Curse

Damon stared at me, his expression darkening. "More? How many?"

I clenched my fists, the weight of Varian's stolen memories pressing against my mind. Faces. Names. Threats.

"Too many."

Damon cursed under his breath, pacing through the rubble. "You're telling me we just took down one bastard with a system, and now there's more?"

I exhaled sharply. "Not just more. They're stronger. Varian wasn't at the top—he was just a piece of something much bigger."

Damon's jaw tightened. "Great. That's just great."

The system flashed.

[DING!]

▶ [New Main Quest Unlocked]

▶ [Title: War of the Forsaken]

▶ Objective: Eliminate the Remaining System Users]

I swallowed hard. This wasn't over.

Not even close.

I closed my eyes, sorting through the fragmented memories I had stolen. It wasn't perfect—I couldn't see everything, just pieces of what Varian knew. But it was enough to confirm one thing.

Varian's system… it wasn't natural.

He hadn't been chosen like I had. His power was forced onto him, an experiment. Someone had given him that fragment.

And whoever did it… they were still out there.

Damon crossed his arms. "So? What's our next move?"

I opened my mouth to answer—

Then I felt it.

A sharp, cold sensation at the back of my skull, like invisible fingers clawing into my thoughts. My body tensed.

This wasn't just a memory. Something was watching me.

Damon noticed my change in expression. "Oi. You good?"

I barely heard him.

Because in my mind—a voice echoed.

Low. Amused. Dangerous.

"How interesting… so you're the one who took his system."

My blood ran cold.

This wasn't a memory.

This was real.

Someone—one of them—was speaking to me.

I gritted my teeth. "Who are you?"

The voice chuckled.

"Ah… so he didn't tell you anything, did he? Shame."

Damon was still talking, but his voice felt distant. My surroundings blurred. It was like my mind had been pulled elsewhere.

Then—a flicker of an image.

A man in dark robes, standing atop a ruined battlefield. His face was hidden, but his presence alone made my skin crawl. Behind him, corpses burned, and the sky twisted with unnatural energy.

His voice was calm, almost amused.

"You've taken a fragment, haven't you? But you don't even know what it is. What it's worth."

My hands shook.

This wasn't a warning.

It was a threat.

"Keep it, if you like. It won't change what's coming."

The vision snapped.

I gasped, staggering back. Damon caught my arm. "What the hell was that?!"

I wiped the sweat from my forehead, my breath unsteady.

I had my answer.

Varian was just a soldier.

The real war hadn't even started yet.