Chapter 4: Worst Introduction, A Good Mentor

Kevin saw it—the way Kaiser's body was changing, shifting in ways that shouldn't be possible.

Panic surged through him.

Without thinking, Kevin rushed forward and grabbed Kaiser's arm.

"Kaiser, stop! Fight it!"

The moment Kevin touched him, a spark of warmth pulsed through Kaiser's body.

The abyss hesitated.

For a split second, Kaiser was back.

But it was too late.

Gregory, seeing the distraction, lunged forward, swinging his mace in a devastating arc aimed at Kaiser's side.

The blow connected.

Kaiser's body jerked violently, crashing into the ground with a sickening thud.

Gregory wasted no time—he stepped forward, ready to end it.

But then, the world froze.

The air grew thick and suffocating, the very atmosphere turning into something unnatural.

And for the first time, Gregory Malter felt fear.

A voice, ancient and bone-chilling, whispered into his ear.

"Gaze into the abyss..."

A skeletal hand, wreathed in shadow, gripped Gregory's face.

Alzalel had manifested.

The entity's hollow, burning eyes locked onto Gregory's own.

A second whisper came, low and dreadful—

"The abyss gazes back."

Gregory screamed.

An invisible force crushed into his mind, a supernatural agony unlike anything he had ever known.

His own shadow twisted unnaturally, clawing at him like a living nightmare.

Gregory staggered back, his body trembling violently, his vision darkening—as if something was devouring his very soul.

Kaiser, still on the ground, watched in shock.

This was beyond him now.

The world around Kaiser spun, his breath ragged as he stumbled back, his body finally reaching its limit. His vision blurred, dark edges creeping into his sight. His limbs felt like lead, his mind drowning in exhaustion.

His knees buckled beneath him, and he collapsed onto the cold dirt.

Even as his body gave out, the presence of Alzalel remained.

The alley still carried the entity's dreadful chill. The air felt thick, suffocating, as if reality itself struggled to contain the unnatural force.

Alzalel hovered over Gregory, his hollow, glowing eyes fixated on the bounty hunter's trembling form.

Gregory was still trapped in the abyss, his mind clawing against the indescribable pain seared into his very being.

Kevin scrambled to his brother's side, his heart racing. He gripped Kaiser's shoulders, shaking him violently.

"Kaiser! Wake up!" His voice cracked with fear.

Kevin had no idea what was happening, but he knew one thing—this wasn't normal. This wasn't just Quas blood.

His brother had called something terrible into existence.

Deep in the abyss of unconsciousness, Kaiser heard Alzalel's voice.

"You are not ready… but you will be."

For a moment, his mind was not his own.

He saw visions—flashes of a world unlike his own.

A battlefield drenched in shadows, men and creatures alike screaming as they were swallowed by darkness. A towering figure, its skeletal form wreathed in black mist, gazed upon the chaos with cold amusement.

And then—it was gone.

Gregory gritted his teeth, his body trembling violently as he fought back against the supernatural torment.

The abyss still clawed at his soul, whispers tearing into his mind. But Gregory had spent his life hunting Quas-blooded individuals.

He had seen monsters, warriors, and abominations.

He would not be broken by this.

With sheer determination, he forced himself to move, lifting his trembling hand toward his mace.

Alzalel's gaze lingered on Gregory for a moment longer—then, with a motionless, eerie grace, he finally released him.

The abyssal energy vanished, and Gregory collapsed to his knees, gasping for air as sweat poured from his face.

His body was weak, shaken—but not defeated.

Gregory's vision was hazy, but his mind was clear:

Kaiser Reiss was too dangerous to ignore.

As the tension in the alley thickened, Alzalel turned to Kaiser.

For the first time, the entity spoke directly to his vessel—not in whispers, but in a voice that echoed through Kaiser's very soul.

"Sleep, vessel. When you awaken, we will talk."

Kevin watched as Alzalel raised a shadowy hand toward Kaiser.

An overwhelming sense of dread filled his chest.

"Stop! What are you doing?!" he shouted.

But his words meant nothing.

Kaiser Falls into Darkness

Kaiser barely had time to react before his body suddenly grew heavy.

His eyelids drooped, his limbs numbed, and his thoughts faded into silence.

A crushing wave of exhaustion overtook him.

He barely heard Kevin's desperate voice before his world turned black.

Kevin watched in helpless terror as Alzalel's ghostly form slowly faded, dissolving back into the void.

The alley fell into absolute silence.

The cold air remained. The fear remained.

But Alzalel was gone.

And Kaiser did not wake up.

Awakening in Silence

Kaiser's eyes fluttered open to the dim glow of early morning light filtering through the cracks in the wooden walls.

For a moment, his mind felt empty—no whispers, no shadows, no pain. Just the stillness of waking.

Then, the memories flooded back.

The fight. Gregory. The phantom step. The voice that had spoken to him from beyond.

His body tensed, expecting pain. But as he slowly sat up, he realized—there was none.

His wounds… were gone.

The house was silent.

Too silent.

Kevin should've been moving around, cursing about the morning cold or preparing for another day of labor.

But there was nothing. No footsteps. No movement.

Kaiser's stomach tightened.

Something was wrong.

His eyes swept the small, worn-down space—the old wooden table, the small pile of blankets on Kevin's cot, the faint scent of dried bread lingering in the air.

Then he saw it.

Lying neatly in the center of the table was a folded letter.

Kaiser slowly stood, his legs feeling heavier than before. He walked to the table, picking up the letter with cautious hands.

The handwriting was unmistakable. Kevin's.

His heartbeat quickened as he unfolded the note.