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Chapter 4 - Chapter 4 – Threads Stirring

The gates of Blackthorn Clan loomed above me, their wooden pillars scarred by years of war. Guards lounged lazily by the entrance, spears in hand, laughter on their lips.

None of them expected me to return.

I pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders, hiding the strange glow still clinging to my skin. To them, I must remain what I had always been: a cripple, a failure.

Not the thing that walked away from a field of corpses.

One guard squinted, lowering his spear. "Wait… Damien?" His voice cracked in disbelief. "You're alive?"

I forced a bitter smile, let my shoulders sag. "Barely. They all died out there."

Whispers rippled instantly. "The trash survived? But the elites didn't?" "Impossible." "He must've hid under the corpses."

Good. Let them believe I was pathetic. That mask would keep blades from my throat—for now.

As I walked through the clan's streets, the stares cut deeper than any sword. Children pointed. Elders shook their heads. The word "waste" floated through the air like smoke.

I didn't answer. I couldn't. Because if I opened my mouth, the hunger gnawing inside me would spill out.

Instead, I lowered my gaze… until I froze.

Above the people, faint threads shimmered. Lines of pale silver connecting each life, swaying like strands of spider silk. I blinked hard, but they remained.

What… is this?

The System's mechanical whisper echoed in my mind:

[Abyssal Insight Unlocked.][Perception of Fate Threads achieved.]

My breath caught. I wasn't just seeing people—I was seeing their destiny. Each thread pulsed faintly, strong or weak depending on the person. Some threads shone brightly, others frayed, on the verge of snapping.

But then I saw it—one thread burning gold, thick as a rope, leading into the distance.

Not a clansman. Not anyone here. Something else. Something watching.

My heart slammed against my ribs. I knew instinctively what it was.

Heaven.

The balance that crushed all who defied it.

The Abyss inside me stirred, darker than ever. The System remained silent, offering no warning, no comfort.

Only hunger.

I turned away quickly, slipping into the shadows of my quarters before anyone could notice the fear burning in my eyes.

For the first time since awakening, I realized—my power was not invisible.

And Heaven was already watching.

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