The Fractured Ascendant

Darkness enveloped Kael as the world dissolved around him. For a moment, he felt weightless, as though he were floating in an endless void. Then came the pain—sharp, searing, and unrelenting. It tore through his body like molten fire, spreading from his chest to his limbs, as though his very essence was being reshaped.

He screamed, but no sound came out.

Images flashed before his eyes—fractured memories and fleeting visions that weren't his own. A burning world, its sky split open like a wound. A towering figure of shadow, crowned in crimson flames. And a vast, swirling abyss that seemed to stretch on forever.

This is what you have chosen, a voice echoed in his mind, low and guttural. The Veil does not give without taking.

Kael gasped as the pain subsided, leaving a strange, hollow ache in its place. He opened his eyes, finding himself kneeling on the cracked ground of the Riftlands. The shadows that had surrounded him were gone, but he could feel their presence lingering just beneath his skin, a cold, thrumming energy that wasn't there before.

Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, his legs trembling. His body felt different—stronger, lighter—but alien, as though it no longer fully belonged to him. His right hand caught his attention first. The veins glowed faintly with a dark, violet hue, pulsating like a second heartbeat. On the back of his hand was a jagged crimson mark, shaped like a fractured circle.

"Congratulations," the voice from before said, this time clearer and closer. "You are no longer powerless."

Kael turned to see the shadowy figure—Erythos—standing before him. Unlike before, its form was more distinct, almost humanoid, though its features remained obscured by shifting darkness. Its crimson eyes burned with a cold, calculating light.

"What... did you do to me?" Kael asked, his voice hoarse.

"I made you strong," Erythos replied, tilting its head. "Strong enough to survive. Strong enough to fight back."

Kael clenched his fists, feeling the strange energy coursing through him. It was wild and unstable, like a storm barely contained beneath his skin. "At what cost?"

Erythos chuckled, a sound like crackling fire. "You're more perceptive than I thought. Yes, there is a cost. My power feeds on your soul. The more you use it, the less of yourself remains."

Kael's stomach twisted. He had expected a price, but hearing it spoken aloud made it real. "So what happens when my soul is gone?"

"You cease to exist," Erythos said simply. "But do not despair. I am not without mercy. The stronger you grow, the slower the process. Think of it as an incentive."

Kael glared at the spirit. "Mercy? You're a parasite."

Erythos smirked. "And yet, you accepted my offer. Desperation makes hypocrites of us all."

Kael couldn't argue. He had chosen this path, knowing it would cost him dearly. But he hadn't done it for himself. He had done it for survival—for a chance to prove he wasn't the monster the villagers believed him to be.

"Why me?" Kael asked, narrowing his eyes. "Why choose someone like me to bond with?"

Erythos's smile faded, replaced by an expression Kael couldn't quite place. "Because you are broken. Fractured. Like the Veil itself."

The words sent a shiver down Kael's spine. He didn't fully understand what Erythos meant, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. A low, guttural growl echoed through the Riftlands, sending a chill through the air.

Kael turned toward the sound, his heart pounding. In the distance, a group of Abyssals was emerging from the haze, their shadowy forms shifting and writhing as they moved. Their glowing eyes locked onto him, and a primal hunger radiated from their presence.

"They've caught your scent," Erythos said, its voice calm. "You'll have to deal with them."

Kael took a step back, his body instinctively tensing. "Deal with them? I can't fight those things!"

"You can now," Erythos said, a hint of amusement in its tone. "My power is yours to command. All you have to do is use it."

Kael hesitated, his hands trembling. The Abyssals were getting closer, their growls growing louder. He could see their twisted forms more clearly now—amorphous bodies of blackened flesh, with jagged