Chapter 2: The Arrival of Gregory Malter

As the night deepened, a stranger entered Pax Crossing. The first thing people noticed was the heavy sound of boots against the dirt road. The man was tall, broad-shouldered, his worn leather armor scarred from countless battles. A massive iron mace rested against his back. His eyes were sharp, scanning every face in the village. Not with curiosity—but with purpose.

Gregory Malter had come to Pax Crossing. And he was looking for people with Quas blood.

The morning in Pax Crossing was different. The usual market chatter was still

there, the smell of dried fish and sunbaked earth lingered, but something

unseen had changed. A stranger had arrived.

Gregory Malter walked through the streets with measured steps, his heavy boots kicking up dust. His weathered leather armor bore the scars of past battles, and the massive iron mace strapped to his back made the townsfolk uneasy. He wasn't here for trade. He stopped at a fruit stall, casually picking up an apple before locking eyes with the vendor. "I'm looking for someone." His voice was calm, steady. Too steady.

The vendor swallowed hard. "Who?" Gregory gave a slow smile. "Anyone… unusual." The vendor frowned. "Unusual?" Gregory leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "People who shouldn't be alive. People who are… stronger than they should be." The vendor's breath hitched. He had heard the rumors—everyone had. And now, trouble had come looking for them.

Kaiser hadn't slept well. Even as he worked, loading sacks of grain onto a wooden cart, something gnawed at the edge of his mind. A whisper. "You are mine now."

His body didn't feel right. He should still be in pain, but his bruises were already fading. His ribs ached, but they weren't broken. And every time he moved, he felt… lighter. As if his body wasn't completely his anymore. "Say my name…"

He froze. The whisper was louder this time. "Kaiser?" He snapped out of it. Kevin was watching him, concern in his eyes. "You good?" Kaiser forced a grin. "Yeah. Just tired." Kevin didn't look convinced.

As the morning went on, Kevin kept stealing glances at his brother. Kaiser should still be struggling. His injuries should've made it hard to walk, let alone work. But instead, he looked fine. Kevin

tightened his grip on the wooden crate he was carrying. If Kaiser has Quas blood… then what about me?

They were brothers. They had always struggled together, suffered together. If Kaiser had something more—a gift, a power—then what did that make Kevin? Just a shadow?

They were passing through the market square when the fight broke out.

Two drunk men, arguing over stolen goods, began shoving each other. One swung a fist, knocking the other back into a fruit stall. People backed away quickly. But in the chaos, a small boy—no older than five—was caught in the middle. One of the men stumbled, his fist flying toward the child.

Kaiser moved before he could think.

The world seemed to slow as his legs pushed forward faster than they should. His hand shot out, gripping the child's arm and pulling him away—A second later, the man's fist crashed into the ground where the boy had been.

The moment was so quick, so unnatural, that everyone nearby noticed. And among them, Gregory Malter was watching. Standing on the far side of the square, Gregory narrowed his eyes. That movement. That speed. That wasn't normal. He had been in this business long enough to recognize the signs. And now, he had a lead.

He started walking. Kaiser felt it before he saw it. A presence. Heavy. Suffocating. When he turned, Gregory Malter was already there. "That was quite the reaction speed you had, boy," Gregory said casually, as if they were discussing the weather. Kaiser tensed. Kevin, standing beside him, stiffened.

They both knew what was happening. This man wasn't just curious. He was hunting. Kevin's heartbeat pounded in his ears. Fear. Rage. Confusion. Without thinking, he threw a punch. Gregory barely moved. In a single motion, he sidestepped and drove his elbow into Kevin's stomach. Kevin's breath ripped from his lungs as he staggered back, collapsing onto his knees, gasping.

Gregory didn't even look at him. His gaze stayed locked on Kaiser. "Are you going to fight back, too?" Gregory asked, amused. Kaiser gritted his teeth. He had no chance of winning against this man. So he did the only thing he could. He ran. Kevin stumbled to his feet, clutching his ribs as he ran beside Kaiser.

They weaved through narrow alleyways, kicking up dust and dirt, their lungs burning. Behind them, Gregory didn't rush. He followed at a steady pace, like a predator toying with its prey. "Faster, damn it!" Kaiser growled, pulling Kevin forward. They turned a corner— And ran straight into a dead end. The alley was blocked by a stone wall. Kaiser spun, heart pounding.

Gregory walked into the alleyway, blocking their only exit. He cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders. "End of the road, boys." Kaiser and Kevin stood their ground, but they both knew—this wasn't a fight they could win. Gregory struck first. Kaiser tried to dodge, but Gregory was too fast.

A fist to the ribs sent him crashing against the wall. Kevin lunged forward, but Gregory swung his mace's handle into his side, sending him sprawling to the ground. The next few moments were a blur of pain. Kaiser tried to fight, but every attack was countered effortlessly. Every strike sent him deeper into the dirt. Until finally, he couldn't move anymore.

Gregory stood over them, barely winded. "This is the difference," he muttered. Kaiser's vision blurred as blood ran down his forehead. The world around him grew cold. Then—

"Call upon my name." His breath hitched. "Say it." He felt something in the air shift. A pressure. A presence. Gregory was saying something—but Kaiser couldn't hear it anymore.

"Say… Alzalel."

Through cracked lips, barely above a whisper— Kaiser exhaled. "Alzalel!." The word ripped from his throat, raw and desperate. The name carried through the alley, slicing through the tension like a blade. The moment it left his lips, everything changed.

The air around them dropped to an unnatural cold, turning Kevin's breath into mist. The alley, once dimly lit by scattered torches, was now engulfed in unnatural darkness. Shadows twisted, stretching unnaturally along the walls, writhing as if alive.

A pressure settled over the alleyway, heavy and suffocating. Kevin, barely conscious, felt his stomach twist in dread. Something had answered. The darkness deepened, forming tendrils of black mist that coiled and slithered along the ground. Then, it took shape.

From the depths of the shadows, a figure emerged. Its form flickered between solid and spectral, never fully belonging to the world of the living. Its hollow, glowing eyes burned like dying embers, and a low, distorted whisper filled the air, sending chills down Kevin's spine.

Kaiser's body twitched, his fingers curling involuntarily. The presence was inside him, seeping into every fiber of his being.

Gregory took a step back, his grip on the mace tightening.

He had seen many things in his lifetime. He had fought Quas-blooded warriors, mercenaries, and monsters in human skin.

But this—this was different.

His eyes flicked between Kaiser and the entity forming behind him. His suspicions had been confirmed.

"A Contracting…" he muttered under his breath.

Then, his expression hardened.

He knew what he had to do.

Gregory moved.

Faster than one would expect from a man his size, he lunged forward, his mace raised high.

He couldn't let the transformation finish. If Kaiser fully bonded with the entity, this would turn into something far worse.

With a burst of strength, he swung his mace down, aiming to crush Kaiser's skull.

But before the blow could land—

A blast of spectral energy erupted outward.

The force sent Gregory skidding back, his boots dragging against the dirt as he braced himself. The entire alleyway trembled, dust and debris shaking loose from the cracked stone walls.

Every torch and lantern in the area flickered violently—then died out completely.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then, a whisper slithered through the void—Alzalel's voice.

"You dare raise your weapon against my vessel?"

Gregory gritted his teeth. It wasn't fully summoned yet. He still had a chance.