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Chapter 2 – First Blood
The morning mist still clung to the streets of Ashborne, but the city no longer felt quiet or safe to David Aurelian. His pulse raced, and each step echoed unnaturally in the frost-covered alleyways. The memory of the Throne and the shadowy figure haunted him like a living thing.
He had barely slept, yet the energy still lingered in his veins. The golden aura of the Throne—the divine visualization he had instinctively summoned—felt alive, like it had merged with his very being. He could sense strands of Faith stretching through the air, connecting him to life itself. But he also felt something darker—threads of corruption, subtle yet insidious, crawling through the city's veins like invisible serpents.
David's hands trembled. He wasn't sure if it was exhaustion, adrenaline, or the strange pulse of divine energy coursing through him. Either way, he couldn't ignore the feeling that someone—or something—was watching him.
A sudden movement in the alley ahead made him freeze. A small, hunched figure lurched from the shadows. Its skin was black as oil, slick and glistening as if it were alive. Two crimson eyes burned through the mist, fixing on him with predatory intent.
David's mind screamed: run. But another part—the part that had glimpsed the Throne—whispered: stand.
The creature hissed, a sound so sharp it cut through the morning stillness. Its claws scraped the cobblestones as it crouched, muscles coiled like springs. David's pulse spiked. He had never seen anything like it. Every fiber of his body urged him to flee, but he could feel the strands of Faith responding to him, resonating with his heartbeat.
Instinctively, he raised his hands, focusing on the vision of the Throne in his mind. Golden light erupted from his chest, forming a radiant aura that wrapped around him like a living shield. The air shimmered, the frost at his feet melting from the heat of the energy.
The creature screeched and leapt.
David didn't think. He acted.
A pulse of golden energy shot forward from his hands, striking the creature full force. It screamed, its black flesh smoking where the light touched, but it did not fall. The creature's eyes burned brighter, and it lunged again, faster this time, its claws aiming for David's chest.
He focused harder, envisioning the Throne as fully as he could. This time, the aura expanded, forming ethereal wings behind him, majestic and radiant. The creature slammed into the wall of light, rebounding violently. It hissed and retreated a few steps, circling him, calculating.
David's chest heaved. Sweat dripped down his face despite the cold. He had survived, but barely. His mind raced as he realized the truth: this was no ordinary creature. It was a minor demon, drawn to his awakening, perhaps even testing him.
And somewhere in the shadows, he could feel another presence—watching, waiting. The shadowy figure from yesterday. It was not human, not bound by the rules of ordinary life. David shivered at the thought.
"You… can't be real," he whispered, voice trembling. "This… this shouldn't exist."
A low growl answered him, and the creature leapt again. David dodged instinctively, the golden aura protecting him, but he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. The Throne visualization drained him, each second pulling at his stamina. Yet, strangely, he felt stronger the more he focused, as if the strands of Faith themselves were feeding him, connecting his will to the divine energy he was beginning to understand.
The creature hissed again, but before it could strike, a sudden ripple of light passed through the air. Another figure appeared—humanoid, cloaked, but smaller and faster than the first shadow he had seen. Its movements were precise, deliberate. It lunged at the demon with a weapon of shimmering energy, piercing its chest. The demon screeched, black ichor spilling, and then dissolved into a wisp of smoke, leaving only the faint smell of sulfur behind.
David collapsed to his knees, panting. His aura flickered as he struggled to maintain the Throne visualization. The new figure turned to him. Its eyes glowed faintly beneath the hood.
"You're… the one," it said, voice low but steady. "You're already drawing attention."
David's head spun. "Who… are you?"
The figure knelt beside him, not threatening, but alert. "A witness. Someone who has seen the hidden world. You're awakening far earlier than most. That energy you're feeling—Faith—is the essence that binds this world. Light, darkness, hope, fear… it all flows through it. And right now, you're standing at the crossroads of both."
David tried to absorb the words. "I don't… understand. What do you mean crossroads?"
"The divine and the infernal have always battled, unseen. You—" the figure gestured at him, "—are now part of that war. The Throne you visualized, it's not just a vision. It's a manifestation of your affinity. You are not yet aligned with light or darkness. But your choices, your actions, will determine which path your Faith strengthens."
David's chest tightened. "So… I have to choose?"
"Eventually," the figure said. "But for now, you survive by refining yourself, learning control, understanding the strands of Faith that flow through everything. And you must learn quickly. Those who awaken are noticed… and tested."
Before David could respond, the sound of movement erupted behind him. A shadow detached itself from the mist—a second minor demon, larger and faster than the first. Its wings unfolded, black as night, and its roar shook the cobblestones.
The figure who had just appeared glanced at him. "Defend yourself. I can assist, but you must begin learning how to control the visualization independently."
David's fingers tingled, and he concentrated. The Throne's golden wings extended fully, light streaming from him like a beacon. He felt the strands of Faith within him tighten, respond, strengthen. His vision blurred as he projected pure intent, focusing all of his will into the golden image behind him.
The demon lunged.
David exhaled, heart racing. The aura flared, striking the creature. It screeched and slammed into a wall of light, disintegrating into mist. The street was silent again, but David's body shook violently. He had survived two attacks in minutes, yet every fiber of him felt drained.
The cloaked figure placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have potential," it said softly. "But the world is watching now. And those who watch… do not always wait."
David swallowed, trembling. He was beginning to understand the truth. The awakening had begun, and nothing in his ordinary life would ever be the same.
Somewhere, unseen, a pair of crimson eyes glowed in the distance.
And the war had already started.
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