With the sun piercing through the brisk veil of the alley, Kade found himself back in reality. His body felt lighter than ever—reforged muscle and soul coursing with the afterglow of newfound strength.
The trial had changed him. Made him more. And now, with a break from the madness, he had something rare: time.
He sprang to his feet, scanning the alley for his companion. The blonde girl lay beside him, still sleeping, her expression no longer as peaceful as it had been when the spell first took her.
"Guess I got out first, huh," Kade muttered.
His gaze softened as he looked down at her. She seemed just a little younger than him—but far less worn. Kade was a veteran of the outskirts' horrors, carved by violence and grief. She wasn't.
The trial could scar someone for life. Its grip lingered in the soul like rot. But her attitude, naive as it had seemed before she drifted off, had come from something genuine. Something that didn't reek of survival instincts or trauma.
It was kinship. Brief, maybe, but real.
Still, that only mattered if she made it. She had endured longer than he expected—but survival wasn't guaranteed.
Back in the real world, all Kade could do was wait. And hope.
He'd rather have a person to talk to than deal with the aftermath of a corrupted failure.
"I think she can do it," he said aloud, though it wasn't based on anything tangible—just the sense he'd gotten from her presence.
She seemed weighed down but not defeated. Unlike him… she hadn't given up when the spell called.
Taking a deep breath, Kade turned his eyes to the sun he'd known all his life. Its rays offered no warmth against winter's chill. The wind slipped under his tight-fitted shirt, brushing across his skin.
His trusty coat—his only real armor against the cold—was tucked beneath Dawn, still serving as her pillow.
With nothing else to do, Kade raised his hand and summoned the shimmering runes of his status before him. Blue symbols hovered in the air, softly pulsing—an overview of who he was now.
Name: Kade
True Name: [Heart of Chaos][1]
Rank: Dreamer
Soul Core: Dormant
Soul Fragments: 2/1000
Memories: [Oblique Beads], [Rings of The Ravaged]
Echoes: __
Attributes: [Scarred], [Vigilance], [Anchored], [Throne of Victory]
Aspect: [Unyielding Asura]
Aspect Rank: [Sacred*]
Aspect Ability: [Never ending fury]
Flaw: [Battle lust]
Kade quickly brushed over the runes and found two bits that pointed out to him, one being [Ring of the Ravaged], supposedly the memory he had received from killing the awakened commander, and the other one being a new attribute he had gained.
He might as well look at the description and the other attributes he hadn't glanced at before.
[Throne of Victory]
Attribute Description: [The Asura Rampages in the lower realms, using the bodies of its victims to forge a throne to rival the heavens, itself manifesting divinity.]
Enemies Defeated [512/10,000]
Kade read with a slight shock; apparently, he could also get divinity. Still not a lick of sense about what it was, but it seemed important, especially requiring him to defeat 10,000 enemies. Like the view of his soul sea, the bodies below in the gorges were foes he had bested in the past throughout his entire life.
Of course, not slain; otherwise, there would only be 16 bodies there, a much more sensible goal he could work towards over years of combat if he really wanted to. Kade had a feeling that with himself as a person and a flaw, he would not be fighting any time soon.
'What about the other attributes?' Kade had been curious about what had supported him along his trial; he had known their names but had not glanced at the runes describing them yet. Now was the perfect opportunity to do so.
[Scarred]
Attribute Description: [Faced with battle through life, the scars of war have left their mark, and the flesh of the warrior adapted to suit further war.]
[Vigilance]
Attribute Description: [To thrive, the Heart of Chaos needed strength beyond reason, gathering the power deep within as more circumstances drove them further into oblivion.]
[Anchored]
Attribute Description: [Life had required a grounding to reality and themselves to keep a stronghold in the chaotic earth, anchored down with a unique spirit and soul, weighed too themselves against outside influences]
Kade summarised the attributes neatly in his brain. The scarred attribute is what allowed him to sustain himself and endure attacks far better than he would without it; vigilance is what gave him strength in the direst of circumstances. And, frankly, he had no clue, really.
'Maybe possession or, like, mind/soul corruption?' It hadn't come up in the nightmare unless it had and he didn't notice it; either way, having resistance against such a daunting experience as getting possessed was good to have.
Done with the attributes, Kade moved on to his next point of interest, a dazzling light blue forming around his index fingers before solidifying into reality.
Gold rings embedded with a dimmed ruby on each face, the rings certainly stood out as luxury to his mundane attire and fit comfortably attached to his pointers.
Memory: [Rings of The Ravaged]
Memory Rank: Awakened.
Memory Tier: I.
Memory Type: Weapon
Memory Description: [The zealot of war fought to the very end, following the path of their god. War trailed in their every step, the blood of countless victims forming something greater than the apostle could ever live to]
Memory Enchantments: [coalescence].
Enchantment Description: [A mass of blood formed from the rings to be willingly shaped for the user's desires]
Kade glanced from the runes and back to the brilliant rings; with burning curiosity, he activated the enchantment. Deep dark blood pouring from the dimmed rubies and floating above his hand, he looked at the coalescing sphere and willed it to shape his desire.
The best weapon Kade could ever wish for in this cruel world.
A pair of blood-red brass knuckles Formed out of the orb before dropping into his open palm.
The result filled him with jubilation.
"Thank the dead gods; I needed something nice and simple like this!"
Ever since realizing that he was going to be awakened, Kade has seemed sad about the fact that his old beloved brass knuckles will be outpaced by the memories he would acquire.
But with the [Rings of the Ravaged], he need not worry that slugging his opposition would not be the most effective strategy compared to something like a spear or sword. He would have done so anyway, but now he felt rewarded for doing something considered batshit crazy.
Fiddling with the blood creation, Kade quickly created the idea of his future self, diving into hordes of nightmare beasts with never-ending energy and punching and kicking his way out of the mess of jaws and claws to victory.
The mental image of what Kade considered a good fight.
Though he was not crazy, everyone else was just nowhere near as spirited as him when it came to finding hidden joys in life. If he had to continue fighting for his entire life thanks to his flaw, he ought to make the most of it.
To get what he wanted.
Yet what did he want?
He thought he would be dead just days ago, yet he stood more alive than ever.
Kade pondered the question solemnly in silence. As the hours passed by, Kade began to create a list; he grew hungry in between it, snacking on the only tube of synthpaste he had left to his name. It was a familiar yet unpleasant taste, the disappointment of his first return meal instantly affecting the ranking.
"First is a good house. It's annoying having druggies show up at the door begging for stimulants. Then it's extra work to clean the aftermath."
"Second would be good meals on the daily. I'm sick of synthpaste. The thought of something else to eat is driving me insane."
"Third is money. Stealing is something I could indulge in less now… It'd be easier to just have what I want in the first place."
"Fourth, of course, are some nice people to talk to. I'm somewhat there with Dawn… if she does wake up. Still, it'd be nice."
"Fifth is a cigarette…"
Kade revisited the last one that seemingly replaced a warm shower; it seems like he was going through somewhat of a withdrawal. 'Maybe I do have a problem?'
Stuck in deep reflection, Kade perused his life and realised that he might share something in common with those desperate stimulant heads, no matter how small his reaction compared to them.
Only distracting him for a sliver, as in the corner of his eye, he saw Dawn stir in her sleep before she violently opened her eyes, meeting Kade's stare directly.
A slight smirk hit his face.
"Welcome back."
He raised the rest synthpaste tube.
"You woke up just in time for dinner."
[1] After some thought I've replaced Eternal Brawler with Heart of Chaos, this has been redone is previous chapters and will most likely be the true name going forward.