Grayhaven had become unrecognizable.
Crimson veins ran through stone and wood, glowing faintly, pulsing as if the town itself had a heartbeat. Fires burned unchecked, filling the night with smoke and ash. Citizens screamed and scattered, some falling to their knees in terror, some frozen in disbelief, unable to comprehend what was happening.
At the center of it all stood Isaac Ardent, his chest heaving, hands trembling, red light radiating from him like molten sunlight. The Scarlet King within him had begun to stir more fully, pressing against the fragile boundaries of his human consciousness.
"Do not fear," the voice whispered, patient and eternal.
"You are mine. Through you, all will kneel."
Isaac shook his head violently. "No… I am not ready! I don't want this!"
But the world did not wait for him to be ready.
The First Enemy
From the shadows of a half-collapsed alleyway, a figure emerged.
Tall, clad in dark robes adorned with sigils that glowed faintly, the man's eyes shimmered with divine energy. A priest? A hunter? A god? Isaac could not tell. The figure raised a staff tipped with a pulsating crystal and spoke in a voice that cut through the chaos.
"Isaac Ardent. The vessel of the Scarlet King… you will be restrained, or you will die. Stand down!"
Isaac's heart raced. He had never fought a human or anyone before, and yet something inside him stirred. The Scarlet King's will pressed against the edges of his mind.
"Do not hesitate. Kill, or be destroyed. Show them your strength."
The man attacked. A wave of energy erupted from his staff, aimed directly at Isaac's chest. Time seemed to stretch, every second heavy as molten energy. Isaac's hands rose instinctively, crimson aura spilling outward.
Boom.
The attack struck his aura and shattered into fragments. The ground beneath Isaac cracked and shifted, sending stones tumbling through the streets. The force did not harm him.
The Scarlet King's laughter echoed in his mind not cruel, but amused.
"You feel it, don't you? The power of kings past. Of worlds crushed beneath my will. Use it."
First Kill
Isaac felt fear, horror, and awe yet his body moved on its own. Crimson energy surged outward in a wave. The figure was caught in its flow, thrown back into a wall with a deafening crack. The force was not enough to kill, but Isaac's aura continued to expand uncontrollably, feeding on the panic, feeding on the chaos.
The man rose again, eyes wide with disbelief. His next strike was faster, sharper. Isaac's reflexes enhanced by the Scarlet King's fragments allowed him to dodge instinctively. Time seemed slower around him. The aura pulsed, reacting to his fear and rage, bending reality ever so slightly with each heartbeat.
The next impact struck him in the chest. Pain shot through Isaac, burning, but instead of breaking him, it awakened more power. His aura flared violently, and with a thoughtless gesture, the attacker was crushed beneath an invisible force, his body twisted unnaturally before disintegrating into crimson sparks.
Isaac screamed. His own voice trembled. "I… I didn't mean to!"
"Intent does not matter. Only result matters."
The Scarlet King's will had taken a step forward. Isaac was no longer fully in control
but neither was the King fully awakened. They were a single storm in two halves, balancing on the knife-edge between mastery and chaos.
System Update
A familiar glow appeared in Isaac's vision:
[SYSTEM UPDATE – CRIMSON DOMINION]
Host: Isaac Ardent
Authority Rank: Active Sovereign – Combat Mode Engaged
Seal Fragment Status: 2 / 7 – FRAGMENT UNLOCKED
New Abilities Detected:
▸ Reality Distortion (Minor)
▸ Crimson Aura (Active, Tier 1)
▸ Enhanced Reflexes & Perception
▸ Pressure of the First Sovereign (Passive, Combat-Linked)
Mental Stability: 3% → WARNING: Vessel at critical limit
Isaac blinked. His mind felt like it was on fire. Every memory of the Scarlet King the wars, the crowns, the screams flooded him at once. He staggered, falling to his knees, hands pressed to his head.
"You cannot resist me forever, Isaac. You are my vessel. And through you, I will reign once more."
Isaac's body shivered. He hated it. He hated the voice, the power, the destruction he had wrought. And yet… a small, terrifying thrill ran through him. He had felt power beyond imagination. A fragment of divinity, a fragment of the first king of all worlds, now coursed through him.
The Town Reacts
Fires continued to burn unchecked. Citizens who had survived were screaming, pleading, some bowing to him in terror, assuming he was a god or a demon. Isaac looked around, horrified.
"Stop… please… I don't want anyone else to"
"Silence. They will kneel or die. That is law."
The Scarlet King's voice was no longer just a whisper it was a presence, living and breathing in Isaac's mind. He felt its patience, its cold amusement, and its indifference toward human morality.
And yet, Isaac still fought.
He raised a hand, trying to focus. Slowly, consciously, he restrained the aura. The crimson light retracted slightly, the pulse easing, though every movement caused buildings to tremble.
The priests, soldiers, and survivors stared in awe, terror, and disbelief. One elderly priest whispered to another:
"Do you see it? The power… it is the Scarlet King. He walks among us. And the boy… he survives."
The Awakening Continues
Isaac fell to his knees, exhausted, his chest heaving. His body trembled, his aura still glowing faintly. The Scarlet King's presence remained in his mind, patient and eternal.
"This is only the beginning," it whispered.
"The first seal is but a fragment. Six more remain. One by one, we will awaken them. One by one, the world will kneel."
Isaac swallowed hard, fear clawing at him. "Six more… six more fragments?" he whispered.
The Scarlet King's voice chuckled.
"You will survive them. You will endure them. You will embrace them. Or you will die trying. Either way… the throne awaits."
Isaac looked around the ruined streets, the frightened citizens, the cracked stone, and the smoking ruins. He had fought and survived. He had felt power beyond comprehension. And he had understood the truth:
The world had changed.
And Isaac Ardent, whether he liked it or not, was no longer just a boy.
He was the vessel of the Scarlet King.