Chapter 9: Chapter 8

As I lay on my back, my eyes slowly drifted to a man in ebony leather pants. His red eyes sent chills down my spine, and his pitch-black skin stood out, unlike anything I had seen before. It appeared as if it absorbed the surrounding light, pulling it towards him.

He squatted before me, placing his forearms on his knees. “The rift has touched you,” He said with a deep voice that made every word sound imposing.

The man’s hair was short and dark, like his stubbled beard. His nails were long, well-groomed and pearl white. He appeared wealthy but unconcerned about his appearance, as his silk shirt was unbuttoned and his belt hung loose.

I was grateful he remained blocking the sun because I wasn’t sure how long I could take direct light.

My throat had been bleeding raw from vomiting, but I managed to speak.

“You were looking for me?” My voice cracked.

“Yes. You and something else that keeps evading my grasp”—A long, drawn-out sigh escaped him—“I’ve grown… tired of playing games and decided to follow the rift-touched revenant instead.”

“Who are you?” I asked, as my voice trembled with exhaustion.

This man might not even be real. This may just be my mind failing in its last moments. I would humour the hallucination, nonetheless.

He stared at me for a moment with those intense crimson eyes. “Cain.”

“I am sure I should know who you are, but I don’t,” I mumbled, uncertain he would hear me.

Cain tilted his head. “I am known as the evil of this world.”

“Are you evil?”

Every breath cracked with wetness, and it became difficult to focus on Cain’s face.

Cain stood up, staring down at me. “I am one of the original Fallen. Take that as you will.”

I gave a slight nod. “So you’re like a god?”

“There is no god. Only the system,” he answered in a monotone, fidgeting with the silver ring on his middle finger.

This Cain might help me, assuming he wanted to. If he were being truthful and were actually a fallen, that would mean he might tell me how not to turn into a rapid animal, chasing humans down for food.

There had to be a way to fix this. I couldn’t give up yet.

I let out a long, painful exhale. “You wouldn’t know how to stop me”—my breathing was becoming heavy between words—“from becoming a monster, would you?”

“Only a Valkyrie with administration access can do that. However, I can help you not turn into a mindless revenant. Truthfully, it would be a gift for someone like you. Such a meaningless life. The system has no plans for you. You were destined to be a background piece in this world. Scenery, one might say”—He folded his arms—“But I can give you purpose. Are you looking to make a deal with a Fallen?”

I swallowed the metallic-tasting saliva building in my mouth. “What would that deal entail?”

It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. I didn’t have much longer to live… as a human.

Cain’s red eyes stared at me for a moment before a grin slowly emerged. “I am curious about these rifts, and you seem to have accessed the system by coming into contact with one. Of course, this is likely an error since you are currently experiencing a reboot. However, I am curious how the world will react to having such… guidance. Plus, aggravating the Valkyries is a personal favourite of mine. I want one simple thing from you”—he held his long-nailed pointer finger above his brow—“devotion.”

“What does that mean?” Rifts? Reboot? What type of devotion?” I asked, not having the luxury of a long explanation, but I needed some information.

This seemed like I was selling my soul to evil. I didn’t believe in the Valkyrie and fallen before, so now I was worried there was a heaven and hell. Would I be damning myself by agreeing? Sure, dying sucked, but being cast into the infernal pit of damnation for all eternity seemed much more awful.

I could already be destined for hell after becoming a Nightstalker. Taking this deal might not worsen my situation.

“The rifts are bringing things into this world that do not belong. The Valkyries choose to be lords rather than saviours. They have kept you all weak, hoping you will never question their authority. I wish for us all to be given the tools to succeed and defend ourselves from our invaders”—Cain looked up at the sky—“I desire to replicate what gave you system access with everyone,” Cain said, rubbing his chin. “A reboot means a sector was restarted. Most likely to rid itself of an intruder. You were reset, which is marked by a debuff but do not worry. It only notifies those with system access. It should fall off soon.”

The struggle to breathe now was visually similar to that of a fish gasping out of water.

Screw it. I would take my chances with this deal if I could survive. Then, perhaps, I could restore my salvation along the way. After that, I would just continue to be a good person…

Am I a good person?

“If you can help me retain some normalcy, I will do it.”

Cain grinned. “Your base stats are atrocious, but I will find your growth amusing. Also, I’ll be able to monitor you and see how the corruption affects you.”

“So you want me to be a source of entertainment?” I coughed, and a lot of black fluid trickled down my chin and cheek.

I grabbed at my chest with my normal hand. My heart felt like it was coming to a complete stop, which was an odd sensation. The time between beats became longer, and every squeeze was weaker. I was hyperaware of this, but… I wasn’t panicking.

Cain nodded. “Correct.”

“Deal.”

There was no hesitation. I wanted to live and would do anything to return home. If a Valkyrie could permanently fix me, I would find one. This was just another step I had to take to search for one of these divine beginnings. Time was all I needed.

I’ll be home soon, everyone.

Cain smirked. “Well, let’s get started before you eat someone.”

Cain’s lips pulled back, and he bit his wrist with his elongated canine teeth, tearing it open without delay. He grasped my hair and shoved my mouth into the gash.

There was no need for instructions, as the blood’s tangy, sweet smell reminded me of Yuridia’s raspberry jam. My stomach ACHED for nourishment as I ravenously began drinking from him. I hadn’t experienced hunger over the past week, but this blood tasted like honey, and I couldn’t bring myself to pull away from the euphoria.

This was like when I found that pond and drank so much that I thought I would hurt myself. If this was what it would be like to feed on a person, I was thankful I learned about this uncontrollable thirst from Cain. I would have undoubtedly murdered someone if this had been discovered naturally.

I sat up, grabbed Cain’s arm, and dug my nails into his dark skin. My teeth sank into his flesh, which was soft and malleable but did not tear even with my aggression. The gash seemed like it was closing, as I desperately wanted more.

Cain soon clutched my hair, jerking my mouth away. He tossed me down the alleyway, and I travelled a few yards from the momentum.

After coming to a rolling stop on my back, the urge to lunge for him was intense, but I held it in. Not that I had the energy for it.

My throat tightened before a burning sensation erupted through my body.

I flipped over, struggling to my hands and knees before my nightstalker arm spasmed, letting off sounds of bone crunching.

My forehead slammed into the snow as my bones cracked like they were breaking and reorganising themselves in my body. The sound that reminded me of wet branches snapping from within was terrifying.

The fiery pressure inside me was so intense I let out a yell that transitioned into a deep growl. It was like my body was about to rip open as my back bowed well past its natural limit.

I had never suffered pain quite like this in my life. Describing it with words could not justify the absolute misery I experienced.

There were moments I regretted my choice, as dying seemed easier. The wish for death soon overwhelmed my desire to see my family again. There was no shame in the thought. Even the strong will person would crumble to this suffering.

After what felt like hours, but was surely only a few minutes, I lay on the ground, not breathing. All my pain had subsided, and I was feeling pretty okay, considering everything that had happened.

It was purely optional to breathe now. Holding my breath did not cause a burning sensation in my chest. This was odd, but could be helpful in certain situations.

My heartbeat had stopped a while ago, but I was fully conscious.

I lifted my nightstalker hand, which was now back to its normal appearance before all this mayhem with the crystal started.

Well, my nails were long. Both my hands had long nails. Those needed to be cut. I wasn’t about to walk around like that.

My wrist wasn’t broken, and my veins no longer appeared grey. I was glad there would be no need to wrap it anymore.

Six windows filled the side of my vision.

Oh, a lot just happened.

Cain licks his wrist like a wounded dog. “You will need to learn to control your hunger and emotions, but you will no longer be a mindless animal. Your actions are solely based on your willpower.”

A rush of energy filled me as I gradually sat up.

I glanced down at my hands. The sun was no longer peeling my skin off, but grey smoke still rose from its surface.

Despite that resistance ability, I still couldn’t walk in daylight. The sun was just peaking over the buildings, and it was causing issues. It would be deadly soon.

How depressing. I hoped I could live a somewhat normal life in that aspect.

My gaze returned to Cain. “is willpower a stat?”

Cain’s following chuckle ended with a grin. “No, your soul is not measurable like your worldly body”—He took the silver ring off, tossing it at me—“Just because you have resistance to the sun doesn’t mean you won’t burn. The ring will allow you to walk among mortals without catching fire.”

“Can I one day walk without the ring?” I asked, sliding it down my middle finger.

The ring had the numbers I had seen on the system etched into its surface. I didn’t find any sense in how they twisted around it, or at least I didn’t see any order in it. There had to be a reason for these markings.

Cain shrugged. “That all depends on you.”

So yes, but only if I live long enough, is what he was saying. Nothing was going to be easy for me. I should just stop hoping for a life of leisure at this point.

“Does immortality mean I can’t die?”

“Oh, you can die. You just won’t age past your prime. So you won’t look like a twelve-year-old forever.”

I looked up at Cain. “I am sixteen.”

“Unfortunate. Anyway, be careful. I’ve never turned someone at level one, so you’re still extremely weak.”

“What happens if I just go home?” I asked, trembling as I stood up with my palms on my knees.

My energy was returning, but my body felt like a rock had smashed it.

“You must kill the original demon of your bloodline. While technically you are my servant, your previous master will have influence over you. You should rid yourself of that, or it could be an issue later. They will come for you and try to sever our bond. That would put people at home in danger.”

I glanced down at the snow that was stained red and black. “How far am I from being able to kill them?”

“Oh, you are not even an insect to them, but you are a rare occurrence. Demons can’t make other demons. Only the Fallen can do that. But if they could break our connection, they would have a servant all to themselves that wasn’t a mindless revenant.”

I nodded before looking back up. “So it would be in their interest to capture me and make me a strong pet.”

Cain pointed at me with his long nail. “Correct. As a result, I would experiment with the system and figure it out. The better you navigate it, the stronger you will become. I’d plan on getting to level two as soon as possible. It will open up a lot of new things.”

“Understood.”

“You might be the first level-one demon ever. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure my blood would work on you. I’ve seen mortal explode, drinking from a fallen”—Cain folded his arms—“I should let Lilith and Lucy know I created you. They like to keep track of these things.”

Explode? What… I am glad that didn’t happen.

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I glanced around for an audience. There was a lot of commotion and noise in this alleyway. How did no one hear me turning into a monster?

“How didn’t someone see us? I was pretty loud while I was shifting into a demon.”

Cain’s enthusiasm for our conversation was waning. He appeared bored now.

“Misdirection is an ability.”

I couldn’t waste too much time on useless questions. Cain would not humour me all day, and I needed to get the essential details out of him.

“Okay,” I sighed. “What do I do now? Should I go somewhere special?”

“Just keep moving.”

“Can’t you just kill the demon for me?”

Cain shook his head. “That would be no fun,” He said as he disappeared in the blink of an eye, and black feathers fluttered down from the air.

Ugh. I would appreciate it if you could tell me more about the system.

I was beginning to be comfortable with almost dying. Yet another lucky escape. This was becoming comical. Maybe I couldn’t die.

Yeah, let’s not tempt the universe… or rather the system, with words of challenge.

My clothes were a disaster. They needed to be cleaned as soon as possible. It was early morning, but I saw a few people walking down the road after Cain left. This misdirection didn’t last long.

People would stare at me for sure. It was probably wise to leave this location before someone asked what had happened. It looked like someone was murdered, which was near to the truth.

In an attempt to wash off Cain's blood, I picked up a handful of clean snow and wiped it from my face the best I could. I still likely had blood smeared on me, but this was better than walking out with it dried on my chin.

After straightening my stiff back and picking up my backpack, I looked around. Suppose I go to the docks. I could accidentally fall into the water, which would clean me up, but that water would be cold and draw attention. I just wanted to get on the ship with Abble and not deal with any more questions.

As I approached the edge of the alleyway, the sun shone brightly on the stone street that was covered with snow.

There was fear in my bones. I felt an instinctual resistance to walking out.

I hoped this ring worked as well as Cain claimed it did because my demon body didn’t believe it.

My foot teetered at the boundary as I worked up the courage to leap out.

After many retracted attempts, I made it, stopping on the side of the road. People looked at me with concern as they kept their distance, moving to the other side of the road.

I threw my hands up towards the sun. “I didn’t catch fire!”

YES!

“Oh, he’s a weird one,” said a sailor to his buddy as they walked by.

“Is He okay? He looks like he got his ass kicked,” the other one replied.

I spun around on my heels and started down the white-covered road to Abble’s house. Everything was going to work out. At least for today.

Returning to Abble’s house was my only option, even though I didn’t know how to explain the black vomit my clothes were drenched in. She was liable to be confused, no matter what my excuse was.

I would prefer to get her reaction now rather than later.

My fur coat was stained with black fluid, which greatly bothered me. It would be painfully difficult to remove. There was no way I was about to toss it. If it takes years to clean, then so be it. My father made it, and I need some reminders of home to stay focused.

While stumbling through the storm last night, I didn’t get far. This was good because I didn’t want too many people getting the idea of reporting me to guards.

I raced back to the house with snow crunching under my boots. I kept my eyes focused in front of me, making sure not to make eye contact with anyone. Keeping my gaze off their facial expressions at my appearance saved me from panicking.

My fast walking probably didn’t help my suspiciousness, but I was almost to the house… bar… hideout. I wasn’t sure what it was.

While it had been only a short distance from where I had spent the night, it felt like forever before I moved down the alley and approached the cellar door.

I quickly got the lock off and tried to enter, but it was like my foot wouldn’t take the next step. My leg would tremble no matter how hard I tried to step into the cellar.

Dammit. I needed to be invited in.

So it wasn’t a myth. I hadn't even considered that when I walked into Abble's house unhindered for the first time. It mustn't count if you aren't a full-blown Reverent or Demon.

This was going to be a pain in my ass.

The lady from the bar stood at the bottom of the stairs, holding a wooden box in a light blue dress. We must have stared at each other for an entire minute as I froze in place.

There was no way she would invite me in, looking like this.

“Oh hey,” I said, giving a weak wave. “Abble told me to come this way… may I enter?”

She stared at me, holding the crate in silence with one of the glowing orange gems sitting on top. I was anxious about her lack of response, but she soon nodded.

I hope she didn’t have to speak the words or own the property.

My boot crossed the threshold, and I walked down the creaky stairs, letting out a long sigh of relief.

This would not be that much of an issue.

The woman's face was expressionless as she turned around and walked up the main stairs to the bar. She didn't seem worried, so I wasn’t concerned with her bringing down Abble’s Father.

I closed the door, locking it as Abble had asked.

Quickly, I squeezed between the barrels and knocked on the secret door. It took a few knocks before the dresser was dragged across the floor and the hatch sprang up.

Abble held a lantern up to the crack, not speaking.

I coughed. “It’s me, Kade.”

Abble said nothing for a moment. “It’s kinda early. Come back later.”

I stopped the door from closing with my palm. “I fell into some… shit, and my clothes are filthy. Could you bring me some water to clean up with and a scrubbing board?”

“What… How did you fall into shit?”

“Horses do walk down the street.”

“Yeah, but they have those poop things to catch it.”

Why do you ask so many questions, Abble? This was to be my life for a long while; I was sure of it.

“I guess it broke, I don’t know. I just really need to clean up. You should be happy. Not only was I here before you asked, but I also want to clean up for our trip. You called me dirty before, right?”

Abble was quiet for a few seconds. “I am still not letting you touch me.”

Why would she go there immediately? The last thing I was worried about right now was touching a woman. My plate was a tad full right now to be focused on such things.

“Abble. No offence, but that hasn’t crossed my mind.”

She huffed, definitely offended. “Fine. I will bring you a scrubbing board. There is running water in the basement. I will ask Nenia to heat the broiler.”

Nenia was probably that woman from the bar.

“I do not know what that means but okay,” I said, and Abble dropped the door, almost hitting me in the head.

So temperamental.

I waited awhile for Abble to come down with Nenia, whose hands were full.

Nenia set a bar of soap and clothes on a table against the wall, along with her lantern. She walked over, tossing wood into a tall metal cylinder bin before lighting it with flint.

Abble rocked an empty barrel over to a small metal object of sorts coming out of the stone wall. It looked like hallowed-out wood, almost.

Abble saw my curiosity when she glanced back, and a sigh followed. “There copper pipes. Water runs through them”—she turned a flower-shaped knob of sorts—“you really are a bumkin,” she said as water trickled out before it flowed with pressure, filling the barrel up gradually.

“Where does it come from? We are really deep in the city.”

Nenia coughed into her sleeve as she closed the door on the metal cylinder. “We have a rain catcher on the roof, but the city also supplies water from a river outside the walls.”

“Wow, you spoke,” Abble smirked. “You fancy Kade or something?”

Nenia rolled her eyes. “He reminds me of my younger brother.”

I pointed to the metal cylinder. “What’s that?”

“Boilers,” Nenia answered, grabbing the soap bar and proceeding to me. She put her nose toward my shirt, and her face twisted in disgust. “That smells like two-week-old fish. Not horse shit.”

I shrugged. “That horse must have eaten something nasty.”

Nenia dropped the bar of soap in my hands. “Sorry, but I can’t take you to a shower upstairs. Nicholas is waiting to pounce.”

Abble pointed to the barrel. “Get naked and jump in. Nenia will take your clothes and clean them upstairs. Then we will get moving early since you are back so soon. Knock on the door when you’re ready.”

“Okay,” I said, but Abble appeared like she had more to stay.

“So, did you hurt yourself? There is blood around your mouth.”

My eyes averted from hers. “I bit my tongue when I fell.”

Damn. That was a good excuse.

Abble paused. “Mkay,” she said before making her way up the main stairs to the bar.

Nenia stood there staring at me long after Abble left.

She was a bit weird. I wondered what her story was. It had to be interesting, considering she worked in a bar for pirates.

Nenia let out a breath that was full of irritation. “Get naked, so I can wash your stuff.”

“Can you, like, turn around?”

Nenia gave me a blank expression for a moment before nodding and spinning around on one heel. “Happy?”

I didn’t appreciate the annoyance in her tone.

“Yes,” I muttered.

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