Bloodstained Awakening

Chapter 2: Bloodstained Awakening

Content Warning:

This novel contains explicit graphic violence, psychological horror, and themes of extreme trauma. It explores unsettling and disturbing content, including physical and psychological torture, mental instability, and gore. Reader discretion is strongly advised.

Scene 1: The Birth of a Monster

The air was thick with the scent of blood. It clung to his skin, soaked into the mud beneath his feet. The world around him was a haze of crimson and shadow, his vision pulsing with something foreign, something wrong.

Seth Kaelthorn was no longer Seth Kaelthorn.

His body moved on instinct—no, on hunger. Muscles coiled, bones cracked as they rearranged themselves to accommodate the monster that now wore his skin. His fingers, once weak and trembling, were now talons, curving slightly as if made for rending flesh. His breathing was ragged, but not from exhaustion. It was excitement.

Laughter bubbled from his throat, something guttural, something monstrous.

"Yes… YES. I see now."

Vorrath's voice slithered through his mind like silk woven from screams.

"Tear them apart. Make them suffer. Let them know what it means to be afraid."

Seth shuddered. It felt good. The agony, the hunger, the uncontrollable thirst for carnage. The last shreds of humanity he clung to were slipping through his fingers, and he welcomed it.

Scene 2: The Slaughter Begins

The first noble barely had time to scream.

One moment he stood, sword raised, shouting orders to his men. The next, his throat was in Seth's mouth, teeth crunching through muscle and cartilage. Blood spurted across the already-drenched ground as Seth ripped it free, the wet, gurgling death cries music to his ears.

Panic spread like wildfire. The knights scrambled, shields raised, weapons drawn.

"D-Demon!" one of them shrieked.

Seth laughed.

It wasn't the laugh of a man. It was the laugh of something that did not fear pain, death, or morality.

"Come now," he purred, voice soaked in venomous mirth. "You all were so eager to watch me suffer. Shouldn't I return the favor?"

He lunged. A blur of movement. A sickening crack. One of the knights collapsed, his knee shattered, his screams echoing as Seth dug his fingers into his eye sockets and pulled.

Another knight swung his sword wildly, desperation in every stroke. Seth sidestepped, catching the blade with his bare hand. The steel bit into his flesh, but he didn't flinch. Instead, he yanked it from the man's grip, twisted it around, and plunged it into his gut.

The knight gasped, blood bubbling from his lips. Seth twisted the blade, wrenching it upwards, spilling entrails onto the ground.

The screams around him were like a chorus, blending into a perfect, terrifying symphony of agony.

Another knight tried to run. Seth appeared behind him in an instant, wrapping an arm around his neck. "No, no… You stay with me."

He squeezed. The knight's arms flailed, his feet kicking against the bloodied ground. Then, a snap. His body slumped, lifeless.

Seth let him drop, licking the blood from his fingers.

"Delicious."

Scene 3: The False Hero's Terror

Elias Dainhart, the so-called Hero of the Kingdom, stood frozen. His sword, once steady, trembled in his grip. His golden armor, a beacon of righteousness, now felt like a gilded cage.

"This… This isn't possible," Elias whispered.

Seth turned to him, his head tilting unnaturally, eyes glowing with something ancient and wrong.

"Elias," Seth cooed mockingly. "Don't tell me… you're afraid?"

The hero took a step back.

Seth pounced.

Their bodies crashed to the ground, Seth's claws raking down Elias's chest, tearing through the golden plate like paper. The so-called hero screamed, his once-perfect face twisted in agony as Seth peeled back his armor, layer by layer, exposing soft, vulnerable flesh.

"P-please…" Elias whimpered, blood dribbling down his lips. "I-I don't want to die!"

Seth's grin stretched wider. "You begged for my suffering. Now you beg for your life?" He leaned in close, whispering, "Where was your mercy when my mother screamed?"

Elias sobbed, his entire body trembling as Seth grabbed his wrist.

"Let's see what happens when a hero is stripped piece by piece."

Elias's shrieks echoed through the blood-drenched streets as Seth began breaking him apart slowly. Fingers were twisted and snapped backward, each crack sending another howl of agony into the night. Tendons were severed, limbs left useless, but Seth kept him alive, savoring every broken scream, every tear-streaked plea for salvation.

He jammed his fingers into Elias's eye, slowly applying pressure. Pop. One eye burst like an overripe fruit.

The hero's gasps turned to choked sobs. "I-I was just following orders…"

Seth chuckled. "Then take this as your punishment."

He sank his teeth into Elias's throat, tearing out his vocal cords. The hero's final moments were spent in voiceless agony, thrashing uselessly beneath the weight of the beast he had created.

SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT: ⚠ You have slain [Elias Dainhart – False Hero]. ⚠ You have gained experience. ⚠ New Skills Acquired: [Predator's Instinct], [Unholy Resilience], [Blood-Soaked Regeneration].

For once, Seth felt powerful.

For once, Seth felt alive.

Scene 4: The Beast's Wrath Unleashed

By the time the night ended, the slums were painted in gore.

What was once a gathering of nobles, knights, and officials was now a massacre of dismembered limbs and hollowed-out corpses.

Seth stood in the center, panting, shaking, drenched in the blood of his enemies.

Vorrath purred in satisfaction.

"Magnificent. You are finally embracing what you were meant to be."

Seth licked his lips, his stomach full but his hunger far from sated.

He turned his eyes to the distant horizon.

This was just the beginning.

SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT: ⚠ Numerous constellations are watching. ⚠ Some observe in fear, others in amusement. ⚠ Unknown entities have taken interest in your existence.

End of Chapter 2

📜 Author's Note: This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and settings are purely imaginary. This novel contains dark themes meant to enhance the story and character development. Reader discretion is advised