I ran, my chest burning, my heart pounding like it wanted to tear through my flesh. My sneakers slipped on the ground, the heavy backpack dragging me down, cans of food and a water bottle weighing on every step. The robbers were so close I could feel their menace, a crushing pressure bearing down on me. Their furious shouts chased me, growing louder, promising to catch me. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to end like this.
— Riveny! Over here! — Caio's voice cut through the air, hoarse, dripping with desperation. My best friend, the guy who grew up with me, who shared the last dry crust of bread when hunger clawed at us, who laughed with me on nights we dreamed of a better future. He stood at the corner, waving, his hoodie hiding half his face. I trusted him. I always had.
I pushed harder, my lungs screaming for air, my legs shaking with exhaustion. The robbers were mere steps away, their presence like claws ready to drag me down. Caio reached out, eyes wide, and I grabbed his hand, relief flooding me for a fleeting moment. Just a moment.
— Help me, man, they're gonna— — My voice died as a searing pain erupted in my back. A cold, precise blow, as if the world had paused to watch my flesh tear. I collapsed to my knees, the backpack sliding off, my body trembling as desperation took hold. I clawed at the ground, trying to hold on, but my strength was slipping away. I looked up, dazed. Caio stood there, gripping a bloodied knife, his face devoid of emotion. No guilt, no hesitation. Just an emptiness that shattered what was left of me.
The robbers stopped behind him, their low laughter like predators certain of their kill. Caio crouched, yanking the backpack from my shoulders with a brutal tug. I reached for him, my arms weak, panic and betrayal burning hotter than the pain. He was my friend. The guy who taught me to laugh despite the misery, who swore we'd survive together.
— Why? — My voice came out weak, a gurgle as I fought to breathe, to understand, to not break.
Caio didn't answer. He tossed the backpack to one of the men and turned away, as if I were nothing. As if our laughter, our promises, our struggle meant nothing. Rage surged, a fire keeping me conscious even as my body gave out. I tried to crawl, nails digging into the ground, wanting to grab him, to make him feel this pain. But darkness swallowed my vision, and the last thing I saw was his back, walking away, never looking back.
The pain vanished, replaced by a void that seemed to dissolve me. No ground, no air, no body—just a nothingness pulling me down, like a leaf falling into an endless abyss. For a moment, I thought of Caio, of the nights we laughed until it hurt, plotting to steal a future the world denied us. That version of me—the kid who trusted, who dreamed—was dead, stabbed alongside my body. Only hatred remained, pulsing like a flame that refused to die.
— Interesting. — A voice sliced through the void, deep, laced with mockery at my rage. It wasn't human, vibrating with an ancient, cruel presence, as if the abyss itself had spoken. — So much fury in such a fragile body. So much… promise.
— Who are you? — My voice erupted, brimming with hatred, even without a mouth to speak. Caio's betrayal fueled me, even in death. — Show yourself, now!
The darkness shifted, forming a faceless silhouette, only its green eyes glowing like embers. It was immense, dominating the void as if it owned it, challenging me with its presence.
— You're dead, kid. Stabbed by your best friend. And you call me a coward? — The voice was sharp, each word stoking my rage like a blade.
— What do you want? To torment me before I fade? Get it over with! — I wanted to lunge, to destroy this thing, even without a body. Hatred was all I had, all that kept me whole.
— I don't want your pain. I want your hatred. — The silhouette drew closer, its green eyes piercing mine. — It's useful. You're useful. Want to make Caio pay? Want to make them all pay?
I hesitated, not from doubt, but because I felt the weight of its offer. This wasn't salvation—it was a game, and I was the pawn. But the image of Caio, the knife, the backpack torn away—it burned me. The desperation of dying betrayed, of losing everything, was stronger than any suspicion. I couldn't fade. Not without vengeance.
— What are you offering? — My voice shook with rage, not fear.
— A new beginning. A world where power is everything, where betrayals like yours are common currency. Gravemarch. — The word fell like a curse, heavy enough to make the void tremble. — There, you can be more than a victim. You can be a predator. But the system that rules that place, a force that judges and shapes all, doesn't tolerate anomalies. And you, Riveny, are a flaw it didn't foresee.
— System? Anomaly? Speak plainly! — I wanted to grab this thing, force answers, my hatred pulsing even in death.
Another laugh, colder. — You'll understand. Accept, and be reborn. Refuse, and vanish into the void. Choose now.
I didn't trust it. Not its words, not its promise. But the thought of fading, of disappearing without making Caio pay, without avenging what was taken, was unbearable. I remembered the kid I was, laughing with Caio, believing in promises. He was dead. Only hatred remained, and I'd use it.
— Send me to this Gravemarch. — My voice came out as a growl. — And if you're lying, I'll find you and rip those glowing eyes from your face.
The silhouette didn't laugh this time. Its green eyes narrowed, sizing me up. — Brave. Or foolish. We'll see. — The darkness swallowed me, a relentless current. — Welcome to Gravemarch, Shadow Heir.
And then, everything went black.