The bandits poured through the broken gates like a tide of rotting corpses, their eyes wild with greed and bloodlust. The manor was weak, its defenses shattered by neglect, and Kael's heart pounded as he clutched his aching ribs.
"Elira!" he called out, but the girl was already moving her delicate hands weaving a soft glow of healing magic that shimmered faintly in the dusky garden.
Kael forced himself to stand, every movement a torment, but the voice inside him the Soul Devouring System whispered urgently:
"Survival is priority. Absorb to grow stronger."
The first bandit lunged at Kael with a rusty dagger. Instinct exploded through his veins like wildfire. He barely dodged, the blade grazing his arm, tearing flesh. Pain screamed, but it was fuel, not weakness.
Kael grabbed a broken wooden staff from the ground and swung with desperate fury. The staff cracked against the bandit's skull, and the man collapsed, twitching, life fading fast.
"Absorb the soul!" the System commanded.
Kael hesitated his hands trembling but then grasped the fading essence with his mind. Cold energy flowed from the bandit into him, flooding his body with raw strength and agility. His vision sharpened; his breath steadied.
Stats increased: Strength +12, Agility +10
Skill Unlocked: Soul Shield (temporary damage barrier)
The world slowed. Kael felt power unlike anything before. The system pulsed, a steady heartbeat in his soul.
"Come on!" Elira's voice called. She had finished her healing spell and now held a small dagger with surprising resolve.
Together, they fought—Kael absorbing every soul he could, Elira casting healing light to keep them both alive.
---
When the last bandit fell, silence crashed over the ruined manor like a storm passing.
Kael sank to his knees, panting, the weight of death and power mixing inside him. Elira knelt beside him, brushing dirt from his face.
"You're stronger than you know," she said softly, eyes searching his. "But this power… it's dangerous."
Kael's thoughts churned. *Dangerous how?* He clenched his fists. He had to learn, to master this system before it consumed him or before others hunted him down.
The sun dipped below the horizon, shadows lengthening, but Kael's rebirth was only the beginning.