The sky bled crimson, torn open like a wound. Jagged cracks of light snaked across the heavens, pulsing with an unearthly hum that vibrated in Ray Draven's bones. The city of New Elara, a sprawling jungle of steel and neon, lay in chaos below. Screams echoed through the streets, drowned out by the guttural roars of monsters spilling from glowing portals—gates, they'd later be called.
Ray, nineteen and scrawny, crouched behind a shattered convenience store counter, clutching a rusted pipe. His heart thundered, not just from fear but from something deeper, something primal. His sister, Lyra, huddled beside him, her wide eyes reflecting the flickering flames outside. Their parents were out there, somewhere, in the madness that had erupted an hour ago.
"Stay quiet," Ray whispered, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of collapsing buildings and monstrous howls. Lyra nodded, her small hands trembling as she gripped his sleeve.
He peered through a crack in the boarded-up window. Shadows moved in the smoke—hulking beasts with jagged claws and glowing eyes, tearing through fleeing crowds. Humans fought back, some with guns, others with makeshift weapons, but it was futile. The creatures were relentless, their forms unnatural, like nightmares given flesh.
Ray's mind raced. This can't be real. An hour ago, I was just a nobody, scraping by in this dump of a city. Now… this?
A deafening crack split the air, and a new gate materialized directly above the street outside. It was massive, a swirling vortex of violet and black, spitting out a creature that dwarfed the others—a towering, four-armed beast with a maw like a furnace. Its roar shook the ground, and Ray's pipe slipped from his sweat-slicked hands
"Ray…" Lyra's voice was a whimper. "We have to find Mom and Dad."
"I know," he said, forcing calm into his tone. But his gut twisted. Their parents had been at the market when the first gates opened. The chances they were still alive… He shoved the thought away. Focus. Protect Lyra. That's all that matters.
Before he could plan, the store's door exploded inward, splinters flying. A creature—smaller than the giant outside but no less terrifying—lunged through. It was a grotesque hybrid of wolf and insect, with six legs and mandibles dripping venom. Its eyes locked onto Ray, and it screeched, a sound that clawed at his eardrums.
"Run!" Ray shoved Lyra toward the back exit, grabbing the pipe and swinging wildly. The creature dodged, its movements a blur, and slashed at him. Pain seared his arm as claws tore through his jacket, drawing blood. He stumbled but swung again, catching the beast's leg. It shrieked, retreating for a moment.
Lyra reached the back door, fumbling with the lock. "It's stuck!" she cried.
The creature lunged again, faster this time. Ray threw himself in its path, shielding Lyra. Its mandibles snapped inches from his face, and he drove the pipe into its eye. The beast howled, thrashing, but didn't fall. Instead, it swiped, sending Ray crashing into a shelf. Cans and glass shattered around him, and his vision blurred.
"Ray!" Lyra screamed, tears streaming down her face.
Get up. Get up! Ray's body screamed in protest, but he forced himself to his feet, blood dripping from his arm. The creature turned toward Lyra, its mandibles clicking hungrily.
"No!" Ray roared, charging with nothing but desperation. He tackled the beast, pipe forgotten, fists pounding its armored hide. It was pointless—he was no fighter, just a kid who'd barely survived the streets. The creature's claws raked his back, and he collapsed, pain blinding him.
This is it. I'm going to die.
But as his vision darkened, a voice—cold, mechanical, yet strangely alive—echoed in his mind.
[SoulThread System Activated. Host: Ray Draven. Compatibility: 100%. Emotional Trigger: Betrayal Detected.]
Betrayal? Ray's thoughts were foggy. Who betrayed me?
The creature raised its claws for the killing blow, but a pulse of energy surged through Ray's body, hot and electric. His pain sharpened into something else—rage, grief, and a burning need to protect. The air around him shimmered, and a translucent blue interface materialized before his eyes.
[Skill Unlocked: Betrayal Boost. Strength +50% for each instance of betrayal. Current Boost: 50%. Source: Ally's Abandonment.]
Ray's mind reeled. Ally's abandonment? A memory flashed—his best friend, Jace, who'd been with them when the gates opened. Jace had promised to stay, to help find their parents, but he'd bolted at the first sign of danger, leaving Ray and Lyra alone.
The rage ignited something deep within him. His muscles tensed, power flooding his limbs. He grabbed the creature's claw mid-strike, stopping it cold. Its eyes widened in confusion as Ray twisted, snapping its arm with a sickening crunch.
"Stay away from her!" he roared, slamming his fist into the beast's head. Its skull caved in, and it collapsed, black ichor pooling beneath it.
Lyra stared, mouth agape. "Ray… how did you—"
"No time," he gasped, staggering to his feet. The interface flickered again.
[Enemy Defeated. SoulThread Absorbed. Skill Unlocked: Shadow Summon (Level 1). Summon the essence of fallen enemies to fight for you.]
A wisp of black smoke rose from the creature's corpse, coiling around Ray's hand like a living thing. He clenched his fist, and the smoke solidified into a shadowy replica of the beast, its eyes glowing with loyalty to him.
"Protect her," Ray commanded, pointing at Lyra. The shadow beast obeyed, standing guard as she finally pried the door open.
They stumbled into the alley, the city a warzone of fire and screams. The giant four-armed beast was closer now, tearing through buildings like paper. Ray's heart sank—there was no way they could outrun it.
"Ray, look!" Lyra pointed at the sky. A new gate was forming, larger than any before, its edges crackling with violet energy. But this one felt different, like it was calling to him.
[SoulThread System: Quest Unlocked. Objective: Survive the First Monarch's Trial. Reward: Access to the Void Codex. Penalty: Death.]
Ray's blood ran cold. Monarch? Void Codex? What is this?
Before he could process, the giant beast turned, its furnace-like maw locking onto them. It roared, and the ground quaked. Ray pushed Lyra behind him, his shadow beast snarling at his side.
But then, a figure appeared from the shadows of the alley—a woman, cloaked in silver, her eyes glowing with an ethereal light. Her presence was like a storm, calm yet terrifying. She raised a hand, and time seemed to slow, the beast's movements sluggish.
"Ray Draven," she said, her voice soft but commanding. "You are not meant to die here. But you will, unless you follow me."
"Who are you?" Ray demanded, his grip tightening on the pipe he'd retrieved.
She smiled faintly, her eyes holding a sadness that pierced his soul. "Seraphina Veyne. The last of the Chrono Empire. And you… are the anomaly they fear."
The beast broke free of her time-slowing aura, charging with a deafening roar. Seraphina's hand glowed, and a blade of light materialized, slashing the air. The beast froze, then collapsed, split in two.
Ray stared, awestruck. She's not human.
"Come with me," Seraphina said, glancing at the massive gate above. "The Monarch of Blades is coming. And you're the only one who can stop it."
[SoulThread System: Choice Detected. Accept Seraphina's Guidance? Y/N]
Ray's heart pounded. Lyra clung to him, trembling. The city was crumbling, his parents were likely gone, and this mysterious woman was his only hope. But something in her words—the anomaly they fear—stirred a fire in him.
He made his choice.
[Choice Accepted: Yes. Quest Updated: Enter the First Monarch's Trial.]
The gate above pulsed, and a shadow emerged—a figure clad in black armor, wielding a blade that seemed to cut reality itself. Its presence was suffocating, a monarch of death and destruction
Ray's interface flickered one last time.
[Warning: Monarch of Blades Detected. Survival Probability: 0.01%. Emotional Trigger: Desperation. New Skill Unlocked: Void Pulse.]
As the monarch's blade descended, Ray's world exploded into light, and the voice in his mind whispered a final, chilling truth:
"You are the one beyond all systems, Ray Draven. And this is only the beginning."