Kael woke up choking.
Cold stone scraped against his palms as he coughed violently, dragging air into burning lungs. The scent of rust and damp earth filled his nose, thick enough to taste.
This wasn't the plaza.
He forced his eyes open.
A cavern stretched endlessly around him, its jagged walls glowing faintly with crimson veins that pulsed like living flesh. Above, there was no sky—only darkness layered upon darkness.
Chains rattled.
Kael stiffened.
He looked down and felt his stomach drop.
Black chains coiled around his wrists and ankles, half-embedded into his skin as if they had grown from his body. They were cold, heavy, and very real.
"Get a grip," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
Pain flared in his chest.
The mark.
Kael tore open his torn shirt with shaking hands.
The sigil was still there.
A jagged black symbol sat over his heart, glowing faintly red, as if something beneath it was breathing. Every pulse sent a chill straight into his bones.
Footsteps echoed in the distance.
Kael's head snapped up.
From the shadows, silhouettes emerged—humanoid shapes twisted beyond recognition. Their bodies were stitched together with bone and shadow, eyes glowing a dull, hateful red.
Monsters.
They began to move.
Kael scrambled backward, chains dragging across the stone. His heart hammered wildly.
"I don't have a weapon," he whispered. "I don't have powers. I don't have—"
The sigil burned.
A sharp, commanding pain exploded through his chest, dropping him to his knees.
Then—
[Abyssal Interface initialized.]
A translucent black screen appeared before his eyes.
Kael froze.
Name: Kael Vire
Status: Bound
Curse: Abyssal Brand (Active)
Synchronization: 3%
Warning: Host survival required.
"What… is this?" Kael breathed.
The creatures screeched and lunged.
Instinct screamed at him to run, but the chains tightened, rooting him in place.
[Ability available.]
Abyssal Borrowing — Level 0
Temporarily borrow power from the Abyss. Cost: Undetermined.
Undetermined?
"That's reassuring," Kael muttered bitterly.
One of the creatures leaped, claws extended.
Kael didn't think.
He activated the ability.
The world shattered.
Darkness surged through his veins like molten ice. The chains dissolved into smoke, flooding into his body. Power—raw and violent—coiled inside his muscles.
Kael moved.
In a blur, he stepped forward and drove his fist straight through the creature's chest.
It didn't scream.
It simply… ceased to exist.
The remaining monsters recoiled, hissing in fear.
Kael stared at his blood-slicked hand, trembling.
He had never felt anything like this.
Strong.
Alive.
Dangerous.
The power faded.
Pain followed.
Kael collapsed, coughing as black veins briefly crawled up his arm before retreating beneath his skin.
[Abyssal Borrowing ended.]
Synchronization increased: 5%.
Warning: Prolonged usage will result in loss of autonomy.
Kael lay there, breathing hard, dread settling into his chest.
"So that's the price," he whispered.
The darkness around him stirred.
Something vast watched from beyond the cavern walls.
Amused.
[Trial 1 initiated.]
Objective: Survive until dawn.
Failure: Death.
Kael forced himself to stand.
His hands shook, but his eyes hardened.
"Fine," he said quietly. "If this nightmare wants me dead…"
He clenched his fists.
"…it'll have to work for it."