The alleyway was dead silent.
The Dissonant beast stared at its blunted arm. Kael stared at his trembling hand.
Then, the agony hit.
It felt like swallowing molten glass. The corrupted purple energy tore through Kael's veins, lacking a Core to safely process it. His blood vessels bulged, glowing faintly through his skin. He fell to his knees, clutching his chest, a ragged scream tearing from his throat.
It burns. It's tearing me apart.
The beast recovered from its shock. Sensing weakness, it roared, opening a maw of razor-sharp teeth, preparing to bite Kael's head off entirely.
No, Kael thought, his vision blurring. I won't die a Hollow. I won't die nothing.
His analytical mind, trained through years of desperate survival, kicked in. He couldn't store the energy. So, he had to expel it.
As the beast's jaws snapped down, Kael thrust his glowing palm upward. He didn't use a technique. He just pushed the burning agony out.
A shockwave of pitch-black energy erupted from his hand.
It wasn't the purple of the Dissonant. It wasn't the clear blue of a normal Core. It was the color of a void.
The blast hit the beast point-blank. There was no explosion, no fire. The beast simply... disintegrated. Its flesh, bones, and corrupted blood were erased, leaving nothing but a faint cloud of ash drifting onto the cobblestones.
Kael lowered his hand. The pain vanished, replaced by an intoxicating, terrifying rush of power. Then, his exhausted body gave out, and the world went dark.
Kael woke to the harsh glare of a sterile white light. The smell of antiseptic filled his nose. The Academy Infirmary.
"He's awake."
Kael turned his head. Standing at the foot of his bed was Commander Thorne, the head of the Vanguard Elite. The man's mere presence made the air feel heavy. Beside him stood a pale, terrified medic.
"You were found in the Outer Slums," Thorne said, his voice rumbling like an earthquake. "Surrounded by the ash of a Grade-3 Dissonant. A beast that takes a squad of Adepts to kill."
Kael kept his face perfectly neutral. "I don't know what happened. I blacked out."
Thorne narrowed his eyes. He stepped closer, leaning over Kael. The pressure of Thorne's Sovereign-rank Core was suffocating.
"A patrol found you," Thorne whispered, his eyes locked onto Kael's. "There was no beast core left in the ash. It was entirely drained. But that's not what bothers me, boy."
Thorne reached out and grabbed Kael's wrist, yanking his sleeve up.
Kael's breath hitched.
Tracing up his forearm, mapping out his blood vessels, were intricate, branching lines.
They were pitch black.
"Tell me, Hollow," Thorne said softly. "Why are your veins stained with the Void?"