The ash of the Devourer clung to Lian's skin like cursed snow.
Silence followed the demon's death—a brittle, suffocating quiet broken only by the crackle of dying embers and the choked sobs of his sister. Mei knelt in the dirt, her hands still bound by the villagers' ropes, her eyes wide with terror… and awe.
"**Sorcery!**" Old Varos screeched, his voice shrill as he staggered back from the altar. The villagers echoed him, their fear curdling into rage. Torches flared to life around the ravine, painting the crowd in jagged streaks of orange and black. "The curse has *twisted* him! He's become a demon!"
Lian's chest heaved. The Eclipse Core's power still thrummed in his veins, cold and alien, whispering promises of *more*. He flexed his hand, and a wisp of shadowflame danced across his fingertips—a flicker of darkness that devoured the light around it.
*I killed a demon. With my own hands.*
But the triumph faded as he met Mei's gaze. She mouthed his name, tears cutting through the grime on her face. The villagers closed in around her, blades and clubs raised.
"Burn the witch!" a woman shouted. "She's the one who hid his curse!"
"No!" Lian roared. The shadowflame surged, engulfing his arm in a maelstrom of black fire. The crowd flinched, but their hatred held firm.
Old Varos stepped forward, clutching a talisman of the Sun Temple—a golden sun disc that glowed with faint holy light. "You think your hellfire frightens us, boy? The gods *forsake* abominations like you!" He thrust the talisman toward Mei. "Purge the corruption, or we'll feed her to the ravine next!"
The Eclipse Core's interface flickered in Lian's vision, cold and clinical:
**[Soul Corruption: 1%]**
**[Warning: Host's emotional instability may accelerate corruption.]**
**[Available Abilities: Shadowflame Manipulation (Rank E)]**
Lian's jaw tightened. The system's words meant nothing to him, but the trembling of Mei's shoulders meant everything.
"Let. Her. Go." The shadowflame spread, tendrils lashing at the ground like serpents. The villagers retreated—all but Varos.
The elder smiled, yellowed teeth glinting. "Or what? You'll kill us all?" He pressed the talisman against Mei's throat. Holy smoke hissed where it touched her skin, and she cried out. "Do it, demon. Show them the monster you are."
Something inside Lian snapped.
The shadowflame exploded.
---
It wasn't like the Devourer's fire. This was *worse*.
The black flames surged in a wave, swallowing torches, tents, the very air itself. Villagers screamed as the fire licked at their clothes, not burning flesh but *soul*—a cold, gnawing void that left them crumpled and gasping. Lian didn't stop. He couldn't. The Eclipse Core's whispers grew louder, hungrier, as he tore through the mob.
Varos dropped the talisman and fled, his holy disc clattering to the ground. Lian lunged, shadowflame coiling around his fist—
"**Lian, NO!**" Mei's voice pierced the chaos.
He froze, his fist inches from Varos's spine. The elder whimpered, crawling toward the ravine's edge.
"He's not worth it," Mei pleaded, her voice raw. "Please… don't let the fire take you too."
**[Soul Corruption: 3%]**
The notification burned in Lian's vision. He stared at his hands, at the tendrils of shadowflame still writhing around them. The villagers who'd threatened Mei lay unconscious, their life force dimmed but intact. *I could have killed them. I* wanted *to.*
"We need to leave," Mei whispered. "Before they regroup."
Lian nodded numbly. He severed her bonds with a flick of shadowflame, careful not to let the flames touch her. As she clung to his arm, he turned toward the forest—a tangled expanse of ancient trees and deeper darkness.
But a voice stopped him.
"**A promising start, little thief.**"
The air rippled, and a figure materialized atop the altar. A man in tattered robes, his face obscured by a hood, his hands gloved in stitched leather. A staff of blackened wood pulsed faintly in his grip, etched with runes that made Lian's Eclipse Core hum in recognition.
"**You've tasted power,**" the stranger said, his voice like gravel and honey. "**But you've no idea what you hold, do you? That Core will devour you long before your curse does.**"
Mei stepped in front of Lian, trembling but defiant. "Who are you?"
The man chuckled. "**A friend. Or a foe. That depends on your brother's… ambition.**" He tilted his head toward Lian. "**The Eclipse Core is no mere trinket. It was forged to steal divinity itself. But to survive it, you'll need a teacher.**"
**[New Quest: Follow the Mysterious Stranger]**
**[Reward: Information on suppressing Soul Corruption]**
**[Warning: Trusting unknown entities may have unforeseen consequences.]**
Lian's grip tightened on Mei's hand. "What do you want?"
The stranger's hood shifted, revealing a sliver of a smile. "**To show you what happens when a thief reaches for heaven.**"