Adrian's footsteps were barely a whisper on the cold, bone-laden floors of Krynos's domain. Every corner, every shadow, seemed to pulse with the unnatural chill of death.
The walls, jagged and skeletal, towered over him like the ribs of some ancient beast, a grotesque monument to the Bone Architect's twisted vision.
The air was thick with the scent of decay, of rot—the very land around him drained of life.
With each step, his senses sharpened. The low hum of dark energy at his fingertips was a constant reminder of the power he now wielded—power that had turned him into something more than human, but not quite a demon either.
His crimson eyes flicked from shadow to shadow, constantly vigilant, as he slipped through the winding, labyrinthine halls.
It was the sound that caught his attention first. Distant, but unmistakable—the clash of weapons, the guttural roar of combat. His instincts screamed at him to investigate, to move quickly.
Without hesitation, he followed the noise, the eerie green glow of the skeletal walls casting an unsettling light that danced over his every movement.
When he reached the source, Adrian paused. He peered around a corner, his sharp gaze narrowing. The sight before him was more monstrous than he could have imagined.
Before him stretched an arena, a vast expanse carved from bone. The ground was littered with jagged fragments, remnants of past battles and broken bodies.
Green light flickered from the walls, casting long, twisted shadows across the bloodstained floor. The air was thick with the stench of sweat and death.
In the center of the arena, two demons were locked in a brutal fight. One was a hulking brute, towering over his opponent, covered in spiked armor and wielding a massive bone axe that crackled with necrotic energy.
The other demon, smaller and quicker, danced around his foe, twin daggers flashing like obsidian blades, each strike aimed at the brute's weak points.
Adrian crouched, hidden in the shadows, watching intently. The crowd surrounding the arena roared with excitement, their voices rising in a cacophony of bloodlust. Demon faces, twisted in ecstasy, gleamed in the greenish light. But it wasn't the fight that captured his attention—no, it was the figure seated high on a throne at the far end of the arena.
Krynos.
The Bone Architect. He sat upon his elevated throne with an air of regal arrogance, his skeletal form draped in intricately designed armor, his skull-like mask gleaming in the dim light. His eyes, glowing an eerie green, betrayed a cold, detached amusement as he watched the fight unfold.
'He's enjoying this,' Adrian thought bitterly, a sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth. 'A spectacle to feed his ego.'
The larger demon swung his axe with brutal force, the weapon slamming into the ground as his smaller opponent nimbly dodged, using his speed to stay one step ahead.
The crowd went wild as the small demon found an opening and drove one of his daggers deep into the brute's shoulder. Black ichor splashed into the air, but the larger demon retaliated with a vicious backhand, sending the smaller one flying.
Adrian's eyes narrowed, watching the scene unfold. His mind raced with calculations. The duel was unrelenting, the stakes high—each combatant fighting not just for victory, but for survival. But Adrian wasn't here for the bloodshed. Not yet, anyway.
His gaze flicked back to Krynos. The Bone Architect remained unmoved, his expression as cold as ever.
A few elite guards stood near him, their skeletal forms clad in dark, ornate armor, weapons in hand, ever-watchful.
The whole scene was a brutal mockery of life, a theater of cruelty, and Adrian's disgust for the Bone Architect grew with every passing second.
'Too many eyes,' Adrian thought. 'Attacking now would be suicide. I need to wait for the crowd to thin out.'
The fight reached its bloody climax. The brute landed a devastating blow, his bone axe cleaving through the smaller demon's chest.
The air was thick with the sound of tearing flesh, and the smaller demon's final scream echoed as he crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.
The crowd went wild, howls of approval filling the air. The victor raised his weapon high, the axe crackling with necrotic energy as he let out a triumphant roar. Krynos stood from his throne, his skeletal form imposing as he raised a clawed hand to silence the crowd.
"Well done," Krynos's voice boomed, cold and detached. "Strength is the only truth in this world. The weak deserve their fate, and the strong rise to claim what is theirs."
The crowd erupted again, this time in a renewed frenzy of worship. The victorious demon knelt before Krynos, his chest swelling with pride. Krynos regarded him for a moment, then spoke, his voice carrying the weight of command.
"Take your place among my chosen," Krynos said, gesturing to the ranks of his elite guards. "You have earned it."
The demon rose, swelling with pride, and joined the other chosen—his eyes now gleaming with the same malevolent light as those around him. Adrian watched, his fists clenching, his teeth grinding together.
'This is the monster I've come for.'
As the crowd began to disperse, Adrian's patience was tested. His heart pounded in his chest, the anticipation rising as he held his position, hidden in the shadows.
Krynos, meanwhile, lingered on his throne, conversing with his guards in low, almost conspiratorial tones. Adrian could hear snippets of their conversation, but it wasn't until Krynos's final words that his blood ran cold.
"Prepare the necrotic forges for the next batch of constructs," Krynos said, his voice carrying over to Adrian's hiding place. "The human villages nearby will provide plenty of material."
The casual cruelty in Krynos's voice sent a shiver through Adrian's spine. His blood boiled at the thought of innocent lives being harvested for the Bone Architect's twisted creations. But he didn't act. Not yet.
'Soon, Krynos. Soon.'
As Krynos rose from his throne, followed by a handful of his guards, Adrian's moment had arrived. His body moved with practiced grace, his Darkness Element enveloping him like a second skin, masking his presence in the shadows. The remaining demons, too distracted by the aftermath of the fight, didn't notice the subtle ripple of movement that passed among them.
Krynos's voice carried through the corridor, still speaking to his guards. "Make sure the constructs are ready for the next phase. We need more soldiers for the coming war."
Adrian followed silently, each step measured, his mind racing. The Bone Architect's plans were vast, and his cruelty knew no bounds. But Adrian's path was set. There was no turning back.
They reached a smaller, more private chamber. It was a planning room, its centerpiece a massive table made of bone, covered with maps and diagrams. Krynos gestured for his guards to leave, his attention entirely focused on the plans before him.
'This is it, Adrian thought. No distractions. No audience. Just you and me.'
He slipped inside the room, unnoticed, and melded with the shadows. Krynos studied the maps before him, completely unaware of the presence that loomed just a few feet away. Adrian's crimson eyes gleamed, the dark blade of his sword humming faintly in his hand as he drew it from its sheath.
This wasn't just a fight. This was retribution. This was the reckoning that had been years in the making.
'I'll make you pay for every life you've taken,' Adrian muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with the weight of every loss he had suffered at Krynos's hands.
With a surge of dark energy, Adrian stepped out of the shadows.