[Error! Unable to retrieve Target’s information]

[Alert! Anomaly Detected. Target does not exist]

Jayden stared at the red, glitching text hovering in his field of vision. Absolute shock rooted him to the plastic chair. He had never seen a notification like this. The System had appraised legendary beasts, and S-Rank hunters without breaking a sweat. Yet it was telling him the woman sitting opposite him... breathing, smiling, and sipping tea—did not exist.

What did that even mean? She was right there!

He blinked hard, glancing from the holographic interface to the woman, half-expecting her to be a phantom. But she wasn’t. She looked back at him, still carrying that infuriatingly composed, amused smile. Their gazes locked. The air between them grew thick and heavy, turning into an unspoken battle of wills.

Jayden didn’t care about the social ethics of staring; his instincts were screaming at him. The woman didn’t look away either. She took another delicate sip of her tea, her dark eyes shimmering with knowing amusement. Jayden was absolutely certain she knew exactly what he had just tried to do, and exactly what he had found. Nothing.

"Lady Coraline! Your meal is ready!"

The vendor’s booming voice shattered the tension. The spell was broken. The woman broke eye contact, turning toward the food truck with a gracious smile.

"Thank you, Darius," she called out, her voice melodious. "Please, just leave it on the counter."

Jayden furrowed his brows. They clearly knew each other.

Darius plated a massive burger, a mountain of fries, and a soda on the metal counter. Coraline turned back to the table, casually raised a hand, and snapped her fingers.

Pop.

The tray vanished from the food truck counter and instantly materialized on the plastic table right in front of her.

Jayden’s breath hitched. He looked at the tray. Then at where it had been. He didn’t know what kind of ability could have produced that result. He knew of teleportation abilities, but they usually required spatial rifts, portals, or intense energy build-ups. She had done it with the casual effort of blinking.

Completely ignoring the plastic fork and knife Darius had provided, Coraline picked up the massive, greasy burger with her bare, manicured hands—a stark, almost comical contrast to her immaculate, aristocratic attire. She took a generous bite, humming in deep satisfaction.

"Mmm," she pointed the half-eaten burger at Jayden casually. "It’s simply divine. You should try it."

Jayden didn’t look at his food. He leaned forward, his voice low and dead serious. "Who are you?" he asked flatly.

The woman, Coraline simply smiled, taking another bite of her sandwich. She chewed thoughtfully, swallowed, and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "I am Coraline. Coraline de la Rose. But my friends call me Corey." She tilted her head. "And what might your name be, darling?"

Jayden hesitated. Giving a name held power, but lying to whatever she was felt incredibly dangerous.

"Jayden," he finally said.

Coraline chuckled. It was a soft, melodic sound, but her next words made the blood freeze in his veins. "That’s an interesting tool you’ve got there, Jayden. It makes getting stronger much easier, doesn’t it?"

Jayden face turned pale. She was staring right at him, her eyes practically dancing with amusement. There was zero ambiguity. She was definitely talking about the System. But how could she possibly know?

He decided to play dumb. "I don’t know what you’re—"

"Oh, don’t pretend now, darling," she cut him off smoothly. "You possess one of those special weapons Kyberia built. What did she call it again? Um..." She tapped her chin, feigning forgetfulness before her face lit up and she snapped her fingers. "Ah, yes. Systems!"

Jayden’s eyes widened in shock and panic. She really knew. The urge to demand answers surged up his throat, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Coraline snapped her fingers a second time. And... nothing came out. The words disappeared.

Jayden tried to speak again, but his vocal cords were simply gone. He couldn’t even force a gasp. He had suddenly lost the ability to speak.

Pure, unadulterated panic gripped him. He looked up at her, and upon seeing her serene smile, his panic morphed instantly into rage. She was responsible.

His aura flared. A furious, invisible wave of energy exploded from his body, rattling the plastic tables.

Coraline didn’t flinch. She just chuckled, snapped her fingers a third time, and Jayden’s aura was instantly snuffed out. It didn’t just recede; it vanished entirely, as if he were a baseline human.

Stunned but refusing to yield, Jayden’s eyes flashed gold. With a sickening snikt, his razor-sharp claws extended from his fingertips. He stood from his chair, ready to strike.

"I wouldn’t do that if I were you," Coraline said mildly. She took the last bite of her burger, chewed, and swallowed, completely unfazed by the lethal weapons hovering inches from her face. "There are civilians close by. And Darius is watching too. Do you really want to do this here?"

Jayden paused. He glanced around. A few people were walking their dogs in the park, and Darius was busy flipping patties just twenty feet away, oblivious to the supernatural tension brewing at the table.

Jayden exhaled sharply through his nose. Slowly, he retracted his claws and let his hands drop to his sides.

"Good boy," Coraline purred. "Now, take your seat."

Jayden obeyed, dropping back into his chair, though his fists remained clenched tight.

Coraline chuckled. "You’re a cute little wolf, but quite feisty too," she noted, amused. "I understand you have questions, right?"

Jayden glared at her and gave a stiff nod.

"I will answer them," Coraline bargained, "only after you’ve eaten. Darius went through a lot of trouble to make that Titan burger, and it’s getting cold."

Jayden blinked. Was that why she had magically muted him? So he would eat his lunch?

"I promise to return your ability to speak the second you finish your meal," she added, her eyes gleaming.

Jayden stared at her for a long, calculating moment. Realizing he was hopelessly outmatched, he pulled his tray closer and began to eat. Coraline smiled in satisfaction, cracked open her can of soda, and watched him patiently.

He ate in tense silence. By the time he finished the massive burger and drained his milkshake, his raging anger had cooled, replaced entirely by a burning, terrifying fascination.

As he set the empty cup down, Coraline finished her soda, effortlessly crushed the aluminum can in one hand... a habit that betrayed immense physical strength, and set it on the table. Then she rested her chin on her hands.

"Well, go ahead," she chuckled. "Ask whatever you may."

Jayden opened his mouth. And his voice was suddenly back. He took a deep breath. "Who are you, really? And how do you know about the System?" he asked directly.

Coraline exhaled softly. "I am a person who likes to travel across the realms." she said simply.

"Realms?" Jayden frowned.

"Now, now, dear. One question at a time," Coraline chided gently. Then she continued. "Yes, realms. And the reason your little System couldn’t tell you who I am is because I do not belong to this realm. I don’t belong to any realm. Which means any database built on the architecture of a single realm simply finds nothing when it looks for me. I am, from its perspective, outside the category of things that exist."

She picked up a single French fry and put it in her mouth. "And as for how I know about the System..." she continued. "I simply came across a few of them a very long time ago, back when Kyberia was still building them."

Jayden’s mind raced, snagging on a specific word. "Them? You mean there are other Systems out there?"

Coraline nodded. "In the other realms, yes."

Jayden processed this. That was insane. The implications were staggering. "And this Kyberia... the one who built them. Who is she?" he asked.

"She ’was’ the Goddess of Technology," Coraline corrected, a hint of melancholy in her voice. "A very clever young woman. She was my favorite of all the Realm One gods. It’s a shame she’s no longer alive."

Jayden raised a brow. "Wait, she’s dead?"

"Killed by Keraunos," Coraline nodded. "How could you not know this? Surely your grandmother must have told you these things."

Jayden paused, thoroughly confused. "My grandmother?" he asked

Coraline raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Callisto. She is your grandmother, right? I can sense her Lycan blood in you."

Jayden was surprised Coraline knew his grandmother. But yet again, she was another powerful, ancient woman. Of course they’d be acquainted.

"Yeah, she’s my grandmother, but I’ve never met her," he admitted. "I was born and raised on Earth."

For the first time, a genuine surprise flickered across Coraline’s face. "A Lycan that was born on Earth? Now, that is interesting."

"How did you do all that?" Jayden asked, desperate to understand the mechanics of her power. "Teleporting the tray, seizing my vocal cords, erasing my aura..."

Coraline smiled. "I am a sorceress."