The ruins trembled as a deep, rumbling groan echoed from the ground, reminiscent of a slumbering giant awakening. Zarik's flame flickered in his unsteady hand, its feeble light overshadowed by the vibrant violet glow of the Shadow Mage's staff. Beside her, a scorched but fierce beast crouched, its glaring red eyes fixed on him. The black rune—the Shadow Mark—etched on Zarik's chest throbbed with a chilling pain, draining his stamina, yet he refused to yield. Not now, especially after tasting power for the first time. The ground split wider beneath him, tiles cracking like fragile bones, as an unseen force churned below, sending a shiver through the air.
"Get moving, you fool!" the Shadow Mage snapped, her voice laced with a new emotion—fear. She twirled her staff, shadows wrapping around her as a protective barrier, her gaze darting to the breaking ground. The beast whimpered, its ears flat as if sensing a more significant threat lurking.
Zarik's legs felt heavy, but he staggered backward, the voice of the Astrid System echoing in his mind: Warning: Unknown Energy Surge. Retreat Recommended. "No kidding," he gasped, his breath ragged. The flame in his hand flickered out, and he noticed his Elemental Essence Points—whatever those were—had dwindled to a mere 50, as indicated by the glowing text in his field of vision. He was clueless about how to fight or what the rune was doing to him, but standing still was tantamount to being a dead man.
The mage thrust her staff forward, unleashing a flurry of shadow darts. Zarik dove behind a toppled statue, as the darts tore through it, turning stone into dust. "You're in over your head, boy!" she shouted, her tone taut. "That system will turn you to ash before I do!"
"Keep it coming," Zarik growled, peering out. His flame was weak, but he had to do something. He focused, trying to will the spark to ignite, and a thin stream of fire shot toward the beast. It yelped and dodged, but the exertion drained him—EEP: 30, flashed the system. The Shadow Mark throbbed again, a creeping cold sensation spreading through his arm, and he bit back the pain. What was this thing?
Once more, the ground shook, a jagged fissure tearing through the courtyard. A pulse of raw, primal energy erupted from the crack, knocking Zarik to the ground. The mage staggered, her shadows flickering, while the beast howled in retreat to her side. Zarik's vision blurred, but he caught sight of a faint red glow pulsing from deep within the fissure, reminiscent of the orb that had fused with him. The First Flame? The thought erupted unbidden, stirred by half-remembered myths from the Freehold about a power that had created the world and could just as easily bring it to an end.
Access Denied, chimed the Astrid System, its tone chilling. Insufficient Tier. Cursing under his breath, Zarik muttered, "Thanks for nothing," as he struggled to his feet. The mage was chanting, her staff growing brighter, but her sidelong glances toward the fissure betrayed her trepidation.
"Hey!" a new voice cut through the chaos, sharp and familiar. Zarik looked up, relief mingled with dread. Lira, his sole friend from the slums of the Freehold, stood at the courtyard's edge, silhouetted against the neon spires in the distance. Her dark hair was wild, a tool belt brimming with gadgets jangling at her side, and her brown eyes sparkled with a mixture of defiance and concern. "You planning to die out here, or do you need my help again?"
"Lira?" His voice cracked, relief and fear colliding. "You need to go! This isn't your fight!"
She smirked, pulling out a clunky, wire-studded sphere from her belt. "Well, you're terrible at fighting alone." She hurled the sphere, causing it to explode in midair, releasing a blinding flash and a piercing whine. The beast screeched in disorientation, and the mage faltered in her chant.
Seizing the opportunity, Zarik ignited another flame—EEP: 20—and aimed for the mage's staff. The fire grazed it, forcing her to lose focus. "You little—" she snarled, but Lira was already in motion, tossing another gadget—a net of sparking wires that ensnared the beast's legs, bringing it crashing down.
"Run, Zarik!" Lira yelled, racing toward him. He hurried to meet her, fought against the Shadow Mark's icy grip that slowed his every step. The fissure's glow intensified, thickening the air with heat and static. The mage regained her footing, her shadows swirling, but her expression was pale, caught between them and the growing tremor.
"What's going on?" Lira demanded, grasping Zarik's arm as they ducked behind a pillar. Her fingers brushed against the blood seeping from his shoulder, and she winced. "And why are you glowing like a dodgy lantern?"
"It's… complicated," Zarik panted, the flame in his hand sputtering. He glanced at the rune on his chest, barely visible beneath his torn shirt. "I found something. A system. It's granting me power, but it's—" He hissed as the rune pulsed again, and his vision swam.
Lira's eyes widened, but she remained composed. "A system? Like the Concord's tech? Zarik, that's—"
"Dangerous," he interrupted, his voice low. "And it's linked to her," he nodded toward the mage, who was chanting quicker now, shadows gathering into a colossal orb above her. The beast struggled free, and the rumble of the ground grew louder, stones cascading into the fissure.
Lira clenched her jaw, exhilaration sparking in her eye. "Good. Dangerous suits you." She pulled out another gadget—a palm-sized disc—and pressed it into his hand. "Just aim and throw. It'll buy us some time."
Zarik nodded, a swell of gratitude in his chest. Lira might not have been a fighter, but she was here, risking everything for him. "Thanks," he replied softly. "But if we end up dying, I'm blaming you."
"Fair enough," she shot back, prepping yet another device. "Now quit whining and—"
The mage's orb exploded, shadows erupting outward like a tidal wave. Zarik threw Lira's disc, it burst into a crackling wall of energy that absorbed much of the blast. The impact still knocked them back, Zarik's shoulder screaming in pain as he hit the ground. EEP: 10, warned the system, and the Shadow Mark tightened like a vice around him.
"Enough!" the mage bellowed, her staff alight. "That system belongs to me!" She thrust her hand forward, and a shadowy tendril shot out, aiming for Zarik's chest—directly at the burning rune.
He rolled just in time, barely evading it, but the tendril grazed his arm, leaving a path of icy anguish. The system chimed in: Shadow Mark Growth Detected. Countermeasures Required.