The climb was endless.
The higher Thaddeus went, the colder the air grew, and the thinner it became. Each breath came ragged, torn from his lungs. His palms were shredded raw against the jagged stone, blood freezing on contact with the wind.
He didn't look back.
Below him, the world was quiet. The burning village had become a smear of red in a sea of white. Smoke rose like fingers clawing at the sky. Gwen's scream. Ty's rage. The slaver's dead, cold eyes. They followed him all the way up.
When Thaddeus finally reached the peak, he almost fell to his knees. The mountain flattened into a plateau of frozen earth and pale dust. The air was sharp enough to bleed on. And for a heartbeat — a single, fragile moment — it was silent.
He thought it was over.
That he'd endured enough.
Betrayal, Pain, Suffering i mean really what's the end goal here what do I have to do?
And just then a shadow moved behind him.
The crunch of boots in snow. The hiss of metal leaving a scabbard.
Thaddeus turned.
The slaver was there — battered, bruised, yet still monstrous. The man's armor was dented and cracked, his blade chipped, one eye half-swollen shut. But that grin — that mocking, jagged grin — was the same.
"You run well for a boy who used to crawl," the man rasped. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth as he straightened. "But it ends here. No chains this time. I'll just take your head."
Thaddeus's heart thundered. He felt the ache of exhaustion, the sting of cold, the burn of fear. But under it all, something else rose — the same feeling he'd buried years ago in the slums. Rage.
Thaddeus laughed aloud sick of it all in this body he was a prince and it's about time he strarted acting like it, "alright Then come take it,".
The slaver lunged.
Steel met frost. Sparks screamed through the air.
Thaddeus barely dodged the first strike — the blade carving through the ground where his leg had been. He swung low, the edge of his scavenged dagger scraping against the slaver's greaves. It did nothing.
The next blow came like thunder. He blocked — too slow — and pain split across his ribs as he was thrown backward, breath punched from his lungs.
He coughed blood, rolling to his feet, eyes wide with fury. The slaver advanced, each step deliberate.
"Still think you can fight me, boy?"
" oh I don't know," Thaddeus hissed. "But I do know that only one of us is staying on this mountain."
He charged. The dagger flashed. The slaver caught his wrist — but Thaddeus twisted, driving his knee into the man's side. The sound of breaking ribs filled the air.
The slaver grunted and slammed a gauntleted fist into Thaddeus's jaw. His vision blurred — stars exploding behind his eyes.
He stumbled, spit blood, then smiled.
The slaver frowned.
Something was changing.
Thaddeus's breathing grew heavier. His pulse pounded like war drums. The cold no longer bit — it burned. His vision tinted red as that buried fury clawed free. Every heartbeat made him faster, stronger — less human.
He rushed again, this time not to defend but to devour.
Steel clashed. Metal cracked. The slaver's strength met something feral, unrelenting. Thaddeus drove him back with a storm of blows — wild, reckless, furious.
The slaver snarled, pivoted, and cut a deep gash along Thaddeus's arm. Blood splattered across the snow.
But Thaddeus didn't stop. He slammed his head into the man's helm, breaking the nose behind it. Then he tore free his dagger and plunged it between the plates of armor at the man's neck.
The slaver's sword fell. His body staggered.
And Thaddeus roared — a sound born of every betrayal, every chain, every night he'd been made to kneel.
The man fell to one knee, clutching his throat.
He looked up, eyes wide with disbelief. "You… monster…"
Thaddeus drove the blade through his chest.
————————————————————
Silence was in the air, and here I am battered and bruise just looking up at the night sky.
I tried to laugh but it even hurt to do that, as darkness started to seep into the corners of my eyes I just thought that this was how our life ended this body dying while finally free but my body true body dying while never getting to live.
A small chuckle escaped my lips a bit poetic huh.
————————————————————
The world went black with a few distant stars in the sky, I didn't feel a thing not the cold of the mountain, or the warmness of the hospital
So i probably died huh.
Just then a voice resounded in Thaddeus ear that grew louder
[Your appraisal begins]
[You have slain: Varos, of the Star]
[The blood of the fallen echoes through your soul.]
[You have passed the trial.]
[You have done glorious you have passed what no other could have.]
[Receive your title]
[Lost to Flame]
Thaddeus couldn't believe it, it was rare for people like him to survive the dream trial but to receive a true name just like that I mean yeah it was a hard trial but still. This was amazing on it's own you could obtain a true name going through ascension but if you obtain one like this which no one has ever done then it should be a incredible boon.
[Aspect Rank: Divine]
[Aspect Name: Boundless Hunter]
[ Aspect description: A prince that was once free was now enslaved, a slave to treachery but even near death one can still prevail. now free the prince has to wander looking to for a place to rule.]
[Innate ability: Blood control]
[Ability description: you are able to control the blood in your body better than one normally woud]
[Aspect Abilitis: Weapon Mastery]
[Description: any blade that you wield will feel like you wielded it for many years you are like a seasoned veteran at war you excel in areas you shouldn't.]
[Weapon Manifestation: You are able to make any weapon from your blood as long as you can imagine it.]
Your aspect is tailored to you it's basically how you lived your life what principles you lived by, what bad and good things you have done it knows you better than yourself and it reflects who you are in a symbolic way.
[Traits: Northern prince, 0/7]
Traits are rare — not everyone has them, but many do. Even Nightmare creatures possess them. They're small details that subtly shape a person's life. For instance, someone with the trait Greed might be more prone to avarice than others, while someone with the trait Snake might be more inclined to betrayal or deceit.
[You have received a memory]
[Crimson Requiem:
Type: Armor (Manifestation)
Rank: Dormant → Awakened potential
Aspect Resonance: Blood Prince]
[Description: Forged from the sins of forgotten kings and the marrow of dying gods, Crimson Requiem is no mere armor — it's a living relic that drinks blood to survive. Its plates shimmer like polished onyx, but beneath the surface flows a pulsing network of veins, faintly glowing red. When worn, it fuses with the flesh of its master, whispering softly in a language older than words the armor remembers hunger. And in Thaddeus, it finds an endless feast.
Effect:The armor feeds on blood — either from slain foes or its wearer.
The more blood it consumes, the stronger and more adaptive it becomes:
Hardens under pressure, heals damage instantly, and forms new shapes to match Thaddeus's will.
In battle frenzies, it may manifest spikes, talons, or extended plating for offense or defense.
When it starves, the armor weakens, losing its luster and becoming brittle — forcing Thaddeus to bleed willingly to sustain it.
The more he feeds it, the deeper its bond grows — at higher levels, it begins to share its instincts with him.]
[End of trial may the challenger be safe and thrive.]