The morning air in the cavern was heavy with smoke, ash, and the lingering scent of fear. Torches flickered along jagged stone walls, casting shadows that danced like wraiths across the uneven floor. Survivors of the previous night's battle moved in tense silence, their eyes constantly flicking toward Aric.
He walked in the rear, careful to keep his violet-tinged eyes from meeting too many stares. The Sorrow System's lingering hunger throbbed beneath his skin, a dull drumbeat reminding him of the power he had unleashed. The evolution had left him changed—muscles longer, veins blackened, shadow tendrils lingering faintly at the edges of his body.
Every step was a reminder that the resistance did not fully trust him.
Kael's voice cut through the silence like a knife. "You're slower than before," he said, walking beside Darius. "Or maybe you're just hiding that… horror of yours from us."
Aric's jaw tightened. He didn't respond. He had learned that speaking to Kael only fueled the man's hunger for fear.
Lyra fell into step beside him, her gaze worried. "Ignore him," she said softly. "He's scared, that's all. You're not the threat here."
Aric nodded, though the whisper of the System urged him otherwise: They fear you. They will never accept you. Feed…
He forced the thought down. Not yet.
The group reached a natural outcropping of stone that marked a defensible rest point. Scouts were sent to perimeter points while the others set up temporary shelters.
Darius gathered the group. "Listen," he said, voice steady despite the tension, "I know last night changed things. Aric… his power saved us. But it also scares us. We have to work past that fear if we're going to survive."
Kael scoffed audibly. "Fear? It's not fear. It's reality. He's not one of us anymore. He's… something else entirely."
Lyra's gaze snapped to Kael. "And you're ready to abandon someone who fought to save us all?"
"You don't see what I see," Kael shot back. "The veins, the eyes… the way the air seemed to warp around him. That's not human. That's not safe."
The group erupted in quiet murmurs. Aric felt the walls close in. Their fear, their doubt—it was all tangible, feeding into the System's hunger. He clenched his fists, veins throbbing under blackened skin.
Control yourself.
He nodded subtly to Lyra, who gave him a slight reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.
That night, Aric lay apart from the others, staring at the ceiling of the cavern. Shadows pooled around him, responding faintly to his restless mind. Every scream he had consumed, every death, replayed in whispers he could not silence.
Feed… Grow… Become more…
He pressed his palms to his temples, trying to focus. The hunger had become sharper, more demanding, but he still had enough restraint to not feed recklessly in front of the resistance.
A sudden movement from the edge of his vision made him snap upright. Kael had approached, his eyes dark with suspicion.
"You think you're controlling it?" Kael asked quietly, voice edged with venom. "You're not. Not yet. And soon… you'll lose yourself. You'll take one step too far, and everyone here will pay for it."
Aric did not flinch. "I control it enough to survive. And to protect everyone here. That's all that matters."
Kael smirked, though there was no warmth in it. "For now," he muttered, walking away.
The following day, scouts returned with urgent news: a group of demon Shades had been spotted nearby, moving toward a crumbling village.
Darius called a meeting. "We must strike quickly. Delay, and more lives will be lost."
Kael's eyes flicked to Aric. "And if he loses control?"
Lyra's hand rested briefly on Aric's arm. "Then we'll deal with it. Together."
Aric swallowed, trying to block the whispers. The Sorrow System pulsed again, feeding on the tension in the air. The mission was no longer just about killing demons—it was about proving to the resistance that he could be trusted.
The group approached the village cautiously. Houses had already been toppled, smoke curling into the sky. Screams echoed faintly from the rubble.
Aric's pulse quickened. The Sorrow System's whispers became almost unbearable: They suffer… Consume…
[Sorrow Detected: 22 units]
He clenched his teeth, forcing the hunger down. He would not lose control—not yet.
Shades attacked suddenly, erupting from shadows in a coordinated ambush. The resistance scrambled, blades flashing. Screams filled the air as the creatures tore through the first line.
Aric moved into the fray, his violet eyes glowing faintly. He cut down Shade after Shade, careful not to consume too much sorrow, careful to remain in control. Every strike sent a pulse through him, a reminder of the evolution that had left him changed.
The resistance witnessed him in action. Some were in awe. Others, like Kael, stepped back in fear.
Hours passed in combat. The Sorrow System hummed through his veins, urging him to consume, to unleash, to feed without restraint. He had to resist. Every ally, every soldier around him, was a reason to hold back.
Finally, the last Shade fell. Silence descended, broken only by the ragged breathing of the survivors.
Aric's body trembled from restraint. Veins still pulsed black, and faint tendrils of shadow clung to his limbs. He forced himself to kneel, letting the adrenaline fade.
Kael stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "You survived," he said quietly. "But I still don't trust you. Not yet."
Lyra placed a hand on Kael's shoulder. "We have to. He's the only reason we're alive."
Kael's expression twisted, uncertainty flickering across his face. He didn't respond.
That night, Aric sat apart, staring at the stars visible through the cavern's opening. The whispers had quieted… only slightly. The first evolution had taught him something critical: power always came at a price, and restraint was temporary.
Lyra joined him quietly, sitting beside him. "You're still in control," she said softly. "But I can see it… the hunger. It's always there."
He nodded. "I know. And I don't know how long I can keep holding it back. Every battle… every death… it's just going to get harder."
She took his hand. "Then you won't do it alone. Not while I'm here."
Aric's heart ached. The world was broken. The resistance was fractured. And yet, there was a small thread of trust he could cling to.
The whispers inside him continued: Grow… Feed… Become more…
He gritted his teeth. "I'll control it. I have to."
But deep down, he knew the Sorrow System had its own plans. And the next battle, the next evolution, might take that control away entirely.