The flames of the past had been extinguished, but their embers still burned within him.
Lysian sat in the dimly lit corner of a ruined shop, watching the flickering candlelight cast strange, elongated shadows against the cracked walls. His body was small, frail, barely more than a child's frame, but his mind… his mind had already lived through a lifetime of war, betrayal, and power struggles. He had been a ruler once, a master of light and shadow. But now, stripped of that strength, he was something else.
Something more dangerous.
Ren sat across from him, fidgeting nervously. The boy had dirty brown hair and wary eyes that darted to every sound outside, as if expecting someone to storm in at any moment. He had the instincts of a survivor—sharp, cautious, and desperate. That made him useful.
"You never answered me," Ren muttered. "What do you want with this city?"
Lysian regarded him for a moment before replying. "I want to understand it. The balance of power. The people who control it."
Ren snorted. "Control? No one controls Calevor anymore. The Queen's losing her grip, and the gangs run half the districts. You really think a kid like you can change anything?"
Lysian smiled, a cold, knowing expression that did not belong on the face of a child. "I don't need to change anything. I just need to survive long enough to find an opportunity."
Ren frowned but didn't argue. He had seen the way Lysian handled the butcher, the way he spoke with confidence beyond his years. There was something unnatural about him, something Ren couldn't understand.
Good. Fear was useful. Uncertainty was a weapon.
But even as he played this game, Lysian knew his greatest enemy wasn't just the world around him. It was time. His body was weak. His powers were still distant echoes of what they had once been. The Duality of Fate system remained within him, but it was not what it used to be.
He needed strength.
He needed to reclaim what was lost.
And the first step was understanding what had changed.
"System," he commanded in his mind.
A faint hum echoed in his thoughts, and then the familiar translucent screen appeared before his eyes, unseen by Ren.
---
[Duality of Fate System: Recalibrating…]
[Regression Complete: Body Status – Unstable]
[Warning: Current power level insufficient. Adjusting parameters.]
---
Lysian narrowed his eyes. The system had not been fully restored. His rebirth had weakened it, or perhaps fate itself had worked against him. Damn it.
Then, a new notification appeared.
---
[Temporary Skill Unlocked: The Mark of the Regressor]
– A gift for those who defy time itself. Allows the user to glimpse fragments of their former strength, but at a great cost.]
[Warning: Using this skill may accelerate instability within the host's soul.]
---
Lysian exhaled slowly. He understood immediately—this was a way to temporarily regain some of his former abilities, but at a price.
Would he use it?
Of course.
Because weakness was not an option.
But not now. He had to be careful. If the system warned of instability, it meant his soul itself was still fragile from the regression. Pushing too hard, too soon, could unravel him completely.
So he would wait.
For now.
Ren shifted uncomfortably. "Look, if you're serious about learning how Calevor works, I can help. But you need to be careful. This city eats people alive."
Lysian gave him a knowing smile. "Then I'll learn how to devour it first."
Ren shivered at the way he said it.
Outside, the fires of Calevor burned in the night, and Lysian Valthor watched them with the patience of a predator waiting for his moment to strike.