Chapter 12: Uprising

The chamber was a cavernous void, its walls slick with moisture that glistened faintly in the flickering light of a single, dying torch. Shadows danced across the stone, twisting and writhing like restless spirits. The air was thick with the scent of iron and decay, a fitting atmosphere for the gathering that was taking place.

Five figures stood in a perfect circle, their forms cloaked in darkness. Their hoods were drawn low, obscuring their faces, but the weight of their presence was undeniable. Each one exuded an aura of power and malice, their very stillness a testament to their control. At the center of the circle, a lone woman knelt, her head bowed but her posture defiant. Her crimson eyes burned like embers in the gloom, unyielding and fierce.

The leader of the group stepped forward, his voice a low, resonant growl that seemed to emanate from the very walls.

"Do you swear loyalty to the cause?"

The woman's lips curled into a smirk, sharp and predatory. Her voice was smooth, yet carried an edge that could cut through steel.

"Until the Overlord's will is fulfilled."

The leader raised a dagger, its blade black as midnight and etched with runes that pulsed faintly with a malevolent light. He pressed the hilt against her forehead, the cold metal searing her skin as the runes flared to life. A faint hiss escaped her lips, but she did not flinch.

"Then rise, Valeria, Blood Oath of the Abyss."

Valeria stood, her crimson cloak billowing around her as if caught in an unseen wind. Her gaze swept across the room, lingering on the crystal projection that hovered in the air before her. It displayed the image of a young man with messy brown hair and a weary expression, Cain, the so called successor of the Tyrant.

"So… the Tyrant's successor is truly alive," she murmured, her voice dripping with a mixture of disdain and curiosity.

One of the hooded figures scoffed, his voice dripping with contempt.

"He is weak. He doesn't even remember his past life."

Valeria's grin widened, revealing teeth that seemed just a little too sharp.

"Then I'll remind him with blood."

The chamber fell silent, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air. The Abyssal Order had spoken. Cain's days of peace were numbered.

Cain was already having a bad day. The kind of day where nothing went right, and everything seemed to conspire against him. He had overslept, missed breakfast, and nearly been late to his first class. And now, as he trudged through the academy's training grounds, he could feel the beginnings of a headache forming behind his eyes.

Then Selene made it worse.

"Stand still."

Cain blinked, his train of thought derailed as he turned to face her. Selene stood a few feet away, her dark blue eyes gleaming with an intensity that made him uneasy. In her hand, she held a dagger, its blade catching the light in a way that made it seem almost alive.

"Why are you holding a dagger?" Cain asked, his voice tinged with apprehension.

Selene smiled, a slow, deliberate curve of her lips that did nothing to ease his nerves.

"For research."

Cain took a step back, his instincts screaming at him to put as much distance between himself and the dagger as possible. But before he could react, Selene's arm snapped forward, and the dagger flew through the air with deadly precision.

Cain barely managed to dodge, the blade grazing his sleeve as it embedded itself in the wall behind him. His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at her, wide-eyed and incredulous.

"SELENE?!" he shouted, his voice cracking slightly.

Selene tilted her head, her expression one of mild curiosity.

"Fascinating. Your instincts are resurfacing."

Cain groaned, running a hand through his hair as he tried to calm his racing heart.

"You nearly killed me!"

Selene smirked, her gaze never leaving his.

"If I wanted you dead, you'd be dead."

Cain stared at her, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find the words to respond.

"…That's not comforting."

Selene stepped closer, her dark blue eyes boring into his. There was something almost predatory in her gaze, a hunger for knowledge that made Cain feel like a specimen under a microscope.

"Don't you want to know why you move like that? Why your body reacts before your mind does?"

Cain hesitated. The truth was, he did want to know. Ever since he had arrived at the academy, strange things had been happening to him. Moments where his body moved on its own, where he felt a surge of power that wasn't his own. It was as if something deep within him was stirring, something ancient and dangerous.

Selene chuckled, a low, melodic sound that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Good. Then let's test those limits."

Cain groaned, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"I hate this."

Selene's smirk widened.

"You'll thank me later."

Cain had hoped that he could just ignore everything. That if he pretended hard enough, the strange occurrences would stop, and he could go back to living a normal life. But deep down, he knew that was a lie. The truth was, he could feel it, the changes happening within him, the power that was slowly awakening.

And then his system betrayed him.

[System Notice: "Locked Subroutine – Awakening Imminent."]

Cain froze, his breath catching in his throat as the words appeared in his vision. He had grown accustomed to the occasional system notification, but this… this was different. The words were stark and unyielding, a harbinger of something he wasn't ready to face.

"Oh, come on," he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration.

But the system wasn't done.

[System Update: "Combat Efficiency Test – Phase One Activated."]

Before Cain could react, his body moved on its own. It was as if someone else had taken control, his limbs moving with a speed and precision that was far beyond his capabilities. He felt a surge of power coursing through him, raw and untamed, and for a moment, he felt invincible.

Selene lunged at him, her movements a blur of speed and grace. But Cain countered instantly, his hand snapping up to stop her just an inch from his throat. The room fell silent, the only sound the faint hum of energy that surrounded them.

Selene smirked, her golden eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"Looks like you're starting to remember."

Cain stared at his trembling hands, his mind reeling. This wasn't him. He wasn't a fighter. He wasn't… this.

"No. This isn't me," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Selene's gaze sharpened, her expression one of unwavering determination.

"It was. And it will be again."

Cain felt a chill run down his spine. He was changing, whether he wanted to or not and he didn't like it.

The academy was quiet, the halls empty as the students retired to their dorms for the night. But in one of the abandoned corridors, a symbol burned into the wall, its edges smoldering as if the stone itself had been set ablaze. It was the mark of the Abyssal Order, a twisted sigil that seemed to pulse with a dark, malevolent energy.

Beneath the symbol, a single message was etched into the stone:

"Your past awaits you, Tyrant."

Cain stood before the wall, his heart pounding in his chest as he read the words. He could feel the weight of them, the promise they carried. His past, the one he had tried so hard to forget, was coming for him.

And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Cain's nightmare had just begun.