened my eyes to reveal an unfamiliar set of surroundings. The room itself was nice but expensive. I laid on a large bed in the center of the room, flanked on either side by furniture of carven wood. There was a dresser, a nightstand, and some sort of rack I didn't recognize. It all belonged to a matching set of furniture. A well-kept stone fireplace burnt softly on the wall. It was a strange first taste of luxury.

The events of the night before came back to me in pieces. First, I remembered the burglary that wasn't a burglary at the bookstore. Then, I remembered what I'd done to Ollie, and what the System had in turn done to me. Well, I thought. At least I wasn't dead. That was a bonus. Where's Callie? I hope she's alright.

It wasn't too much of a reach to assume that we'd made it somewhere safe. I couldn't imagine a stranger taking me in off of the street would put me in a room as nice as this one. If Atticus or Jobe caught up to me, I wouldn't be in a bed at all. I'd be in the ground.

All these thoughts were secondary to one: I'd unlocked the System. My mind ran wild with possibilities. That wasn't supposed to be possible. I was years before the age of legal liability, so it should've been as inert as a pile of rocks.

I wasted no time in trying to project my [Status], and I was delighted when a cone of soft green light spilled from my eye. It stopped about a foot away from my head and started to take the shape of words. The process of calling it forth was like hitting a new button in my consciousness. Strange.

For the first time, I inspected my [Status].

Ghul

Vestige: The Behemoth

Might: II

Arcana: -

Intellect: I

Dexterity: II

Authority: Overridden

Traits: -

Abilities: -

It raised more questions than it answered. I had no idea what a vestige was, or why I had one. The only other complete [Status] I'd seen belonged to Atticus, and the field had been empty. I was going to be annoyed if The Behemoth was in reference to my size. Behemoth? I mentally scoffed. I'm closer to an emaciated tree.

My attributes made sense. The System assessed me as being both strong and quick, and it surprised me to find my intellect ranked as well. Unfortunately, I didn't yet have the arcana attribute that enabled the use of magic.

The final attribute, authority, was a mystery to me. The label of 'overridden' followed it. I didn't know what that meant or what function the attribute served. It'd taken the place of supplication, which meant that I currently couldn't give part of myself to Zeus.

Another mystery was how I'd unlocked the System at all. It was an established rule that the System came to you on the 18th anniversary of your birth, no sooner. Somehow, I'd cheated and become an exception. I'd gained access two years early.

The heavy sound of booted footsteps coming up a nearby stairwell caused me to dismiss the [Status]. They were getting louder. I figured it was probably someone coming to check on me, and I decided to rise out of bed to meet them standing. Two things happened when I tried to stand up: a wave of vertigo rocked my body and I stumbled forward far faster than I was capable of. I crashed off of the bed and fell roughly onto the floor, laying myself out. The thump of my body hitting the ground echoed throughout the house. Great.

As I pulled myself up the door to the room swung open. A waif of a man who wore the subdued garb and heraldry of a servant poked his head in. He looked concerned, but then he spotted me rising from the floorboards.

"Ah! The young Ser is awake!" He exclaimed. "I must fetch the family at once! Master'll be pleased!"

The way he spoke was choppy and odd. He had an accent that I couldn't place. I'd never heard it before and I hadn't exactly spent a lot of time travelling. The way he spoke was fast, too. It was like he was trying to fit as many words as possible into the least amount of time.

"Wait a second," I said. My voice sounded deeper than I remembered it being. The benefits of having just woken up, I supposed. Hopefully he'd have some answers for me. "I've got some questions for you."

The servant looked at me with a raised eyebrow. He prompted me to speak with a wave of his hand.

"How did I get in this bed? Where am I? What family?"

He nodded, as if he expected me to ask as much. "Ser, you are in the distinguished Household of Radeos, Assemblyman of New Rome and Tribune of Lille." He dropped his volume to a whisper and added, "He is your benefactor."

I hoped I didn't look as confused as I felt. Assemblyman? Tribune of Lille? I'd never heard of the Household of Radeos. He could've been speaking another language for all the good it did.

"I have no idea what any of that means."

A voice from the doorway answered my unspoken query. "I'll take it from here, Kynnyth."

I hadn't heard anyone approach from the stairs. Still, there someone stood at the entrance of the bedroom. He must've been quieter than his form suggested.

The servant, Kynnyth, bowed at the entering man and then again at me before exiting the room. He left me alone with the newcomer. From my spot next to the bed, I stared down at a type of man I'd never seen before. Never anyone close. No one I knew compared.

Like a king of old he wore a circlet of gold atop his brow. Stud earrings of various red gemstones sat embedded in either of his ears. A necklace emblazoned with the divine bolt of Zeus sat on his chest, the center of his robes parted deliberately to leave it on full display. Visible muscles rippled below his skin. The man's hair was dark, cascading, and curly. The least remarkable thing about him was the muddy brown of his eyes.

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I stood aside the bed saying and doing nothing. Compared to him, I felt like a boy playing at being a man. As far as I knew, the man across from me could've been Zeus. He certainly looked the part. The silence didn't stretch on for long.

"I am Jacobi Radeos. And you're Ghul, here to help. Or so you've promised," He chuckled to himself at that.

Promised? I thought. When did I promise you anything?

I felt a flash of recognition as it all clicked into place. That was how I'd greeted Callie the night before.

"And so I am. What of it?" I shot back.

"Nothing, young man. Calm down. Have a seat. You are among friends here, I promise."

His tone was even and reassuring. I'd never seen him before in my life, so it felt presumptuous for him to describe us as friends. I'd known some people for much longer and not given them the label of such. But it wasn't like I had any other choice, so I sat all the same.

"Ghul? Do you mind if I call you that? Do you have something you'd prefer to be called?"

"Not really," I shrugged. He could call me whatever he'd like if it meant that he'd get to the point. Taking my indifference as affirmation, he continued.

"Ghul, I am in your debt," Jacobi pulled out one of the wooden chairs from beneath the nightstand and sat next to the bed. He clasped his hands together. "But also a nasty predicament. Tell me, do you know the punishment for the robbing of a patrician? An imperial cousin, no less?"

I swallowed hard. Most good thieves knew this one quite well. And if they didn't, they should.

"Death. Or hard labor, depending on if they got the item back."

"That's correct," Jacobi smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. "And the benefactor of Anagennsi's Books is an important man. He's out for your blood."

An imperial cousin was out for my blood? I nearly vomited. Being an imperial cousin meant the blood of Zeus ran in his veins, verified by the deity himself. The temple authority would've considered the man holy. I didn't know the legal consequences for robbing one, but it was definitely bad news. The law of New Rome was full of nepotism favoring a wellborn few.

"Well then," I said. "I guess I should start to get my affairs in order."

"Very good, Ghul. I'm glad that you recognize the stakes. It's a skill that'll serve you well."

That didn't feel like much of a compliment coming from the man who'd told me that one of Zeus' family wanted my head on a spike.

"But that puts me in a crisis between what's right and what's the law. How can it be the justice of the skies to take the life of someone who saved a person close to my heart?"

I looked at Jacobi in confusion.

"My ward, Calliope, has done nothing but sing your praises since the events of last night," He explained. "Her opinion carries no small amount of weight in my house. It is by her intervention that you are not in a cell."

I'd have to count my lucky stars for that.

"If that's the case, sir, then why are we having this conversation?" Someone must've returned the book to the store. Whatever else Ollie and had done had no connection to me.

"I wish we weren't. You deserve a prize, and not a punishment. But you've been named by the pair they caught at Anagennsi's Books, and it was hard enough to keep you out of a jail cell for the night."

The town guard had grabbed Atticus and Jobe, then. Good. The streets of Lille were a better place without them. Plus, it served the both of them right. It'd surprised me at first that they'd turned on me, but I figured they'd do anything to save their own hide.

"What are the two of them saying about me?"

Jacobi frowned. "If you're willing to listen to them, then you're some sort of murderous criminal mastermind. They say you're solely responsible for a series of burglaries and violent attacks over the past three months."

"That's nonsense," I scoffed. "I left the real 'mastermind' dead on the street."

Jacobi's eyes narrowed when I said that. He gave me a hard look. It felt like I was being dissected by his gaze. I could guess what he was thinking- what type of creature was I: innocent child, or coldblooded murderer?

"Whatever the case may be, you've been implicated. The local Justiciar is demanding your head on behalf of the imperial household. My protection can only do so much for a random boy on the streets.'."

"Then what do you suppose I do?" I asked. "Should I run? Flee into the night?" The thought of it scared me. My voice was starting to strain, my speech became hurried. I felt ungodly nervous.

"We wouldn't be talking if I didn't have a solution," Jacobi reassured me. "It's simple- all you need to do is put yourself beyond the authority of the local Justicar."

"How do I do that?"

Easier said than done, I thought to myself. I wasn't some patrician pansy, I had no means by which to make myself untouchable by the law.

"Become a part of my household, Ghul. Regional authorities have no jurisdiction over an active member of the Imperial Assembly."

Woah. That was quite an offer.

In short, the assembly was a biannual gathering of appointed representatives from every region in the Empire of New Rome. The purpose of the meeting is to determine how best to enact the will of the Divine Emperor through legislation. The body answered directly to Zeus himself. Membership was by appointment only.

"Imperial Judges are not allowed to target things legally attached to me like my family members, my property, or my servants. Each are protected from all save a Sword of Zeus."

I nodded, considering the idea. It was a tidy solution. Not only did it keep my skull on my body, which is where I wanted it to stay, it also enabled Jacobi to make good on the debt he felt existed between us. Our society wasn't huge on second chances, but it gave me a way out. One that I'd be a fool not to take.

He continued, "I've got a job in mind for you. You'd act as a protector for Calliope. She'll need one when she goes to New Rome, and it's best if we develop that bond with a foundation already in place."

I shook my head. "I don't think I'd be capable of that, sir. I don't know how to fight. Last night was a lucky fluke."

Jacobi hummed appreciatively. "You can learn how to fight. Instincts and character can't be taught, and Calliope swears you have a good head on your shoulders. Besides, even if you only grow into half as intimidating as your size suggests, that'll be enough to give some people pause."

"Calliope isn't expected at the capital for a decade. It'll take her that long to learn the statecraft required to not be eaten alive. In the meantime, you'd be serving the Empire as a soldier in the Legion. Gaining some much needed experience and putting some meat on your bones."

"But isn't that dangerous? Couldn't I just as easily die to some Kanaadian blade?" I asked.

Those days, the Principality of Kanaaduh was the Empire's most persistent and powerful foe. They were ruled by a trio of divine princes. Zeus had been butting heads with them over this or that for the better part of a century. Mane, being a border region, was often the site of minor skirmishes between the Principality and the Empire.

"Do you think the life you've led before now has been safe?" Jacobi asked. "Begging for the remnants of meals in the streets? Playing a lookout for bigger fish? Urchins vanish as easy as smoke when the fire goes out."

Though I was loathe to admit it, he had a point. The danger was different, but still present. Going hungry would be out of the question in my new life as a soldier. That appealed to me more than it should've.

"Okay," I said. "When do I start?"

Jacobi clapped his hands together and grinned. "I'll send someone over with the standard contract of vassalage and unsigned terms of enlistment. You'll need to sign both, but we'll wait a month before sending you to report to a Legion fortress. You've got some martial schooling to do. I can't have a complete greenhorn representing my house to the imperial officers at Lobsterhead."

After that, we concluded our business and exchanged polite farewells. He'd left me with a lot to think about.

The rest of the day was a blur. Sometime around lunch a mouse of a man dropped by with four contracts, two copies of each. He had me sign on a dotted line with an elaborate metal instrument that dispensed ink. He left in a hurry but insisted I present a copy to the quartermaster at Lobsterhead, which was the local fort, if I wanted to be paid.

The brevity of his visit was perfect, as it allowed me more time to gain control of my enhanced movements. The force of everything I did had become multiplied: a step became a stomp, a gentle pull became a hard yank, my grip became a vise.

Restraints on my physicality that I hadn't been aware of were lifted, and all it cost was the life of a man. The System, in its infinite power and endless wisdom, had chosen to reward me with strength.

It had given me the physical might to stand down a bully, the quickness required to strike first. It had changed my scrawny form into something greater. The muscle tendons below my flesh rippled with a power I'd never before felt. My body had grown denser, faster. Better. Learning to control it was another matter entirely.

Obsessing over my changed form was a welcome distraction from the rest of my thoughts.

Ollie's death and the fact that I'd killed him had left my mind reeling. I couldn't look at myself in Jacobi's glass mirrors. I struggled to keep what little I could eat down. I knew that he would've done the same to me. He probably had in the past- killed some poor razzy on a job gone wrong. These were excuses made to soothe the aching heart of a boy.

My time in Lille, the only home I'd ever known, was coming to a close. It was important that I tied up some loose ends before I left. I had unfinished business that I needed to see to, and I had no excuse to avoid it for any longer. It was time to see my father.