The Mirror Realm's twilight deepened, the indigo sky bruising to black as the crimson moon bled its eerie light across the clearing.
Grey's breath hitched—not from exhaustion, but from the sheer pressure in the air, a primal force pressing against his ribs. The rune on his neck pulsed, its flame-shaped mark searing as if branding him anew. It writhed beneath his skin, tendrils of heat creeping up his spine, burrowing into his skull.
Elsa's cigarette glowed like a dying ember as she flicked it into the void. It dissolved midair, leaving behind a curl of scarlet smoke.
"First lesson," she said, her voice stripped of its usual taunting lilt. "Prove yourself."
Grey, seated cross-legged on the ground, frowned.
"The rune on your wrist? That was a low-rank rune," Elsa continued. "Refining it wasn't hard for you, but using it for the first time… I'm sure that was painful."
Grey stiffened. Painful was an understatement. He had refined the rune almost instantly—but it had taken him twenty agonizing hours just to activate it. And the pain…
Elsa exhaled lazily. "Each rune is unique. They have their own ways of choosing and testing their master. To become a Rune Master, you must pass their test. Do you understand?"
Grey slowly opened his eyes and met her gaze. "But what if I refine it and fail the test?"
Elsa smirked. "Well… I wouldn't know, since i never failed"
"…"
Grey stared at her, unimpressed. Just how full of herself was she?
She chuckled. "But I've seen many people fail. Two things can happen. One, you lose control, and the rune will either kill you or seriously injure you. Two, you suffer a backlash. The severity depends on the rune's rank and your own strength.
"For example, if an A-rank hunter fails to activate a low-rank rune, it won't kill him. The most he'll suffer is a minor backlash. But if a D-rank hunter tries to use a mid-rank rune and fails…" Elsa shrugged. "Best case? A severe backlash. Worst case? If it's an attack-type rune, it'll go out of control and kill him and people around him."
Grey absorbed every word. His expression darkened. "Then… what kind of rune do I have? And what happens if I fail to activate it?"
Elsa coughed. "Well, you see…"
Grey narrowed his eyes.
"Little brother~ you don't have to worry too much, the rune you have is… a high-rank rune."
Grey's breath stilled with excitement.
"It's an attack-type rune. Very rare. It'll boost your power exponentially, making you as strong as an A-rank hunter."
"What?!"
He was stunned. He had suspected this rune was special, but A-rank? He hadn't been in this world for long, but he knew one thing—A-rank hunters were terrifying entities, capable of shaping battles on their own.
Elsa grinned. "Its name is Fire of Sacrifice."
Grey repeated the name under his breath. "Fire of Sacrifice…"
Elsa's smirk faltered. "...But."
Of course, there was a catch. Nothing in his life had ever come easy. Grey's eye narrow as he glared at her, urging her to continue.
"This is a high-rank rune," she said slowly. "And you? You're just a normal human. Even weaker than an F-rank. It's already impressive that you refined it, but…"
"But if I fail to activate. i'll have to face a backlash"
"You won't just face backlash," Elsa interrupted. "You'll die."
grey nodded his head in understanding
"Okay so, i will die"
"Wait, what?"
Elsa waved a hand. "But don't worry! You have me, your amazing big sis! I'll save you…" She grinned. "Probably."
"The fuck do you mean, probably?!"
Elsa clapped her hands. "Enough talking! Close your eyes and feel the rune."
"Wait, I'm still not done talk—"
Before Grey could sneer, she snapped her fingers.
The earth beneath him shrieked.
Roots erupted—not jagged wooden claws, but liquid obsidian—smooth, sinuous, alive with the Mirror Realm's alien essence. They coiled around his wrists, ankles, and throat, feverishly cold.
Grey thrashed, but the roots tightened only slightly, their surfaces pulsing with veins of silver light.
"Be silent and Feel that?" Elsa circled him, her boots sinking into the moss, which glowed faintly under her steps. "The Mirror Realm's mana isn't just around you. It's inside you. Your rune is a conduit, idiot."
She leaned in, her breath frosting his cheek.
"You've been trying to push power into it when you should be letting it pull."
Grey gritted his teeth. The roots' energy seeped into his pores—icy and electric—merging with the rune's fire. The mark on his neck ignited, its glow bleeding into the air like molten gold.
Pain followed.
A scalpel peeling his nerves raw.
He hissed, muscles locking.
"Ah-ah!" Elsa wagged a finger. "Pain's just the rune testing you. It wants to know if you're worthy. So stop fighting it."
Grey stopped resisting.
Instantly, his senses expanded. He could feel everything—every shift in the air, every leaf trembling in the distance, every pulse of life in the trees.
Then—
A tremor.
Not the wind. Not the earth.
Something inhaled.
Grey's head snapped toward the shadows.
Between the gnarled trunks, a shape shifted—a distortion in the air, like heat haze over a forge. Then it stepped into the moonlight.
The Voidspawn.
Seven feet tall. Its body a grotesque tapestry of nightmares. Translucent scales reflected the crimson moonlight like stained glass. Its limbs were elongated, jointed too many times, ending in talons that dripped with iridescent slime.
But its face…
There was no face.
Only a hollow void, a pit lined with serrated teeth, spiraling into nothingness.
Grey's lungs seized.
The creature's aura pressed down on him, suffocating.
His rune flared in response, flames licking at his collarbone—but the Voidspawn didn't retreat. It tilted its head, the abyss of its maw vibrating with a soundless, psychic scream.
Grey's vision blurred. His knees buckled.
Elsa's voice cracked like a whip. "FOCUS! OR DO YOU WANT TO LOSE YOUR DAMN MIND?!"
The Voidspawn moved.
One moment, it was twenty paces away.
The next, it loomed over him, its talons slashing downward.
"PISS OFF."
Elsa flicked her hand.
The Voidspawn froze mid-attack, encased in a layer of shimmering ice. Under her gloves, the back of Elsa's hand glowed—her own rune blazing to life.
Meanwhile, Grey struggled to control the power surging through him.
He didn't have a core. He couldn't store outside mana. It flooded his body, tearing through him like a storm. Blood dripped from his lips as the rune on his neck burned brighter.
Elsa's voice cut through the chaos.
"CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO SACRIFICE."
Grey stilled.
The rune was hungry.
It would take anything he offered—his body, his soul, his memories.
Memories…
His grip tightened.
His memories were the only thing that defined who he was.
But right now… it was the safest option.
A memory from his past life surfaced in his mind.
He clenched his fists.
And let it burn.