Bloodmarked

The Titan staggered from the blow, glaring down at me with contempt. Blood streamed down its massive leg, but the wound seemed to barely faze it. 

"You're fast...for a human." the Titan sneered, its voice laced with hidden anger. "But you're weak." 

My grip tightened around Lucian's hilt as I struggled to stay upright from the earlier blow.

'I think I broke a rib or two. I have to end this now.'

The Titan raised his fist again, and I knew I didn't have enough time. The crushing pressure was unbearable, but the Titan's weight was still uneven. My eyes flickered to the Titan's wounded leg. It was weakening him, slowing down his movements. 

'I need to make it count.' 

With all the strength I could muster, I dashed forward again, using the Titan's slowed speed to gain an advantage. The Titan swung at me again, but I ducked under it, moving closer to its leg. The Titan roared, trying to swat me away but it was already too late.

In one swift motion, I stabbed upwards, driving Lucian into the Titan's knee, deep in the joint. The beast howled in pain, staggering from the gushing wound. 

 While gasping for air, I ripped Lucian out from the knee as I took a few steps back.

The Titan roared, picking up its massive axe. Swinging it down at ferocious speed. I barely managed to parry it. Its strength had decreased massively. It couldn't generate any power from his legs. 

"Hah, so now I'm worthy!" I sneered, sweat dripping from my brow.

The titan swung again, blow meeting blow. I stood firm, the force of it shaking my body whole, but I would never waver. 

Not now. Not ever. 

The Titan's grip faltered for a moment, but that moment was for me to exploit. I twisted my sword into the Titan's wrist. The axe fell to the ground. With one final burst of strength, I thrust Lucian into the Titan's side. 

The Titan howled in agony, its massive body jerking from the blood being poured from the wound. It staggered, then crumpled to the ground. 

I stood over the beast, panting, my body and sword stained with the Titan's blood. I felt a sense of euphoria as I wiped my face, sweat drenching my shirt. 

Looking at the Titan's body, my eyebrows furrowed.

'He should be dead, right? Well, better to be safe than sorry.' 

I thrust Lucian into the Titan a few more times definitely not cursing the bastard. 

You believe me right? 

Anyways, I lifted my shirt seeing a purple bruise form around my stomach.

"Shit, if I see another monster, it's going to be the death of me." 

Clenching my fist, I relished the fact I had killed the Titan. Victory. But was it truly a victory? If the Titan had come with the intent to kill at first, would I have been breathing right now? No.

Falling to the ground and unable to catch my breath, the labyrinth spoke:

"Ah…little pawn. You endure. You bleed. You survive. For now…"

The sound had echoed in every corner, walls pulsing as the mocking voice resounded through them.

I was still trembling from the adrenaline and victory, wiping the blood on my worn and tattered tunic.

My eyes narrowed.

"Enough." My voice was horse, but defiant.

I had expected mockery but not this. Victory felt hollow now that it had been tainted by the labyrinth's unassuming tone.

Once again the labyrinth spoke:

"You've fought bravely, but you are still a mere piece in this endless game. So, to celebrate your triumph… I shall grant you a gift."

My eyes widened. A gift? Was this some sort of joke? I held tight to the sword's hilt, but I didn't lower it. Not when I didn't even know what was going to happen next.

"I shall grant you the power of Voidweaving. The ability to manipulate the fabric of space itself. With this power, you shall have to carve your way forward, bending reality to your will. Or be devoured by it.

My body screamed at me to move. But I was frozen, held down by the entity known as the labyrinth. 

'Voidweaving' the word crept into my ear rooting deep in my mind. "The power to carve your way forward….or to be devoured by it"

Something burned deep in his soul. I gasped and staggered, It felt as if space had been cracked open around me. It felt as if the sensation of magic was poured into my body again, awakening my senses of this new power 'Voidweaving.'

Was this a gift or a curse?

A sly smile found itself on my face. 

'Now I finally got one of my transmigration perks. Though it hurt like hell.'

The air trembled. The walls shuddered. It was as if the space was curling inwardly pressing toward my skin like unseen hands.

"You amuse me, Forsaken."

I stiffened. "Forsaken?" My breath still ragged, I wiped the sweat from my brow. 

"No. My voice was hoarse and firm. I have a name it's-

"Ah…no, not Forsaken. Bloodmarked. Yes, that suits you better.."

The voice coiled around as if it was temporarily releasing me from its serpentine hold. The black blood of the Titan had already begun to vanish, seeping into the obsidian stone along with the body dispersing into dust. The only proof of the battle was my aching muscles, two broken ribs, and the cold iron grip of the sword that weighed at my hip.

'That axe was worth something, man.' I sighed.

"And now, Bloodmarked, your trial ends."

The floor beneath him pulsed with light an unnatural light spawning that slithered up to my legs like chains made of raw, pure magic My body tensed as I felt the weight of the chains dragging me.

"Ah, but look at you," the voice mused. "A wretched sight, worn, tattered and bloodied. Such a pitiful being."

The shadows coiled around me, flailing around and forming into dark fabric. The cloak fluttered before setting on my shoulders.

"There, " the labyrinth said with an amused tone. "At least his will help you look less pathetic while journeying through the unknown, undetected by those who want the world to die."

My breath hitched as he looked down at the cloak. I felt a strange sensation as my bruises and cuts began to close. The pain that had been burdening me before, dulled. As I lifted my shirt, my ribs no longer felt broken, and the bruise faded into smooth skin.

"W-What the hell?" I muttered, reaching my fingers across the smooth skin. "You healed me?" 

I could still feel the aftereffects of the pain, but it wasn't as potent anymore. The labyrinth was somewhat taunting but aiding me...

The voice responded, amused. "A little parting gift, Bloodmarked. Consider it a favor to keep you going. 

I gritted my teeth, still recovering from the bewildering sensation. "Wait! I took a shaky step forward, resisting the pull. There's no town here! No people! Where are you even sending me?"

"Does it matter?" 

The voice was neither cruel nor kind. Simply unmoving.

The sigils beneath me expanded, unraveling like some part of a network. It felt as if space itself was being torn apart. I wasn't simply being thrown out— I was being cast out into the unknown.

"Explore the Dark Hollows, the Tundra, the Desert, the Forgotten Plains, and the Deepforest. There, you can find the answer you so desire. Or perhaps…..

The voice curled around me as if leaning in to whisper at the back of my skull

"...you will only lose yourself further."

The light surged, swallowing me whole. My body twisted, weightless as if I had been sent to the abyss with no end. The last thing I saw was the labyrinth's cold unmoving walls. The last thing I heard:

"Farewell, Bloodmarked. Do try not to disappoint me."

And then, the world shattered.