The battlefield still smoked long after the last of the Legion fled. Ash drifted on the wind, clinging to armor and skin. Red Fang warriors gathered the wounded and mourned their dead, their victory cries replaced by grim silence. The valley stank of burnt wood, scorched metal, and blood.
Reid stood apart, watching the flames consume the wreckage of the siege engines. Every pulse of the shard echoed in his chest, a reminder of the darkness coiling inside him. His arm burned where the black veins had spread, crawling higher toward his shoulder.
Kaela approached slowly, her expression a mix of pride and fear. "We won. But at what cost?"
Reid didn't look at her. "Cost doesn't matter when the alternative is death."
She reached for his arm, then stopped short when the glow under his skin flared. "You're changing, Reid. More than you realize."
Lira arrived with her usual grin, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Changing? Maybe. But whatever this is, it's working. We're still breathing."
Mara's voice came sharp from behind them. "For how long? You saw it. That power isn't natural. It's eating him alive."
Reid turned, meeting their gazes one by one. "I'll control it. I have to."
The Bond's voice coiled in his thoughts, eerily calm. "Control? You are control. They fear what they cannot understand. Let them fear."
That night, the Red Fang feasted quietly. There was no singing, no laughter. Warriors stole glances at Reid, whispering behind their hands. Some looked at him as a savior, others as something they should fear. The shard pulsed faintly from his pack, its glow casting eerie shadows on the tents.
Kaela sat beside him, breaking the tense silence. "They don't know what to make of you anymore."
Reid kept his eyes on the fire. "I don't care what they think."
"Maybe you should," she said softly. "A leader who scares his own allies walks a thin line."
He didn't answer. The Bond did. "You do not lead them. You carry them. They are the ones who should prove themselves to you."
Lira dropped down next to Kaela, smirking as if to break the mood. "You two look way too serious. Come on, hero, enjoy the victory while it lasts."
Mara stayed at a distance, watching quietly, her arms folded tight. She said nothing, but her eyes said enough.
Far from the valley, Selene stood on a balcony overlooking the council's capital. The night sky was alive with streaks of red mana as messages carried between towers. The news of the Legion's defeat had reached them.
Commander Ryn bowed low. "The Legion has failed. Their engines are gone."
Selene's expression was cold and calculating. "Good. That means the shard has taken root."
Ryn frowned. "And if he masters it?"
She turned, her eyes glinting. "Then he becomes a greater prize. Prepare the next phase. Release the Shadowborn Assassins. Let's see how far he can fall before the end."
Reid woke in the dead of night, drenched in sweat. His dreams had been filled with swirling glyphs, burning skies, and a voice that wasn't just the Bond—it was something deeper, older. Chains snapping, a darkness rising. The shard throbbed like a heartbeat against his skin.
The Bond's voice was a whisper at the edge of his thoughts. "Did you see it? Did you feel what waits for us? That is not fear. That is destiny."
Reid pressed a hand to his temple. "Not now."
"You can't run from what you are, host."
When morning came, the camp was restless. Scouts returned with reports of fresh tracks—silent movement through the hills, too precise to be hunters or soldiers. Kaela brought the news to Reid with a grim expression. "The council sent assassins. They're already here."
Reid flexed his arm, the black veins glowing faintly. "Then we hunt them first."
The next night brought a thick mist that clung to the valley like a shroud. Fires burned low, casting long shadows that twisted across the camp. Warriors stood on edge, clutching their weapons, every creak of wood and rustle of leaves setting them on alert.
Reid moved through the fog like a predator, his senses razor-sharp. The shard pulsed against his chest, and every beat seemed to whisper warnings. The Bond's voice was quiet but laced with anticipation. "They come for you, host. Let them try."
Kaela stayed close, her spear ready. "We need to set traps. These assassins won't fight us head-on."
Mara perched on a ridge, scanning the mist with her bow drawn. "They're already watching us. I can feel it."
Lira's grin cut through the tension. "Good. I love an audience."
The attack came without warning. A Red Fang guard screamed as a shadow detached from the mist, slicing his throat before vanishing. Another warrior was pulled into the darkness, leaving only a spray of blood. The assassins moved like wraiths, their black glyphs shimmering faintly as they slipped between shadows.
Reid caught the glint of a blade just in time, twisting aside as an assassin struck. Their weapons were thin and curved, coated in poison that hissed against the ground where it spilled. He countered with a slash from Veil Rend, the Bond's energy crackling through the air. The assassin vanished before the blade connected, reappearing behind him.
Kaela intercepted with a swift strike, forcing the assassin back. "They teleport through the shadows! Watch your backs!"
Mara's arrow flew, pinning one to a tree, but the body dissolved into mist, leaving no trace. "They don't die like normal soldiers," she called.
The Bond's voice sharpened, almost amused. "These are no soldiers. They are prey that thinks itself predator."
Reid's vision narrowed, the shard's corruption flaring as he tracked the faint distortion in the mist where the assassins moved. He lunged, catching one mid-phase and ripping through its form. The creature shrieked, collapsing into black smoke that seeped into the ground.
System prompt:
[Objective Updated: Eliminate All Shadowborn Assassins]
[Hidden Effect: Shard Resonates with Shadow Energy]
Kaela and Lira fought back-to-back, their movements perfectly synchronized. Mara covered them with rapid shots, each arrow glowing faintly with a rune Kaela had etched earlier. The assassins grew bolder, surrounding them, blades flashing in and out of the mist.
Reid felt the Bond's influence rise, dark tendrils creeping along his arm. "Give me more, host. I will show them fear they cannot escape."
He gave in partially, letting the shard's power flood through him. His form blurred, moving faster than the assassins could react. One by one, he tore through them, each kill feeding the darkness until the fog itself seemed to recoil.
The last assassin tried to vanish into the mist, but Reid's hand shot out, dragging it back into the light. His blade ended its life in a single, brutal strike.
The fog lifted slowly, revealing the carnage. No bodies remained—only the faint smell of burnt glyphs and scattered black residue. The Red Fang warriors looked at Reid in silence, some with awe, others with unease.
Kaela stepped closer, her expression tense. "That power… you're losing yourself to it."
Reid met her eyes, his voice low. "I'm still in control."
The Bond chuckled in his head, soft and mocking. "Are you?"
Mara lowered her bow, frowning. "The council won't stop here. This was just a test."
Lira wiped blood from her cheek, smiling. "Then I hope they send more. I'm just getting warmed up."
Reid glanced at the horizon, where a faint glow of red light bled into the sky. "Let them come. We're ready."
The camp was quiet after the fight with the assassins, but the silence felt unnatural. It wasn't the stillness of peace—it was the pause before something worse. Reid could feel the shard vibrating against his chest, resonating with some distant force.
The Bond whispered with a tone that was almost reverent. "They're preparing something greater. Chains, host. I smell their magic. They think they can bind you."
At dawn, scouts returned with grim news: massive chains of glowing glyphs had been erected across the canyon pass ahead. The council had sealed the valley with a barrier meant to trap them inside. Any attempt to cross would end in death.
Kaela slammed her spear into the dirt. "They're boxing us in. If we stay, we starve. If we move, we burn."
Mara studied the map, tracing the canyon lines with her finger. "There's no way around. They're forcing us to walk straight into their trap."
Lira leaned back on a rock, grinning despite the tension. "Then we spring it on our terms."
Reid stood at the edge of the ridge, staring at the faint glow in the distance where the chains were anchored. "We break it."
Kaela looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Those glyphs aren't just barriers. They're designed to drain anyone who touches them."
The Bond purred. "Let them drain, host. I will take their power and return it a hundredfold."
Far away, Selene observed the glowing network from atop a cliffside watchtower. Her fingers danced along a control crystal, feeding mana into the chains. "When he touches them, they'll sap his strength and lock his power. The shard will consume him in the process."
Commander Ryn smirked. "And if he somehow breaks through?"
Selene's cold smile never faltered. "Then he will come to us. And we will have everything we need."
The Red Fang gathered that night under the shadow of the glowing barrier. The glyphs hummed with a sickly red light, throwing eerie patterns across the rocks. Even standing close made the air heavy and hard to breathe.
Kaela crossed her arms. "A direct assault is suicide."
Mara nodded. "We need a plan that doesn't end with all of us dead."
Reid stared at the chains, feeling the shard throb against his chest. "I can take them. I can feel the glyphs pulling already. They want me."
Kaela grabbed his arm, her eyes fierce. "If you do this alone, you'll die."
He pulled away, his expression unreadable. "Then stay behind."
The Bond's voice echoed in his mind, smooth and poisonous. "Yes. Let them fear. Let them watch. You and I will break their chains."
Lira stepped up beside him, smiling like she had nothing to lose. "Guess you'll need someone to pull you out if you get fried. I'm coming."
Mara sighed, stringing her bow. "You're all insane."
Reid drew Veil Rend, its edge crackling faintly. "We move at first light. We'll shatter their cage."
System prompt:
[Quest Updated: Break the Council's Chains]
[Optional Objective: Prevent Glyph Feedback from Consuming Reid]
That night, Reid stood alone beneath the stars, the glow of the barrier painting the horizon red. The Bond's whispers were almost a lullaby now. "Tomorrow, you will see. Power isn't taken—it's claimed. Claim it, host. Claim it all."
Kaela approached quietly. "If you lose yourself in there, I'll do what has to be done."
Reid looked at her, a flicker of something human in his gaze. "Then don't let me fall."
She nodded, gripping her spear. "I won't."