A deafening roar shattered the stillness of the abyss, shaking the very foundations of the ruins. The mist churned violently, curling into thick tendrils that spiraled upward like living things. The air grew dense, pressing against Cain's skin as if the abyss itself had turned against him.
He took a slow step back, his pulse thudding in his ears. His fingers curled around the rusted metal rod at his side—a pitiful weapon against whatever was approaching. The Hollow Watcher stood tall, unmoving, the blue light in its cracked armor pulsing steadily, as if unshaken by the monstrous presence closing in.
Then, the first shape emerged.
From the depths of the mist, something massive stirred, its form shifting unnaturally as it crawled forward on elongated limbs. It was neither beast nor man—a warped, nightmarish fusion of both, its flesh marred by jagged scars that pulsed with sickly yellow light. Its arms stretched unnaturally long, its fingers ending in bony, claw-like protrusions that scraped against the stone with a screeching hiss. Its face—or what remained of it—was a grotesque amalgamation of exposed muscle and fractured bone, twisted into something resembling a mask.
More followed.
The creatures slithered from the mist, their bodies half-hidden in the thick fog, yet their presence loomed heavy, a force of ancient hunger pressing into the ruins. Some moved on all fours, others hunched like broken marionettes, their spines curling at unnatural angles. They did not speak, did not growl—only the sound of their clawed limbs tapping against the stone filled the suffocating silence between each pulse of distant thunder.
Cain's grip on his weapon tightened. There were too many.
The Hollow Watcher raised its head slightly, tilting it as if listening to something Cain could not hear. Then it turned to him, the glow in its visor flickering.
"Fear will serve you no purpose," the Watcher said.
Cain barely managed to shoot it a glare. "And what would you suggest? Ask them to leave?"
The Hollow Watcher did not answer immediately. Instead, it lifted its arm, extending one open palm toward Cain. Energy pulsed from its fingers, and instantly, Cain felt a pull deep within his chest.
The Titan Core inside him answered.
Heat flooded his veins, a slow-burning ember awakening, pushing against the restraints of his flesh. The hunger for power, the hunger to survive, surged up from within, clawing at his mind.
"Use what you have been given." The Hollow Watcher's voice was firm, weighted with something ancient. "Or perish."
Cain's body reacted before his mind did. The hunger within him reached out, tethering itself to the pulsing energy in the Hollow Watcher's hand. The moment the connection was made, pain ripped through him.
A white-hot blaze erupted in his chest, his vision flickering between reality and something else, something vast and endless, stretching beyond time. He saw fragments of Titans standing among the ruins of a world that no longer existed. He saw their hands raised against an unseen force, their bodies torn apart by the weight of their own power.
Then, as suddenly as it had come, the vision snapped away. The abyss returned. The ruins, the mist, the creatures—everything sharpened.
Cain gasped, his entire body burning with something unfamiliar yet undeniable. The Titan Core within him was awake.
The closest creature lunged.
Cain's body moved on instinct, faster than before. He barely registered the shift—the world slowed around him, his reflexes sharpened, his muscles coiled with a strength that had not been there before.
The moment the creature's claws lashed toward him, he countered.
He twisted, bringing the rusted metal rod up with unnatural precision, the weapon striking the creature's forearm. The impact sent a shockwave up his arm, but instead of snapping from the force, the rod held—no, it thrived. The metal trembled under his grip, glowing faintly as the energy within him poured into it.
The creature reeled back, its arm shattered from the blow.
Cain barely had a second to process what had happened before another monster lunged at his blind spot. He pivoted, instinct taking over, his movements sharper, faster, deadlier.
The rod sang as it cut through the air. He drove it forward, piercing into the creature's midsection. The moment the tip connected, a pulse of energy erupted from his veins, sending a shockwave through the monster's body.
It collapsed instantly, limbs twitching as a faint, ghostly blue light rippled through its form.
Cain staggered back, chest heaving. He could feel it now—the Titan Core, no longer dormant, thrumming beneath his skin like a second heartbeat. The raw power within him was hungry, demanding more, demanding release.
But with each pulse of strength, he could also feel something else—something devouring him in return.
The Hollow Watcher had not moved. It watched him carefully, as if measuring his worth.
"The core will burn you, Vessel," it warned, its voice almost distant. "Your time is the price."
Cain gritted his teeth. So that's what this power meant.
The more he used it, the faster his life drained away.
But now was not the time to hesitate.
The creatures had not retreated. If anything, they had grown bolder, their eyeless faces twitching, their limbs tightening as they prepared to attack all at once.
Cain steadied his breath, exhaling slowly. He would not die here.
A deep vibration rippled through the air. The ruins trembled slightly. The creatures paused—not because of him, but because something else was coming.
A shadow loomed in the mist. A figure, much larger than the others. Its body was twisted beyond recognition, its form rippling as if it were barely held together. Massive, jagged protrusions jutted from its back, and its presence alone felt like a force pressing down on the ruins.
Cain's grip on his weapon tightened.
This one was different.
It had been watching.
And now, it had decided to enter the fight itself.
The Hollow Watcher turned slightly, glancing toward the mist. Its blue glow dimmed.
"The Forgotten Ones do not act without reason."
Cain wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, his breathing unsteady but controlled. "Meaning?"
The Hollow Watcher was silent for a long moment. Then it spoke, and its words settled deep into Cain's bones.
"Meaning you have awakened something far older than yourself."
Cain exhaled. His body still burned, his lifespan ticking away with every passing second.
But despite everything—the pain, the exhaustion, the creeping knowledge that every ounce of power he used came at the cost of his very existence—he took a step forward.
The colossal creature emerging from the mist shifted, its form towering over the others, its eyeless face locked onto him.
Cain rolled his shoulders, his stance steady.
If this thing wanted him dead, then it would have to earn it.