The night stretched endlessly, a vast ocean of darkness speckled with distant stars. The wind howled through the desolate mountain range, carrying the scent of damp earth and old blood.
Then, a crimson streak tore through the sky.
Like a divine blade slashing through the heavens, the fiery comet descended, illuminating the clouds in an eerie red glow before vanishing into the Blackwood Forest.
BOOM!
The earth shuddered violently. A deafening explosion echoed through the land, shaking the trees to their roots. Birds scattered in panic, beasts roared in fear, and a dense cloud of dust and debris shot into the air.
At the heart of the devastation lay a crater, deep and wide, its edges still smoldering from the impact. And at its center—
A lone figure.
A young man, his body bloodied, his robes tattered. His breathing was shallow, his chest rising and falling with difficulty. The glow of a Crimson Lotus Mark pulsed faintly on his shoulder—a symbol long forgotten by the world.
Silence.
Then—his fingers twitched.
A sharp inhale.
His eyes snapped open.
Kai bolted upright, his heart pounding against his ribs. Pain lanced through his body, but beneath it, something else stirred—an unfamiliar power. His veins burned, as if molten energy coursed through them, awakening something deep inside him.
He exhaled shakily, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and scorched earth. The crater around him still radiated heat.
Where… am I?
His mind was a fractured puzzle. He remembered his name—Kai. He remembered a suffocating darkness before he woke. And he remembered…
"You are not ready."
The words echoed in his mind, distant yet hauntingly familiar. But no matter how hard he tried, their meaning remained elusive.
His fingers curled into the dirt beneath him.
Something had brought him here. Something had changed him.
A rustling sound shattered the silence.
Kai's instincts flared.
He turned sharply, his senses sharpening. The Blackwood Forest loomed around him, its shadows stretching like silent watchers. And hidden within—
A presence.
Then, glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.
A low growl reverberated through the air. The creature stepped forward, its massive frame emerging from the shadows— a Midnight Fang Beast.
Black fur bristling. Crimson eyes burning with hunger. Fangs glistening in the moonlight.
A predator.
Kai's pulse quickened.
His body screamed in exhaustion, but his mind was eerily calm. He had no weapon, no armor, no experience. And yet, something deep within him whispered—
"Survive."
The beast lunged.
Kai reacted instinctively. His body moved on its own, rolling to the side as razor-sharp claws slashed through the air. Dirt exploded where he had been standing just moments ago.
Too fast!
He barely had time to recover before the beast turned, snarling. It pounced again.
No time to think. No time to run.
Kai braced himself. His arms rose in a desperate attempt to block the attack. But the moment the beast's claws neared his skin—
Something ignited.
A burst of crimson energy erupted from within him, sending a powerful shockwave outward. The Midnight Fang Beast howled in agony as it was blasted backward, crashing into a tree with a heavy thud.
Kai stumbled, gasping. His body trembled, his vision flickering. He looked down at his hands—
They were glowing.
Faint crimson lines pulsed beneath his skin, flickering like embers. The Crimson Lotus Mark on his shoulder burned with intensity, its heat sinking deep into his bones.
And then, in that moment—Kai understood.
He wasn't just a survivor.
He was something more.
The Midnight Fang Beast whimpered, struggling to its feet. Fear flickered in its eyes, yet it hesitated. It could sense the shift—the sudden, terrifying presence in the air.
Kai exhaled slowly.
For the first time since waking, he could feel it.
Power.
Not just within him—but as a part of him.
The hunt had begun.