The prince's question hung heavy in the air, the chilling echo of Theron's death still reverberating through the ruins.
The remaining Silent Guards, their faces pale and drawn, instinctively stepped back, their hands gripping their weapons tighter, their bodies trembling with a mixture of fear and revulsion.
They had co seeking glory, a chance to reclaim their ancestors' legacy, but the price of that glory was now terrifyingly clear.
"What... what did you do to him?" one of the guards stamred, his voice barely a whisper.
"A baptism," Kaelen replied, his voice cold and impassive.
His gaze held the guard in place, making any thoughts of escape or retreat turn into a cold sweat.
"He entered the water weak, unworthy. He ca out... reborn. Worthy of the na he bears." He was calm, his words like a steady rhythm to that cold, harsh beat that was the essence of the voidwell's control.
His eyes a hollow look into the nothingness that awaited them should they fail rebirth.
Kaelen gestured towards Theron, whose lifeless body still floated in the crimson-tinged water, the mark on his neck glowing with an eerie light.
"Theron," he commanded, his voice echoing in the clearing. "Show them."
Theron's eyes snapped open, his gaze now clear and sharp, devoid of the terror and confusion that had consud him monts before.
He rose from the water, his movents fluid and graceful, as if a different man, a new being forged in the crucible of death.
He stepped out of the pond, the water cascading off his body like liquid shadows, and walked towards a nearby section of the crumbling ruins, the walls that had stood for centuries.
Without a word, without a single hesitation, he struck the stone wall with his bare hand.
The sound of shattering stone echoed through the clearing as a section of the wall crumbled and collapsed, the dust and debris raining down around Theron.
The guards gasped, their eyes wide with disbelief. They had seen Theron fight before, had witnessed his skill with a blade, but this... this was sothing else entirely.
It was not rely an enhancent but a complete change from what he once was.
Commander Lyra, her face pale but her gaze steady, stepped forward.
"Theron," she said, her voice hesitant. "Is... is that still you in there? Or have you beco... a mindless soldier?"
Theron turned towards her, his eyes eting hers, the crimson mark on his neck pulsing with a faint light.
"I'm still , Commander," he replied, his voice clear and strong, yet sohow... different. "But... I see it now. The weakness I was wallowing in. The strength I can achieve."
He paused, his gaze drifting towards Kaelen, a flicker of sothing akin to reverence in his eyes. "The spirits... they whisper to , Commander. They promise... power. Even more power. To serve the prince. To serve Caldris."
Kaelen smiled, a cold, predatory smile that sent shivers down the spines of the remaining guards.
He turned towards them, his gaze sweeping across their faces, lingering on each individual for a mont, letting the weight of his presence, his power, sink in.
"Well," he asked, his voice echoing in the clearing. "Who's next?"
The guards hesitated for a mont, their fear warring with their ambition, their desire for power battling against their instinct for self-preservation.
Then, one by one, they stepped forward, their faces grim, their resolve hardening. They had witnessed Theron's transformation, the raw, untad possibilities that now flowed through his veins, and they craved it for themselves.
They were willing to risk everything, even their lives, for a chance to reclaim their lost legacy, to beco the warriors they were ant to be.
Even if their next breath was not by their own choice, at the very least that power would be a reason for them to continue walking. It was a better fate, than to not ever try.
Kaelen perford the rite for each of them, the sa chilling ritual, the sa guttural chants, the sa swift, brutal kill.
The air burned with dark energy, the whispers of the Voidwell growing louder, more insistent with each soul bound by it.
The marks appeared on their necks, glowing with an old light, a symbol of their rebirth, their transformation, their loyalty.
[Soul Bound: Silent Guard (Level 1) Complete.]
[Soul Bound: Silent Guard (Level 1) Complete.]
[Soul Bound: Silent Guard (Level 1) Complete.]
[Soulcraft Stage Upgraded: Revenant.]
[New Ability Unlocked: Soul Siphon.]
[New Ability Unlocked: Shadow ld.]
[Corruption Increased: 4.8%]
[mory Fragnt Lost: A Childhood Lullaby.]
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---
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The world spun, reality blurring as the Voidwell's power surged through him, the darkness consuming his essence, the past fading from view.
He felt as though he was being split apart from himself, each piece now being scattered by the wind, his existence no longer whole. But he needed more power, that was all that mattered now. He had to win this war, and that ant any ans.
When the last rite was complete, Kaelen stood amidst the reborn Silent Guard, his gaze sweeping across their faces.
They were no longer the motley crew of tired, demoralized soldiers he had first encountered.
They were warriors now, their eyes burning with a new strength, their bodies pulsing with the power of the spirits.
They were his weapons now, their souls bound to him in unwavering loyalty, their fates intertwined with his own. He was beginning to lose himself, a side effect that had beco more frequent than ever, but such was his price to pay.
His mories began to feel fragnted, broken, even that of Selene now fading, the guilt go. He could no longer rember the conversation he had with his father re days ago.
Why was he here, again? Who was he waiting for?
He looked at Commander Lyra, who stood slightly apart, her face pale, but he could see it within her eyes, the desire, that sa thirst for power that was now his only existence.
He stretched out his hand, the marks around his body beneath on his clothings pulsing with a dark light.
"Well, Commander," he said, his voice soft, almost a whisper. "Won't you... beco a true Silent Guard?"
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