Chapter 5 – The Hunter in Crimson
The moon hung low, its pale glow strangled by thick clouds. The forest had changed. Trees whispered secrets in a language Kael hadn't heard before—yet somehow, he understood.
> "The blood of predators stains your soul now," they whispered. "And prey smells it."
Kael's steps slowed. His breath misted in the cold air. Something was wrong.
> He wasn't alone.
Then he heard it.
Snap.
A twig behind him.
Kael didn't turn. He just spoke.
> "You're late."
The air trembled—and then it struck.
A crimson blur tore through the air, aimed for his throat. Kael ducked, spun, and countered with a shadow spike—but his enemy was gone before it even landed.
The assassin appeared in front of him, standing on a branch as if gravity feared her.
Roan.
One of the Guild of Thorns' elite. Silver hair. Crimson coat. Eyes like frozen steel.
"You've killed three Rankers," she said calmly. "I'm here to return the favor."
Kael didn't blink. "They tried to end me first."
Roan shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Guild rules are law. You know how this works."
She vanished again.
This time Kael was ready. His body moved with a grace that wasn't his own—something primal, awakened.
Shadow trails split from his boots, cushioning his movement. He ducked a slash, blocked another with a blackened armplate that had grown over his skin.
> The fight was chaos. Fast. Brutal. Every strike tested Kael's resolve. Every dodge drained his stamina.
But something inside him thrived on it.
> "Skill unlocked: Shadow Sync (Rank D) – Sync with darkness to enhance reflexes."
His muscles screamed.
His breath grew ragged.
And then he saw it—an opening.
He stabbed his hand forward. Not with a blade, but with his shadow—it extended like a spear, impaling Roan's thigh.
She hissed and flipped back, blood painting the leaves below.
Kael didn't chase. He stood still, panting.
"I didn't want to kill you," he muttered.
Roan wiped her blade clean, her face pale but focused. "You didn't."
She disappeared into the forest.
But before the silence returned, her voice echoed:
> "They'll send more."
> "Next time… it won't be me."
---
That Night…
Kael sat beside a small fire. His hands trembled—not from fear, but from what he was becoming.
He stared at his reflection in a pool of water nearby.
> His eyes weren't human anymore.
> They were darker. Hungrier.
He whispered to the night, "I don't know what I'm turning into. But I know I'm not stopping."
---
[Hidden Trait Unlocked – One Who Walks Alone]
> You resist all mind control.
You gain increased power when no allies are nearby.
You are marked by fate.
---
And for the first time since that cursed raid, Kael allowed himself to cry—not from sorrow, but because he finally accepted the truth:
> There was no going back.
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End of Chapter 5