Everything was shaking. The land, the sky, even the air. But it wasn't a normal kind of shaking. It felt like the world was scared. Scared of him. Ceyr stood alone in the battlefield outside the broken gates of Varnhold. His hands were covered in blood. His arms burned with glowing marks. Fire and smoke moved around him like he was a storm. His breath was hot, sharp, wild. His heart beat loud like thunder. Boom. Boom. Boom. He wasn't normal anymore. Not human. Not cursed. Something in-between. Something more. The moment he unlocked the First Fang of Devourer, everything changed. His body was stronger, faster, darker. The shadows around him listened to his command. The ground cracked under his feet when he walked. His eyes sometimes glowed gold and black. His skin looked like stone sometimes, like something ancient was living inside him. He didn't ask for this power. But it woke up anyway. And now, it was hungry.
The soldiers from Iron Keep tried to stop him. They thought he was just some weak cursed kid. They laughed at him. But that laugh didn't last. When their captain Harcen, a famous spear fighter, came out to kill him, Ceyr didn't even flinch. The man was strong, fast, a killer. But Ceyr saw his attacks before they even came. He moved before the spear did. And with one punch, the captain disappeared. Just like that. Turned to dust and shadow. Everyone dropped their weapons after that. Nobody wanted to fight a boy who could break people with one hit. But Ceyr didn't feel happy. He didn't feel anything. Only pain. Only hunger. Because the voice inside him was laughing again. "Good... more... eat more," it said. Ceyr dropped to the ground, his head spinning. Blood dripped from his mouth. His vision was full of stars and darkness.
Then he saw something. Not here. Not now. But in his head. In his soul. He saw gods falling from the sky, burning like fireballs. He saw a giant creature, covered in chains, eyes like endless night, eating those gods one by one. He saw kings kneel and give away their crowns. He saw the Devourer King. Then, he saw himself, sitting on that same throne. Same chains. Same power. Same curse. He woke up later inside a dark cave. He didn't remember walking there. Maybe the world just moved around him now. Maybe the cave called to him. It was hot. The walls were glowing with old gold runes. The air felt alive. Like it was breathing. He kept walking deeper until he saw it. A giant beast, sleeping in the dark. It was made of smoke and blades. Its eyes were closed, but Ceyr could feel its power.
"You carry the throne," it said without speaking. "Then show me you deserve it." And then the fight started. The beast jumped at him like lightning. Its claws tore space. But Ceyr was ready. He shouted and the Devourer mark on his back glowed bright. Shadows exploded from him like wings. The fight was crazy. Fire rained upward. Rocks floated. Time felt broken. The beast slammed him into the wall. He coughed blood. But he stood up again. And again. He wasn't fighting to win. He was fighting to survive. To prove himself. Hours passed. Maybe days. He didn't know. But in the end, he grabbed the beast's heart and screamed, "You are mine!" The beast howled, turned into light, and vanished into his body. Another piece of the throne accepted him. Another lock broken. Another step closer to the Devourer King.
When he walked out of the cave, the wind stopped. The trees bowed. The sky looked at him. He wasn't the same. Not even close. Somewhere far, the kingdoms were already talking. "A cursed boy is rising." "The Devourer is returning." "The next calamity is born." But Ceyr didn't care what they called him. He didn't want fame. He wanted truth. He wanted power. He wanted to control his fate. And if the world tried to stop him, then he would devour it too. But he wasn't alone anymore. Someone was watching him. A girl, far away, in shining silver armor. Her eyes cold like ice. Her name was Caelina the Saintblade. And she had one mission: Kill the cursed boy before he becomes a king.