[A Voice in the Dark]
Pain.
A dull, throbbing ache radiated through Andrew's body, every nerve screaming for relief. His vision flickered—darkness and firelight blending together in a hazy blur.
The last thing he remembered was the Alpha's fangs sinking into his arm, the sharp, searing agony as it crushed down—
Then, a voice.
Cold. Commanding. Not human.
"That's enough."
And the Alpha stopped.
Why?
Andrew's body refused to move. He could hear Celia, her breaths sharp and ragged, struggling to get back up. The metallic scent of blood thickened the air.
Footsteps. Measured. Slow.
Someone was approaching.
Then—a figure emerged from the shadows.
A man, draped in a flowing black cloak, his face obscured beneath a hood. He moved with an eerie stillness, as if the world bent around him, as if he belonged to the night itself.
And the Alpha knelt before him.
Andrew's pulse quickened.
What the hell was going on?
[The Cloaked Stranger]
Celia coughed, pushing herself upright. She wiped the blood from her mouth and glared at the newcomer.
"Who the hell are you?"
The cloaked figure didn't answer immediately. He turned his head slightly, his gaze—or whatever was beneath that hood—fixating on her.
Then, his voice came again, calm and measured.
"You're outmatched," he said. "This is not your fight."
Celia spat blood onto the dirt. "Like hell it isn't."
The stranger didn't react. Instead, he took another step forward, placing a hand on the Alpha's head.
The massive beast shuddered beneath his touch.
Andrew's breath hitched.
The way the creature obeyed him.
Was he… its master?
Celia stiffened. "You're controlling it?"
The stranger exhaled softly. "Not control," he murmured. "Dominion."
A chill crept down Andrew's spine.
Dominion.
He had never heard that word spoken like that before—with such weight, such certainty. As if the world itself acknowledged it as truth.
And for the first time, he realized—
This man wasn't just powerful.
He was something else entirely.
[A Deal with the Unknown]
The Alpha remained still, its glowing violet eyes locked onto Andrew, but it made no move to attack.
The stranger knelt beside him, his cloak brushing the blood-stained dirt.
"You are different," he murmured.
Andrew forced himself to breathe through the pain. "What... does that mean?"
The man didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached out.
Andrew tensed, but he couldn't move away. His body was too battered, his strength drained.
The stranger placed two fingers against Andrew's temple—
And a surge of energy pulsed through him.
Not pain. Something deeper.
Like a current testing his soul.
Andrew gasped as the world around him blurred, twisted—
[SYSTEM WARNING: UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED.]
[CANNOT ANALYZE.]
A sharp ringing filled his ears. His vision flickered—
Then, the presence withdrew.
The stranger pulled his hand back, silent.
Andrew panted, his heart hammering against his ribs. "What the hell was that?"
For the first time, the stranger tilted his head slightly.
"Curious."
His voice was almost intrigued.
Then, he stood.
"I will not kill you."
Celia let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"But," the stranger continued, "Eryndral has no place for the weak. Survive, or be consumed."
Andrew clenched his teeth.
He was surviving.
Barely.
The stranger turned away, his cloak billowing slightly as he gestured.
The Alpha rose at his command, its massive form moving back into the shadows.
But before they disappeared completely, the man spoke once more—
A single sentence.
One that sent a shiver through Andrew's bones.
"The gods are watching."
Then—he was gone.
And the night fell silent.
[The Aftermath]
Celia was the first to move, dropping onto the dirt beside Andrew.
She examined his wounds, her brow furrowing. "You're a damn idiot, you know that?"
Andrew let out a rough breath. "You're welcome."
Celia huffed, tearing a strip from her cloak and pressing it against his mangled arm.
"You're lucky to be alive."
Andrew wasn't sure if it was luck anymore.
That **thing—**that **man—**had let him live.
But why?
Celia's gaze darkened. "That was no ordinary summoner."
Andrew swallowed. "You know what he was?"
Celia hesitated, then shook her head. "No. But I've heard whispers of people like that. People who hold Dominion."
Andrew glanced at his trembling hand. He still felt the residual energy of whatever the stranger had done to him.
And deep inside, something unsettled was growing.
"What did he mean?" he asked, voice quiet.
Celia wrapped his arm as tight as she could. "Which part?"
Andrew's throat felt dry.
"The gods are watching."
Celia's hands stilled for a fraction of a second.
Then, she shook her head. "I don't know."
But Andrew could hear the unease in her voice.
She was lying.
And that meant one thing.
Whatever that man was…
Whatever Dominion meant…
It wasn't just dangerous.
It was something Celia was afraid of.
[A New Road]
They moved at dawn.
Celia helped Andrew to his feet, and despite the pain screaming through his body, he pushed forward. They had no choice. Staying in one place meant death.
As they walked, Andrew broke the silence.
"I need answers."
Celia sighed. "You're not ready for them."
Andrew's jaw tightened. "Then I'll get ready."
Celia stopped, turning to him.
She studied his face for a long moment, then nodded slowly.
"Fine," she said. "But first, we need to get to the city."
Andrew frowned. "City?"
Celia adjusted her cloak. "A place where people like us can breathe without a Fellborn trying to tear our throats out."
A hint of relief settled in Andrew's chest.
Finally. Something concrete.
A destination.
Celia started walking again.
"Let's just hope we survive long enough to get there."
Andrew exhaled, flexing his wounded arm.
Survival.
Right now, that was all that mattered.
But deep inside, he knew—
This wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
[The Mark of Dominion]
As they continued through the forest, Andrew flexed his fingers absentmindedly.
Then, he froze.
Because beneath the blood and dirt—
Something new had appeared on his wrist.
A mark.
Faint. Subtle. Almost invisible—yet undeniably there.
A symbol.
And it was the same shape that had briefly flickered in the air when the cloaked man touched him.
Andrew's pulse quickened.
He didn't know what it meant.
But he had a feeling—
Whatever had happened last night… it wasn't over.
It was only the beginning.