Chapter 1 - chapter 2 - Ashes and Questions

The settlement of Blackthorn Outpost was little more than broken stone and timber lashed together with desperation. A handful of watchtowers circled the village, each manned by nervous figures gripping rusted weapons or crude relics of fleshcraft. Beyond the walls, the Wastelands stretched endless—scarred earth, faintly glowing cracks, and the distant howls of things born from the Tears.Darius Veyne moved quietly through the main road, hood drawn low. His coat was threadbare, his boots caked in mud, but his stride carried a steadiness that made people step aside without realizing why. He kept his gaze down, his presence measured, as if he wanted nothing more than to pass unseen.It didn't work."Oi, stranger!"A youth in scavenged armor stepped into his path. The boy's left arm glowed faintly with seared lines—Flesh Engraving, early-stage. A Tier One, barely awakened."What's your rank?" the boy demanded, puffing out his chest. "You don't walk these streets without power."Darius stopped. He looked at the boy, eyes cold, unreadable."None of your business." His voice was calm, but final.The boy flushed red. Murmurs rippled through the nearby villagers. A few nodded grimly, understanding. Others whispered—curiosity, suspicion, envy. Darius ignored them all and kept walking.The Human Tiers of PowerIn Blackthorn, every man, woman, and child knew the system. To survive, you needed to understand where you stood.Tier 0: The Hollow – ordinary humans, powerless, fragile. Fodder for the Tears.Tier 1: Awakened Flesh – bodies infused with minor engravings or adaptations. Slightly faster, stronger, but unstable.Tier 2: Bound Flesh – organs, bones, or senses fully reforged. Capable of taking down lesser Tearspawn alone.Tier 3: Shaped Flesh – transformations grant monstrous strength; limbs or skin may resemble the beasts themselves.Tier 4: Sovereigns of Flesh – rare. Their very presence bends the battlefield, fusing man and monstrosity into something greater.Only rumors spoke of Tier 5—beings who could rival the Tears themselves."Hey," another voice called. This one older, heavier, carrying authority. A woman stepped forward, scarred jaw and a blade on her hip, her arm plated with bone like living armor. Her aura marked her as Tier 2—Bound Flesh."You. Veyne, was it? What are you hiding under that hood? We don't like secrets here."Darius paused. For a heartbeat, the tension in the street thickened. He could feel the questions drilling into him—the hunger of the weak who wanted to measure him, to place him neatly in their system.He said nothing.The silence stretched until the woman's brow furrowed. She opened her mouth again, but before she could speak, the bell tower rang—a sharp, frantic toll.Everyone froze. Then came the sound—distant, thunderous, like stone grinding against bone. The ground trembled.A voice shouted from the walls:"Shadelings! A swarm's coming!"The settlement erupted in chaos.Darius sighed quietly and lifted his hood back, just enough for the light to catch the edge of his eyes.For the first time, a flicker of something primal stirred in his veins