The ground beneath him shivered, in response. He felt the same presence again. The same presence that lurked in the mist of the void, now closer, sharper. Somewhere beyond the veil of reality, as if something was watching him.
A chill ran down his spine as konoke said telepathically:
"Your eye is the key."
Then Ryzen says
"W-who's said that?!?" As his voice trembled.
Then shadows of the room stretched unnaturally, bending toward him, curling like claws. His right eye pulsed as his body stiffened, with sudden light instinctively pushing them back. Ryzen staggered forward, his breath unsteady, the ground beneath him cracked.
The air pulsed like a heartbeat, then tore open with a burst of dark red flames. From the rupture crawled a figure cloaked in jagged ripples of dark shadows. Its eyes like molten lava, its voice dripping with venom.
"So… it chose you as its vessel, a pathetic little mortal!" The demon said.
The creature's words vibrated in Ryzen's mind. His instincts screamed to run, but something deeper surged within him, the same force that had altered his eye. His right eyes vision shimmered, outlining the figure not just in flesh, but in streams of flowing energy weak points glowing faintly like cracks in a stone.
The figure raised its clawed hand as he hurtled a shadow spear at him. Then Ryzen flinched, throwing up his arm and to his shock, the Ethereal pupil in his right eye blazed. A crystallized shield formed in front of him, blocking the spear mid-flight.
The impact threw him backwards as adrenaline flowed through his body.
Then he says "What… what was that?!"
He said out of shock. Staring at his trembling smoking white hands.
The enemy chuckled, stepping closer. "That power...It is a gift you do not deserve.
That eye will be mine!" The demon said.
Then heat built up in Ryzen's chest fiercely, as ethereal smoke flowed up his arms. As instinct guided him he thrust out his palm, as he sent a powerful burst of smoke at the demon. Then a sickle of ethereal energy formed and crystallized in his hand.
Its edge hummed, as threads of Calistria's power were woven into its form.
Then the entity snarled, baring its fangs.
And for the first time, Ryzen did not hesitate.
He lunged, as his scythe hummed in his grip. Sparks of energy scattered as it met the shadow demons's claw, the clash ringing like metal on glass.
The impact rattled through his bones, but he pushed forward, every nerve burning with unfamiliar strength.
The creature snarled, its form flickering between solid and smoke. "You fight like a child wielding a weapon too great."
Ryzen swung again, guided by instinct more than skill.
His right eye pulsed brighter, showing the glowing fracture at the enemy's chest. He drove the sickle toward it only for the shadow to twist aside with inhuman speed. A backhand strike caught him in the ribs, sending him skidding across the ground.
Pain seared his body.
He coughed, spitting blood, his scythe flickering dangerously as if it might vanish. The whispers from the void returned, urgently: Do not falter. Stand.
The shadow raised both arms gathering a spear of corruption flames, twice the size of the last but more dense.
As he said "That eye is wasted on you, human-mortal. I will retain it."
Ryzen forced to his knees, vision blurry. His chest heaved, his whole body shaking but the sickle still shimmered faintly in his grasp. He raised it, not in strength, but in defiance.
Before the spear could strike, a sudden tremor tore through the ground.
The shadows recoiled, the fissure behind the creature tour opened. The demon hissed in fury, its body unraveling into a molten state. Then the demon says:
"NOOOO…. this isn't over, Ryzen!!!" As he snarled, his voice echoing as its form dissolved into the fissure as he laughed menacingly. "He is coming." Then the void shifted to silence.
The scythe shattered from his hand, scattering into particles. Ryzen collapsed, gasping, his right eye started glowing faintly. He was alive, but barely. His body ached, his mind spun, and his heart pounded with a truth he couldn't ignore.
But he had power now. But it came with enemies already hunting him. Then Ryzen stirred awake on a couch. The fabric scratched lightly against his cheek, and above him a ceiling light hummed faintly, its glow stuttering in uneven flickers. He blinked rapidly, his vision still hazy.
"Was that… a dream?" he said in thought, lifting a shaky hand to his temple. A sharp throb pulsed behind his eyes as shards of memory returned shards of crystal, a voice from the void, the explosion.
His breath quickened. He tore the sheet from his body and ran his hands over himself, searching for burns, blood, anything. Nothing. Not even a scratch.
"But… what was that thing?" The thought echoed in his mind, cold and unanswered.
The front door creaked open. Ryzen shot upright, heart pounding.
A girl stepped inside, the pale light catching her features. Her eyes were neon lavender with yellow hair.
When she saw him awake, her expression shifted from tension to relief.
"Oh! You're awake!" she said, almost dropping the bag she carried.
Ryzen stiffened. "Yeah. Wait, how do you know my name?!"
The girl paused mid-step, startled by his sharp tone. She blinked once, then let out a quick laugh that carried a nervous edge.
"Oh, uh… it was on the tag of your jacket. You were out cold in the forest after the explosion in Morinomi Park. I couldn't just leave you there, so… I brought you here."
Ryzen scratched the back of his head, heat rushing to his face as he realized how defensive he'd sounded.
"Right… I totally forgot about that." His voice dipped, embarrassed. He glanced away, then forced himself to meet her gaze. "Thanks for taking me in. But… who are you?"
The girl's expression softened. "Oh, My name is Umatsume Hanashi," she said, offering a small, gentle smile.
"But are you feeling okay? When I found you, you were smoking… like you'd just been struck by lightning."
Ryzen chuckled nervously, rubbing his ribs where the Phantom's sting still lingered. "Yeah… it kind of felt like that. But I'm fine. Really."
Then Ryzen leaned back into the couch, still shaken. His fingers drummed nervously against his knee as silence settled between them. Umatsume set her bag down by the door, brushing a strand of blue-tinted hair behind her ear. Her lavender eyes lingered on him, but glowed faintly even in the flickering light. Something about them felt… unnatural. Not human, at least not completely.