{RAIN}
A few days ago . . .
Another unstable dungeon. Another gamble with death.
I wasn't here for treasure or glory. I was searching—for fragments of time itself. Clues, relics, beings—anything that could turn back the clock.
That was the purpose of my existence now. Even if it killed me.
A flash of memory blurred my vision. Smiling faces.
My comrades.
My mate.
Their bloodied corpses scattered across the ground.
I clenched my teeth.
I will bring you all back.
I swore it.
The dungeon stank of rot and brimstone. Ungolen and deviles crawled from the shadows, snarling, their twisted bodies writhing with malice. They were nothing.
My blade cut through them as if I were carving smoke. The real problem waited in the final chamber.
If deviles were here, then the boss would likely be a demon.
Perfect.
A demon might have the magic I needed—the power to rewind fate itself.
I pushed open the gate to the boss room.
"Come out," I shouted. My patience was already running thin.
The chamber stirred. From the shadows, a small figure emerged—a girl.
At least, she looked like one. Multiple horns curled from her skull like a crown. Her crimson hair tumbled in waves down to her bare toes. Bat-like wings unfolded with a snap, a tail swaying behind her. Her scarlet eyes burned with amusement.
A demoness. God-level aura.
She tilted her head, smirking. "Mm, a half-beast. And an S-rank this time. Not bad."
I didn't answer. Words were wasted on monsters. My sword sang as I lunged, blade flashing toward her throat.
But she was faster. She vanished and reappeared behind me, laughter spilling from her lips as my strike cut nothing but air.
"If you don't shift into your beast form, you'll never defeat me," she teased.
Her voice dripped with honey, but I felt no pull from her charm. My skills weren't for show.
I spat on the ground, glaring back at her. "Like hell I'd give in to that mindless rage."
"Oh? No wonder my charm doesn't work on you. You've got a strong will, half-breed. Stronger than most."
"Shut up and die."
I closed the distance again, blade sparking against her nails as she blocked with nothing but her hand. She smiled, unfazed.
"Such impatience." She flicked her wrist.
The air rippled—then the floor rose up and swallowed me whole. My body slammed against stone, blood rushing to my head. The impact rattled my bones.
I roared, forcing myself back up, every muscle straining. My sword carved through the rubble, my skills blazing one after another. Blades of light, bursts of energy, slashes fueled by everything I had left.
But this was a god-level demon. My strongest strikes barely scratched her. She danced around me, wings fluttering lazily, laughter filling the chamber.
Unbeatable.
My lungs burned, sweat dripping down my jaw. My heart pounded against my ribs. If I wanted to survive—if I wanted to keep my promise—I had no choice.
The beast inside me stirred.
No . . .
My hands shook as power pulsed beneath my skin. My vision blurred at the edges. My instincts screamed to let it out, to release the monster I had locked away.
If I shifted, I would lose control. Become nothing but a savage animal tearing through everything in my path.
But if I didn't . . .
I was already dead.
The next thing I knew, horns ripped through my skull. My vision warped red. My muscles tore and rebuilt themselves, veins surging with raw, animalistic power.
The beast inside me had broken free.
The demoness's smile finally vanished. Her playful eyes hardened, narrowing into something sharp and wary.
"Ah . . . so you chose to shift," she murmured, wings twitching. "Too bad. I didn't want to kill you. You're handsome—even for a mortal. I would've liked to keep you as my pet. But . . ."
Her words cut off.
I lunged.
The rest was nothing but a blur of claws, steel, and blood. My body moved on instinct, savagery drowning reason. The world fractured into screams and darkness.
When I woke again, the stench of battle was gone. Instead, the polished wood of the guild house ceiling hovered above me.
My body ached, my head still pounding from the aftershock of the beast form.
And then—those eyes.
Cedrick, the Guildmaster of the Purple Citadel, stood over me, arms folded. His gaze was cold, disapproving—like a judge staring at a criminal.
"You lost control again," he said flatly. His tone carried no anger, only authority. Which was worse.
My jaw clenched. I wanted to spit back, to tell him to mind his own business. But I couldn't. Not with his skill.
Cedrick had a talent that made lying impossible. No one walked away from his questions without spilling the truth. And if I refused to report what had happened in that dungeon . . .
Except for the curse festering inside me—one I hadn't even realized yet—I reported everything about the demoness.
That alone was enough for the higher-ups to enforce the new law: unstable dungeons could no longer be challenged alone.
I didn't know what became of her after the beast inside me took over, whether I had killed that demoness or merely driven her off, but that dungeon was already cleared and gone, so that meant I had killed her, right?
But one thing was certain—she had left her mark on me. A brand no skill, no relic, no priest could erase.
Now I walked with it every day.
A ticking time bomb inside my chest.
A curse I could never remove.
Until she appeared.
An elf girl. Young—or at least she looked it. With elves, appearances meant little; they could live for centuries without a wrinkle, just as beastkin did.
She was small in stature, platinum hair cascading like silver silk, eyes glowing a deep ruby that caught the light. Her frame was lean, yet her curves were undeniable—ample breasts, smooth white skin that almost glowed. Cute, yes . . . but also disarmingly beautiful.
And with her, my life hadn't been the same again.