The slums of Seryn City were always full of noisy arguments over scraps of food, the clinking of crude tools as desperate hands tried to repair crumbling homes, and the occasional distant howl of a Rift Beast beyond the walls. But tonight, the silence was heavier than usual, broken only by the faint crunch of Kael's boots on the dirt path as he moved deeper into the ruins outside the city.
Kael didn't like taking unnecessary risks, but this time, curiosity outweighed caution. For weeks now, he had heard rumors circulating among the more desperate scavengers of the slums. There was an old building deep within the ruins, one that had been swallowed by the Great Rift's initial shockwaves decades ago. Some said it had once been a library. Others claimed it was a temple, though no one could say to what deity.
What mattered to Kael was that no one dared go near it. The few who had returned alive spoke of strange carvings on the walls and an oppressive energy that seemed to seep into their very bones. Most dismissed it as superstition, but Kael's instincts told him there was more to the story.
If there was something of value in those ruins, something powerful, it was worth the risk.
The crumbling remains of the outer city loomed before him, swallowed by vines and warped by time. Half-buried arches jutted out of the ground like the ribs of some ancient beast. Kael moved cautiously, his dagger drawn and his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement.
The ruins weren't abandoned. Smaller Rift Beasts often roamed here, scavenging for food or staking out territories. Kael had learned to avoid confrontation when possible; he wasn't ready to face one of the larger beasts. Not yet.
After an hour of careful navigation, Kael found himself standing before the entrance to the building he'd been searching for. It was almost completely hidden, the stone façade cracked and covered in moss. A set of wide stone steps led down into darkness, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and decay.
Kael hesitated. There was something… wrong about the place. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach.
"Fear is for the weak," he muttered, gripping his dagger tighter.
With a deep breath, he descended into the darkness.
The interior of the structure was surprisingly intact. Dust coated every surface, and the air was stale, but the walls were solid, lined with stone carvings that depicted scenes Kael couldn't quite understand. There were no depictions of tamers or the noble families who ruled the city. Instead, the carvings showed humans kneeling before massive, monstrous figures; their faces twisted in expressions of pain or ecstasy.
Kael moved deeper into the building, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous space. He passed rows of what looked like bookshelves, though most were empty, their contents lost to time. The carvings on the walls grew more intricate as he went, the monstrous figures depicted in the scenes becoming more grotesque and terrifying.
At last, he reached what appeared to be the center of the building: a circular chamber with a raised platform in the middle. Atop the platform sat a single object shrouded in shadows.
Kael approached cautiously, his dagger held at the ready. As he drew closer, he realized it was a book.
The book was massive, its cover made of some kind of dark, rough material that looked like it had been burned. Strange symbols were etched into the surface, glowing faintly in the dim light.
Kael's breath caught. He didn't know what the book was, but he could feel the power radiating from it. This wasn't an ordinary text.
He reached out, hesitating for the briefest moment before his fingers brushed against the cover. The instant he touched it, a jolt shot through his body, and he stumbled back his heart racing.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the symbols on the book began to glow brighter, and the room seemed to grow colder. A low hum filled the air, vibrating in Kael's chest.
Instinct told him to run, but he forced himself to stay. Whatever this book was, it was worth the risk.
He opened the cover.
The pages were filled with runes and diagrams, all written in a language Kael didn't recognize. At first, it was incomprehensible, but as he turned the pages, something strange began to happen.
The symbols seemed to shift, rearranging themselves before his eyes. Words formed in a script he could understand, though the letters still carried an alien, unnatural quality.
Kael's eyes widened as he began to read. The book spoke of taming, but not the kind he had grown up watching. It described a darker method, one that didn't rely on bonds of trust or partnership. Instead, it was about domination, breaking a monster's will and binding it through fear and pain.
The process was brutal, far more dangerous than traditional taming, but the rewards were immense. Monsters bound through this method didn't rebel or hesitate. Their power became an extension of the tamer's own will.
Kael felt a thrill of excitement.
This was what he had been searching for.
The tamers in Seryn City relied on their partnerships with their beasts, forging bonds as fragile as they were powerful. If the bond broke, the tamer was left vulnerable. But this method… this was different.
Kael's mind raced. With this knowledge, he could rise above the petty nobles and their tamed beasts. He could wield power that no one could take from him.
But the book also carried a warning. The dark-taming method was forbidden for a reason. It wasn't just dangerous it was corrupting. Those who used it often lost themselves, their minds consumed by the same fear and pain they inflicted on their monsters.
Kael's lips curled into a smirk.
"Fear is for the weak," he whispered again, his voice echoing in the empty chamber.
He closed the book and tucked it under his arm. The moment he did, the glowing runes on the walls began to fade, and the oppressive energy in the room lifted slightly.
Kael turned and made his way back through the ruins, his steps lighter now despite the weight of the book in his hands.
By the time he returned to the slums, the sun was beginning to rise, casting a pale light over the crumbling buildings. Kael slipped into his shack and carefully hid the book beneath the loose floorboard where he kept his other valuables.
Eren was still asleep in the corner, his breathing slow and steady.
Kael glanced at him, his expression unreadable.
Eren had always dreamed of becoming a tamer, of joining the academy and proving himself. Kael had scoffed at the idea, but now he wondered. If Eren knew what he had found, would he understand?
Kael pushed the thought away. It didn't matter. This was his secret, his weapon.
For the first time in his life, Kael felt a glimmer of something he hadn't allowed himself to feel before: hope.
Not the naive, fragile hope that Eren clung to. This was a sharper, colder hope, the kind that came from knowing you held the edge.
Kael lay back on his mat, staring at the ceiling. The world outside was broken, ruled by those who relied on borrowed strength. But soon, he would change that.
This was only the beginning.