Chapter Four: The Evolution of Power

Black Hollow had become something new. No longer a forgotten village, it was now a fortress of shadow, guarded by creatures of darkness and warriors who swore fealty to their warlock queen.

But Annabelle was not satisfied.

Her power was vast, but it was not enough. Not yet.

She needed more.

The Hunt Begins

She ventured beyond the village, seeking the beasts that lurked in the untamed wilds—ancient creatures that held power beyond mortal comprehension.

Her first conquest was a Wraithborn Stalker, a monstrous feline shadowbeast that fed on nightmares. It had slaughtered entire caravans, leaving only whispers in the wind. But when Annabelle faced it, she was not prey.

She was the predator.

She tore its soul from its body, consuming its essence. The moment it entered her, something within her shifted.

Pain. Fire. Change.

Her chitin-covered arm cracked, then expanded, shifting into a new form—sleeker, deadlier, pulsating with dark energy. Black veins spiderwebbed up her shoulder, and for the first time, she felt the hunger.

She did not fear it. She embraced it.

The Transformation Continues

With each soul she consumed, she evolved further.

The soul of an Abyssal Drake gifted her horns, spiraling back like a crowned demon.

A Fell-Wing Harpy Queen gave her wings, leathery and dark, powerful enough to lift her into the skies.

The essence of a Void Titan altered her very perception, her eyes splitting—two pupils in each, allowing her to see into the veil between worlds.

Her height increased, her frame growing stronger, more regal, more monstrous.

By the time she returned to Black Hollow, she was no longer human.

She was something more.

Something divine.

Something worthy of a throne.