The cavern had fallen into a suffocating silence. Even the faintest drip of water sounded like a hammer against Aric's skull. The resistance moved cautiously, weapons drawn, eyes scanning every jagged corner for signs of movement. The glow from Aric's Sorrow Blades cast strange shadows that danced along the walls, flickering with every tremor of his pulse.
Kael walked beside him, silent, a smirk barely visible in the torchlight. "You think that little trick of yours will be enough?" he said, voice low. "Shadows like these don't die easily."
Aric didn't answer. He could already feel the malevolence in the tunnels ahead. A presence far stronger than anything he had encountered before. The System stirred in response, hunger gnawing at the edges of his mind. He had to control it — one slip, one uncontrolled surge, and the entire resistance would be annihilated.
[Sorrow Stored: 188 units][Instability Warning: Moderate]
The scouts in the front stumbled over something unseen, a faint tremor running through the cavern floor. The torches flickered, and a low, resonant growl echoed from the darkness.
From the shadows ahead, it emerged.
The Greater Demon was unlike any creature Aric had faced. Its body was a grotesque fusion of bone and sinew, scaled and blackened, eyes glowing a cold, violet light that seemed to pierce through the very air. Its limbs were long and unnaturally jointed, claws curved and razor-sharp. The scent of death and despair radiated from it in waves, pressing on Aric's chest like a physical force.
A collective gasp rose from the resistance, but Kael's face was unreadable. "So it begins," he muttered.
Aric's veins pulsed, shadows twitching along his arms and chest. He could feel the demon's sorrow energy — twisted, corrupt, and deep. This was no mindless beast; it was a predator, feeding on fear, and it sensed him as its target.
He extended his hand, and the Sorrow Blades coiled around his fingers, their edges humming faintly with energy. He had never felt them respond so willingly, so eagerly.
Feed…
Aric clenched his jaw. No. He would not let the System drive him. Not now. Not in front of the resistance.
The demon lunged. Its movement was a blur, faster than the human eye could track, and its claws struck toward Kael's position. Aric stepped forward instinctively, Sorrow Blades slicing through the air with deadly precision. The demon's claw met the blades with a grinding screech, sparks of shadow energy scattering in all directions.
The force of the impact pushed Aric back, but he gritted his teeth and stabilized. Around him, the resistance scrambled, firing arrows and casting spells, but the demon's speed and intelligence made them nearly useless. One resistance member went down with a scream, consumed by shadow tendrils that erupted from the demon's limbs.
[Sorrow Stored: 193 units][Instability Warning: High]
Aric felt the hunger spike inside him, a burning, clawing sensation that urged him to feed on the demon's pain, to let the System surge uncontrollably. But he forced himself to step back, breathing through the rising tension. His Sorrow Blades quivered, sensing his hesitation.
The demon roared, a sound that shook the cavern, and lunged again, targeting Aric directly this time. He sidestepped, cutting one of its elongated limbs cleanly with the Sorrow Blades. The limb didn't die — it twisted, reformed, as if the sorrow it carried made it resilient.
Kael's voice rang out sharply. "You can't just hold back! Strike it with everything!"
Aric shook his head. "If I push too far… I'll lose control!"
Lyra stepped closer, placing her hand lightly on his arm. "You can do this, Aric. Control it. We trust you."
Her words, soft and steady, anchored him. He took a deep breath and let the System surge… just enough. The shadows on his blades flared violently, a controlled explosion of energy that cut across the cavern. The demon screeched in pain as its body began to splinter, but it was still alive, writhing with corrupt energy.
[Sorrow Stored: 205 units][Instability Warning: Moderate – Regaining Control]
The resistance rallied, emboldened by the sudden shift. Darius's sword clanged against the demon's remaining limbs, Lyra casting defensive wards to protect the wounded. Aric advanced, striking with calculated precision. Every blow siphoned sorrow from the creature, feeding the System without tipping into instability.
Kael's eyes narrowed. He had to admit — reluctantly — that Aric was mastering a delicate balance. Yet the smirk never fully disappeared. There was still tension, suspicion, and a growing undercurrent of rivalry.
The Greater Demon made one final, desperate charge, a massive surge of energy emanating from its core. Aric met it head-on, Sorrow Blades crossing in a deadly X. Shadows coiled around him, absorbing the impact, and he felt a surge of clarity — a fleeting connection between the System and his own will.
This… is control.
With a final, precise strike, the Greater Demon shattered into a cloud of despair and shadow, its essence partially absorbed by Aric's System. The cavern fell silent, save for the ragged breathing of the resistance.
[Sorrow Stored: 220 units][Instability Critical: Controlled][New Ability Unlocked: Shadow Veil – short-duration defensive aura]
Aric lowered his blades, chest heaving, mind racing. He had survived, he had controlled the System, and yet… he knew this was only the beginning. The Watcher's whispers grew louder, its presence closer.
Kael approached slowly, expression unreadable. "Not bad," he said finally. "But don't get cocky. Something like that out there… it's nothing compared to what's coming."
Lyra's hand found his again, steady and warm. "We'll face it together," she said softly.
Aric nodded, but inside he felt a chill. This battle had been a test, a glimpse of the horrors ahead. If the Greater Demon was the beginning, what awaited him next would push him further than ever before — and perhaps force him to finally confront the true hunger of the Sorrow System.
The shadows in the cavern seemed to stir again, longer, darker… watching.
And in the deepest recess of the tunnel, a pair of glowing eyes reflected a faint violet light.
The Watcher is here.