I looked around in the quiet of the night, letting every detail seep into my senses.

  The initial anger regarding the Misfortune Sister's meddling in my life, which had driven me to practice Chaos magic for so long, had finally subsided, making way for curiosity and wonder.

  I gazed over the intricate pattern on the metal watering can to my right, the mosaic clay pots stacked on my left, each filled with pale, bell-like lilies, and the woven cushion beneath me that had a weathered, rough texture from outdoor use.

  Many of the elements of my surroundings changed with each Round. The colors, the textures, even the brushstrokes—they'd all change from Round to Round, though strangely, no one was impacted by their change.

  Back in Round 3, the System had explained it as a "world setting that shifts with each reset."

  'To keep the game interesting.'

  However, there was more to it. The changes felt less like a painter adjusting their canvas and more like a card dealer shuffling a set deck, letting fate dictate the draw. Yet now, equipped with Chaos Magic, I felt like I could slip my hand into the deck, sifting through the dealer's cards to find precisely the one I desired.

  I turned the familiar dagger in my hand, letting the faint light from the greenhouse lanterns illuminate the silver handle's carved image—a lightning bolt slashing down from dark clouds onto a lone tree. I traced the engraving with my thumb, feeling the rough precision of each groove.

  If this was all just surface-level variation, what about the artist who had once carved this blade?

  Or was every aspect so scripted that no artist could ever dream of placing, say, an amber handle encasing a long-dead insect instead? Even though that same artist did just that in another Round.

  Wouldn't their creativity alone impact this world? Yet, that didn't seem to be the case. It seemed only those of us aware of the loops held any power to bend the world's fabric. The rest followed their scripts like clockwork—except where we, the Aware and Awakened, flapped our butterfly wings and sparked ripples of change.

  "Apophis," I asked thoughtfully, "what would you say Chaos Magic ultimately is?"

  It wasn't that I wasn't aware of the basics. I had studied plenty on my own. However, reading from books differed from the questions that followed the actual application. I didn't understand everything, including what was literally under my nose, above it, and all around.

  Apophis shifted, his scales cool against my left arm as he coiled up to meet my gaze.

  ~Chaos, ultimately, is the natural counterpart to Order.

  I frowned.

  "And what is Order exactly?" I inquired.

  Apophis's purple eyes gleamed, his voice coming as a soft hiss in the dark.

  ~Ahh… Order is how the world arranges itself—the rules that bind everyone and everything to a set path.

  "So the Games and Systems… are they also bound to Order?"

  ~Indeed, Master. Games, Systems, rules—they all abide by Order, whether they follow laws of nature, magic, or fate.

  I blinked, piecing this together.

  "Then where does Chaos fit within the Games and Systems?" I asked.

  Apophis hissed in evident delight.

  ~Chaos, Master, has no official place within the rules of Games or Systems. It goes against the imposed arrangements of Order.

  I raised a brow. This contradicted what the System had revealed to me.

  Apophis seemed to sense my confusion.

  ~To provide a comparison, you can think of the world you know as an intricate ornamental rug. Every stitch, color, and design is within Order's preordained scope. Conversely, Chaos takes a needle and scissors to the fabric, switching out the threads and reshaping the rug into something else entirely.

  "No wonder low-grade Chaos artifacts go for such absurd prices in the Game Store," I muttered, turning the dagger over in my hand and putting it back inside my jacket.

  ~Indeed. The ability to reshape one's world and destiny is a very tempting power. What you've managed tonight barely scratches the surface of Chaos's incredible—and overwhelming—power.

  I frowned as a thought occurred to me.

  "But if Chaos runs against Order, doesn't it attract… consequences?" I asked. "Wouldn't there be, I don't know, some kind of law enforcement or even a godlike being who ensures Order is upheld?"

  I knew of Celestials and that Apophis had once been one. But I'd never concerned myself with how these forces interacted; I had a single-minded goal: save everyone I cared about and beat this Game. Yet if there were rules of Order woven through Games and Systems, there had to be something enforcing them. Even Genise, Adovoria's capital and the continent's criminal hub, had laws. Crime was rampant, but justice existed, too.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  ~Master has good foresight. Indeed, overuse of Chaos magic can bring unnecessary and problematic attention. That is why quality Chaos artifacts are so critical—they evade detection from the Agency of Order.

  A glint flickered in his purple eyes.

  ~That is precisely how I conquered my realm and avoided detection for so long.

  He continued speaking, his voice dripping with wicked satisfaction.

  ~Even after attaining the title of the God of Chaos and eventually ascending to the rank of a Celestial, I did not experience any issues. And I am confident you can conquer this world with my help too.

  He let out a low, dark laugh—or rather hiss.

  I nearly rolled my eyes.

  Sometimes, I forget this snake used to be the epitome of evil and still had such ridiculous ideas of ambition that I cared none for.

  I stood up from the chair, deciding that a few hours of sleep was much needed, especially now that all the adrenaline that had kept me up thus far had finally been depleted.

  Tomorrow's going to be a long day.

  I walked out of the greenhouse, the cool summer night air brushing over me. "Apophis, what if… a System used Chaos Magic?" I whispered.

  I recalled the answer I'd received from the System when I asked about the scenery changes:

  [ Indeed, Luca. The change in scenery on every loop is done using Chaos Magic. ]

  ~Interesting question.

  Apophis replied, his voice now laced with intrigue.

  ~Systems are required to abide by the rules of Order to exist, but I know firsthand that they possess personalities and preferences. They find ways to bend the rules a bit, and how much they bend the rules depends on the Player. One Player might receive heavy preferential treatment while another is snubbed at every turn. Utilizing Chaos magic is unusual but is within the realm of possibility.

  I smiled, entering back inside the villa.

  [[ I suspect I am getting both the preferential treatment and the snubbing from my System. ]]

  I replied to Apophis, switching to Illusion magic now that I was within easy earshot of servants.

  ~If your System engages in Chaos magic, I'd say you are receiving profound preferential treatment. It's still a risk, after all, given the heightened scrutiny Systems are under.

  While I returned to my room, I glanced around at the hanging portraits. They were the same individuals I remembered from previous Rounds, but the style differed. Each brushstroke was more expressive or muted, and the color choices were oddly different.

  [[ I don't see what is profound or beneficial in changing the scenery. ]]

  Apophis hissed in amusement.

  ~Sure, that's the simplest Chaos magic. But if it's being used, perhaps there's a hidden benefit.

  'To keep the game interesting,' was it?

  I shook my head, unconvinced.

  But if I were to endure countless more loops, the changes might keep things a little interesting.

  ***

  ~She's having a nightmare.

  Apophis's voice sounded into my mind.

  I glanced toward my left shoulder, following his purple gaze, which was fixed on the orange cushion at the foot of my bed.

  That must be where Leona is.

  "How can you see her?" I asked, moving closer to the bed. I'd intended to ask him earlier, but with all that had happened—between the Chaos artifact and the meeting with the dragon—it had slipped my mind. "You saw me, too, when I wore that artifact during our first encounter."

  If Apophis could see her, what other dangerous entities would be able to observe her?

  I reached out, feeling her subtle warmth under my palm as I caressed her feathers, hoping to ease her shivering.

  Just what was she dreaming about to be shaking so hard? Should I wake her up?

  ~Chaos requires complete control over one's mind. With my level of control, I can see what's hidden from almost anyone else. She is undetectable to others because of the artifact around her neck. If you're worried, rest assured she is safe.

  "Then why can't I see her?" I pressed. "You've said my mind is in order—I can feel her warmth right here, yet I can't see her."

  Apophis flicked his tongue thoughtfully.

  ~Master, your control is tied to… artificial measures, memory wipes in this case, not true mastery. For true control, you must meditate and train rigorously. Again, I urge you to visit the Desolate Desert, seek out the monks, and learn from them until your mind is genuinely yours to control.

  Apophis slithered down my arm and settled beside the cushion where Leona lay.

  ~Hmmm… the phoenix might benefit even more than you, Master. I was serious earlier when I said she should also consider mind training.

  "What do you mean?" I asked, frowning.

  ~I didn't know if it was my place to say, but her mind is in shambles. I noticed it from the moment she was hatched. This is rather strange, given she is so young, and phoenix's memories regenerate when they hatch anew, organizing past lives into a detached series of images rather than emotions.

  I bit my lip, feeling the weight of his words.

  "Does that regeneration process extend to loops?" I asked.

  ~That, I cannot say. But suppose a phoenix relives the same life repeatedly with its original consciousness. In that case, the usual renewal benefits may not apply in a loop, leaving trauma to accumulate over time. For a creature who has endured many loops and centuries, it could be catastrophic to their mind.

  Apophis turned his gaze on me.

  ~But she is young. Far too young for that. You weren't all that long an Awakened yourself; thus, I know the trauma of living too long could not have affected her yet.

  My teeth clenched as the realization struck me.

  Damn it.

  "She… she is young," I murmured, continuing to stroke her feathers gently until her trembling stilled.

  ~What trauma could she possibly have endured in such a short time?

  Apophis asked, his voice laced with curiosity as he slithered around the cushion to get a better look at her.

  A chill washed over me as the blood drained from my face.

  "Claude Noire killed her," I replied with a hollow voice, the realization hitting me all too late. "It was a self-destructing blast, and she was caught up in it."

  Apophis froze in place and stared at me. His purple eyes widened.

  "I'd heard that everything caught in that blast had aged several centuries," I muttered. "I'd assumed she died instantly, like everyone else. But since she is a phoenix… how many years might she have actually endured within that blast? And what horrors did she experience?"

  Damn it. Why hadn't Leona told me when I asked her about it after she hatched?

  At the time, she'd shrugged it off, dismissing her death like it was nothing.

  Blood rushed back into my face as anger toward myself swelled up.

  But, of course, it wasn't nothing. Why didn't I notice it sooner?

  I had died enough times by now that the concept of death and pain had lost its meaning to me, but Leona wasn't like me. Her mind couldn't simply erase the worst parts of her life away.

  Sure, I had noticed that her tone had changed slightly. However, she was in her original form as a phoenix and no longer in the form of a yellow chick that 'peeped' whenever she spoke into my mind. Besides, it wasn't strange for her to behave differently with Apophis around. And I could hardly trust my own memory to notice the more subtle shifts.

  ~Master. Apophis's voice was sharp, slicing through my thoughts. You must take her to the monks immediately.

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