Not a single ray of light filtered through the rocky walls. The silence—deep and oppressive—seemed to crush every sound, every thought. It was as if time itself had ceased to exist in that forgotten place.
A body lay motionless on the floor of a small cave, so well hidden that not even an experienced adventurer would suspect its existence.The figure was that of a boy, no older than fourteen, though his thin, skeletal frame suggested he had gone far too long without food or rest. His pale skin was covered in dirt and dust, and his jet-black hair fell in wild strands over his face.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes.Red—bright and piercing like blood—they shone with an unsettling intensity, a brutal contrast to the grime and exhaustion covering him. At first, they seemed dull and glassy, but within seconds they sharpened, ignited by a strange mix of hunger and desperation.
The boy brought his hand to his throat, coughing violently and gasping for air.He tried to scream, but only managed a hoarse whisper—rough and barely audible. His throat burned with a thirst so deep it eclipsed all other sensations. Every breath was a battle, his chest rising and falling with painful effort.
With trembling limbs, he managed to sit up, swaying as he looked around.And yet, he could see—everything. Despite the total absence of light, the world around him appeared illuminated, with an eerie clarity. But there was no doubt: he was trapped in a cold, suffocating cave of stone and shadows. The walls seemed to close in on him, as if the cave itself wanted to devour him.
"I'm so thirsty… If I don't drink something soon…"The thought barely formed before it was consumed by a growing fire in his chest. The thirst—no, the need—was unbearable. It was all he could think about.
His mind was a storm of broken fragments and fleeting memories.But one thing remained clear:His name—Kael Draven.
He vaguely remembered stories of a place called Orario—of dungeons, gods, and monsters.But nothing else.He didn't know what had happened to him or what he had become. He only knew one terrifying truth:
He was no longer human.
That realization crushed him with a sense of alienation so intense it made his skin crawl.This body wasn't his. These instincts weren't his.And yet… they were.
He shook his head, trying to shake off the dizziness and rising panic.He had to get out.This cave was a tomb—and it was suffocating him with every breath.
Struggling forward, Kael headed toward what he believed was an exit.As he stepped out, a wave of warm, blinding light struck him. His vision blurred for a moment before beginning to adjust.
But he was not outside.
What unfolded before him was not open sky, but a vast underground expanse—a strange, supernatural place filled with branching paths, glowing crystals embedded in the walls, and a sky that did not exist. The air was thick but shimmered faintly, as if saturated with magic. Above him, false stars twinkled on a ceiling of infinite darkness.
He had no words to describe it, but part of him recognized this place.
The Dungeon.The Fifth Floor.
Before he could process what he was seeing, a sound broke the silence—low growls and the heavy thudding of approaching footsteps.
Something was coming.
Terror seized him instantly.His body moved on instinct.Kael ran.Without direction, without plan. He just ran, desperate to get away from the invisible threat pursuing him.
Time lost meaning.His legs burned, his breath came in ragged gasps, but still he ran—until he crashed into something solid and fell onto his back.
Dazed, he looked up.
And his heart froze.
In front of him was a creature with green skin and clothes barely covering enough, soulless red eyes, and a twisted grin on its face.In one hand it held a rusted dagger that gleamed ominously.
The goblin approached slowly, savoring the terror in Kael's trembling eyes.
Kael couldn't move. Couldn't even scream.The monster raised the blade—
—and attacked.
The blade tore his clothing, grazing his ribs—but it was not the pain that startled him.
It was the sudden shock.
A pulse. A whisper in his blood.As if the wound had awakened something.
Kael's crimson eyes snapped wide open, glowing more intensely than before. The world slowed down. He could hear the goblin's breath. The clumsy beat of its heart. The scent of iron in the air.
His hunger exploded.
With a speed he didn't know he possessed, Kael's hand shot up, grabbing the goblin's wrist. The creature growled—but froze. Its eyes widened as Kael's other hand slammed into its chest, pinning it.
Kael didn't understand what he was doing.He only knew—this thing was alive. And warm. And full of what he needed.
Life.
The moment their bodies touched, something primitive took hold of him. Not a wild fury—but a draining. Like air being sucked from lungs.The goblin struggled. Its skin grew paler. Its eyes dimmed.And Kael… felt stronger.
He pushed the being aside. It fell to the ground, lifeless.Kael stepped back, horrified, breathless.
He hadn't used fangs. Hadn't torn flesh.
But he had taken its life. Somehow.
And that made him feel… whole.
He dropped to his knees, trembling. His thirst had calmed—somewhat. But stronger still was the guilt creeping into his mind.
"This is what I am now…"
Kael stood and moved forward, his bare feet brushing the cold, rough stone of the Dungeon floor. The echoes of his own footsteps bounced unnaturally off the walls, reminding him how alone he was.
And yet… he wasn't.
He could feel it. A distant presence—many, in fact—creeping at the edges of his awareness. Monsters. Some nearby, some lurking deeper, their instincts faintly brushing against his own like whispers in the dark. Before, that would've terrified him.
Now?
Now, he felt something else stir inside him. Curiosity. Hunger. And something more dangerous still: control.
He didn't know how he knew, but he sensed things. The way the air changed when danger was close. The warmth in blood. The coldness in fear. It was like his body had been rewired to understand the Dungeon on a primal level.
As he walked, a dim light pulsed ahead. Not the magical crystals that dotted the walls—this was warmer, more erratic.
A fire.
Kael crept closer, instinctively lowering himself and keeping to the shadows. Just beyond a bend in the corridor, he spotted them:
Two adventurers. Young, probably new. One human boy and a small elven girl, both clad in light leather armor and sitting near a flickering campfire. They looked tired, their weapons laid beside them, careless. Vulnerable.
Kael's throat tightened.
Not from thirst—not completely.
From fear.
Because in that moment, he realized something horrible.
He wasn't afraid of them.
He was afraid for them.
"What am I becoming…?"
He backed away, retreating into the shadows as quietly as he could. His instincts screamed at him to approach, to feed, to drain. But his mind—whatever remained of it—clung desperately to the shreds of his humanity.
He didn't want to hurt people. Not like that goblin. Not the innocent.
Still trembling, he turned and ran again, deeper into the floor. Away from the warmth. Away from temptation.
But the Dungeon didn't care.
It just watched.
And something ancient stirred deep within Kael's core.Something whispering promises of power, of destiny.Of blood.