Shadows in the Dark Alley
"He should come out now," said a boy, his voice barely above a whisper.
In a dark alley filled with garbage, six boys crouched in the shadows, waiting for someone. The smell of rot and the waste scattered on the ground made the atmosphere even more oppressive. Each boy's heart hammered against his ribs, the sound seemingly loud enough to give them away.
Marcus, the youngest of the group, shifted uncomfortably behind a rusted dumpster. Why did I agree to this? he thought, his palms sweating despite the cold night air. We're just kids... what if we get caught?
"Why isn't he coming out yet? The restaurant has been closed for almost an hour," complained Fenn, his voice cracking slightly with nervousness. He kept glancing at the other boys, searching for reassurance in their faces but finding only the same fear he felt.
"He has to come out eventually," replied August, the taller, stockier boy who had appointed himself their leader. His jaw was set with determination, but his hands trembled slightly as he gripped the rusty knife. I have to do this. We all have to eat. There's no other way.
The other boys looked to him for guidance, but August's confidence was a mask. Deep down, he knew they were crossing a line they could never uncross. But what choice do we have? Terry needs us to succeed. We can't disappoint him again.
In a corner hidden behind a garbage bin, Seth - a thin boy with dirty black hair - felt a knot forming in his throat from emotions. His ribs showed through his torn shirt, a testament to the weeks of hunger they'd all endured. But it wasn't just the physical discomfort that tormented him. In his head, three distinct voices resonated simultaneously, each one a different aspect of his fractured psyche.
The first voice, arrogant and full of disgust, whispered with venom:
"Sure! After he helped you and didn't let you starve to death, now what are you doing? You want to rob him? You're pathetic, Seth. A coward and a thief."
Seth winced at the harsh words, his fingers digging into the cold concrete.
Another voice, calmer but tinged with sadness, echoed in his mind:
"You know it's not like that, Seth. You're just following Terry's orders. We don't really have a choice in what happens. We're trapped in this life, and survival makes monsters of us all."
The third voice, more aggressive and primal, declared with savage hunger:
"It's normal to do this! Even to kill! I don't care about right or wrong - I just want to fight and have something to eat. The strong take from the weak. That's nature."
All three voices seemed to have different personalities and contradicted each other in Seth's head, creating a cacophony of internal conflict. His head pounded with the constant chatter, making it difficult to focus on the task at hand.
Seth pressed his palms against his temples, trying to quiet the chaos. "Can you be quiet for a moment?" he whispered under his breath. "You're not helping me at all if you contradict each other!"
The voices momentarily subsided, allowing him to think clearly. Anyway, I don't think Mr. Stefan will realize I'm here too. After all, it's dark and Mr. Stefan is old. Maybe his daughter won't even notice us.
Seth bit his lower lip, tense. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth - he'd bitten harder than intended. Suddenly, a soft creaking of a door echoed through the alley. The sound sent a chill down every boy's spine.
The door opened slowly, and a girl appeared in the dark alley. She was perhaps seventeen, with long dark hair that seemed to absorb the moonlight. Her clothes were clean and well-fitted - a stark contrast to the boys' tattered garments.
Seth's heart nearly stopped when he saw who had come out. It's her. Mr. Stefan's daughter. She's supposed to be normal... just a regular girl. He tried to make himself as small as possible behind the garbage bin, hoping not to be seen.
The girl's eyes swept across the alley with unsettling precision. When she spoke, her voice carried an authority that made the boys' blood run cold:
"I know you're there. I can smell your fear from here." She paused, letting her words sink in. "I'm giving you one chance to leave and never come back. This is your only warning."
August's mind raced. She's bluffing. She has to be. She's just a girl. But something about her presence made his instincts scream danger. Still, they'd come too far to turn back now. Terry was counting on them.
"Now!" August shouted, his voice cracking with false bravado.
Suddenly, August jumped from the shadows and tried to attack the girl with his knife, followed by the other boys. Their feet pounded against the wet pavement as they charged forward, desperation driving them more than courage.
The girl didn't even flinch. She watched them approach with an almost bored expression, as if she'd seen this scenario play out countless times before. When August's knife came within inches of her chest, she simply stood there and let it connect.
The blade struck her shirt with a sharp clink - and shattered like glass against stone.
August stared in horror at the broken handle in his hand. Impossible. That's impossible.
With a movement so casual it seemed almost lazy, the girl raised her hand and delivered a simple palm strike to August's chest. The impact sent him flying backward through the air, his body crashing into a brick wall fifteen feet away. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious before he hit the pavement.
The remaining boys froze in terror. Marcus felt his bladder nearly give way. She's an Awakening. Oh God, she's an Awakening and we tried to rob her.
Fenn took a step backward, his legs shaking. We're dead. We're all dead. Awakening don't show mercy to street rats like us.
The girl looked at each of them in turn, her gaze like ice. When she spoke, her voice was calm but carried an unmistakable threat:
"Take him and leave. Don't let me see you here again." Her eyes narrowed. "Next time I won't be so merciful."
The boys nodded frantically and hurried to pick up August, which wasn't easy due to his weight. Their hands shook as they struggled to lift their unconscious friend, casting fearful glances at the girl who watched them with predatory patience.
The Path to Ruins
The journey back to their territory felt like an eternity. Every shadow seemed to hide another Awakening, every sound made them jump. The five conscious boys struggled to carry August through the twisting streets that led to the darker part of the city.
This was where the forgotten lived - in the ruins of buildings that had been abandoned after the last Awakening war. Here, among the rubble and decay, only people who suffered from hunger and the luxury of having a roof over their heads could be found.
Marcus's arms burned from August's weight, but he didn't dare complain. The image of the girl's casual display of power played over and over in his mind. She could have killed us all without even trying. Why didn't she?
"I don't know how August can be so heavy when we haven't eaten for days," complained Fenn, his voice strained from exertion. He was trying to lighten the mood, but his joke fell flat.
Fenn's mind was elsewhere, though. What am I going to tell Terry? How do I explain that we not only failed to get food, but nearly got ourselves killed?
The others smiled slightly, but it was forced. One of them - Kevin - said with false bravado:
"It looks like we won't eat anything tonight either. Who would have thought that Mr. Stefan's daughter is an Awakening?"
Kevin's stomach cramped with hunger, and he tried to ignore it. Maybe if I'd been faster, if I'd been stronger... But no, nothing we could have done would have mattered. She was playing with us.
Another boy, David, replied with desperate hope:
"Yeah... But you'll see when I turn 16 next month and get my power! You'll see what I'll do to her!"
He began to mime throwing punches in the air, but his movements were weak and uncoordinated. David's bravado was a thin veneer over his terror. If I even get an ability. Most of us won't. Most of us will just... stay like this forever.
"Yeah, sure! Maybe you mean when I get mine! After all, I'll turn 16 before you," Kevin shot back, but his heart wasn't in the competition.
They all knew the odds. They all knew that hope was often just another word for delusion in their world.
"Yeah, but only if you get an ability," David replied, his voice growing quieter.
"Of course I'll get one! And wait until you see what I do after! You'll see what food we'll eat!" Kevin's voice cracked on the last word.
The desperation in his voice made the others uncomfortable. They'd all had these same fantasies - dreams of power, of never being hungry again, of being the ones people feared instead of the ones who cowered.
"It would be nice if we all got abilities," said Marcus with resignation, his voice barely above a whisper. "But you know that's impossible. Only 30% of the population gets abilities and I don't think we'll be that lucky."
The truth hung heavy between them. They were street rats, forgotten by society, living on scraps and hope. The universe had no reason to favor them.
Seth walked slightly apart from the group, not saying anything. In his mind, the three voices had resumed their eternal argument.
"Sure she saw you cowering behind that trash bin! And look, you're just another disappointment. You couldn't even help your friends when they needed you!"
"It's not like you did anything either! And you, Kazm, please stop beating Seth up. He's suffered enough tonight."
"Of course! Only I have to listen to your holier-than-thou attitude, Zen!" Kazm's voice dripped with sarcasm. "At least I'm honest about what we are - cowards and thieves."
Tero, the most primal of the three, intervened with barely contained rage:
"Stop it, both of you! You're making Seth dizzy and you're annoying me! Keep this up and I'll take control myself!"
The threat sent a chill through Seth's consciousness. When Tero took control, bad things happened. Things Seth tried not to remember.
Unable to bear the internal conflict any longer, Seth slapped himself twice across the face, hard enough to leave red marks. The sharp pain cut through the mental noise, bringing blessed silence.
When the boys saw this, they looked at Seth with a mixture of pity and fear. They'd all seen him do this before.
"I think he's talking to the voices in his head again," said Marcus quietly, his voice filled with genuine concern.
They'd all heard stories about people who heard voices - how they sometimes snapped, how they sometimes hurt people. But Seth had never hurt anyone except himself. Poor guy, Marcus thought. As if our lives weren't hard enough already.
Home, At Shelter
After what felt like hours of walking, the six boys finally arrived in front of a large building that seemed abandoned from the outside. It was a former office complex, its windows boarded up and its walls covered in graffiti. But inside, it was home.
In the main lobby, which they'd converted into a common area, a tall boy with red hair and a smile on his face was waiting for them. His name was Terry, and despite his friendly demeanor, his body told a different story - fresh cuts and bruises covered his arms and torso, some still seeping blood.
"Welcome home!" Terry said, his voice warm despite his obvious pain.
When Seth saw him, a genuine smile appeared on his face for the first time that night. A memory surfaced - how Terry had found him a year ago, lying in an alley, half-dead from starvation and exposure. Terry had saved him, taken him in, given him purpose.
He's hurt again, Seth thought with concern. He keeps pushing himself too hard for us.
Terry was an Awakening, but not a particularly powerful one. His ability allowed him to temporarily enhance his physical capabilities by overstraining his body - essentially borrowing strength from his future self. It was useful for short bursts, but it came with a price. Every time he used it, he aged a little, weakened a little, died a little.
"Come inside! We have food," Terry announced, and the boys' faces lit up with relief.
They hurried inside, their hunger temporarily overriding their exhaustion. The building's interior was a maze of makeshift rooms and common areas, lit by candles and battery-powered lanterns. It wasn't much, but it was theirs.
August stayed outside for a moment, looking at Terry with shame written across his face. When he spoke, his voice was heavy with failure:
"Sorry, boss, but I couldn't get any food. There was a girl... she was..."
Terry held up a hand, cutting him off. His expression was understanding rather than angry.
"It's nothing. You tried, and that's what matters. You should eat to regain your strength."
Terry's mind was racing, though. An Awakening girl at Stefan's restaurant? That changes things. We'll need to be more careful, find new targets. But outwardly, he maintained his calm demeanor. The boys needed stability, not panic.
From a hidden cache, Terry produced several cans of food - meat, vegetables, things that would have been luxuries to them just a few months ago. He distributed them equally among the boys, making sure everyone got their share.
I need to find another score soon, Terry thought as he watched them eat. These supplies won't last much longer, and winter's coming.
Seth, noticing the fresh wounds on Terry's arms, asked with concern:
"Did you fight with an Awakening?"
Terry's smile faltered slightly. "No," he replied, his voice carefully neutral. "My body is just... wearing down. I can't use my ability as freely as I used to. Even normal weapons can hurt me now."
The admission hung in the air like a death sentence. If Terry was weakening, what would happen to all of them?
But Terry quickly forced his smile back into place. "But let's not worry about that now. I think you're turning 16 tonight, Seth, right?"
Seth nodded, suddenly feeling the weight of anticipation. Sixteen was the age when Awakening abilities manifested - if they were going to manifest at all.
"I wonder if you'll get an ability too," Terry continued, his voice filled with hope. "That would be very useful! Maybe you'll be a healer and you can fix all these cuts and bruises. What do you say?"
Seth smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "I'd like that very much," he said, biting into a piece of bread that tasted like heaven after days of hunger.
Please, Seth thought desperately. Please let me get an ability. I want to help Terry. I want to help everyone.
In his mind, the three voices offered their own commentary:
"Don't get your hopes up, kid. The universe doesn't hand out miracles to people like us."
"Have faith, Seth. Sometimes good things happen to good people."
"Power is power. I don't care if it's healing or killing, as long as it's something."
The Night of Transformation
As midnight approached, the boys prepared for Seth's potential transformation. They'd been through this ritual before with other boys who'd reached sixteen. Some had awakened. Others... hadn't.
The boys made sure Seth had a private room - a small space they'd cleared out in the building's basement. They blocked the entrances and exits with furniture and debris, creating a makeshift containment area.
"It's just a precaution," Terry explained, but they all knew the real reason. Sometimes, when an Awakening ability first manifested, it came with a loss of control. The person could transform into something monstrous, something that would attack anything nearby.
It was rare, but it happened. And when it did, the only solution was to wait it out - or put the person down.
Seth sat on a makeshift bed, his nerves frayed. Terry knelt beside him, his voice gentle and reassuring:
"Even if nothing happens tonight, don't be discouraged. Your worth isn't determined by whether you have an ability or not. You're already valuable to us just as you are."
But they both knew that wasn't entirely true. In this world, power was everything. Without it, you were prey.
"If you do start to transform," Terry continued, "remember that the pain is temporary. Your body will be creating a core inside you - a source of power. The process is... intense. But it means you're evolving."
Seth nodded, trying to project confidence he didn't feel. What if I don't get anything? What if I'm just... normal?
"We'll be right outside," Terry promised. "If you need anything, just call out."
As the clock struck midnight, Terry and the other boys took their positions outside Seth's room. They waited in tense silence, listening for any sign of change.
At first, there was nothing. Then, faintly, they heard a sound - a low moan of pain.
"It's starting," Terry whispered, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Seth is becoming an Awakening!"
The sounds from inside the room grew louder - cries of pain, the sound of something thrashing against the walls. But these were good signs. They meant Seth's body was changing, evolving.
Terry remembered his own transformation five years ago. The pain had been indescribable, like every cell in his body was being torn apart and rebuilt. But it had only lasted about ten minutes.
Seth's transformation was already approaching the thirty-minute mark, and the sounds weren't diminishing. If anything, they were getting more intense.
His power must be significant, Terry thought with growing amazement. The longer the transformation, the stronger the ability.
But as the cries continued, Terry began to worry. How much pain could one person endure?
The Portal from Darkness
Just as Terry was considering checking on Seth, a sound unlike anything they'd ever heard split the night air. It was a deep, resonant hum that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.
Outside their building, reality itself seemed to tear open. A swirling vortex of darkness appeared, crackling with energy and malevolent intent. Through the opening, shapes began to move - twisted, unnatural forms that defied description.
"Run!" Terry shouted to the boys, his voice cracking with panic. "A portal is opening! This is what we trained for!"
The boys had heard stories of dimensional rifts, but seeing one was different. The very air around the portal seemed to writhe with hunger, and the things coming through...
Monsters, Terry thought, his blood running cold. Real monsters.
The boys scattered, their survival instincts kicking in. But Terry couldn't leave Seth - not when he was in the middle of his transformation, helpless and vulnerable.
Terry rushed to Seth's room and threw open the door. What he saw inside defied all logic and reason.
Seth was floating three feet above his bed, his body surrounded by four distinct auras of light. Each light pulsed with its own color and energy - red, blue, green, and gold. His skin seemed to glow from within, and his eyes had rolled back, showing only white.
"Four cores!" Terry gasped. "But that's impossible!"
No one had ever heard of someone developing multiple cores. The human body wasn't designed to contain that much power. It should have killed him.
But Seth wasn't just surviving the process - he was thriving. His body was changing, becoming something more than human. Terry could see new muscle definition forming, could see Seth's bones becoming denser and stronger.
Inside Seth's consciousness, all four entities - Seth himself plus the three voices - were experiencing the same transformation. Each was developing its own core, its own power source.
"What's happening to us?" Seth's voice echoed in the mental space they shared.
"We're becoming something new," Zen replied, his usual calm demeanor cracking slightly. "Something that's never existed before."
"I can feel it," Kazm added, his voice filled with wonder. "So much power. So much potential."
"Yes," Tero growled with satisfaction. "Now we can fight. Now we can survive."
The pain was beyond description - like being struck by lightning while drowning in fire. But through it all, Seth held onto one thought: I can help them now. I can protect my family.
The Fight for Survival
The building shook violently as something massive crashed into it from outside. Terry scooped up the still-transforming Seth and ran for the exit, but they were too late.
The entire structure began to collapse, beams and concrete raining down around them. Terry used his ability to enhance his speed and strength, but it came at a cost - his body aged months in seconds, his hair showing new streaks of gray.
He managed to shield Seth from the worst of the debris, but a falling beam caught him across the back, sending waves of agony through his body. Still, he kept moving, kept protecting the boy who might be their salvation.
They made it outside just as the building completely collapsed behind them. In the street, chaos reigned. The monsters that had come through the portal were unlike anything in the history books - twisted amalgamations of flesh and shadow, with too many teeth and eyes that burned with malevolent intelligence.
Other Awakening had arrived and were fighting the creatures, but they were outnumbered and outmatched. The sounds of battle filled the air - screams, roars, the clash of power against power.
Terry ran with Seth in his arms, looking for somewhere safe to hide. But one of the monsters spotted them - a thing like a giant spider made of living darkness, with claws that could slice through steel.
It pounced, and Terry barely managed to dodge. The creature's claws raked across his back, tearing through his shirt and into his flesh. Blood flowed freely, but Terry kept running.
Just need to find somewhere safe, he thought desperately. Just need to keep Seth alive until his transformation is complete.
He spotted an abandoned shop and ducked inside, barricading the door behind them. Outside, he could hear the sounds of his other boys - Marcus screaming, David crying for help.
Terry looked down at Seth, then back at the door. His boys were out there, dying, and he was the only one who could save them.
"I'm sorry," he whispered to the unconscious Seth, setting him down gently. "I have to try."
Terry turned back toward the door, knowing he was probably walking to his death. But these boys were his family, his responsibility. He couldn't abandon them.
The System's Awakening
As Terry's footsteps faded into the distance, Seth's eyes suddenly snapped open. But he wasn't seeing the abandoned shop around him - instead, floating in his vision was text that seemed to be written in light itself:
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...]
[MULTIPLE SOULS DETECTED...]
[ERROR... ERROR... UNPRECEDENTED CONFIGURATION...]
[ADAPTING SYSTEM PARAMETERS...]
[FOUR CORES DETECTED: MIND, BODY, SOUL, CHAOS...]
[ABILITIES CATALOGUING...]
[ERROR... POWER LEVELS EXCEEDING SAFE PARAMETERS...]
[SYSTEM UPGRADE REQUIRED...]
[ESTIMATED TIME: 24 HOURS...]
[INITIATING EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS...]
[BASIC FUNCTIONS AVAILABLE FOR 1 MINUTES ONLY...]
[WELCOME, SETH... AND OTHERS...]
Seth stared at the floating text in amazement. "This is my ability? What is this? Where am I?"
He looked around the abandoned shop, his enhanced senses picking up details he'd never noticed before. He could hear Terry's heartbeat three blocks away, could smell the fear-sweat of the other boys, could feel the dimensional energy from the portal like a physical presence.
"Where are the others?" Seth called out, his voice echoing strangely in the empty space. "Terry! August! Fenn! Where are you?"
He approached the boarded-up window and peered through a gap in the wood. What he saw made his blood run cold.
The street was a warzone. Monsters of every conceivable shape and size roamed freely, hunting down anyone they could find. In the distance, he could see Awakening fighters trying to establish a perimeter, but they were losing ground.
And somewhere in that chaos were his friends - his family.
"What the hell is happening?" Seth whispered,
Seth's body was feeling increasingly exhausted, and a countdown from 10 appeared before his eyes, accompanied by the message: "VITAL FUNCTIONS WILL BE STOPPED - ERROR... VITAL FUNCTION RESPIRATION WILL REMAIN ACTIVE." As time went on, Seth became weaker and weaker, until he finally fainted.
## The Sanctuary of Strangers
The first thing Seth noticed was warmth—genuine, enveloping warmth that he hadn't felt in years. The sensation was so foreign that it momentarily startled him more than the unfamiliar ceiling above. Soft cotton sheets embraced his battered body instead of the cold concrete and rusted metal he'd grown accustomed to. The mattress beneath him was a luxury he'd only dreamed of during the harshest winter nights in their makeshift shelter.
Muffled voices drifted through the door, their tones carrying the weight of serious discussion. Seth's enhanced hearing—one of the gifts his transformation had apparently bestowed—picked up every word with crystal clarity.
"Do you really think it was wise to bring him here, father?" The voice belonged to a young woman, her concern evident despite the measured tone. "We barely know anything about him, and after what happened during his awakening..."
"Peace, my dear." The responding voice was deeper, weathered by years but kind. "The boy needed help. Look at him—he's nothing more than skin and bones. After such an intense transformation, it's natural he'd be exhausted. Besides, he's just a child, Mia. Whatever power he possesses, I doubt he's a threat to us."
"But father," Mia persisted, her voice dropping to a worried whisper, "shouldn't we at least notify the authorities? If they discover we're harboring an unregistered Awakening..."
Stefan's sigh was heavy with experience and bitter knowledge. "And what do you think they'll do to him? He's a street child, Mia. They'll take him, process him, and turn him into another weapon for their wars. They'll strip away everything that makes him human until only a tool remains." His voice softened as Seth heard the gentle sound of a hand stroking hair. "No child should suffer such a fate. We'll keep this between us for now."
Seth's heart clenched at the man's words. Even strangers showed him more kindness than the world ever had. But the thought of his friends sent panic shooting through his system.
Suddenly, text appeared in his vision, glowing with an ethereal light that seemed to bypass his eyes entirely:
**[ALL FUNCTIONS RESTORED]**
**[SYSTEM STATUS: OPERATIONAL]**
**[MULTIPLE PERSONALITY INTEGRATION: 75% COMPLETE]**
**[WARNING: CORE 4 INSTABILITY DETECTED]**
**[COUNTDOWN COMPLETE... 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...]**
"Terry! August! Finn!" Seth bolted upright, his voice cracking with desperation. "Where are the boys?!"
His sudden outburst was followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. The bedroom door flew open, revealing a teenage girl with midnight-black hair and piercing eyes that seemed to hold depths beyond her years. Behind her stood an older man with graying hair and the kind of face that spoke of both hardship and enduring compassion.
"Easy there," the girl—Mia—said, her voice carrying the authority of someone accustomed to dangerous situations. "If you don't want to pass out again, I suggest you stay calm."
Seth's eyes darted frantically around the room, taking in details his enhanced senses now processed with startling clarity. The wooden furniture, though simple, was well-maintained. The walls were painted a warm cream color, and actual curtains—not boards or newspapers—covered the windows. Sunlight filtered through them, creating patterns of light and shadow that danced across the floor.
"Mr. Stefan?" Seth's voice was barely above a whisper, recognition dawning. This was the restaurant owner they'd planned to rob—the man whose kindness had fed them scraps when no one else would.
"Rest easy, Seth." Stefan's voice carried the same gentle tone Seth remembered from their brief encounters. "You're in our home. This is my daughter, Mia. She found you in the collapsed building after the monster attack and brought you here. You're fortunate she was in the area."
The weight of what had happened began to settle on Seth's shoulders like a crushing burden. "Mia, please," he begged, his voice breaking, "did you see any of the others? August, Finn, Terry... any of them?"
Mia's expression softened slightly, but she shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I didn't see anyone else. The government declared Zone 7 a disaster area after the portal opened. It was classified as a Level 4 breach." She paused, studying his face. "I was there trying to hunt some weaker monsters to trigger my own evolution when the portal appeared. But a Level 4... the risk was too great. That's when I found you unconscious in the rubble and brought you here."
Seth bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. A Level 4 portal. The classification system was clear—anything above Level 2 was considered catastrophic. The mortality rate for Level 4 breaches was over 90% for non-Awakening individuals. His friends, his family...
*"Seth."* The voice in his head was different now—clearer, more distinct. *"You need to see this. There's something wrong with Tero."*
"Zen?" Seth whispered, barely audible.
"I think you should rest a bit more," Stefan interjected, misinterpreting Seth's reaction. "I'll prepare something for you to eat. You must be starving." His eyes held genuine concern as he studied Seth's malnourished frame.
As father and daughter left the room, Seth felt a familiar tugging sensation in his mind. He closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling his consciousness slip into the mental space where his fractured psyche resided.
## The Inner Sanctum
The mental landscape that greeted Seth was both familiar and terrifyingly changed. What had once been a chaotic void filled with arguing voices was now a structured space—a circular chamber with four distinct sections, each pulsing with its own colored light.
In the center stood Zen, his form more solid and defined than ever before. His appearance had evolved during the transformation—he now appeared as a young man with silver hair and eyes that held ancient wisdom despite his youthful features. Beside him stood Kazm, his form radiating physical strength and stability, with broad shoulders and hands that looked capable of crushing stone.
But it was the third figure that made Seth's blood run cold.
Tero writhed against massive chains that bound him to the far wall of the mental chamber. His once-human form was twisted into something nightmarish—his skin was cracked and bleeding, with purple energy leaking through the fissures like infected wounds. His eyes, once filled with aggressive confidence, now held nothing but mindless fury and an all-consuming darkness.
"What happened to him?" Seth demanded, stepping closer but maintaining a safe distance.
"The transformation affected us all differently," Zen explained, his voice heavy with sorrow. "You, Kazm, and I evolved. We became more than we were. But Tero... he couldn't handle the change. The power corrupted him, turned him into this."
Seth studied Tero's writhing form more closely. The chains holding him weren't physical—they were constructs of pure will, maintained by Zen and Kazm's combined effort.
"He's been like this since our cores manifested," Kazm added, his voice strained from the constant effort of containment. "The rage, the bloodlust... it's not Tero anymore. It's like something else is wearing his face."
Seth cautiously approached the chained figure. "Tero? Can you hear me?"
For a moment, the thrashing stopped. Tero's head turned toward Seth, and for just an instant, something resembling recognition flickered in those black eyes. But then the moment passed, and he lunged against his chains with renewed fury.
"LET ME OUT!" Tero's voice was a distorted roar that seemed to come from multiple throats at once. "I'LL TEAR THEM ALL APART! I'LL MAKE THEM PAY!"
But Seth noticed something crucial—while Tero's rage was directed at everyone, it seemed less intense when focused on him. When the creature looked at Zen or Kazm, its eyes held pure murderous intent. When it looked at Seth, there was still fury, but underneath... was that pain?
Without thinking, Seth reached out and placed his hand on Tero's twisted form. The skin was burning hot, pulsing with chaotic energy that made Seth's fingers tingle and burn. But he pressed deeper, using his newfound connection to peer into Tero's corrupted core.
What he found there made him gasp in horror.
The core—once a brilliant representation of primal strength—was now a writhing mass of contradictory energies. Dark tendrils wrapped around it like parasites, feeding off its power and poisoning it in return. The corruption wasn't just changing Tero; it was consuming him from the inside out.
"We have to find a way to save him," Seth declared, pulling his hand back from the burning contact.
"How?" Zen asked, his silver eyes reflecting deep concern. "We've tried everything we can think of. The corruption runs too deep."
"Then we learn more about it," Seth said with determination that surprised them all. "We figure out what's causing it and how to reverse it."
Both Zen and Kazm nodded, their respect for Seth's leadership evident even in this mental realm.
"Speaking of learning," Kazm interjected, "have you seen your cores yet? All four of them?"
Seth concentrated, and suddenly he could perceive the four energy centers within his mental space. They appeared as floating orbs of power, each pulsing with its own unique signature:
## The Four Cores
**🟣 Core 1 – Shadow Affinity (Seth)**
The core pulsed with deep purple energy, its surface rippling like liquid darkness. Seth could feel its influence on his personality—the urge to observe from the shadows, to strike when least expected, to solve problems through stealth rather than confrontation.
*Ability: Umble Through (Shadow Travel)*
*Type: Active*
*Description: Seth dissolves into his own shadow and emerges from any other shadow within a 15-meter radius. The transition is instantaneous and bypasses all physical obstacles.*
*Effect: Perfect stealth teleportation. Attacks immediately following this ability deal critical damage if the target hasn't detected Seth's new position.*
*Cooldown: 10 seconds*
**🔵 Core 2 – Soul Affinity (Zen)**
Zen's core radiated a serene blue light, but Seth could sense the terrible power contained within. This wasn't just healing or protection—this was the ability to touch the very essence of life itself.
*Ability: Soul Rend (Soul Tear)*
*Type: Active*
*Description: Through physical or energy contact, Seth inflicts a wound that damages the target's very soul. This injury ignores all physical defenses and cannot be healed by conventional means.*
*Effects:*
- *Permanently reduces target's maximum health by 5% (limited per target)*
- *Weakens the target's will and morale*
- *Can affect non-physical entities (ghosts, spirits, energy beings)*
*Cooldown: 30 seconds*
**🟤 Core 3 – Body Affinity (Kazm)**
Kazm's core thrummed with earthy brown energy that spoke of unbreakable strength and endurance. Seth could feel his muscles responding to its influence, becoming denser and more efficient.
*Ability: Titan Skin*
*Type: Passive/Active*
*Description: Seth infuses his muscles and skin with raw energy, doubling his body's density and dramatically enhancing his physical capabilities.*
*Effects:*
- *+50% physical defense*
- *+30% physical strength*
- *Immunity to knockback and resistance to cutting damage*
*Duration: 10 seconds*
*Cooldown: 20 seconds*
**🟢 Core 4 – Monster Affinity (Corrupted) (Tero)**
The fourth core was a writhing mass of sickly purpel energy shot through with black veins. Even observing it made Seth feel nauseous, as if the corruption was trying to spread to him as well.
*Ability: Monstrous Form*
*Type: Active (High Risk)*
*Description: Seth surrenders control to the corrupted core, transforming into a twisted creature of claws, fangs, and unnatural anatomy. Power increases dramatically, but control is completely lost.*
*Effects:*
- *+100% physical strength*
- *+50% speed*
- *Immunity to pain*
- *Uncontrollable bloodlust - attacks anything that moves*
*Duration: Unknown*
*Risks:*
- *Complete loss of control*
- *May attack allies*
- *Extreme exhaustion upon reverting*
- *Potential permanent corruption of other cores*