Soren's words hung heavy in the air, raw with a pain that resonated deep within him. "As a child, I spent days killing out of pure rage, but my brother… he was the one who kept me sane, who kept my humanity. But someone had to take him away, fueling my rage and making me lose my sanity." His voice cracked, a tremor running through him. "I felt sad at first, but the more I grew, the more I suddenly realized… why should I bother? Why should I fight? I mean, I lost my parents and my brother, but now it seems like I might lose my friends."
He lifted his head, his gaze hardening. "But I will stop it. Even if it means losing my own soul, I won't ever, ever let them go."
Umbros and Fang stood before him, seemingly unaffected by his outburst. Yet, a faint, almost imperceptible smile cracked across Fang's otherwise serious face.
"Fine then," Umbros began, his golden eyes warm. "If you wish to save them now, you will be incomplete. But since you are willingly ready to fight and protect them, I am truly grateful. You are my reincarnation." Umbros's smile deepened, a rare, genuine expression of pride in what Soren was becoming.
"A heartless murderer, a soulless body, and a true living human being," Fang mused, his voice a low, resonant rumble. "What a truly wonderful story, but yet it is still uncompleted. So, what are you saying? Should you lend him some power, maybe ten percent?" Fang looked at Umbros, a hint of challenge in his tone, a subtle push for more.
Umbros raised an eyebrow, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. "Sure, but why not lend him yours instead? I mean, you are more attuned to such power."
"Yes, I would," Fang replied, his gaze unwavering. "But light is faster than darkness. What I mean is, Soren is the embodiment of both light and darkness. After his brother's death, Horuto was supposed to be the embodiment of light, and Soren the embodiment of darkness. But since Horuto is dead, it seems the Nightshade – or Prime Stone, as humans call it – changed owners. Soren has the other half of the light, not fully, but it lies deep within him, wedged perfectly, waiting to be unsealed."
"I see," Umbros murmured, his confusion clearing. "I suppose it makes sense why I couldn't sense full darkness, only half. I found it strange, but now… I understand." He raised his hands, and a jet-black flame ignited in his palms, casting an ethereal glow. Before Soren could even react, he felt a strange, internal pressure. Looking down, he saw Umbros's hands seemingly phasing through his own body, placing the flame within him.
"Don't worry, kid. The truth shall be revealed when the time is right, but right now, you are not ready. This pain will hurt you… a bit," Umbros said, his voice surprisingly gentle.
"A bit," Soren echoed, a silent protest as his body was consumed by an inferno of agonizing heat. It felt as if hell itself had been placed within him, burning from the inside out. The more he stood and did nothing, the more the heat intensified, reaching a crescendo that ripped a guttural scream of raw despair from his throat. But it was for a greater good. For Horuto. For his friends. He endured it.
His vision swam, then sharpened. His hair became pure gold, a brilliant, true golden yellow. His eyes, previously sky blue, now mirrored Umbros's own intense, golden gaze. His voice grew deeper, richer. His instincts heightened, and he could hear the smallest dust motes settle, the faintest whisper of distant winds. But it felt… weird. He didn't feel entirely himself. It was as if his own thoughts were a faint echo in a larger, more powerful mind.
He looked back at Umbros and Fang, but they were gone. The entire space had dissolved into a vast, featureless expanse of jet-black darkness. As he continued to look around, he saw a horrifying reflection: himself, covered in blood, laughing.
"Look at you, you're just so pathetic," the blood-soaked reflection sneered, its voice a chilling echo of his own. "You have to get help every time. Why can't you just do things yourself? I mean, look around you! I'm sure there's someone who's practically doing the impossible. You are so pathetic. You want to revive your dead brother, crying to h—"
Before the reflection could finish that sentence, something snapped within Soren. He teleported – a blur of golden light – grabbing the blood-soaked figure by the throat. He expected it to beg, to cower, but it only laughed, a cruel, mocking sound that resonated in the dark void.
"Want to hear a story?" the reflection chuckled, its eyes gleaming with malevolent glee.
Soren stood frozen, confused by the sudden shift.
"In a deep void, there was a God whose name is still unknown to this very day," the being began, its voice taking on a hypnotic cadence. "After creating humans, he cried. His tears formed into stones, which are the very stones everyone so praises. He cried because of humanity's corruption and cruelty, and humans used his tears as a way to fight each other, far stronger than before, fueling his sadness. His own creations acted as if there was a being flipping the table. Years after years, he looked at humans with love, but they rejected him. He decided not to interfere with humans afterwards."
The reflection's grip on Soren's attention tightened. "Years and decades passed. Humans started to adapt to situations, causing the God to feel a glimmer of happiness, knowing his creations adapted to the unknown that awaited them. Through his boredom, he wanted to create beings which were the closest to being a God, just like him. He took a piece of his own hair, blew on it, which caused the hair to grow into an egg. He didn't want to raise them, as he felt he could trust humans at least once more. He planted the egg into a random woman. The woman felt a bit scared, unaware that a great wonder was taking place within her. After the 27th of April, she gave birth to two sons, naming them Asura and Umbros."
Soren felt a jolt of shock, hearing Umbros's name.
"But she remembered she hadn't been with any men lately, so she was confused," the voice continued. "Through that confusion, she gave the boys the best life, until one day. A being arose from the darkest part of the void. He looked human, but his skin was red and he had a broken horn with a running scar across his face. Feeling a deep hatred for the God, he declared to ruin his sons' lives, as the God himself didn't hear him. Taking this opportunity, he plotted everything: the sons' birthday, their first day at school, their first phone, and their first crush. Marking it, he destroyed their lives. He messed up everything by killing their only mother."
The voice grew colder, more cutting. "The God noticed these happenings. He checked everywhere to find the root of the problem. There he was: an all-evil being. He was the reason humanity couldn't progress. The God decided to kill him by uttering a single word: 'Kill yourself.' Without a doubt, the all-powerful being made the evil one erase himself. Looking back, he saw Asura and Umbros awaken, making him happy. He helped them by making it easier for them to understand. By the end of the day, Umbros represents darkness, fear, and the void, while Asura represents light, grace, and merciful. Umbros having the ability to control darkness, fear and and erase almost everything aside he also have the abilityto alter reality a gift he received from me, and Asura had the ability to control light and create lifeforms. They each went their own respective ways. Asura built a city where he restored the dead and infused them with their stone, causing them to be powerful…"
The blood-soaked reflection of Soren paused, a chilling smile playing on its lips. "And that's where the story ends. For now. What do you say, 'Unwritten King'? Still want to save your friends? Still think you're pathetic?"
Soren's golden eyes blazed. The rage, the grief, the desperate need to protect – it all fused into a single, overwhelming surge of power. He didn't answer the taunt. Instead, he gripped the reflection's throat tighter, the jet-black darkness around them swirling in response to his amplified emotion. He understood now. This was not just a test of power, but a test of his very being. The truth, raw and painful, had been laid bare.
He was a vessel, yes, but also a chosen one, intertwined with the fate of beings beyond his comprehension. And his brother, Horuto, was meant to be the other half of this cosmic balance. The realization fueled a new kind of fury, a silent promise that he would not let their sacrifices be in vain.
With a primal roar that tore through the void, Soren unleashed the full, unbridled power of the black flame Umbros had gifted him. The darkness around them shattered, not into fragments, but into a blinding, golden light. The mocking reflection screamed, dissolving into nothingness as Soren's will asserted itself, consuming the self-doubt and despair it represented.
A New Awakening
Soren gasped, his eyes snapping open. He was back in the small, unfamiliar room. The golden light in his hair and eyes faded, replaced by his usual jet-black and sky-blue, but the sensation of immense power still thrummed beneath his skin. He felt… different. Not just stronger, but profoundly changed. The chaos that usually simmered within him had been replaced by a cold, sharp clarity. The despair was still a deep well, but now it was controlled, a quiet strength rather than a consuming fire.
Fang stood before him, his white hair glowing subtly. His blue eyes, now more vibrant, held a look of profound satisfaction. "A fascinating method, Umbros. Crude, but effective."
Umbros, who had now fully materialized and stood beside Fang, smiled faintly. "The fastest way to understand oneself is to confront the deepest parts of the void within. He has found his center. And," he added, looking at Soren, "he has awakened the first true fragment of the Unwritten King."
Soren staggered to his feet, feeling an unfamiliar weight in his body, a sense of immense potential. He looked at Fang, then at Umbros, his mind reeling from the deluge of information, the horrifying tale of the God, Asura, and Umbros himself. "What… what do I do now?"
Fang chuckled, a sound surprisingly free of mockery this time. "Now, little host, you begin. You have touched the power. You have glimpsed the truth. The 50% is no longer an insurmountable peak. It is merely the next step."
Umbros stepped forward, his golden eyes meeting Soren's. "The path of the Unwritten King is not one of senseless destruction, but of understanding and balance. You will learn to wield the shadows, yes, but also to bring light to the dark corners. Your despair will guide you, but your resolve will define you. The world, it seems, has far more hidden tears to uncover."
A sudden, sharp tug pulled at Soren's perception. The room shimmered, and then, with a dizzying lurch, he was no longer there. The cold, damp air hit him, the familiar scent of alley grime filling his nostrils. He blinked, finding himself standing over the prone figures of Maya and Ashley, and the dead knight lying nearby.
He had truly done it. He had manifested. The vision had become real.
"Are you guys okay?" Soren asked again, his voice still deeper than usual, tinged with a new, quiet authority that startled even himself. He looked at Maya and Ashley, their faces still etched with shock and pain. The truth of their world, the hidden powers, the ancient conflicts – it was all bleeding into his reality.
This was no longer just about Horuto. It was about Maya, about Ashley, about the very forces that had driven them to such desperation. He had faced his own inner demons, unlocked a portion of his power, and now, he was standing at the threshold of a conflict far grander than he could have ever imagined. The game had truly begun.