The Omnipotent System

The aroma of reheated pizza filled the apartment, mingling with the faint citrus scent of cleaning sprays and Arianna's vanilla body mist. Outside, NovaCity's neon glow leaked through the blinds, washing the walls in shifting hues of indigo and gold.

Kieran sat quietly at the dining table, hands folded loosely, as Arianna brought him a mug of steaming jasmine tea. He nodded in thanks, inhaling its calming fragrance before taking a slow sip.

Erren carried over plates stacked with slices of pepperoni and mushroom pizza, setting them down at the center of the table. "Eat while it's hot," she said simply.

Jack finally set his phone aside and leaned forward, grabbing a slice with a satisfied sigh. "God, I missed real food."

"You ate like an hour ago," Arianna teased, sitting cross-legged on the couch as she sipped her iced coffee.

"Yeah," Jack said through a mouthful, "but that was an hour ago."

Elamenor plucked a slice silently, eating with neat bites, his golden eyes half-lidded with boredom. Jameson closed his laptop and slid it aside before reaching for his share, his movements quiet and unhurried.

Kieran hesitated for a moment before reaching out. The pizza was still steaming, the cheese stretching as he pulled his slice away. He took a careful bite, letting the warmth and salt ground him back into this moment.

For a while, no one spoke. The room was filled only with the quiet sounds of chewing, the clink of mugs against the wooden table, and Arianna's hums as she scrolled through her phone.

Then the front door beeped.

A muted chime echoed through the apartment as the lock disengaged. Kieran's eyes flicked up instantly, instinct sharpening. Footsteps approached, measured and confident, and then the door slid open.

A man walked in.

He was tall, with black hair streaked through with silver at the temples, neatly styled back to reveal a sharp widow's peak. His suit jacket hung open, revealing a plain black shirt underneath. His eyes were a striking pale grey, cold and analytical as they swept across the room.

Kieran froze.

He knew that face.

He'd seen it countless times in interviews. In developer notes. In system announcements.

Adams.

The CEO of NovaCorp.

The man who created Eclipse Online.

The man who destroyed the world.

"Hey," Adams said casually, his voice low and smooth as he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled them up. "Smells good in here."

Arianna lit up instantly. "Welcome back, Brother!"

She bounced up from the couch, practically skipping over to him. Adams smiled faintly and patted her head as she hugged him around the waist.

"Good raid today?" he asked, glancing down at her with an indulgent softness that made Kieran's chest twist with something sharp and cold.

"Yeah!" she chirped. "We cleared the Sovereign's Trial. First clear!"

"Hmm." Adams' pale eyes flicked up, scanning the table. They landed on Jack first. "Jack."

"Old man," Jack greeted lazily, not bothering to stand. "You done playing god at the tower today?"

Adams ignored his tone, a ghost of amusement flickering across his face before his gaze slid to Jameson. "Jameson."

Jameson inclined his head silently in greeting.

"Elamenor." Adams' voice dropped slightly, almost respectful. Elamenor didn't react, continuing to eat his pizza with bored disinterest.

Finally, Adams' eyes fell on Kieran.

Their gazes locked.

And in that moment, Kieran felt like every molecule in his body froze.

Because those eyes were the same in this timeline too. Cold. Calculating. Seeing straight through him.

Arianna beamed and gestured at Kieran. "Brother, this is Kieran. He's been helping us with raids lately. Kieran, this is my brother. You've probably heard of him."

Adams.

Her brother.

The world spun for half a second. Memories slammed into him like falling concrete slabs.

Of course.

Of course it made sense. Their broken builds. Their high-tier gear despite the game barely launching. Their perfect strategies. Their unstoppable progression.

They were his.

They were his monsters.

Kieran's throat felt dry. He forced himself to nod, masking the cold shock pooling in his gut. "I've… heard of him."

Adams studied him for a long, silent moment. Then he smiled, a polite, practiced curve of his lips. "Kieran, is it? I've read your data. You're quite impressive."

Data.

Not skills. Not playstyle. Data.

Kieran's fingers curled tighter around his mug. "I'm… just playing for fun."

"Mm." Adams hummed softly, turning away to hang his suit jacket neatly by the door. "That's good. Fun is important."

He walked past them to the kitchen, loosening his tie as he opened the fridge and pulled out a cold bottle of water. He twisted it open, taking a long drink before sighing in quiet relief.

Jack watched him lazily. "So, what do we get for clearing the Sovereign's Trial? A pat on the head? A system glitch that wipes our accounts?"

Adams chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You'll find out soon enough."

His gaze flicked back to Kieran for half a heartbeat, pale grey eyes narrowing just slightly.

Kieran held his stare, unflinching.

Adams turned away first.

"Don't stay up too late tonight," he said casually, walking down the hallway toward what Kieran assumed was his room. "We'll be running internal tests tomorrow."

"Got it," Arianna called after him, flopping back onto the couch with a sigh. "He always works so late."

Erren gave Kieran a small, knowing smile. "Intimidating, isn't he?"

Kieran didn't answer.

His mind was spinning too fast. Adams. The creator of Eclipse Online. The orchestrator of the end. Sitting in this apartment, sharing meals with them like a normal brother.

He looked around the room again with fresh eyes.

Arianna, humming softly as she scrolled her phone. Jack, picking his teeth with a toothpick, looking bored out of his mind. Jameson, typing quietly again on his laptop. Elamenor, sipping water now, eyes half-lidded with indifference. Erren, plating more pizza, her calm eyes watching him with quiet curiosity.

This was his party.

And their master… was here.

He felt the chill creep down his spine like ice water.

"Eat," Erren said softly, pushing a fresh slice toward him. "You're too skinny."

He blinked at her, then down at the pizza. The smell of garlic and tomato sauce drifted up to him, grounding him back into his body. Slowly, he reached out and took it, biting off a small piece.

Warmth spread through his chest as he chewed, listening to Arianna's giggles and Jack's snarky replies.

For now… he'd eat.

But in his mind, pieces were already moving. New plans forming. New dangers taking shape.

Adams was here.

And that changed everything.

Outside, NovaCity pulsed with neon life, its towers rising like silent sentinels under the electric sky.

And in Apartment 3B, under the dim golden lights, Kieran sat quietly among them all, his violet eyes dark with thoughts of the future.

The war hadn't even started yet.

But the players were already on the board.

And somewhere deep inside him… a small, dangerous smile flickered across his lips.

Let's see what you're planning, Adams.

Because this time…

I'll be ready.