Chapter 2: The Abyss Stirs

The world around Yoru Kael had changed.

A deep, unnatural silence pressed against the ruins of Velios, broken only by the distant howling wind. The ground beneath him felt wrong—like something ancient had awakened beneath the shattered stones. Shadows coiled at his feet, stretching toward him as if he were their master.

The taste of power lingered on his tongue—dark, intoxicating, terrifyingly alive.

The Voidborn had fled. The Lunar Guards, once watching from above with sneers of superiority, now stood frozen in stunned silence.

Yoru slowly clenched his fist.

The Eclipse Codex had awakened.

A flicker of black light pulsed in his vision, visible only to him.

> [System Activation: Eclipse Codex Initialized.]

New Ability Acquired: Abyssal Devourer

— Absorb the essence of Voidborn to strengthen your core.

The words burned themselves into his mind, his body still trembling from the surge of power. He had felt it—the Void Stalker's life, its very existence unraveling, drawn into him like an offering to something greater.

His breath steadied. A strange sensation settled within him, like a second heartbeat lurking beneath his own.

For the first time in his life… he wasn't weak.

And it felt good.

---

The Lunar Guards' Reaction

A metallic clang echoed as one of the Lunar Guards leaped down from the broken bridge, silver armor catching the crimson light of the dying sky. His expression, once filled with arrogance, had shifted into something unreadable.

"That... wasn't the power of a Lunar Ascendant," he muttered, voice tight with suspicion.

Another guard, taller and wielding a long spear, narrowed his eyes. "Voidborn don't just drop dead. You—what did you do, outcast?"

Yoru wiped the blood from his lip and tilted his head. His smirk was slow, deliberate. "Survived."

The first guard's grip on his sword tightened. "You absorbed that creature's energy. That's impossible. The Void corrupts—"

"Then maybe I'm already corrupted," Yoru cut in. His voice was steady, but beneath it, his heart pounded. He didn't understand this power yet, but he couldn't afford to look weak. Not now.

He took a step forward.

The guards took a step back.

That reaction made something stir inside him—something dark, something hungry.

They were afraid of him.

Him. The outcast.

---

The Awakening

Then—pain.

A sharp, burning agony tore through his chest.

Yoru gasped, clutching at his ribs as something inside twisted, coiling like a beast roused from slumber. Black energy pulsed beneath his skin, his veins darkening as power rippled through his body—foreign, overwhelming.

> [System Alert: Core Stabilization in Progress.]

His vision blurred. The world flickered between reality and something... darker.

Then—

A whisper.

Deep. Resonant. Ancient.

"Awaken."

Yoru fell to his knees.

Shadows coiled around him like living chains, sinking into his flesh, reshaping something deep within his very being. He clenched his jaw, refusing to scream.

Then—silence.

A new message pulsed in his vision.

> [Eclipse Core Formed: Abyssal Node Unlocked.]

Yoru exhaled. The pain was gone. And in its place…

Power.

His body no longer felt weak.

He was different now.

---

The Guards' Decision

The Lunar Guards exchanged uneasy glances. One of them shifted, raising his weapon.

"We should kill him now."

The captain hesitated. "If he's truly Void-cursed…"

Yoru forced himself to his feet, rolling his shoulders. A slow, mocking smile curled at his lips.

"You could try."

A heavy silence followed. The guards weren't fools—they had just watched him consume a Voidborn. None of them wanted to be next.

Finally, the captain exhaled. "We're reporting this to the High Order. If he's an anomaly, let them decide his fate."

With that, they turned away.

Yoru didn't stop them.

He had no intention of waiting for the High Order's judgment.

Because for the first time in his life—

He was done being hunted.

From now on, he was the predator.

---

The Hunger for More

The moment the guards disappeared into the ruins, Yoru exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

His body still hummed with power. The Eclipse Core pulsed in his chest, a foreign yet exhilarating presence.

He clenched his fist. Shadows flickered at his fingertips, responding to his will.

"I'm different now."

For the first time in his life, he wasn't a weak, starving orphan.

He wasn't just an outcast to be mocked and beaten.

He was something else.

Something dangerous.

And soon, the entire world would know it.

A deep ache settled in his bones. Not pain—hunger.

The Abyssal Devourer had tasted Voidborn essence, and now... it craved more.

His eyes flicked toward the darkened alleys of Velios. The ruins crawled with Voidborn.

Good.

He stepped forward, vanishing into the shadows.

Time for his first hunt.

---

The Voidborn Nest

The deeper he ventured into the ruins, the thicker the air grew—heavy with abyssal presence.

A ruined cathedral stood at the heart of the square, its once-grand spires now jagged and broken. Pulsating veins of darkness coiled around the structure like a living thing.

And from within… whispers called to him.

Yoru flexed his fingers. This was a Voidborn nest.

Perfect.

---

The First Kill

A pair of violet eyes flickered in the darkness.

Then another. And another.

Twisted creatures slithered from the shadows—Voidlings, lesser beings of the abyss, their skeletal forms hunched, their needle-like teeth glinting.

They surrounded him.

Yoru exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

"Let's see what I can do."

A Voidling screeched and lunged.

Yoru moved—faster than he ever had before. His body felt weightless, his reflexes razor-sharp.

With a flick of his wrist, black tendrils erupted from his palm, impaling the Voidling mid-air. It shrieked, convulsing, its abyssal essence ripped away—devoured.

> [Essence Absorbed: Voidling (+1 Strength, +1 Speed)]

A surge of power rushed through him. His muscles tightened. His senses sharpened.

More.

The other Voidlings hesitated.

Yoru smiled.

They weren't the hunters anymore.

He was.

---

The Watcher in the Dark

As the silence settled over the ruins, a faint clap echoed.

Yoru's head snapped up.

A figure stood on the shattered rooftop, golden eyes gleaming beneath a hood.

"So," they murmured. "The rumors were true."

A chill ran down Yoru's spine.

And deep within him—

The Eclipse Codex stirred.

The moment stretched, tension thick in the ruined cathedral's air. Yoru Kael locked eyes with the figure above, his senses on high alert. The stranger's golden gaze burned through the darkness, watching him—not with fear, but with curiosity.

A breeze swept through the ruins, carrying the scent of decay and something older, something… ancient.

Yoru straightened, rolling his shoulders as the last traces of void essence settled in his core. His newfound power hummed beneath his skin, eager, restless. But now wasn't the time to indulge in the hunger gnawing at his being.

He had an uninvited guest.

The stranger perched on the crumbling rooftop took a step forward, boots barely making a sound against the broken stone. Their silhouette was partially obscured by the shadows, yet the presence they radiated was undeniable—controlled, confident.

Then, they spoke.

"So, the rumors were true," the voice was smooth, layered with amusement and something colder beneath. "The forsaken outcast, reborn as a devourer of the void."

Yoru's fingers twitched. He wasn't sure what unsettled him more—the fact that this person knew about him, or the way they spoke as if they'd been expecting this.

"Who are you?" Yoru asked, voice even, calculated.

The stranger tilted their head slightly, as if considering the question. Then, they chuckled.

"A mere observer," they said. "For now."

Yoru didn't move, didn't let his guard down. Every instinct screamed at him to be ready. This person wasn't just anyone. Their presence alone carried a weight, an aura of quiet power.

"You've taken your first step into something far greater than you understand," the stranger continued, taking another step forward. The golden eyes gleamed in the dim light. "But power like yours… it never comes without consequence."

Yoru narrowed his eyes. "And you would know this how?"

A pause.

Then, a smile.

"Because I've seen it before."

A flicker of unease settled in Yoru's chest. He had expected arrogance, maybe even threats. But this person… they spoke like someone who had witnessed the rise and fall of beings like him.

Like someone who knew what came next.

"You think you understand the void now, don't you?" the stranger mused. "You think consuming a few wretched Voidlings makes you powerful." They exhaled a soft laugh. "Tell me, outcast—what will you do when the abyss starts whispering back?"

Yoru clenched his jaw. He had already heard the whispers. Felt them stir deep inside. But he refused to show weakness.

"I'll master it," he said, stepping forward, voice firm.

The stranger hummed in approval. "Bold. I wonder if you'll still say that when it starts demanding more."

Something shifted then—a ripple in the air, a shift in the shadows. The presence around the stranger darkened, like the void itself bent around them.

Yoru's muscles tensed.

Who was this person?

Before he could act, the stranger moved. One step back, and they were gone, swallowed by the night like they had never been there.

Only their voice remained, lingering in the air.

"Survive, Yoru Kael. The abyss is watching."

A chill ran down his spine.

And then, silence.

The Hunger Deepens

Yoru exhaled, steadying his pulse. His mind raced, piecing together what had just happened.

Someone had been watching him. Someone who knew about his power—maybe even what lay ahead.

And yet, they hadn't attacked.

Not yet.

He turned his gaze back toward the ruined cathedral. The void essence here still pulsed, thick and alive. Whatever that stranger had meant, whatever warnings they had gi

ven… none of it changed his path.

He was stronger now.

And strength was all that mattered.

The hunger inside him stirred, deeper than before.

More.

He needed more.

With one last glance at the empty rooftop, Yoru stepped into the darkness, letting the abyss guide him forward.

The hunt had only just begun.

------

Next Chapter Sneak Peek

As Yoru ventures deeper into the ruins, the whispers of the abyss grow louder, more insistent. A presence stirs in the darkness—something ancient, something waiting.

Meanwhile, the High Order moves swiftly. A hunter has been sent. Yoru is no longer just an outcast. He is a threat.

And threats must be eliminated.

Next: Chapter 3 – Predator an

d Prey.