The valley lay quiet, the kind of quiet that smothered thought. Small lights flickered in huts at the edge of the forest—children dreaming, mothers humming, fathers murmuring prayers that could not reach beyond the walls. The constellations glimmered above, distant and indifferent, as if mocking the world below.
Azkarel stepped into the village barefoot, his small form moving like a shadow. Hunger pulsed in him—not the hunger for milk or warmth, but the hunger that had grown teeth in the womb, sharpened by Zorvak's gaze, fueled by the Chains now thrumming beneath his skin.
The air around him thickened. He could feel the System stirring.
System Message:[The System of Chains has detected prey.][Break the First Chain: Slay. Devour. Feast.]
His hands flexed, and he smiled—a small, precise grin. He drove a jagged scrap of iron into the first man's chest. The scream never left the man's throat; Azkarel's fingers sealed it as warmth and blood spilled across his hands. The System sang.
[Chain Broken: 1][Skill Gained: Gluttony of the Void]
The body twitched and convulsed, collapsing into black ash that spiraled into Azkarel's mouth as though devoured by a void that existed inside him. His stomach flared with heat—power, life, and knowledge merged into one.
Hut by hut, he moved. Mothers, fathers, children—every scream, every whimper, every scent of fear fed the Chains. He tore through the village methodically, each act precise and deliberate. He consumed their memories, their grief, their pasts. With each swallow, he grew—not just in strength, but in understanding of cruelty, despair, and the taste of mortality.
[Skill Gained: Shroud of Wailing] – Presence spreads terror and despair.][Title Gained: Omen-Born] – Even the stars recognize your cursed existence.]
By dawn, the village was nothing but charred remains and red, glistening earth. Azkarel stood in the center, small and pale, hands dripping blood, eyes glowing with something inhuman. The constellations above twitched, their arrogance faltering.
He whispered to the heavens:
"Do you see me now?"
The Chains pulsed, alive in his veins. The System recorded everything: every drop of blood, every heart stopped, every soul devoured. The ledger of hunger grew. Titles, skills, and rewards lined up like trophies waiting to be claimed.
Zorvak's voice rolled over him, unseen but omnipresent. "Good. Mortal flesh is only the beginning. Their constellations, their families, their legacy—they will feed you more. And when the heavens weep, it will be your laughter they hear."
Azkarel's laugh was small, high-pitched, and merciless. It echoed through the ruined huts, up into the mountains, and far into the night. The constellations flickered again—this time with fear.
The first Chain had broken. The first taste had been taken.
And Azkarel, Ash-born, Angel-Breaker, Devourer of Dawn, had begun his path.