Heir of Dread

As Duncan's eyelids fluttered open, the pair of orbs-black orbs stared unblinkingly into emptiness.

What was that place? Where was it? Why did he find himself there?

Before Duncan could fully recover his senses, a pain beyond description assaulted his mind. This time a scream left his mouth as rolled his body across the floor of the basement just to find any relief from the pain.

It felt like his mind was shredded into pieces and rebuild into something it was never meant to be. Despite the indescribable pain ravaging his mind, Duncan noticed that his thought process were starting to become alien as if his mind was being rid of something fundamental.

Duncan struggled to describe what his mind was cleansed off into words. But the feeling of emptiness, of loss that he felt was not refutable as his mind seemed to be reformed into something utterly inhuman.

And like a bulb had lit in his mind, the word rolled off his tongue."Fear."

His mind was being rid of any fear it ever had, of any fear it has, of any fear it will ever have.

Just as Duncan was on a bleak of losing his consciousness, the pain that had been assaulting his mind subsided. A sigh escaped Duncan's lips as he stopped rolling on the floor.

A power that was not there before washed over his being. His mind became clearer, his body felt slightly stronger, his senses were more refined.

Just as he thought that it was over, a flood of information in form of thoughts invaded his mind.

Asterbrand: Dreadlock

Soul Rank: Inhuman

Relic Rank: Divine

Soul Land: 328

Aster Seed: 0/5

Inhuman Aptitude: Dreadling

Blessing: You are a creature of fear, in fear you thrive.

Curse: Only those who know not of fear shall be feared by all.

While the information may not be much, the sheer complex of it surpassed the capabilities of his mind even in its current state.

Duncan shook his head to clear his mind of any thoughts. With descent effort he managed to pick up his body from the floor. The physical state of his body seemed slightly better than before. The sound of his own breath, the feeling as the cold air as it touched his skin, the smell of the burnt floor of the basement, all these experiences felt different as it seemed that his senses inherited a quality that they did not possess earlier.

Just as he was about to delve deeper into the wonders brought by his new transformation, a set of footsteps reached his ears. The set of foot set seemed to be nearing the entrance in a hurried manner. Then Duncan heard a feminine yelp, followed by the sound of someone falling to the floor of the basement.

"Damn stairs." A voice filled with displeasure resounded in the basement.

Duncan let out a low chuckle, as a familiar name escaped his lips. "Bella."

"Is that you Danny?" Bella asked in uncertainty.

Duncan sighed. "Do you know anyone else who knows your name in this forsaken house?"

"Good point."Bella walked towards Duncan in hurried steps, when he reached a look of worry was present on her face. "Are you alrig–?"

Before she could finish her question, Bella's eyes locked onto Duncan's eyes that were now replaced by two orbs. Bella let out a scream like never before as she backed away from Duncan in fear.

Hearing Bella's scream and her footsteps retreating away from him, a hint of worry found its way into Duncan's heart. "Are you oka-?"

Before he could finish his question, new wave of power invaded his being. His already clear mind grew clearer, his already refined senses grew more refined and his already strengthened body grew slightly stronger. He was caught in astonishment as he stared ahead in daze.

Bella ignored Duncan's unfinished question and took a deep breath. She succeeded in calming down her racing heart.

She gathered all the courage she could spare and re-examined the two black orbs that seemed to stare her way as if they were seeing eyes. "Where are you eyes?"

Just as Bella's question reached Duncan's ears, the new wave of power that had been permeating his being disappeared into nothingness as if it was swallowed by oblivion.

Duncan blinked a couple of times, the gesture seemed familiar and yet he could not shake off the feeling that it was foreign.

Still struggling to regain his bearings from the short boost in power, he replied. "What eyes?"

"Damn lunatic. Did you not notice that you have black orbs instead of eyes?"

"DreadCurse." A voice corrected.

Bella grumbled. "I did not ask for their stupid na-"

Bella froze as she realized that the voice did not belong to Duncan. With measured footsteps, she retreated to where Duncan was standing. The basement was dark and thus it was hard to make out anything in it.

Duncan adapted similar state of cautiousness as his body tensed.

The voice filled the basement again."You don't have to be so wary."

This time Duncan could pinpoint its origin, it seemed to come from his left. Just as he turned his head to face the left side with Bella following suit, a set of footsteps heading their way resounded in the basement.

The voice of an old man reached the ear's of the duo. "While I may not dislike guests in my lovely mansion, I must still ask for your identities."

Bella bowed her head and forced Duncan to do the same. "We were just cleaning the basement, now if you will excuse us."

Bella turned around and started walking towards the entrance of the Basement, dragging Duncan along.

Laughter resounded from behind them, it was then that Duncan felt a soft breeze.

"Not so fast little ones."

The voice of the old man was now coming from in front of them.

One thought settle in his mind.

He is too fast.

He did not hear the sound of his footsteps, he did not hear the sound of his breath, the only thing that Duncan had sensed was the cold wind.

It seemed like the owner of the voice just appeared in front of them out of nowhere. Judging by his voice, the person was most probably an old man and no old man should move so fast. At least that holds true to the old people he had crossed path within the outskirts.

Duncan believed that the person was probably the owner of the first gaze that he sensed when he first entered the basement.

My damn luck.