[ Thought infection as been used on you]
[Your mind is being subdued]
I froze.
My limbs wouldn't move—trapped inside my own body, like watching the world through a cracked mirror. A whisper crawled through the fog in my head.
It wasn't from here.
It was through Ren.
But I had no intention of being subdued. Not after everything I'd lost.
[Passive Trait: Divine Light is blossoming]
[Blossoming stalled due to lingering regret]
[Condition for changing Passive Trait "Divine Light" has been met]
Light burst out of me—gentle but fierce. It wasn't raw power. It felt right. Like something true, sacred… mine.
But it still wasn't enough.
> [Due to the rank of your Light, the effects of "Thought Infection" remain active]
The light dimmed.
My knees buckled. I felt hollow. But somewhere inside, a part of me… shifted.
And yet—I still didn't remember who I was.
A figure stepped through the haze. Not a spawn. Not a beast.
A shadow shaped like a man.
Without thinking, I called it—Vampire's Cleaver.
The crimson dagger formed in my hand, humming softly like it hadn't tasted blood in days.
"Calm down," the stranger said. "I'm not here to fight. Just want to talk, Night."
His voice was too calm.
I didn't know him. Not really.
When he stepped into the half-light, I raised the blade. "Who are you?!"
He smiled like nothing mattered. "No one important."
[Thought Infection is being used on you]
My stance shifted. Not by choice.
My body knew before I did—it was him.
He tilted his head. "Relax. The real fun's just getting started."
Then he said something that turned my blood cold.
"Why don't you join the party?"
Footsteps echoed behind me.
Familiar ones.
I turned, heart already breaking.
"…Ren."
His clothes rippled like they were alive.
In his hand, a long sword.
But his mind…
Why was it so quiet?
He lunged.
I reacted barely in time, ducking sideways as the blade grazed past me. My flames surged, aiming for his blind spot.
But his clothes moved—on their own—and blocked them. Then they lashed at me.
I leapt back.
---
Rune: Ren
Name: ????
Attributes: —
Traits: [Lightless Veil]
Chronicles: []
State: Subdued
---
The last word said everything. Subdued.
Even after I suppressed that cursed trait, the effects had never left.
But that didn't explain the shroud around him. It didn't explain how he could use it like it was his own.
I couldn't afford to open the link between us… not while he was infected.
Ren charged.
His blade moved like lightning. His clothes slithered with deadly intent, striking at my throat and heart—vital spots. I twisted out of the way, just barely.
> [Thought Infection has been activated]
[Your mind is being subdued]
"Damn it…"
I called the flames again, but they were weak—too weak. Like me.
[Passive Trait: Divine Light has been activated]
The light rushed in—into my arms, my spine, my heart.
But the moment it touched my chest—
I coughed blood.
Something was wrong.
My aen… it was running wild.
---
His eyes were empty.
His movements precise—like a puppet dancing to a song I couldn't hear. His sword came down again—fast. Too fast.
Sparks flew as I blocked, but my blade trembled.
I couldn't match him.
[Thought Infection has been activated]
[Passive Trait: Divine Light is reacting]
[Divine Light is blossoming]
[Blossoming failed]
[A Penalty Has Been Given]
A penalty?
The hex had never said that before.
Pain tore through me. My soul buckled. My blood roared through every cut as Ren's living cloak pierced my stomach.
I staggered, choking on the pain, on the memories, on the regret.
I couldn't hold on.
Was I really going to die… because I couldn't let go of what I'd already lost?
Because I still didn't know who I was?
Why can't I even keep my regrets…
Why can't I just be enough?