The Weight of Chains

Dust drifted from the cracked stone ceiling, catching the dim glow of scattered ember shards embedded in the walls. Deep beneath Leviatian, in the labyrinth of forgotten ruins, Zoren sat against a broken column, fists clenched so tight his nails bit into his palms.

"Come on… again." He grit his teeth, reaching inward, searching for that power. The one that had erupted when he was cornered. The Titan Core. His supposed strength.

Nothing.

The weight in his chest was unbearable. It wasn't just exhaustion—it was powerlessness.

From across the chamber, Nyssa leaned against a half-collapsed archway, her arms crossed. "You're wasting your time."

Zoren exhaled sharply. "Oh? And you're full of helpful advice, huh?"

Nyssa tilted her head, amusement flickering in her eyes. "I've seen a lot of people like you. You think if you just 'try harder,' power will come. But power isn't something you summon on command. It either bends to your will, or it devours you."

Zoren's breath hitched. There was something in the way she said it. A knowing edge.

He turned to her, frowning. "Why did you help me? Back there?"

Nyssa's smirk didn't waver, but there was a flicker of hesitation. "Call it a favor I owed myself."

Before he could press further, distant voices echoed from above.

Federation patrols.

Zoren and Nyssa exchanged glances. Then they listened.

"—Captain Noah's orders. We'll use the hostage as bait. The boy will come running."

Zoren's heart stopped, Talis with the a grieving expression.

Linda

---

Above, in the soldiers' war room…

Captain Noah studied the glowing glyph in front of him. A distorted voice spoke from the other end, low and sharp.

"Zoren's Core is unstable. If it fully awakens, we can't predict what he'll become."

Noah's jaw tightened.

Across the room, a younger soldier Daniel, folded his arms. "If he's that dangerous, why not just kill him?"

The voice on the glyph was silent for a moment. Then:

"Because there's something inside him. Something we need."

Varik ended the call and turned to his men. "We will use the hostage. The boy will come to us."

Daniel narrowed his eyes. But he said nothing.

In the underground ruins, Zoren was already moving. "We have to stop them."

Nyssa's hand snapped out, grabbing his wrist. "It's a trap."

"I know," Zoren said. "But I don't care."

Nyssa studied him, her grip firm. Then, after a moment, she sighed. "Fine. But if I help you, you owe me. No questions asked."

Zoren hesitated. But then he nodded.

Nyssa gave a quiet chuckle, a whisper of something unreadable behind her eyes. "You don't even know what you are, do you?"

Zoren frowned. But before he could ask what she meant, she was already moving.

"Come on, then. Let's crash their little plan."

Zoren and Talis followed Nyssa out of the underground ruins

Linda was bound at the center of a deserted plaza, Federation soldiers watching from the shadows.

Linda glared at them, struggling against the ropes. "I hope he doesn't come. I hope he leaves you all rotting in this damn city!"

One of the soldiers chuckled, kneeling beside her. "Oh, he'll come. That's what weaklings do."

Linda trembled.

Then, a whisper. Not from the soldiers. Not from the wind.

A voice, soft and hollow, that seemed to slither into their minds.

"A fractured vessel of dusk and dawn… So it's true. The Balance has been broken."

The air chilled.

From the alleys, figures in dark robes emerged. Their presence felt wrong—like reality itself recoiled at their existence.

Even the Federation soldiers hesitated.

Nyssa, watching from the rooftops, tensed. "Shit… not them."

Zoren's stomach turned. Who were these people?

The leader, Erasmus , stepped forward. His voice barely rose above a whisper, yet it seemed to echo inside Zoren's skull.

"Come with us, child. Before the void devours you."

The Federation Hunters were the first to act. "Kill them! The Duskbound cannot be allowed to spread their filth!"

The Cultists responded in kind. Shadows writhed, lashing out like tendrils.

Dust swirled through the moonlit ruins, kicked up by the shifting feet of soldiers and cultists alike. The air was thick—tense, electric, waiting for the first spark to ignite the powder keg.

Then—

BANG.

A gunshot rang out, breaking the silence.

The Federation soldiers charged.

The Duskbound answered.

And in the middle of it all—Zoren.

He barely had time to register what was happening before a Federation soldier was on him, boots slamming into the cracked stone. A blade flashed—Zoren twisted, barely dodging as steel scraped across his shoulder.

Damn. Too slow.

The soldier pressed forward, relentless. Zoren backpedaled, eyes darting. He had no room to counter—

THWIP.

A dagger whistled past his ear, embedding itself into the soldier's neck. Blood splattered as the man crumpled.

Nyssa landed beside him, twin daggers twirling in her grip. "You're thinking too much."

Zoren gritted his teeth. "I—"

A shadow loomed behind them.

BOOM!

A Duskbound acolyte slammed his staff into the ground, sending a wave of writhing darkness surging forward. The stone beneath them cracked as the force sent Zoren and Nyssa flying.

Zoren tumbled, rolling to his feet, gasping.

A soldier lunged at him—Zoren barely raised his arms before the impact sent him staggering.

Nyssa flipped over another attacker, slicing through their throat mid-air. She landed in a crouch, smirking. "Try to keep up."

Zoren's pulse pounded. He was moving, fighting—but it wasn't enough.

Linda.

His eyes flicked to the center of the plaza.

She was still bound, struggling against her captors. One of the Federation Hunters pressed a knife to her throat. "One more step, and she dies".

Zoren's stomach dropped.

Not again.

Not this time.

The Titan Core in his chest lurched. A wild, uncontrolled surge of energy pulsed through his veins, forcing its way to the surface.

BZZT.

Black and white light flared around him—his power finally responding.

But it was messy. Untamed.

The force EXPLODED outward, knocking everyone back.

A sudden gust of wind tore through the battlefield.

A shadow moved above them.

And then—

CRASH!

A single figure landed in the heart of the chaos, the sheer force of impact cracking the stone beneath his feet.

Silence.

The dust settled, revealing him.

A young man. Not much older than Zoren.

A long, dark coat, with a insignia of the federation

A Titan Core pulse flickering in his chest.

His gaze swept the battlefield—cold, unreadable. Then, his eyes landed on Zoren.

And he scoffed.

"Pathetic."

Before Zoren could react, Daniel moved.

Fast.

Too fast.

In a single, fluid motion, he erased a Duskbound cultist. One strike. One kill.

Zoren barely saw it happen.

A blur. A slash. And the cultist was gone.

His breath caught in his throat.

This guy… wasn't normal.

The battle didn't last much longer.

The Duskbound fell back, their leader, Erasmus, leaving behind a whisper that crawled into Zoren's skull.

"You cannot escape what you are, Zoren. The Balance will be restored… one way or another."

The Federation soldiers, battered and outmaneuvered, retreated as well.

And then—only Zoren, Nyssa, Talis and Daniel remained in the ruined plaza.

Zoren, still on his knees, looked up.

Daniel stood over him, staring.

Studying.

Judging.

Then, he turned. "If you want to save anyone, get stronger." He walked away, barely sparing a glance. "Right now? You're just another weakling."

Zoren clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms.

No more losing.

He needed power.

No matter what it took.

---

The battered remains of the battlefield lay in eerie silence. Smoke curled from the cracked stone, the stench of blood and burnt embers mixing with the cold night air. The last echoes of combat had faded, leaving only the tension of what would come next.

Zoren stood, fists clenched, chest heaving. Nyssa, crouched beside him, one dagger still in her grip, eyes darting between the Federation soldiers that remained. Talis held Linda close, her bindings half-loosened, fear and relief flickering in her gaze.

And then—

Daniel stepped forward.

The Federation Soldiers stiffened at his approach. Even in the aftermath of battle, his presence was undeniable—a force all its own.

Captain Luke wiped blood from his chin, glaring. "Daniel, we have orders. Zoren is Federation property. He's unstable, and the Commander—"

"Enough."

Daniel:s voice wasn't loud. It didn't need to be.

It cut through the air, sharp as a blade.

Luke tensed, shoulders tightening. Some of the other soldiers exchanged wary glances.

Daniel Black eyes flickered over them, unreadable. "Look around you," he said flatly, gesturing to the scattered bodies—their own men, the Duskbound, the ruins drenched in conflict. "We came for control. But what do you see?"

No one answered.

Kael continued, stepping forward, each word deliberate. "A slaughter. A battlefield born of fear and ignorance. And tell me, Luke—what was the result?"

Varik's jaw clenched. He didn't answer.

Daniel exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "We wasted lives tonight. For what? Because you thought this boy—" he gestured to Zoren without even looking at him, "—was a threat?"

Luke finally snapped. "He is a threat!" he barked. "You heard the reports! That Core inside him—it's something we don't understand! If we let him walk free, we risk—"

Daniel was suddenly in front of him.

Too fast.

Luke barely had time to react before Kael's gloved hand gripped his collar and pulled him close.

"Risk what?" Daniel asked, voice low. "A child with untapped power? Or the paranoia of a Federation too afraid of what it cannot control?"

Luke swallowed. The other soldiers took half-steps back.

Daniel's grip didn't tighten. It didn't need to. His presence alone pressed against the air, a silent authority that demanded obedience.

Then, after a long, suffocating pause—Daniel let him go.

Luke stumbled back, coughing.

Daniel turned away from him. "Zoren and his group are leaving. Now."

The soldiers hesitated.

Daniel's eyes flicked over them once. "Is anyone planning to stop me?"

Silence.

One by one, the Federation soldiers lowered their weapons.

Zoren barely breathed. Even he didn't know what to say.

Daniel adjusted his coat, exhaling. "I'll speak with Commander Noah myself. I'll tell him…" He glanced at Zoren, unreadable. "That this isn't the battle we should be fighting."

Then, without another word, Kael turned and walked past them—toward the Federation's war camp.

Zoren let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Nyssa clicked her tongue. "Huh. Guess he's got some sense after all."

Talis nodded quickly, helping Linda to her feet.

Zoren, though—he didn't move. He just stared at Daniel's retreating figure.

Because for all the arrogance, the cold judgment, the sheer force of authority in Daniel's voice…

One thing was clear.

Daniel didn't see him as a threat.

Not yet.

TO BE CONTINUED.