Crimson rebirth: rise of the cursed eye

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The trees of Wyrmveil trembled, not with wind, but with pressure.

Mana had not caused it.

Something older had.

In a torn clearing near the northern edge, three elite investigators stood battered — Seraphine Duskmoor, her left arm bleeding; Professor Vaelen, barely upright; and a grim-faced noble from House Valebrook, sword trembling in his grasp.

Their enemy?

A creature shaped like a man, yet moved like nothing mortal. Its limbs were long and carved in smooth obsidian flesh, eyes like pools of void. It had no mana signature, no visible core — and yet it toyed with them as if they were infants.

Seraphine slashed upward, her blade veiled in fire essence. The creature simply ducked, stepped to the side, and drove a clawed hand into the ground beside her. Not a killing blow. Just a reminder — it could've ended her.

It moved to Vaelen next, swiping at his chest. The professor barely summoned a crystalline shield before the impact. It shattered in one strike, sending him flying into a moss-covered tree trunk.

The Valebrook noble shouted a battle cry, lunging low. His blade found nothing but air.

Then the creature stopped.

It cocked its head slightly, as if hearing something in the distance. Without a word or roar, it stepped backward once… and vanished into the mist like it had never been there.

Silence.

Breathless, terrifying silence.

Seraphine dropped to one knee. "Why did it leave…?"

Vaelen wiped blood from his cheek. "No idea. But we were seconds from death."

The noble's eyes darted to the trees. "Unless… something worse is coming."

---

Elsewhere in the Forest – Minutes Earlier

Kael stood over the massive corpse of the Wyrmfanged Hydra, its three heads twisted lifeless across the forest floor. Steam rose from deep gashes where his katana, Ebonfang, had ended the beast.

Ashuru's voice stirred in his mind.

"You forgot something."

Kael raised a brow. "What?"

"The core," Ashuru said flatly.

Kael narrowed his eyes. "You want it?"

"No." The ancient spirit sounded mildly insulted. "I've already devoured what I needed — the creature's dark mana, its hate. That core is useless to me."

"Then why mention it?"

"Because you need resources." A pause. "That core could be sold for a fortune. Weapons, passage, information — you'll need all of it eventually."

Kael clenched his fist. He hadn't even considered the value. "...I'll go back."

"If something hasn't claimed it first."

Kael turned and sprinted through the trees, Ebonfang sheathed across his back, the Onyx Armor adjusting silently to his movement.

He was halfway there when he felt it.

An odd tension in the air. Familiar. Dense.

He slowed. His eyes narrowed.

---

Back at the Clearing

The three investigators were just beginning to recover when the next wave hit them.

Not from the creature.

From something… else.

Raw. Unfiltered. Thick as drowning tar. A pulse of uncontrolled Nexis pressure rolled into the area like a slow storm. The forest dimmed. Light faded. Even the birds went silent.

Seraphine collapsed fully, her blade slipping from her hand. "It's still here—!"

Professor Vaelen gasped, his eyes wide. "No… this is different."

The noble from Valebrook fell to his knees, weapon still raised.

Then he saw him.

A small figure walking out from the treeline.

Eight years old. Black hair. Pale skin. Dressed in dark armor that shimmered faintly like polished stone. Silent. Calm.

A child.

And yet… they couldn't breathe.

The presence he carried felt more oppressive than the humanoid creature's. More absolute.

Kael stopped five steps into the clearing and raised his hand — palm open.

"The core."

They stared at him in disbelief.

Vaelen's hand trembled as he reached into his coat, slowly producing the glowing green orb — the Hydra's core.

No one questioned. No one refused.

He placed the orb gently in Kael's palm.

Kael took it and turned without another word.

Seraphine managed to speak. "W-Wait!"

Kael stopped.

"Do you… do you know a girl named Elenore?"

He stood frozen.

Then… he turned his head slightly. Just enough.

And in that moment, the Ashen Sigil flared in both his eyes.

Crimson lines swirled like burning rivers in his irises. The pressure in the air intensified, warping sound and sense.

Seraphine stepped back.

Then the glow vanished.

Kael walked into the forest, silent as a phantom.

---

Aftermath

The noble collapsed. "W-What was that?"

Vaelen's lips moved slowly. "A child."

"No," Seraphine whispered, heart pounding. "That wasn't a child. That was a ghost wearing skin."

She reached into her pouch and activated a signal flare. A brilliant violet beam shot into the sky — a call to the Academy and the noble houses.

Whatever they had found… was beyond their clearance.

---

Later That Night – Deeper in Wyrmveil

Kael sat beneath a half-fallen tree, twirling the beast core between his fingers. It pulsed faintly with dim green light.

Ashuru's voice came again, this time quiet.

"You saw them?"

"Yes."

"They saw you, too."

Kael pocketed the core without comment.

He leaned back, eyes closed, feeling the shadows curl around him like a second skin. Not mana. Not aura.

Something far older. Far deeper.

The forest held its breath.

And somewhere beyond the veil of trees…

Something else had begun to move.

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