Kain Morrain

Kain:

What the hell is going on with me? My limbs are back—as if they never disappeared. A black cloud swirled around me. Why? What are they?

Suddenly, a black sword appeared in my hand.

"What the hell is this?"

"KAIN!"

Elara's scream pierced through the darkness.

I turned around, but there was nothing—just emptiness. The world around me was dark, suffocating, as if I were drowning in my own emotions. "Save her! Save her! Save her!" The helplessness clawed at me, horrifying and unrelenting. I needed to escape this darkness before it consumed me entirely.

"Kain…"

A woman's voice whispered through the void.

"Who's there?" I called out.

"Find me…"

Her voice was faint, almost pleading. Who was she? Where was she?

"I-I'll do my best," I muttered, clenching my fist.

As I did, the darkness shattered like glass, and I found myself standing outside once more.

"Woah… What happened to me?"

"KAIN!"

Elara's shout snapped me out of my daze. My body moved on its own, dodging the Dagon wolf's relentless attacks. I wasn't sure what I was doing, but it was working—for now.

"YES! I KNEW IT!" Elias's voice roared in excitement.

Suddenly, I felt normal again. The sword vanished from my hand, and my injuries were gone. But the Dagon wolf was still looming before me, readying its next strike.

BOOM!

Hikari appeared out of nowhere, landing a devastating punch that sent the wolf crashing to the ground.

"Hey, you alright?" she asked, glancing back at me.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, still catching my breath.

Her armor was cracked and worn, the metal splintered in places. Behind me, Elara and Elias stood with their hands stained—was that my blood?

"Hikari! Nice job!" Elara called out, running toward her.

"STOP!" Hikari held up a hand. "The Dagon wolf isn't dead yet."

The wolf twitched on the ground, forcing us to back away.

"Hikari, where's the woman?" I asked.

"She's safe. I took her far from here."

"Elias, can you help her find her son? He went north—uh, that way!" I pointed, realizing I still wasn't used to this world.

"Alright, anything to help!" Elias sprinted off in the direction I pointed.

"Elara, can you assist me and Hikari?"

"I'll provide support from a distance," she said. "This enemy's too big for me to handle up close."

"Alright. I trust you to have my back," I said, and she nodded in agreement.

Turning back, I focused on summoning the shadow from earlier.

Focus. Focus. Focus.

The shadows poured out again, crawling up my skin like living tendrils. The cold tingling sensation made my skin prickle.

"Imagine…"

"…What you desire."

"What I desire?" I whispered.

I thought of my brother—the reason I was even here. I didn't know how or why I'd been brought to this world, but I couldn't return home without finding answers about him. But what I desire more than anything is to kill that damn Dagon wolf before I ever die.

"If it's what you desire…"

A dark, raspy voice spoke.

Everything went black again.

"KAIN, STOP!"

Elara's voice echoed through the void.

No—what was I doing? I had to stop.

"If it's what you desire, I will grant it," the male voice said.

"You will not!"

A woman's voice cut through the darkness.

"You don't control his fate, nor do I. But he has a long journey ahead of him. For now, I will release him."

Release me?

Suddenly, I could see again. Standing before me was the woman who had spoken. Her hair was as dark as the shadows around us, blending into the void. Her eyes glowed crimson, and her withered clothing made her appear almost ghostly.

"W-Who are you?" I stammered.

"I'm sorry. I cannot answer that," she said softly. "But when the time is right, you will learn everything."

The shadows around us began to crack.

"Wait! Why can't you tell me now?" I shouted, reaching for her as I was pulled away.

"I'm sorry… but you're not ready."

Her figure vanished as I was yanked back into the light.

I gasped, bolting upright and clutching my chest.

"What the hell was that?" Hikari yelled.

"W-What's going on? Why are you shouting at me?" I asked, confused.

"Do you not see what you did?" Elara said, her voice sharp with disbelief.

I looked down, noticing the dark red blood covering me.

"I-Is this mine?"

"No," Hikari said. "Look to your left."

I turned and froze. The Dagon wolf lay in two clean halves, its massive body motionless.

"That was… me?" I whispered, stunned.

"Yeah," Hikari replied. "Now, what the hell happened?"

"Let's talk about it inside my shop just right there, Captain Hikari and Elara come and join us!" Elias was surprisingly enthusiastic about this.