Kael stared across the clearing at the man who had knocked him through a tree like he weighed nothing. His ribs throbbed. The divine energy within him surged anxiously, preparing to react—but Kael held it back.
Not yet.
He needed answers.
The man stepped closer, his dark armor pulsing with red sigils that looked like scars across the plating. His eyes glowed with a dull crimson light—no warmth, just hunger.
"I saw the trial's light," the man said. "Didn't think anyone else would survive one of those. Guess you're not just lucky."
Kael rose to his feet. "Who are you?"
The man gave a mocking bow. "Name's Raen. Once a disciple of the High Temple. Now? I suppose I'm what you'd call a failure."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "You bonded with a divine fragment?"
Raen smirked. "No. Mine was forced into me. By the High Priests. Said I was a 'promising vessel.' Turned out I wasn't quite what they hoped for."
He raised one hand, fingers twitching. Black mist crept along the ground, and a nearby bush withered to dust.
"They tried to kill me when I couldn't control it. But it was too late by then. The spark had already changed me."
Kael didn't move. "Why are you here?"
Raen's smile faded. "Because unlike you, I don't have the luxury of balance. My spark is corrupted. Unstable. I burn just to exist."
His eyes narrowed. "The only way I live… is if others like you die."
Kael felt the pull of instinct again—divine energy rising within him like a storm waiting to break.
"Then I guess we fight."
Raen grinned, and the forest exploded into motion.
---
Raen vanished in a blur.
Kael barely managed to activate his Temporal Perception—the skill he'd glimpsed before. Time slowed just enough for him to sidestep Raen's initial strike.
The corrupted godling crashed past him, tearing through a stone pillar like it was paper.
Kael summoned Celestial Chains, sending three silver tendrils lashing toward Raen's back. The chains wrapped around his arm—but instead of trapping him, they sizzled against his armor and melted like wax.
"Nice trick," Raen growled. "But I've eaten things stronger than light."
Kael didn't respond. He raised both hands and activated Command Seal.
> Command Seal: Radiant Spike – Type II.
A glyph circle formed in front of him, and a javelin of golden light burst forward, spiraling with immense force.
Raen raised his arm, blocking with a dark shield made of swirling void energy. The impact shook the ground, sending out a shockwave that knocked trees flat in all directions.
Kael stumbled, panting.
He had power, but he wasn't trained for prolonged combat. Raen, however, fought like someone who had survived battles every day since his rebirth.
Raen's body twitched, red sparks crackling along his arms.
"I've burned cities with less effort than this," he said. "But I'll admit—you're the first to make me feel pain in months."
Kael summoned another seal, this time whispering something new.
> Command Seal: Soul Divide.
A ripple of translucent energy surged toward Raen, aimed directly at his corrupted divine core. If Kael couldn't overpower him, maybe he could destabilize his link.
The energy hit Raen square in the chest.
He froze.
His eyes widened—and then he screamed.
Black smoke poured from his mouth and chest as the divine spark inside him flickered violently.
Kael pressed the advantage. He launched forward, divine energy coating his fists. A punch to the chest. A kick to the jaw. A chain wrapped around Raen's neck and flung him into the ground with a thunderous crack.
Raen groaned, smoke leaking from his wounds.
Kael stood over him, breathing hard.
"It doesn't have to end like this," he said. "We can figure this out together."
Raen laughed, coughing blood.
"You think this is a story about hope?" he rasped. "No. This is a story about power. And the price of stealing what was never meant to be yours."
He reached into his chest—and pulled.
Kael gasped.
Raen's divine spark was… visible. A jagged, pulsing shard of blood-red light surrounded by black flames.
And he was tearing it out.
"I'd rather burn with it," Raen snarled, "than let you live."
He slammed the spark into the ground.
The world screamed.
---
The forest shattered.
The trees around them disintegrated.
A dome of red energy expanded outward, devouring everything in a half-mile radius.
Kael raised both arms and summoned every bit of his power.
> Command Seal: Celestial Barrier – Stage I.
A dome of silver energy formed around him just in time to absorb the brunt of the explosion. The impact sent him flying backward, crashing into the remains of a hill.
Smoke filled the sky. The ground was scorched black. Birds and insects were gone. Nothing remained but silence and ash.
Kael coughed, staggering to his feet.
Raen was gone.
Nothing remained of his body—only a crater where the corrupted spark had detonated.
Kael stood there for a long time, staring into the smoldering void.
That could have been me, he thought. If I'd lost control.
---
Later that night, Kael sat beneath a broken tree on the edge of the blast zone.
His body ached. He was bruised, exhausted, and mentally drained.
But alive.
And stronger than before.
The System's voice returned.
> Battle Complete.
Enemy: Corrupted Ascendant (Raen) – Neutralized.
Divine Synchronization: 64%
New Skill Unlocked: Divine Absorption (Passive – Locked)
New Domain Detected: Destruction (Unstable)
Kael stared at the glowing interface, his eyes widening.
He was evolving.
But so was the danger.
If there are others like Raen—more unstable fragments out there—how many more are coming?
He clenched his fists.
No one was going to save him. There was no hero waiting in the wings. No divine council offering answers.
He had to become strong enough to survive.
Strong enough to thrive.
---
Far away…
In a black cathedral surrounded by clouds of ash, figures in golden robes knelt before a throne made of bone and silver.
A man sat on the throne, cloaked in shadows, his eyes glowing faintly with a color that didn't exist in the natural world.
One of the priests spoke.
"The vessel in the east has fallen. Fragment lost."
The man did not move.
Another priest said, "The rogue spark grows stronger. His stabilization is increasing."
The man's voice was quiet. Cold. "Send the Watcher. He will test the boy's potential."
They all bowed.
And somewhere in the void between realms, something stirred.
---
[TO BE CONTINUED]