The flicker of candlelight danced across the cracked stone walls, painting Kael's face in hues of red and gold. He sat on the cold floor of the ruined church—his new sanctuary. Shards of stained glass lay scattered around him, glinting like bloodied memories. The deal had been made. The devil's mark now burned into his soul. The System had awakened.
But what came next?
[System Interface Activated.]
Sin Points: 4
Nightmare Gauge: 3%
Contract Slots Available: 1
Sin Tree Unlocked: WRATH
Base Skill Unlocked: [Hellfire Pulse Lv.1]
His fingers trembled—not from fear, but anticipation. The first taste of power buzzed beneath his skin. Wrath. It whispered in his ear like an old friend finally let in from the cold.
Quest Received: The First Flame
Test your wrath. Make your betrayal known.
Target: Ryn Dalmoor, apprentice knight and former "brother."
Reward: 5 SP, access to [Infernal Surge]
Kael's gaze darkened.
Ryn.
The very name twisted something inside him. The boy he'd once trained beside, bled beside, laughed beside. The same boy who held the blade to Kael's back when the time came. The first to cast him out. The first to call him useless.
"Time to start," Kael muttered, standing. His cloak, torn and stained, drifted like a shadow around him as he stepped into the dying sunlight.
Midnight – Old Training Grounds, East Wren District
Ryn's sword sang through the air, training dummies splitting beneath his clean strikes. A small crowd of initiates watched from the shadows, murmuring in awe.
He loved this. Their admiration. Their blind loyalty.
"You've gotten sloppy, Ryn," a voice rasped from the edge of the yard.
Ryn turned, smirking. "Kael? Hells... you're alive?"
Kael stepped forward, cloak fluttering like smoke, his eyes glowing with a faint red ember.
"You don't look surprised."
"I figured you'd crawl out of a hole eventually. The corpses of weak men always fester," Ryn sneered.
Kael raised a hand.
[Hellfire Pulse Lv.1] – Activated
Cost: 2 SP
A roar like a furnace being torn open ripped through the air. A violent blast of cursed flame surged forward, hurling Ryn backward into a wooden post. His armor smoked.
The crowd gasped—no one had ever seen Kael like this.
Not timid.
Not broken.
Not begging.
But monstrous.
"I'm not here for apologies," Kael growled. "I'm here to burn down everything I once protected."
Ryn staggered to his feet, sword trembling in his hand. "You think one trick makes you a devil? You were always second-rate!"
Kael moved before the sword came down.
[Fury Meter] – Engaged.
Low HP. Damage Output: +15%
Another blast of Hellfire Pulse surged. This one struck Ryn square in the chest, shattering his breastplate. His scream echoed through the training yard.
But Kael didn't stop.
Nightmare Gauge: 12%
[Sin Detection – Active]
Detected: Ryn Dalmoor – Dominant Sin: Envy
Weakness: Jealous of your former potential. Afraid of being surpassed.
"You envied me," Kael said, fire swirling around him. "You always did. That's why you joined the mob that cut me down. You couldn't stand watching someone with no noble name surpass you."
Ryn's blade dropped to the floor.
Kael stepped forward, towering over him now.
[Devil Contract Available – Initiate Pact?]
Suggested: Revenge Pact
Condition: Target must be broken or willing
He knelt beside Ryn, who coughed blood, eyes wide with disbelief.
"I won't kill you," Kael said. "Not yet. I want you to live with the fear. With the knowledge that the devil you created is coming for all of you."
[Revenge Pact Initiated – Ryn Dalmoor]
Effect: Bonded in hatred. Sin Points gained from his former allies are doubled.
The mark appeared on Ryn's chest—a glowing crimson sigil.
Kael turned to the crowd of stunned trainees. "Tell the Order," he said, voice cold and absolute. "Kael Vireth has returned."
Then he vanished into the shadows, fire still crackling in his wake.
System Update
SP: 7
Nightmare Gauge: 16%
New Skill Unlocked: [Infernal Surge] – Dash forward in a blaze of wrath.
Pact Formed: Revenge Pact – Ryn Dalmoor
Sin Tree Branching Unlocked: Option to unlock ENVY or GREED next.
In the ashes of betrayal, Kael Vireth begins his war. Not just against the world—but against fate itself. The first flame has been lit. The reckoning has begun.