Lucas sat on the cracked stone steps of the ruined courtyard, the faint glow of the crimson moon casting jagged shadows across his face. The wind carried the smell of ash, mingled with the faint metallic tang of blood. Across from him, Kael leaned against a fractured column, his breathing heavy but steady.
"You know," Kael said after a long silence, "we could just walk away from all of this. Leave the factions to tear each other apart."
Lucas looked at him with an expression caught between bitterness and fatigue. "And then what? Pretend the world isn't burning? That the people who trusted us didn't die for nothing?"
Kael gave a sharp exhale, almost a laugh but too hollow to be called one. "You talk like a hero, Lucas. But heroes die early. And painfully."
Before Lucas could answer, a dull vibration rippled through the courtyard—low, guttural, and alien. The earth beneath their feet cracked, sending tiny pebbles rolling. Out of the shadows emerged a cloaked figure, the fabric fluttering unnaturally despite the still air. The hood slipped slightly, revealing eyes that glowed like molten silver.
"Lucas Veyren," the figure said, voice like two tones speaking in unison. "Your choices have started to bend the threads of the Nexus. You've drawn attention."
Lucas straightened, his hand drifting instinctively toward the hilt of his blade. "Who are you?"
"An emissary," the being replied. "Sent to offer you a choice—accept the Chaos Affinity that festers inside you, or have it stripped away forever."
Kael's jaw tensed. "That doesn't sound like a choice. It's a threat."
The emissary's gaze slid to Kael. "You… are irrelevant to this bargain."
Lucas stepped forward, the crimson light sharpening the lines of his face. "If I accept, what happens?"
"You will no longer be shackled by the laws of this plane," the emissary said. "Your power will grow beyond mortal comprehension. But you will not remain… entirely human."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then the Nexus will reclaim the shard within you. You will return to being… ordinary." The emissary tilted their head. "Your enemies will remain extraordinary."
Silence stretched, thick and dangerous. Kael pushed away from the column, moving to Lucas' side. "Don't. They're manipulating you. That kind of power always comes with chains you can't see until it's too late."
Lucas' mind raced. The Chaos Affinity had saved him before—allowed him to survive fights he had no right winning. But it had also whispered in his ear when his rage burned brightest, tempting him toward cruelty. Every victory came at a price, and the tally was growing.
"What's the catch?" Lucas finally asked.
The emissary's molten eyes brightened. "Every action you take will ripple into the Nexus. Worlds will shift. And some will end."
Lucas felt the weight of those words settle in his chest like lead. "So… I'd be a walking disaster."
The emissary smiled faintly. "Or a god."
A sudden, piercing cry echoed from the western watchtower, snapping their attention. The air above the horizon shimmered, and a massive rift tore open in the sky, spilling black fire into the night. From its depths, shapes moved—winged, hulking, and unmistakably hostile.
Kael drew his weapon with a hiss of steel. "Decision time, Lucas!"
The emissary extended a hand, palm up. "Choose."
Lucas looked from the hand to the growing tide of horrors spilling from the rift. His heart pounded. Every instinct screamed at him to survive—by any means necessary.
He clenched his fists. "If I take it… I'm in control. Not you."
The emissary's smile widened. "Then we have an accord."
The moment Lucas' hand touched theirs, raw energy surged through him—blinding, searing, and intoxicating. His vision exploded with impossible colors, and every sound in the world rang like crystal.
When he opened his eyes, the rift seemed smaller. Or maybe… he had grown.
Kael stared at him in shock. "Lucas… your eyes…"
Lucas turned toward the oncoming horde, feeling the chaos pulse under his skin like a second heartbeat. "Let's end this."