The twins moons of Neraveth hung low over the scorched plains of Veyr Province, their light pale and ghostly on the ruins below. Ash drifted like snow across the blackened fields. The once-lively village was now a skeleton of what it had been — burned-out houses, cracked wells, and the occasional glint of forgotten steel jutting from the earth.
Kaelith Veyr stood at the edge of the old well, staring at his reflection in the stagnant water. A boy of sixteen stared back at him, but his eyes were far older. Dark hair clung to his forehead from sweat, his frame lean but hardened from years of survival. Behind those eyes smoldered a hatred that refused to die.
Ten years. Ten years of this cursed life. Ten years since the war had taken his parents. Ten years since he had clutched his five-year-old sister Lyra in the ashes and whispered promises of safety he hadn't known how to keep.
A soft breeze carried the scent of charred earth and wildflowers — a strange mix of life and death. He closed his eyes, letting the memories crash into him. Angels with burning wings tearing through the sky. Demonic war machines rumbling like thunder. Elven sorcerers chanting spells that ripped the air apart. All the races had joined in the slaughter, and his family had been caught in their storm.
He had sworn vengeance that night. But vengeance required power, and power had always been out of reach.
"Kaelith…" A soft, familiar voice reached him.
He turned. Lyra Veyr, now fifteen, stood at the doorway of their makeshift hut, clutching a basket of foraged roots. Her long dark hair framed a delicate face streaked with dirt, but her bright eyes carried the same determination their mother once had. She was the only warmth in his frozen world.
"You've been out here for hours," she said quietly. "You'll catch a chill."
"I'm fine." His voice came out colder than he intended, but she was used to it by now.
Lyra frowned. "You keep staring at that well like it's going to give you answers."
He didn't reply. Instead, he turned back to the water. His reflection stared back — gaunt, tense, waiting. For what, he didn't know. For something.
A sound like a low chime echoed in his skull.
He stiffened. His vision blurred for a heartbeat before a translucent screen flickered to life in front of him, silver runes crawling across its surface like living script.
> [Nyxion Protocol Initializing…]
[Candidate: Kaelith Veyr]
[Compatibility: 93%]
[Directive: Survive. Conquer. Transcend.]
Kaelith's heart hammered. "No… way…"
A voice slid into his mind, feminine yet cold, like velvet over steel.
> "Candidate detected. Hatred: extreme. Despair: extreme. Potential: amusing. This should be fun."
He clenched his fists. "Who are you?"
> "Nyxion Protocol. Adaptive Evolutionary System. I am not your friend. I am not your savior. Fail, and you die. Succeed, and perhaps you'll crawl above the mud."
Kaelith's lips curled. "Fine. Show me my status."
The screen shifted:
> [Kaelith Veyr]
Race: Human (Commoner)
Level: 1
Strength: 10
Agility: 9
Intelligence: 12
Vitality: 11
Negative Points: 0
Signature Skill Locked: God of Negative Emotions
Lifespan: 68 years remaining
Active Quest: [Survive Initial Trial]
Punishment for Failure: Lifespan -3 years
He frowned. "God of Negative Emotions…?"
> "Locked until your Anger reaches 100. When unlocked, you'll absorb all negative emotions in range and weaponize them. Price: 15 years of your lifespan per activation. Use it wisely or die faster."
His breath caught. "Fifteen years…"
> "You wanted power. This is the cost. You can also earn Negative Points by draining misery from others. Spend them in my shop. Potions. Techniques. Lifespan. Even escape tools. But everything's expensive. No free rides."
"Show me the shop," he said.
Another screen opened:
> [Negative Points Shop]
Minor Healing Potion – 10 NP
Shadowstep Technique (Beginner) – 50 NP
Lifespan Crystal (+1 Year) – 500 NP
Emergency Escape Scroll – 1,000 NP
??? (Locked)
> "You have 0 NP. Maybe try earning some instead of staring, hmm?"
Kaelith's jaw tightened. This system was nothing like the benevolent "guides" of the old legends. This was a predator forging another predator.
"Kaelith!" Lyra's scream shattered the night.
He spun around, instincts flaring. Without thinking, he bolted toward the hut. He burst through the door to find her on the floor, clutching her chest, eyes wide with terror. Black veins pulsed beneath her skin, creeping toward her heart.
> "Interesting," Nyxion purred. "There's something inside her. Old. Dangerous. It's trying to take her."
"What are you talking about?!" Kaelith dropped to his knees, gripping Lyra's shoulders. "Lyra! Stay with me!"
Her lips moved soundlessly. The black veins pulsed faster.
> "You're out of your depth, candidate," Nyxion said. "Extraction requires payment."
His head snapped up. "How much?"
> "Fifteen years of your lifespan. I'll merge the entity into you. She'll live, but you'll carry its burden."
His mind screamed at him. Fifteen years. But he didn't hesitate. "Do it!"
> "Transaction accepted. Goodbye, fifteen years."
Pain like molten steel ripped through him. His veins lit with shadowlight as the black energy surged from Lyra into him, slamming into his core. His vision went white, then black. Nyxion's voice echoed like distant thunder:
> "Congratulations. Entity extracted. Merged. Signature Skill unlocked: God of Negative Emotions."
Kaelith collapsed, gasping. Lyra blinked up at him, color returning to her cheeks. "Kaelith…?"
"I'm here," he rasped, pulling her into his arms. "You're safe now."
Nyxion's voice was a whisper of knives.
> "You've changed, candidate. You're no longer just a commoner. You're a ticking bomb. Let's see how long before you explode."
He ignored her, holding Lyra close. But deep inside, something new had awakened. A hunger. A power. A curse.
Slowly, he rose. "We're leaving this village."
"Where?" Lyra asked weakly.
He stared at the horizon, where the floating spires of Aetherion Academy glimmered faintly. "To learn. To grow. To get stronger. To destroy the ones who did this."
His hand clenched into a fist. "No more hiding."
Nyxion chuckled darkly.
> "Finally, some ambition. Fine. I'll even set you a quest."
Another window appeared:
> [New Quest: Enter Aetherion Academy]
Reward: +100 Negative Points
Punishment for Failure: -5 Years Lifespan
Kaelith smirked despite himself. "Fine. Let's begin."
The twin moons hung above like watchful eyes as Kaelith and Lyra set out into the night, the ruins of their old life behind them, and the first steps toward vengeance ahead.