Flashback,
Alistair slowly placed his hand on Solaris's shoulder.
His grip was firm, but gentle—like a father trying to hold together something already breaking.
He lowered his voice, steady and warm.
"Don't be afraid. Father is here."
A small pause.
"Father will protect you."
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Then—
Solaris opened his eyes.
Not like an eight-year-old child.
Not like the son Alistair knew.
Something else looked back at him.
His pupils had turned vertical.
Sharp. Narrow. Predatory.
His irises—burning yellow.
Across his small body, yellow lightning began to crawl, snapping over his skin, hissing through the air like living serpents made of pure mana.
The calm atmosphere shattered.
Mana surged violently from him—thick, heavy, suffocating.
The floor trembled.
The air itself felt afraid to move.
A thin line of saliva dripped from the corner of Solaris's mouth.
He slowly lifted his head.
His gaze locked onto Alistair.
Not with recognition.
Not with affection.
But with hunger.
Like a starving beast staring at fresh prey.
"FATHER—"
His voice came out wrong.
Distorted. Rough. Layered with something inhuman.
A grin slowly spread across his face—too wide, too sharp for a child.
"I… WANT TO DO IT TOO!!"
---
Alistair's face went completely blank.
Not anger.
Not shock.
Pure, naked horror.
His body refused to move—
as if the air itself had chained him in place.
"Solaris…?"
No answer.
The boy didn't even look at him.
Without a word, Solaris turned away.
And started walking toward the forest.
Toward the remaining goblins.
His steps were slow at first—
calm. Casual.
Like a child going to play.
Then the rhythm changed.
Walking became running.
Running became something else.
Faster—
faster—
until—
he vanished.
Alistair's eyes widened.
"W-what…?"
Even he—an A-rank swordsman—
couldn't follow that speed.
Before his mind could process anything—
Solaris appeared again.
Right beside the fleeing goblins.
One moment there was empty air—
the next, a small hand was already gripping a goblin's head.
The creature froze.
Solaris tilted his head slightly, a thin, mindless smile forming on his lips.
"I caught you…"
There was no childish innocence in that voice.
Only raw, predatory delight.
The goblin didn't even get the chance to scream.
One savage pull ripped the creature apart—
and the forest fell silent for a heartbeat.
Blood sprayed across Solaris's face, warm and bright under the sunlight.
He didn't flinch.
Didn't hesitate.
The other goblins turned in panic, tripping over the grass, fear twisting their ugly faces.
He hurled the what remained at the goblins. It struck one squarely in the back, shattering its bones instantly. Its eyes went blank, its body going limp before it even understood what had happened.
The last two fell to the ground, scrambling backward, claws digging into the soil.
But Solaris was already looking at them.
Yellow eyes glowing.
Lightning whispering around his skin.
---
Alistair still couldn't move.
His legs refused to obey him, his arms felt like stone, and even his heartbeat sounded distant in his own ears. He could only stand there—like a powerless spectator—watching his son.
Inside his mind, his voice trembled.
"Those eyes…!! They are the same as the Void Beast's eyes!"
Yellow.
Vertical pupils.
But what is this presence?
What am I even sensing right now?!
His throat went dry.
And this blood lust… what is this madness!?
He clenched his teeth.
I know the Void Beast transformation makes your senses beastly. It makes you a little blood-thirsty.
But… but…
His eyes shook.
Only his eyes transformed!!
Nothing else.
No claws.
No fangs.
No monstrous form.
Just those eyes.
So why…?
Why does it feel so violent!?
The pressure rolling out of Solaris wasn't wild rage.
It wasn't the instinct of a scared child.
It was something calm. Ancient. Bottomless.
It feels like…
like he waited for eons just to kill someone.
On that side, Solaris continued his violence.
Without a word.
Without hesitation.
In one swift motion—
he appeared in front of the two fleeing goblins.
No footsteps.
No sound.
Just—there.
He raised his hand.
Then—
with a single violent punch, he crushed one of their heads on the spot.
The impact exploded through the air.
The punch was so strong that the surrounding ground cracked many meters away, spiderweb lines tearing across the earth as if the world itself had been struck.
The goblin didn't even have time to scream.
Its body collapsed instantly, lifeless.
The last goblin desperately tried to escape, claws digging into the soil, stumbling over its own panic.
But Solaris caught one of its legs.
Effortlessly.
He lifted it over his head like it had no weight at all—
and then—
a violent slam.
The body smashed into the ground.
Blood blasted everywhere, painting the grass and trees in dark crimson.
When the motion ended—
only the leg remained in Solaris's hand.
The rest was gone.
Solaris's body began shaking again.
Not from weakness.
From overflow.
The sparks crawling across his skin grew bigger and bigger, dancing wildly like real lightning now.
Uncontrollable.
Unstable.
Almost alive.
Noticeably—
whenever those sparks touched the surrounding trees—
the trees instantly vaporized.
No burning.
No falling.
Just erased.
Mana in the air shifted, starting to get thicker and thicker, pressing down on everything around.
Solaris remained standing, breathing unevenly, his expression strangely empty.
---
In the distance, Alistair stood frozen.
His eyes were wide, reflecting the chaos unfolding before him. His jaw clenched so tightly that the edges of his teeth cut into his gums. The forest around him was alive with energy—and death. The lingering scent of blood, burnt wood, and scorched earth clawed at his senses. Every instinct screamed at him to move, to intervene—but his body refused.
Why… why does it feel like all this violence… doesn't reduce his bloodlust?!
The thought hit him like a punch to the chest. It was worse than any monster he had faced. It's like it's fueling him… feeding him… amplifying his hunger…!
The realization froze him in place. His hands twitched helplessly at his sides. His legs shook uncontrollably. Even his breath felt heavier, labored under the immense pressure of Solaris's presence.
Then, as if fate itself agreed with his horrifying realization—
In the middle of that storm of chaos, Solaris looked up.
And smiled.
It wasn't a child's smile. Not a boy's smile.
It was predatory. Hungry. Terrifyingly knowing.
And then the laughter began.
Low at first. A soft chuckle crawling out of his throat.
"Hmhmhm… Hahaha… Aaaah… HHAHAHAHA…"
It escalated quickly. Loud. Wild. Unrestrained. A manic, echoing laughter that tore through the forest like a hurricane. Birds fell mid-flight, the leaves trembled violently, and the remaining trees shuddered under the pressure.
Alistair's stomach turned. His fists clenched so tightly that veins stood out along his arms. That laughter… it isn't just sound. It's a weapon. It's a declaration.
Solaris's voice cut through the chaos, each word dripping with pure madness:
"I want more… I… I WANT TO KILL MORE… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH…!"
With a guttural, beastly yell, Solaris began to power up.
The trees nearest him vaporized instantly, reduced to nothingness in the brilliance of raw, unchecked Mana— that so potent that its sheer force alone annihilate swathes of low-level monsters across miles of terrain. Bodies of the fallen goblins and creatures dissolved into ash before they could even touch the ground. Sparks of lightning crackled violently along his body, running like living veins of energy across his skin. The ground beneath him cracked and split, sending jagged rocks flying in all directions. Hills trembled, small peaks crumbling from the shockwaves of his power.
Alistair staggered backward, one hand instinctively clutching his chest. His nose began bleeding uncontrollably, tiny drops falling onto the cracked earth. His mind raced, each thought heavier than the last.
What is happening…!? he thought, panic gnawing at him. This Mana… this bloodlust… Solaris's body… it's too small, too fragile for this amount of power. If this continues… if I don't do something…
His eyes darted around frantically, searching for a solution. Every protective spell he knew, every relic in his arsenal, suddenly seemed insufficient against the raw, unfiltered chaos radiating from his son.
Then, his gaze landed on his wrist.
A golden wristlet.
Not just any wristlet—a protective relic designed with intricate magical symbols.
His hands shook as he lifted it, fingers brushing over the carved runes. This… this might be my only chance.
He poured Mana into the relic. It glowed instantly, bathing his arm in golden light. A complex magical circle materialized above his head, hovering and spinning, ancient runes spinning faster and faster until they blurred into a single cohesive force.
Alistair drew a deep, steadying breath.
His mind cleared. The fog of fear, the paralyzing horror—it all dissipated.
I can move again…
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword, feeling the weight, the balance, and the raw potential coiled within the steel. His eyes, once wide with panic, now sharpened with purpose.
As a father… as the one who brought him into this world…
For Solaris… I HAVE TO stop him.