"Kylin… don't blame yourself."
"How can I not? How can I not?"
Those words echoed through Kylin's mind thousands of times in a single breath. How could he not blame himself? His friend had died right before his eyes—and it was his fault. If only he had been different. If only… Could it have turned out some other way?
It had only been three days. Three days since Amire died. Kylin hadn't left his room since. He sat in the corner, crouched, his back pressed to the cold wall. The abyss had not left him for a single second in those three days. It was eating him alive.
The memories returned every time he closed his eyes—Amire's body fading into nothing, that quiet acceptance in his gaze.. Why did Amire attack him like this? How much pain he must've felt in that moment? He didn't even scream, didn't shown a hint of fear or misery. He had vanished with that same soft smile.
Kylin didn't have the strength to face the world. He just wanted to disappear into the void, just like Amire, but he can't succumb to his own emptiness.
He was still crouched there, drowning in silence, when the sharp sound of shattering glass broke through the haze. His window—broken from the outside. A single piece of paper drifted to the floor.
Kylin looked at the paper for a few seconds, before deciding to get up and pick it up. It had the same address… The one he'd been to on the day of the tragic incident.
Just like before, the paper had a message scrawled beneath the address:
"I have the answers."
Kylin's face remained blank, but his chest tightened. The answers…
They went to seek the answers—but it had cost everything.
Anger surged beneath his skin. His hand clenched around the paper, the edges crumpling beneath his grip. His breath sharpened. In a flash of rage, he drove his fist into the side of the cupboard, leaving a jagged dent in the wooden furniture.
"I will come." His voice was low, almost threatening. His face blank, just like the emptiness that surrounded him. "I will get those answers."
He inhaled deeply, drawing the shadows around him into himself— containing them, for now. He would hold them back until he was done. Until he had the truth.
When he reached that place, it was eerily quiet, shrouded in gloom. He went inside the hall, the only room still intact.
The place felt different from the last time he went there. It was covered with dark, mystical energy. The tendrils of energy wrapped around the walls like vines.
From the depths of the darkness, a figure emerged. It was Primus.
He looked… different. No longer dressed in the simple coat and pants Kylin remembered. His new attire was regal—smooth, dark fabric lined with gold. His golden eyes shimmered with an unnatural light, sharp and piercing. It was hard to believe those eyes belonged to a human.
He radiated a mystical aura, which resonated with the energy present inside the massive hall.
He made his way close to Kylin and greeted him with a faint smile. "It's nice to meet you again, Kylin Reid."
Kylin's gaze hardened. He didn't bother returning the greeting.
"You wrote that note?" His voice was cold and sharp. "What do you know? Tell me clearly. Don't twist your words."
"Of course… I will tell you everything," Primus replied calmly. "But first, we need to make a contract."
Kylin's eyes narrowed. "Contract?"
"Yes. But not the kind you've seen before." Primus's smile deepened. "This is… different."
"What are the terms?"
"Simple." Primus's tone remained smooth. "You will come with me, and you will not be able to return to your previous life. In exchange, I will help you regain control over the Abyssal Void."
Kylin's jaw tightened. "And the answers?"
"Yes. I will answer everything you wish to know—after the contract is made."
Kylin stared at him for a long moment. None of this felt strange. His life had always been strange. He had grown up always feeling empty, as if a part of him was missing.
Maybe, just maybe, this would give him the truth. With a heavy heart, Kylin lifted his gaze.
"I accept."
Kylin's voice was hollow, a blank expression on his face. He had nothing left to lose—yet everything to gain.
Primus's smile deepened, a glint of quiet triumph flashing through his eyes. He had known from the beginning that this would be the outcome.
"Very well. We shall waste no time from here on."
Primus raised his hand, and from the swirling shadows around him, a dark orb emerged. Golden patterns curled across its surface; the energy it radiated was heavy and ancient.
"This kind of power… It's similar to mine," Kylin thought to himself.
"Take this," Primus said, his tone measured and precise. "It will finalise our contract."
Kylin thought he would need to sign some papers, but this was clearly unexpected. All he had to do was touch it?
He hesitated for only a moment before lifting his hand toward the orb. But before his fingers could brush against it, the orb shifted, gliding through the air toward him.
The orb absorbed itself into Kylin's hand, erupting a sharp pulse of dark energy; the same golden patterns that were on the orb started to appear on his hand.
The patterns crept across Kylin's skin, curling over his hand and winding their way up his arm. They stretched toward his neck, pulsing faintly as they passed through his chest and reached his heart.
It wasn't painful. In fact, it was… calming.
For a brief moment, Kylin forgot all about the pain, his mind almost empty, the only feelings inside him were the calming sensations that emerged from that mystical orb.
And then, just as quickly as it came, the sensation vanished. The patterns dimmed, their glow retreating beneath his skin.
"It is done. Now we may proceed with ease."
Kylin was confused. "But… I don't feel any different?"
"Of course you don't," Primus replied smoothly. "Not yet. But you will—if you attempt to break the contract."
"Right now, your connection to the outside world is severed. You cannot communicate with anyone. Your choices are… limited."
Kylin's jaw tightened. He had accepted the contract of his own will. Now, he would have to abide by its terms.
"Fine." Kylin's gaze sharpened. "Those were my terms. Now… what about yours?"
Primus's smile deepened, a glint of amusement flickering behind his gaze.
"Ah… yes. I shall answer your questions now."
Kylin didn't hesitate. He had been waiting for this answer for as long as he could remember. The question that had haunted him his entire life.
"Who am I?"
Primus's thought for a while—as though searching for the right words.
"You have lived among humans for as long as you can remember," he began, his voice steady and measured. "Have you ever felt as if you are different, or you don't belong there?"
Kylin didn't need to think about that question, he knew he was different.
"Yes, I am different."
" That's because you are not human, Kylin."
Kylin's breath caught. His eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
Primus's golden eyes glinted beneath the dim light.
"You are a puppet, created for a specific purpose. Your true name—" his voice sharpened—"is Alpha."
Kylin's eyes widened. His gaze lifted slowly toward the man standing before him.
Alpha…
The word echoed through his mind, cold and unfamiliar. His thoughts spiralled. He had always felt different—like a fragment of himself was missing—but he had never imagined he was less than human.
"Why… why should I believe you?" Kylin's voice trembled with quiet disbelief.
Primus's expression remained unmoved. "Tell me, Alpha… You have lived among humans for years. How many humans do you know who possess power like yours?"
Kylin's mouth tightened. He had no answer. He could only stare in silence as Primus continued.