Chapter 20: A Fractured Soul

(Third-Person POV)

The city stretched before him, bathed in the glow of arcane lanterns and mana-powered structures. The hum of distant vehicles and murmuring crowds blended into an ambient noise that felt oddly distant.

Standing before the window of his apartment, Alistair Vaelthorne watched in silence.

The world outside was vast, chaotic, alive.

And yet, within him—there was only stillness.

Or rather—a stillness that felt unnatural.

Something was wrong.

---

Selene's Departure – A Shadow's Worry

At the far end of the room, Selene Nightveil adjusted her coat, securing the hidden blades beneath her sleeves. She was preparing to leave.

Alistair did not turn to face her.

"How long will you be gone?"

His voice was steady, indifferent.

Selene finished strapping her belt, glancing at him through narrowed silver eyes.

"That depends on what I find."

She straightened, checking her mana frequencies to ensure she wouldn't be easily tracked.

"You asked for information on underground awakeners, black market dealers, and forbidden techniques. That kind of knowledge isn't freely given—it has to be earned or bought."

Alistair finally turned from the window, meeting her gaze.

"And what price will you pay?"

She smirked. "Nothing I can't handle."

He studied her for a moment, then nodded.

Selene had served as his shadow guard for years, bound by duty, yet she had chosen to follow him even after his exile from House Vaelthorne.

But tonight, for the first time since his awakening, she seemed… hesitant.

"Rest while I'm gone."

Alistair arched a brow. "I don't need rest."

"Everyone needs rest. Even you."

There was something sharp in her voice—an edge of frustration mixed with concern.

"You just underwent your Second Awakening. Your body is adjusting, and whether you admit it or not, there are risks."

She crossed her arms.

"You might not feel it yet, but your mana circuits have expanded at an unnatural rate. Your very soul structure has changed. You need time to—"

"Time is a luxury."

His interruption was calm, decisive.

"And I do not have the patience for it."

Selene sighed, rubbing her temple.

"You're impossible."

Alistair merely smirked.

She turned toward the door but hesitated before leaving.

"If anything happens—contact me."

Then, with the silent grace of a trained assassin, she disappeared into the night.

---

A Growing Unease

With Selene gone, the room fell into complete silence.

Alistair remained standing, his gaze returning to the city beyond the glass window.

The feeling of unease within him had not faded.

In fact—it had grown stronger.

At first, he had ignored it, dismissing it as the aftereffect of his rapid awakening. But now, with nothing to distract him, he could feel it more clearly.

It wasn't pain.

It wasn't exhaustion.

It was… a presence.

Something beneath his mana circuits. Beneath the layers of power he had gained.

Something foreign.

Something that did not belong.

His fingers curled into a fist.

This was not normal.

He had spent years training to master his body, his mind, his mana.

And yet—this sensation felt beyond his control.

He exhaled slowly, forcing his body to relax.

"Focus."

Discipline had been beaten into him since childhood.

Control. Mastery. Precision.

This was no different.

Whatever this was, he would overcome it.

He always did.

---

Attempting to Rest

He moved away from the window, heading toward the simple cot at the far end of the room.

The bed was not luxurious. It wasn't like the ones in House Vaelthorne, where silken sheets and reinforced mana barriers ensured optimal rest.

It was just a bed.

Simple. Functional.

But that was all he needed.

Alistair sat on the edge, exhaling as he rubbed his temples.

His mind was sharp, but his body felt… tense.

He lay down, closing his eyes.

The silence of the apartment pressed around him, comforting in its emptiness.

His breathing slowed.

The tension in his muscles eased.

And just as he felt himself slipping into rest—

It happened.

---

A sudden, violent shock ripped through him.

His eyes snapped open, but—

He wasn't in his room anymore.

He wasn't anywhere.

A vast void stretched around him, formless and infinite.

It wasn't darkness.

It wasn't light.

It was something in between.

And then—it began.

The pain.

Not physical. Not mana-based.

Something deeper. Something raw.

His very soul was being invaded.

A foreign presence—a mind that was not his own—was pushing against him, colliding, forcing its way into his existence.

He gasped, his entire being burning from within.

Memories flashed.

But they weren't his.

They were someone else's.

Images, emotions, experiences—all foreign, yet vivid.

A name surfaced amidst the chaos.

Ethan Kael.

Not of this world.

Not of this life.

And yet—somehow, now a part of him.

The realization sent a new wave of resistance through Alistair.

"No."

He gritted his teeth, his mind fighting back with everything he had.

This was his body.

His existence.

He would not allow another to take it.

But Ethan's soul wasn't merely trying to dominate—it was resisting, too.

Neither wished to submit.

Neither wished to be erased.

And so—

They tore into each other.

Mind against mind.

Will against will.

A battle for dominance fought within the depths of their shared body.

---

As the struggle intensified, as the very fabric of Alistair's existence threatened to collapse under the weight of two souls, something deep within him stirred.

The Ever-Hungry Maw.

The blessing he had accepted—the abyssal power that knew only one rule.

Devour.

A vast, endless hunger roared to life within him.

The Ever-Hungry Maw did not allow its vessel to be consumed.

It was the one that consumed.

A dark, pulsating force wrapped around the two warring souls, engulfing them, restraining them.

It did not seek to erase.

It did not seek to reject.

It sought to assimilate.

To make them one.

The pain reached its peak—

And then, all at once—

Darkness.

---

Alistair's body lay motionless on the cot, his breathing shallow, his pulse weak.

For hours, there was no movement.

No sound.

But within—

Something had changed.

The battle was over.

The invasion complete.

And when his eyes finally opened, they were no longer just the eyes of Alistair Vaelthorne.

They held something new.

Something merged.

A fusion of two existences.

Two souls forced into one.

And the world would soon know it.

---

End of Chapter 15