Chapter 1: Whispers in ashes
Kael stood amidst the corpses of the creatures, his body trembling from the exertion. His hand, still dripping with the ichor of his foes, felt unnaturally light—like it no longer belonged to him. His shadow twisted and writhed at his feet, stretching unnaturally long, as if it had a mind of its own.
"You're stronger than I expected," Umbrael(The shadow god)voice echoed in his mind, smooth and chilling. "But strength is meaningless without purpose. Do you understand what you've unleashed?"
Kael staggered back, gasping for air, but his shadow surged forward, wrapping around his legs like chains. He tried to scream, but his voice was swallowed by the darkness.
Suddenly, he was pulled back into the void where Umbrael had first spoken to him. This time, the space felt even colder, more suffocating. The towering figure of the Shadow God loomed closer, and its crimson eyes burned brighter than before.
Umbrael raised a clawed hand, and Kael's chest erupted with searing pain. His vision blurred, and he clutched his heart as a glowing, blood-red chain began to materialize from his chest, snaking upward toward Umbrael.
"What—what is this?" Kael choked out, his voice barely a whisper.
"The Eclipse Chain," Umbrael said, his tone laced with cruel satisfaction. "It binds us, mortal. You and I are no longer separate entities. We are one. And if you fail to control me..."
The Shadow God leaned closer, its voice dropping to a whisper that slithered into Kael's ears like venom.
"...I will consume you."
Kael's eyes snapped open, and he found himself back in the forest. But the monsters weren't gone. Instead, they were frozen in place, their many eyes locked on him with a newfound fear. The air seemed to hum with tension, and Kael's shadow pulsed erratically beneath him.
Before he could take a breath, a booming roar echoed from the distance, shaking the very ground beneath his feet. The forest trembled as a massive figure began to emerge from the horizon—a creature ten times the size of the ones he'd just fought, its body wreathed in dark flames and its roar splitting the sky.
Umbrael's voice chuckled in Kael's mind.
"Your true test begins now. Let's see if you're worthy of survival, little mortal."
The ground cracked beneath Kael as the monstrous being charged toward him, its blazing eyes locked onto him like prey. Kael clenched his fists, his heart pounding with terror—and something else.
Anticipation.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone