Chapter 4: The Riftborn Abomination

A deep, guttural sound rumbled through the night air. The sky above the wooden house churned with an eerie darkness, the swirling fissure growing wider, tendrils of black mist seeping into the atmosphere. Ezren's instincts screamed danger, his grip tightening around his dagger as he took a cautious step forward.

Beside him, Seraphine Vael's golden eyes shimmered in the dim candlelight, but there was something behind them—recognition, no, dread. The way her fingers trembled slightly against the hilt of her sword told Ezren everything he needed to know.

She had seen this before.

And whatever was coming was not something either of them should take lightly.

The fissure in the sky crackled with dark energy, its edges lined with shifting glyphs—symbols Ezren could not recognize. Then, something moved within. A grotesque, misshapen limb clawed its way out, fingers too long, twisted at unnatural angles, ending in jagged bone-like talons.

The creature emerged.

Its body was a grotesque fusion of shadow and corrupted flesh, shifting between forms, as if reality itself rejected its existence. Four crimson eyes blinked across its elongated face, moving independently, while rows of serrated teeth gnashed within a maw that did not belong on anything humanoid. Black tendrils trailed from its limbs, seething with corruption.

Ezren's System flared.

[System Alert: Unknown Entity Detected]

Classification: ???

Danger Level: Incalculable

Ezren's breath hitched.

Incalculable? Even the system didn't recognize it?

He barely had time to react before the creature let out a distorted shriek, its entire form twitching as it launched toward him with terrifying speed.

Ezren moved instinctively, his body reacting before his mind could catch up. He barely dodged to the side, feeling the air tremble as the creature's claws sliced through where he had stood. The ground cracked beneath the force, jagged scars spreading across the wooden porch.

Seraphine moved like a phantom. Her sword shimmered with a golden radiance as she slashed toward the creature's side, the blade cutting through its flesh like mist. The entity staggered, but it did not bleed.

Instead, its wounds closed instantly—flesh knitting together as if it had never been injured.

Ezren cursed.

"Regeneration?"

Seraphine didn't answer, her expression set in grim focus. She knew. She had fought something like this before.

And if that was the case, she would also know how to kill it.

But there was no time to ask. The creature lunged again, its body splitting apart, forming two grotesque shadows—one mass of writhing darkness aimed at Seraphine, the other coming straight for Ezren.

His System flared with warnings.

[Warning: Shadow Corruption Detected]

[Direct contact will cause anomalous effects]

Ezren gritted his teeth. His dagger alone wouldn't be enough.

And then—the Shadow stirred.

A pulse of unnatural cold coursed through him, and for the briefest moment, Ezren felt it—the same darkness that bled from the fissure, yet… familiar.

Something deep within him responded.

As if the Shadow within him recognized this corruption.

And welcomed it.

Ezren exhaled sharply, his vision momentarily darkening as the tendrils of the entity closed in. His body reacted on instinct—his hand outstretched, and for the first time, the darkness obeyed.

A pulse erupted from his palm. A sliver of something deeper than mere shadow extended outward, clashing against the creature's form.

The moment their essences met, the monster recoiled violently, its shriek turning into a distorted wail.

Ezren's eyes widened.

It was in pain.

Not just pain—it was being repelled.

Seraphine noticed it, too. Her gaze snapped to Ezren, something unreadable flashing across her golden eyes.

"You—what did you just do?" she demanded.

Ezren himself didn't know.

But he knew one thing.

His power worked against it.

And that meant he could kill it.

The creature was already shifting, trying to reform its body. Ezren had no time to hesitate. He focused inward, pulling on that strange connection again.

This time, he willed the Shadow to devour.

A void-like energy surged through his veins, and as he swung his dagger, it was no longer just a blade. A wave of ink-black energy followed the arc of his strike, colliding with the entity.

This time, when the attack landed—the creature did not regenerate.

It shrieked, its body rapidly deteriorating, tendrils of darkness fraying apart like unraveling threads. The fissure above flickered, its connection to the monster severing.

The entity let out a final, garbled cry before collapsing in on itself, dissolving into black mist.

Silence.

Only the crackling of distant candle flames remained.

Ezren exhaled sharply, his heart hammering against his ribs. His fingers were still tingling, the aftershock of the power he had just used lingering like phantom static.

Seraphine did not lower her sword.

Instead, she stared at him.

Not with fear. Not with relief.

But with… something else.

Recognition.

And maybe even… understanding.

[System Alert: Riftborn Entity Eliminated]

[Exp Gained: 900]

[Level Up: Level 3 Reached]

Ezren barely registered the notification before Seraphine finally spoke.

"Who—no… what are you?"

Her voice was calm, but her grip on the sword betrayed her caution.

Ezren met her gaze, his mind racing.

What was he?

He had been thrown into this world, chosen by a force he didn't understand. The Shadow that lingered within him was neither normal nor part of any known Awakening.

And yet…

It had just consumed something beyond comprehension.

Ezren took a slow breath, straightening himself.

He had no answers. But what he did have was certainty in one thing.

He was no ordinary Awakener.

And this world was just beginning to notice.