Sinbound: The Reincarnated Tyrant of Valkyrion Academy
Chapter 26 - 10: The Trial of the Unwritten

Chapter 26: Chapter 10: The Trial of the Unwritten

Everyone wants to be the hero of their story.

But what happens when the story was never finished—

and the hero was never written?

Day Ten.

Aren Kael stood in the center of the Echo Court.

This time, he was the witness.

Not for another.

Not as an observer.

But as the one on trial.

Before him sat twelve projection mirrors, each reflecting a different version of himself—each from a timeline that had been abandoned, overwritten, or deliberately silenced.

Some were familiar.

Some were monstrous.

And one?

Was missing a face entirely.

Lysara spoke from the tribunal pedestal.

"Aren Kael, you are summoned not to defend what you’ve done—but to acknowledge what you’ve forgotten. The unwritten versions of yourself have been waiting."

Kaela and Seria watched from the upper circle.

Mira transcribed every syllable.

Tenno and Kairen stood at the base of the gallery.

Aren didn’t speak.

The trial had already begun.

The first projection activated.

Version 0.9-Aren: Quiet. Reserved. Never joined Valkyrion. Chose a life of isolation after the Rewrite Event.

He stepped forward.

"You abandoned me before I even began. I had a chance at peace—at being a person. But your story required a symbol."

"I could’ve lived without saving anyone."

The second projection: Version 1.5-Aren.

This one had wielded the full Archivist’s Quill.

His eyes were sharp. His robes were blood-red.

"I held the power to fix everything. But the narrative needed sacrifice. I erased Riven. I became the pen."

"Yet I was erased for being too ’controlling.’ Too ’dangerous.’"

The third projection: Version Null.

No face. No name. Just echoes.

He didn’t speak.

Only showed memories—lives Aren never lived:

A classroom that burned because he hesitated.

A friend who died because he doubted.

A world that ended because he gave up.

Lysara turned to Aren.

"You are not here to fight them. You are here to listen."

"Each of these could have been you."

"Which will you carry forward?"

System Prompt:

Choose ONE version to integrate.

Choose ONE version to archive.

Choose ONE version to silence permanently.

Aren’s heart pounded.

He stepped forward.

To the silent one.

"I won’t silence you. You carry my failures. I need to remember them."

He placed a hand on Null.

And the shadow dimmed... and rested.

He turned to Version 0.9.

"You deserve peace. You lived quietly. You don’t need to carry this fight."

He nodded to the version.

"I’ll archive you. Gently."

Version 0.9 bowed.

And stepped back into light.

Only one remained: the red-robed one.

Aren looked him in the eyes.

"You were power without pause. Will without mercy."

The version sneered. "I got results."

"And lost yourself."

Aren raised his hand.

And drew a line.

The system responded.

Echo Severed: Version 1.5 purged

Power retained: None

Memory Retention: 0%

The red-robed Aren howled—and vanished into static.

The court fell silent.

Lysara nodded.

"You made your choices."

Aren nodded too.

And felt the difference.

Not in power.

In clarity.

Trait Gained: Echo Anchor

You may now retain empathy from erased selves without narrative corruption

Resistance to projection manipulation: Increased

Emotional Read Link: Active

That night, Aren stood beneath the Echo Tree once again.

Kairen joined him.

"You did it," she said.

"No," he replied. "I only listened."

She smiled.

"Maybe that’s the most powerful thing a protagonist can do."

In the void between timelines, a new figure stirred.

Not an echo.

Not a character.

A piece of forgotten plot.

And it whispered:

"The hero chooses. The world answers. But who writes the ending?"