Beneath the earth, where no stars reached and the stone bled shadows, a circle of darkness gathered.
Nine stood within the corrupted sanctum. They were not human—not anymore. Each bore a different form of decay, a different curse twisted by Maldrak's will. They were the Nine—puppets of the abyss, hunters of light, executioners of hope.
The chamber pulsed with dark mana. Sigils carved into the black stone flickered like dying stars. In the center, a tenth place remained empty.
The last to arrive stepped forward—cloak shredded, his arm half-charred from soulflame. His face was expressionless as he entered the circle.
"You're late," said Rank Five, her silver hair shimmering with illusionary threads. Her voice sounded like many speaking at once.
"You met the boy," Rank Seven added, his shadow crawling behind him like a separate creature.
The wounded corrupted didn't bow.
"Kael Morric."
"And?" Rank Three hissed, her chains twitching as if hungry. "Did he give you trouble?"
The corrupted man's eyes narrowed.
"He's still weak."
He raised his burned hand briefly. "Impulsive. Unrefined. Clings to anger more than skill."
"But?" said Rank Six, her silk veil hiding a rotted skull beneath.
"But he carries something dangerous."
A pause.
"The mark doesn't consume him. He uses it. Not well—but enough to wound me."
Scoffs rippled through the circle.
"You let him hit you," Rank Nine said, his voice deep and cruel. "You expect us to believe a half-trained peasant touched one of us?"
"I didn't go to kill him," the man snapped. "I went to test him. And what I saw..." He hesitated.
"Spit it out," Rank Five said coldly.
"There's something ancient in him. It's not just Maldrak's corruption. It's changing. Adapting. He's not aware yet, but it's there."
The Nine grew still.
At last, Rank One—the leader of the corrupted, cloaked in black flame and silence—spoke.
"Do you believe he's ready?"
"No," the man answered. "But he's becoming something we haven't faced before."
"Will he accept the Tenth Seat?" Rank Six asked.
"He rejects it completely," the corrupted man said. "He'd rather die than bow."
"Then he's a threat," said Rank Seven.
"He's a seed," Rank One replied. "And if it grows into a flame we can't control, we extinguish it."
"Then we act now," Rank Nine growled. "Crush him before he understands what he is."
"No," Rank One said. His voice silenced the room.
"If we attack now, we sharpen him. Harden him. Let him suffer. Let the world betray him. Let him reach for the power… until it swallows him whole."
The corrupted man looked down, remembering the fire in Kael's eyes.
"He's still weak," he repeated. "But weakness with purpose can become dangerous."
---
Grand Arcanon Academy – Two Weeks Later
Sunlight bathed the ivory towers of the Academy. Wind whispered through enchanted trees, and the energy of hundreds of aspiring Hunters filled the grounds. Students trained in spellcraft, swordplay, and survival—an army of tomorrow being forged.
Rui walked along the bridge between towers, her academy uniform crisp, her boots clinking lightly on the stone.
Dein was showing off again, flinging a practice blade at a floating golem target.
"Bullseye!" he shouted—missing entirely.
"Wow," Riva deadpanned. "You almost hit the sky."
They laughed. Even Rui cracked a smile.
It felt… normal.
But she couldn't shake the feeling.
Kael hadn't written. Not even once.
---
That Night – Girls' Dorm Balcony
Wrapped in a blanket, Rui sat under the stars with Riva. The wind was soft, and the stars shimmered peacefully overhead.
"You're thinking about him again," Riva said gently.
Rui didn't reply at first. Then:
"He's out there, fighting alone. I can't help but wonder if he's okay… or if something's already happened."
"He's strong," Riva said. "He survived the mark. He survived monsters. He'll survive this."
But Rui shook her head.
"It's not just the monsters I'm worried about."
She looked at her tea.
"It's what that mark is doing to him. And what he might become."
Riva hesitated.
"Do you think he'll fall?"
Rui's voice was barely a whisper.
"I think he's standing on the edge… and no one's there to catch him if he slips."
---
Somewhere Far Beyond
Under a storm-black sky, Kael Morric stood on a cliff, his coat fluttering in the wind.
Below, a ruined village smoldered—another attack, another corrupted sighting. His soulflame flickered on his fingertips, and the mark on his chest burned faintly.
He didn't feel tired anymore. He just felt cold.
"The Tenth Seat…" he whispered.
He didn't know what it meant.
But whatever it was…
They were watching him.
And he was going to find them first.