When the meeting ended, Lucen stumbled out into the night air. The city skyline still bent wrong where the rift had been, lights flickering through twisted towers.
He leaned against a pillar, breathing hard, hand pressed to his chest.
[System Alert: Corruption Threshold Approaching.]
[Options: Force Purge / External Stabilization / Abyssal Release.]
He laughed to himself, the sound cracked and raw. "…None of those sound fun."
Footsteps approached.
A new voice, low and unfamiliar, brushed his ear. "You burn too bright. They'll smother you before you blaze."
Lucen snapped upright, eyes narrowing. "Who the hell—"
But the street was empty.
Only his system blinked again.
[Unknown Signal Detected.]
Lucen's grin returned, sharper than ever. "…Well, that's new."
Hunters passed in and out in ragged waves, some bandaged, some pale, all worn down.
Lucen sat at the far edge of the marble steps, coat collar tugged high, watching the chaos with a lazy smirk.
[Corruption Load: 91%]
