A Choice in the Dark

Night had settled over the town, a quiet hum of life echoing from the taverns and streets below. The dim glow of lanterns flickered through the inn's wooden shutters, casting long, shifting shadows across the room.

Arlan sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his status screen.

The others had gone to sleep, exhausted from the day's trials and celebrations. Tomas had boasted about his newfound strength as an Iron Guardian, Leila had already begun testing the limits of her newfound agility as a Shadowstalker, Beren had nearly broken a table when demonstrating his increased strength as a Berserker, and Mira…

Mira had looked alive with her flames. The fire that now truly belonged to her burned in her eyes, and Arlan could see how much it meant to her.

And now, it was his turn.

He took a slow breath and focused on the glowing text before him.

[ System Notification ]

Class Advancement Available!

Choose Your Path:

Gravebinder – A necromancer who forges permanent bonds with the dead.

Pale Reaper – A hunter of life, gaining power through slain foes.

Arlan's breath hitched.

This was different than the others' class changes.

They had clear paths—warriors became stronger, mages refined their craft.

But his choice?

Both paths carried weight.

Gravebinder would let him deepen his bond with his summons. Shade and Bones would become stronger, not just as tools of his magic, but as true companions. This path was stable, controlled—a necromancer who does not discard his dead, but strengthens them.

Pale Reaper, on the other hand, felt… violent. The text itself sent a cold shiver through him. It was the path of one who hunted the living, a necromancer who stole life to fuel their own power. Would it make him stronger? Without a doubt. But the cost?

He didn't know.

And that was the problem.

Arlan flexed his fingers, feeling the remnants of battle in his sore muscles.

The path of Gravebinder felt right.

He had chosen to walk this road his way. Not as a mindless killer. Not as a butcher of the living.

But as someone who refused to be alone ever again.

His mind was made up.

He reached forward and selected—

[ Class Advancement Complete! ]

Gravebinder Acquired.

A pulse of cold magic surged through him.

Arlan gasped, his fingers gripping the bedsheets as his entire body tensed. The power wasn't just flowing through him—it was changing him.

The dull aches of exhaustion vanished. His muscles tightened, growing firmer, stronger. He felt his bones shift subtly, his frame expanding—not much, but enough to be noticeable. His posture straightened instinctively, no longer the slouched, wary stance of a street orphan.

His breath came faster as a strange weight settled within him, not heavy, but rooted. Like a connection had been forged deeper than before.

Then, the mirror on the far side of the room caught his eye.

His reflection was different.

His once-wild, uneven hair had darkened a shade, richer and deeper than before. His skin, though still pale, looked less gaunt—his face had sharpened slightly, his jawline more defined.

But it was his eyes that stood out the most.

The dull, tired brown had vanished.

Now, his irises glowed faintly—a deep emerald green, like eerie fire flickering beneath them.

Arlan swallowed hard, lifting a hand to his face.

This wasn't just a class change.

It was a transformation.

A tether formed.

No—multiple tethers.

His vision swam for a moment as something shifted inside him.

Then—

Shade flickered into existence beside him.

His form was different.

Still a specter, still made of swirling mist and ethereal darkness, but now… denser. His presence weighed more in the room. His shape was sharper, the eerie glow in his eyes brighter.

Shade spoke

´´Master… stronger now.´´

Bones stirred at the foot of the bed, clicking his tiny skeletal jaw. Arlan turned to him.

Bones simply stared back at him with glowing green eyes.

´´Stronger...´´

Arlan exhaled.

Shade and Bones had evolved. Their bond had changed.

This was power.

This was the next step forward.

A small smirk curled at his lips.

"Now we're getting somewhere."