Chapter 8: Eclipse System Awakening

Adrian exhaled, his breath slow, controlled. His body trembled, the remnants of the battle still echoing through his veins. The past wielder's battle.

Or rather—his battle now.

He looked down at the Eclipse Blade. It no longer felt foreign in his grasp. No longer a weapon merely wielded. It resonated with him.

A connection forged not through ownership—but through acknowledgment.

The ruins around him stretched into the abyss, unchanged. Yet Adrian felt the difference.

The air was no longer just empty—it was aware.

The abyss had tested him.

And it had recognized him.

Then—

A pulse.

Not from the blade. Not from the abyss.

From within.

A sudden weight crashed into his mind, dragging him into the void once more.

---

Vision of the Eclipse

Darkness swallowed him whole, weightless, infinite.

Then, a faint glow. A flicker of something beyond comprehension.

The battlefield had disappeared. The ruins had faded.

Now, Adrian stood before something far greater.

A monolith.

A towering construct of shifting, celestial metal—neither alive nor inanimate. It pulsed with an unseen rhythm, as if the abyss itself breathed through it.

And etched upon its surface—countless names.

Some were worn and broken, faded by time. Others remained sharp, their presence unwavering.

But one stood apart from the rest.

Adrian stepped closer.

His gaze locked onto the newest engraving.

His own name.

And beneath it—

[ ECLIPSE SYSTEM INITIALIZING… ]

A pulse. A surge.

Then—the monolith shattered.

---

Awakening

Adrian's eyes snapped open.

A searing heat burned through his veins—not painful, but raw, unfiltered power.

The Eclipse Blade pulsed in his grip, its edge faintly glowing with an otherworldly light.

Then, a voice—not spoken, but imprinted directly into his mind.

[ SURVIVAL PROTOCOL ENGAGED. ]

[ First Directive: Survive. Adapt. Overcome. ]

The words carried weight. A command. A law.

Adrian clenched his fists as the message continued.

[ Mission: Endure the Nightmare Realm. ]

[ Reward: ??? ]

Then—

[ Eclipse Blade Synchronization: 3% ]

His breath caught.

The past wielders, their battles, their knowledge—it hadn't been a simple vision. It hadn't been a memory.

It had been integration.

Their strength. Their will. Piece by piece, it was becoming his.

The ruins around him felt different.

Sharper. Clearer. He could sense everything.

The air. The stillness.

And then—

The presence lurking in the dark.

Adrian turned his head slowly.

The abyss wasn't done testing him.

The Nightmare Realm had acknowledged his worth.

Now—it would see if he could hold onto it.

And as the shadows stirred, as the weight of an unseen force pressed against him—

Adrian tightened his grip on the Eclipse Blade.

Because now, he understood.

This wasn't just about survival.

This was about proving he belonged.

And he would.

No matter what came next.