Chapter 4: The Demon Core Awakens

Kael sat alone in the aftermath of the Trial of Chains, the heat from the arena still lingering on his skin. His bare chest rose and fell, each breath sharp, strained. Sweat mixed with blood on his brow, his knuckles were swollen and cracked from the battle, but he felt no pain.

No—what he felt was something else.

Power.

It throbbed inside him, not just in his muscles, but deeper—in his soul.

The room around him, a small obsidian chamber carved directly into the mountain's stone, seemed to pulse in tune with his heartbeat. Faint demonic runes flickered across the walls, casting eerie shadows that danced like spirits whispering secrets just out of reach.

His branded chest still glowed faintly. The sigil Virelia had burned into him was no longer just a mark of servitude—it was reacting to something within him. Kael could feel the resonance building, like a storm gathering under his skin.

Then it happened.

A sudden surge of heat flared in his chest, and Kael doubled over, clutching his ribcage.

"Ghh… what—what is this?!"

His vision blurred. The air thickened. He dropped to one knee as something inside him ignited—not metaphorically, but literally. Fire licked through his veins, but it wasn't consuming him. It was reshaping him.

[System Notification]

> Demon Core detected.

> Initialization commencing…

> Prepare for soul alignment.

A bright red circle of runes appeared beneath him, and with a soundless pulse, Kael was yanked out of reality.

---

He floated in a space without direction. There was no ground, no sky—only endless dark mist and a red glow that surrounded him.

"Where…?"

In the center of the void hovered a crystal. It wasn't large—about the size of a heart—but it pulsed with life, glowing crimson like molten lava under pressure. As it beat, Kael felt every pulse inside his body, as though it was syncing with his own rhythm.

Then the voice came.

That same voice—the one from the abyss before his rebirth.

"You've begun to awaken, Kael Ardyn. Not because you were chosen. But because you dared to choose."

The words echoed like a whisper inside his skull, heavy with power and old as time.

"Who are you?" Kael asked aloud, trying to spot the source in the darkness. "What is this place?"

"This is the threshold," the voice replied. "The place between who you were, and who you are becoming."

Kael's eyes narrowed.

The crystal pulsed brighter, and in a sudden flash, images flooded his mind: armies of demons marching under red skies; thrones of bone and black iron; creatures of shadow kneeling before a figure cloaked in fire.

Was that… me?

"No," Kael growled, shaking his head. "I'm not a king. I'm not a monster."

"Aren't you?" the voice asked.

Kael said nothing.

The crystal descended toward him, stopping just inches from his chest. He could feel it pulling at him—pulling his memories, his pain, his rage.

And then—

[Demon Core Synchronization: 67%... 78%... 100%]

> Soul Flame skill unlocked.

> Core Level: 1

> Passive Effect acquired: Infernal resonance. Basic attacks now emit searing soulfire.

The crystal melted into his chest like liquid light, and a red aura burst from his back like wings made of energy. Kael screamed—not in pain, but in release.

He felt alive.

For the first time since waking in this hellish world… he felt like he wasn't just surviving.

He was evolving.

---

The world snapped back into place. Kael found himself in the obsidian chamber again, on his knees, breathing hard. The runes on the walls had gone dim, but the glow in his chest remained, now more stable.

He opened his palm.

A faint flame flickered above it—tiny, red, almost gentle. But it pulsed with power, and when he focused, it flared higher, sharper.

He grinned.

"So this is what it feels like to have magic…"

Before he could experiment further, the chamber door creaked open.

A figure entered, tall and shrouded in layered black robes with pale bone decorations lining the sleeves and collar. A smooth white mask covered their face—expressionless, featureless—except for two blood-red dots where the eyes should be.

Kael stood instantly. He didn't trust anyone in this world, especially someone dressed like death itself.

"Who are you?" Kael asked, his voice steady despite the exhaustion.

"I am Arix," the figure replied, voice calm, genderless. "Priest of the Flame Sigil. Servant of House Virelia."

They bowed slightly, arms crossing their chest in ritual form.

"You've been summoned. The Duchess wishes to see her newest servant personally."

Kael narrowed his eyes. "Now?"

Arix tilted their head. "Your awakening has not gone unnoticed. Power here does not grow quietly."

Kael clenched his fist, letting the flame in his palm vanish.

"Then let's not keep her waiting."

---

The walk through the barracks' interior halls was silent, lit only by flickering torches and cursed lamps that glowed blue with souls trapped inside. Kael followed Arix without question, but his mind raced.

The Soul Flame. The Demon Core. That voice in the void. He had no idea how it all fit together, but one thing was clear—he wasn't like the others.

And Virelia knew it.

Eventually, they stopped at a set of tall black doors lined with silver runes. Guards stood on either side, clad in armor made from living shadow. When Arix approached, the runes flared and the doors opened soundlessly.

Inside was a throne room—not grand, but imposing.

At the end of the room, draped in a cloak of silk and bone, sat Duchess Virelia.

Her gaze met his immediately, piercing through him like a blade. She smirked.

"Well, well… my little ember has begun to burn."

Kael stepped forward, the fire in his chest flickering to life in response to her presence.

"You called for me," he said.

She leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming. "Indeed. Tell me, Kael… how does it feel? Knowing you've only just begun to scratch the surface of what you are?"

Kael didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked at his palm again, the glow still faint but alive.

"It feels," he said slowly, "like I'm not just a servant anymore."

Virelia grinned, sharp and elegant.

"Good. Because I don't need a servant, Kael. I need a weapon."

She stood, descending the steps of her throne.

"And I have a mission for you."