The heavy oak doors of Caelum's room didn't just open; they were blasted inward by a surge of golden mana. Three Enforcers from the Academy's High Council stepped in, their silver armor clinking with every heavy step. Behind them stood High Elder Silas, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the room.
"Caelum Thorne," Silas's voice boomed, vibrating with a Level 50 Aura. "You are under arrest for the illegal use of Forbidden Arts and the suspected murder of a Nightshade Assassin. Surrender, or be erased."
Kira stepped forward, her hand moving toward her blade, but Caelum raised a single finger. "Wait, Kira."
Caelum was still sitting in his chair, leaning back as if he were watching a boring play. He didn't look at the Elder. Instead, he was looking at the air in front of him, where a thousand strings of invisible red code were vibrating.
"Elder Silas," Caelum spoke softly. "You talk about laws and restrictions. But tell me... what happens to a law when the paper it's written on is burned?"
"Insolence!" one of the Enforcers roared, lunging forward with a mana-infused spear.
[SYSTEM COMMAND: DETECT_OBJECT_ID: SPEAR_001] [ACTION: OVERWRITE_PHYSICAL_PROPERTY] [NEW_VALUE: LIQUID]
The moment the tip of the spear was about to touch Caelum's chest, it didn't pierce him. Instead, the solid steel turned into a splash of harmless water, soaking Caelum's shirt. The Enforcer stumbled forward, staring at his empty wooden shaft in horror.
"What... what kind of sorcery is this?" the Elder gasped, his golden aura flickering in confusion.
"It's not sorcery, Silas. It's a glitch," Caelum stood up, his eyes now glowing with a terrifying, hollow darkness. "You see this world as a temple. I see it as a poorly coded cage. And I just found the keys."
[GLOBAL NOTIFICATION: SUBJECT 'CAELUM THORNE' HAS INITIATED 'DOMAIN_OVERRIDE'] [AREA_STATUS: GLITCHED]
Suddenly, the floor beneath the Enforcers began to pixelate. Gravity became a suggestion rather than a rule. One Enforcer floated to the ceiling, unable to move, while the other began to sink into the stone floor as if it were quicksand.
Elder Silas tried to cast a High-Tier spell, but as he moved his lips, no sound came out. His mana wasn't responding. It was as if his very soul had been 'Muted' by a higher authority.
"This is my world now," Caelum whispered, walking past the frozen Elder toward the door. "Kira, let's go. We have a ceremony to attend."