Gray's words hung in the air: "I awakened my affinity."
The room fell into an almost tangible silence. Orrin leaned back, brow furrowed, as he tried to process the weight of that statement. "Your affinity… what is it?" His voice was careful, measured, but the question carried curiosity and concern.
Lira's eyes narrowed slightly, her thoughts a storm. That would explain how he beat the monster… but even so… it was a C rank. Her mind raced through calculations. Rank E and D were for rank ones. Rank D and C covered rank twos and threes. To barely defeat a C with minimal injury, Gray would have to be a full rank three. That fact alone made her heart thrum with unease.
Korr leaned forward, eyes glittering with skepticism. Could he take me on now?
Renn's reaction was the opposite. His face brightened with pure shock and joy. He… he awakened his affinity? His mind raced with possibilities, wondering what the full scope of this newfound power could be.
Varik, the Kaan, smiled slowly, clapping his hands together. The sound startled Gray; he instinctively stiffened. The Kaan's laugh was low and rough, echoing against the walls. He raised a small cup, which Gray assumed held alcohol, and nodded toward Gray. "For your efforts," he said, offering it with a grin. "Drink if you wish."
Gray shook his head, declining. He noticed Korr's gaze linger on the cup, eyes gleaming with the appetite of a man who had long waited for such indulgence. "Addict," Gray muttered under his breath.
Korr chuckled and chugged the drink, finishing it in a few swift swallows before slamming it back down. Then he leaned toward Gray. "So… what is your affinity?"
Gray's throat tightened. His mind spun with the weight of the truth. Should he reveal it, or conceal it for the time being? Lies would be futile; eventually, they would see the darkness radiating from him if he used it.
Swallowing the lump of hesitation, Gray
spoke. "Darkness."
The room froze. Lira's eyes widened ever so slightly, confirming her suspicions. Even Renn's usual excitement dimmed into a thoughtful unease.
Darkness… Gray's thoughts mirrored Renn's. That… I've never heard of that before. He swallowed hard. Even he couldn't fully measure what this meant yet.
Renn's mind raced. Darkness affinity was rare, incredibly so. Once common during the First Generation for reasons long forgotten, but now nearly extinct. To awaken it in this age… it was remarkable, almost unbelievable.
Varik's smile remained, but it deepened into something unreadable. "Darkness," he said slowly. "Rare. Potent. Use it carefully, child. Power such as that can shape the world… or devour the one who wields it."
Gray raised an eyebrow. "Devour me?" he asked softly.
The Kaan chuckled, but the sound carried a shadow of forewarning. "Not now. But if you do not temper it, the world you touch may consume you."
The table fell silent again. Then Varik turned his attention to Lira. "And you? Your affinity?"
Lira hesitated, fingers fidgeting slightly. "Fire," she replied, finally.
Varik's expression darkened, contemplative. He paused before asking, "And your surname?"
The question drew startled glances from the group. Gray's mind ticked over it quickly , what did that have to do with her affinity?
Lira's composure never wavered. "I have none," she said calmly. A flicker of surprise crossed the room. Her surname was Cael, well-known, but she withheld it.
Varik's eyes lingered for a moment, suspicion etched into his features, then he inclined his head and moved on. "The others," he said, addressing the remaining members. "State your affinities."
Orrin went first. "Steam."
The Kaan nodded slowly. " Quite unique, though not as potent as Darkness. Still… uncommon."
Korr leaned forward, his large frame towering slightly over the table. "Ironbody."
Gray blinked, thinking to himself, Ironbody… it wasn't anything he had heard of.
Varik's eyes flickered to him. " A hybrid affinity? And what does it do?"
Korr shrugged. "Makes me... stronger, more resilient. That's about it."
Gray's lips pressed into a thin line. I've never heard of that before.
Finally, Renn hesitated. "Mind" He looked down, shame and uncertainty mixing on his face. "I… I don't know exactly what I can do. It just… works with my thinking. Helps me see patterns, connections… but I can't explain it."
Mind... Gray's eyes softened slightly at Renn's honesty. He thought Renn wouldn't reveal it.
Varik nodded, almost approvingly. "Each of you… carries something unique. And now you know the others. Use it wisely. Strength alone is not enough. Power must be understood, or it destroys its wielder."
Gray's hands rested on the table, his mind turning over his own affinity. Darkness. The raw potential, the temptation, the danger. A quiet tension grew in his chest.
Gray's eyes flicked to the Kaan. "What about those rites? The potions we were given before entering the tunnels?"
A smile crept across Varik's face. "Potions," he said. "They were crafted by an alchemist long deceased, preserved for the right moment. Infused with Vyre to enhance senses, speed, resilience, and more. Few have matched his craft. Keep them. They may save you again."
Alchemy... Gray repeated the word in his mind. Back in Ironhold, people dreamed of becoming alchemists. At one point even he had. But all the alchemists in Ironhold were frauds.
Lira's voice broke the calm, hesitant. "And… the Rank Seven? The one locked up since our arrival?"
Varik's eyes glinted, and he muttered something in Jskander. The guards at the sides of the room stepped forward, dragging in a bagged figure. Gray, Lira, and the others rose immediately, alarm flooding the space.
"What does this mean?" Gray's voice was sharp.
"Relax," Varik said, standing and unsheathing his sword. Lira's hand moved toward her own, but Orrin's voice warned, "Stop."
"I will not allow one of ours to die!" Lira's voice rang out, defiance and fear mixing.
Varik's blade fell with a clean, swift motion. The head of the Rank Seven landed on the floor. Alongside a hand. The fingers twitching slightly.
So much for a friendship... Gray's arm fell back to his side.
Varik bent down, picking up the head and placing it on the table.
Gray's eyes widened, veins darkening slightly, a strange purplish hue tracing across his skin. His teeth sharpened without conscious thought. Everything about him felt altered, primal, dangerous.
The Kaan picked up the severed head, setting it carefully on the table. Without a word, he threw a wristband to Renn. Confused, Renn caught it as instructed.
"Connect it," Varik said. A guard guided Renn's hand to the device. Having no choice in the matter he placed his hand on it. Instantly, a notification appeared:
Synchronizing…
Renn's eyes widened as the data loaded. The interface displayed the deceased Rank Seven's information:
[Name: Unknown]
[ Status: Dead ]
[ Rank 1 Anointed—You have been Anointed by the Divine Radiance ]
[ Strain: Lumen ]
[ Passive Trait: Redacted ]
[ Skill: Redacted ]
[ Affinity: Redacted ]
[ Evolution Threshold: Redacted ]
A second warning illuminated the screen in bright red:
WARNING: STRAIN RESONANCE WEAKENING! CONTINUED DAMAGE WILL AFFECT MIND AND BODY! POSSIBLE MADNESS!
Gray's heart sank as he read the details from Renn's position. The bright red glow reflected off the Kaan's table, and the ominous words seemed to press against the room itself.
Varik's voice cut through the tension, calm but heavy. "This… is what happens when strain stability lowers. It leads to your strain becoming unstable, and like a starved rat. It will devour anything it can. Understand it well. Because you will not be warned twice."
Renn's hands trembled slightly as he stepped back, the synchronization complete. The image of the deceased Rank Seven burned into his mind, a grim reminder of the stakes, and a warning for all of them.
They were walking on a thin line, a line where falling off meant losing one's self.
It meant dying.