Soon, I was on my knees in a grand obsidian hall, not daring to look up. The Void Reflection Deity's presence hung like a curtain of night, stars swirling in its shadow. I pledged myself to his divine grace, my hands stained with familial blood. In return, it branded my soul with the Starry Mark, etching a reflection of the divine inside me.
The Starry Corps cheered. My tears fell silently onto the black marble floor, but inside, it was no longer sadness but true happiness.
Days blurred into years.
Training, killing, rising. I became Awudan, a Zealot of the Starry Corp, a black-robed supreme genius who led hunts and shattered sects. My laughter grew hollow. My devotion grew fervent than ever. Every victory felt like sinking deeper into the deity's warm reflection.
There was a day- I finally received a suicide mission.
