The rocky training grounds outside the Cavern of the Soaker lay in ruin, littered with scorch marks and shattered stone. Adrian stood at the center, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. Around him, remnants of his Darkness Element flickered like hungry tendrils of smoke, coiling back into his core as though reluctantly obeying him.
His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, a stark reminder of the demon he was becoming.
"Enough for today."
Adrian turned sharply, his gaze landing on Estrallosa, who approached with slow, deliberate steps. The ancient demon's massive wings hung loosely behind him, casting long, angular shadows across the ground. His golden eyes, unblinking and penetrating, took in Adrian's form with something between approval and expectation.
"You've grown stronger," Estrallosa rumbled, his voice deep and reverberating, as though the earth itself listened to him. "But strength without purpose is wasted."
Adrian wiped the sweat from his brow, his jaw tightening. "Then give me a purpose."
Estrallosa paused, his sharp features twisting into a slight, knowing smile. "Very well. But the purpose I offer is not an easy one."
Adrian straightened, his crimson gaze unwavering. "Nothing worth having ever is."
Estrallosa gestured for Adrian to follow, leading him to a high, jagged outcrop that overlooked the sprawling wastelands of Erebos. The land before them was a bleak ocean of black rock and roiling shadows, stretching endlessly into a red-streaked horizon.
"The Lower Seven," Estrallosa began, his tone heavy with authority, "are the foundation of the current order. You've already destroyed one—Dravokh, the Howling Terror."
Adrian's lips curled into a faint smirk. The memory of that fight still lingered, every painful second etched into his bones. "So, six more remain."
Estrallosa nodded. "Each stronger and more cunning than the last. If you are to rise in this world, you must eliminate them. One by one. Alone."
Adrian's smirk faltered slightly. "Alone?"
"No allies. No safety nets. You will face them on their terms, in their domains." Estrallosa's golden eyes gleamed as though daring Adrian to falter. "Your first target is Krynos, the Bone Architect."
At the name, Adrian stiffened. The memory struck like lightning.
* * *
Darkness. Pain.
Adrian had stood in Morith Village, his sword trembling in his bloodied grip. Around him, bodies lay in grotesque heaps—his comrades, his friends, slaughtered like animals. Krynos's skeletal constructs swarmed like an endless tide, dragging them under one by one.
And there he was—Krynos, the Bone Architect.
The demon had been tall, unnaturally thin, his pale face stretched into a cruel grin. His yellow eyes glowed like lanterns in the gloom as his skeletal minions clawed out of the earth at his command.
- "You humans are so fragile"
Krynos had purred, his voice smooth as silk.
- "Why do you resist when you know it's pointless?"
Adrian had charged at him, driven by fury and desperation. But Krynos hadn't moved. A mere flick of his clawed hand had sent Adrian flying, his ribs shattering against the stone wall of a ruined house.
As Adrian coughed blood, gasping for breath, Krynos had stepped closer, his skeletal hand extending toward him.
- "Don't worry. Death is not the end, little one. I'll give you a new purpose among my creations."
The cold had crept up his limbs as the necrotic energy overtook him. He had died—eyes wide, heart pounding, swallowed by an unrelenting wave of death.
* * *
Adrian's knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of the outcrop, the memory of his failure igniting a fire in his chest.
"Krynos…" Adrian muttered, his voice low and cold. "The Bone Architect."
Estrallosa studied him carefully, his tone unreadable. "Yes. He resides in the necrotic wasteland to the west. Krynos commands legions of the dead—skeletal warriors bound to his will. His mastery of necromantic forces makes him one of the most dangerous of the Lower Seven."
Adrian's expression was a mask of calm, but the flicker of anger in his eyes betrayed him. "What's his weakness?"
Estrallosa let out a low chuckle, deep and grating. "Weakness? The Lower Seven do not rise by having weaknesses, Adrian. Krynos's power lies in death itself. If you cannot counter that, you will become part of his collection—again."
Adrian turned sharply, his crimson gaze meeting Estrallosa's golden one. "Not this time."
Estrallosa inclined his head slightly. "Then prepare yourself. You leave at dawn. Krynos's wasteland will test you in ways you cannot yet imagine."
Adrian sat in his quarters, the only sound the faint crackle of his Darkness Element as it curled around him like living smoke. The cavern was silent, as though holding its breath.
He closed his eyes, steadying his breathing, but the image of Krynos—those cold, glowing eyes—remained seared into his mind.
"Fragile," Krynos had called him. "Never again."
Adrian clenched his fists, the dark energy flaring briefly as it responded to his fury. "You're going to regret not finishing me off, Krynos."
The thought of returning to that wasteland, of facing the monster who had once killed him, should have terrified him. But it didn't. It filled him with purpose, with resolve that burned hotter than any flame.
"Mohan," Adrian whispered softly into the darkness, his voice barely audible. "This is for you."
Elsewhere, Estrallosa stood at the cavern entrance, the crimson dawn beginning to stretch across the wasteland. Beside him, Draven lingered in the shadows, his yellow eyes glinting faintly.
"You send him to face Krynos," Draven said quietly. "You're risking much."
Estrallosa's wings twitched, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "He needs this. Adrian's strength is real, but he hasn't faced his past yet. Krynos will force him to confront it."
"And if he fails?" Draven asked, his voice measured.
Estrallosa turned slightly, his expression hard and unreadable. "If he fails, then he dies. And he was never worthy of rising beyond the ashes."
Draven fell silent, though his gaze lingered on the sleeping wasteland beyond.
The first light of dawn painted the landscape in muted shades of crimson and gray. Adrian stood at the edge of the cavern, his figure cloaked in shadows that seemed to breathe with him. His crimson eyes reflected the light, burning with the promise of vengeance.
Estrallosa approached, his massive form casting a long shadow. "Remember," the ancient demon said, his tone heavy, "this task is more than a test of strength. Krynos will push you to the brink. Survive, adapt, and destroy him—or you will not return."
Adrian smirked faintly, his confidence unwavering. "I already died to him once. That won't happen again."
Estrallosa's golden eyes narrowed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Then go. Show him the fury that brought you this far."
Adrian turned without another word, stepping into the wasteland. The wind howled around him, carrying whispers of death, but Adrian didn't falter. His mind was clear, his purpose absolute.
Krynos.
The Bone Architect awaited, but this time Adrian was ready.