"Do you wish to create a Darkling?
A part of the truth of ??? will be revealed upon conversion."
I didn't know what to say.
They say the truth is the sharpest blade—but was I truly ready to face it? The truth about this power… about myself?
I knew the answer.
Yes.
[Conversion shall begin]
The black flame seeped from me in greater waves, draining my energy rapidly. The guardian's scales and shadowy skin burned away, revealing a humanoid form beneath. Slowly, a boy emerged—midnight blue hair clinging to his pale skin, his eyes a brilliant, haunting red.
I froze.
He looked human.
[Conversion completed]
[You have succeeded in creating a Darkling]
[Your understanding of ??? grows]
[The Darkling resonates with a part of your broken will]
[For a bond to be made, a name is required]
The boy stood quietly before me, no older than seven. I stared at him, unsure—what could I possibly name him?
I closed my eyes, breathed in deeply, and whispered, "Ren."
[Ren has been chosen]
[The bond is being formed]
[Due to the effects of the chaos, a part of you is being transferred]
[Ren is undergoing rebirth]
[The chaos in you becomes partially stable]
[Ren has been reborn]
He opened his eyes.
I expected only sorrow—after all, he was born from all my broken emotions—but I was wrong. I could feel it: he carried a sliver of my joy too. He wasn't just a piece of me.
He was me.
And yet, he was also something new.
"Ren," I said.
"Yes, Master," he replied, one foot stepping forward. His voice was calm—eerily calm—and I could hear his thoughts. They were quiet, stable. Peaceful.
---
Rune
Darklings: [Ren]
Ren — Birthed from sorrow and joy, his will reborn to serve the one who forgot himself. Though separate, they are one.
Rank – Seeker
Race – Unknown
Traits – [Lightless Veil]
Attributes – ?
---
The mention of race surprised me. He had dropped a rank from his guardian form, which saddened me... but I had gained more than I lost. My soul had doubled in size, and now—through Ren—I could faintly sense something.
Aen.
Because of our connection, I could feel it. That vital essence. That life force.
But there was a problem.
Ren didn't have any clothes. And I had no spare armor.
I had an idea. A strange one. Maybe it wouldn't work... but I had to try.
I focused on the Aen around me, drawing it into myself, feeling its formless vitality. Using it, I activated the Formless Enchantment. The fabric of my shroud lengthened—just barely.
It was working.
It drained my Aen with every inch I conjured, but I kept going. I shaped two sets of armor, and gave one to Ren. He stood there, dressed in shadow-woven cloth, his expression still blank. His lifeless gaze gave me chills, but I knew—he was alive.
Just... incomplete.
But he was mine.
I had done what I came to do. The soul point, the Darkling, the bond—I was ready to leave.
I turned to go.
But I couldn't.
Something held me back. I felt it instantly—like invisible chains binding me in place. I tried again, harder.
Then the hex echoed in my mind:
[You cannot leave your Soul Point until certain conditions are met]