The world didn't just have people disguised as monsters.
When the Hollow Disaster first appeared in Arkheim almost six centuries ago, it brought along waves of grotesque beasts. They were twisted reflections of nature, hatred, and hunger that stirred the souls. They went by the name Hollow Creatures, or Hollows, as if shortening it might make them easier to kill.
It didn't.
The phenomenon opened up an entire new world called the Shattered Realm, an alien dimension that mirrored a world after the apocalypse. But it wasn't just one world. There were many worlds residing in the Realm and merging themselves like jigsaw puzzles: a desert could be next to a rainy forest, or a cave could lead to a cityscape. It was nothing short of a fantasy, but the reality wasn't that beautiful.
Hollows began pouring into the earthly realm through Distortions — fractures in reality that leaked black mist and screams.
Entire cities vanished in days. The world cracked, fractured, then bled.
Society was plunged into madness and chaos.
That was when the first generation of Resonators emerged. They were humans who could survive the Hollow Energy, whose souls didn't rot just by standing near a Distortion.
Some of them awakened supernatural powers. Others just didn't die.
They called the weaker ones Dormants: Resonators with Echo Essence in their souls but no awakened abilities. Stronger than humans, slower to age, and harder to kill, but essentially still human.
The powerful ones, however, were different. Resonants were marked and changed, and each had their own Verse, which was a supernatural ability.
They bore the Echo Stigma on their body, a brand etched into their very soul the moment their powers awakened. Each one was unique and irremovable.
And now, Luciel had one. His own Echo Stigma on his wrist. And his Verse was this scarlet flame he'd just summoned.
'This… doesn't make sense.'
The moment this alien power became his, he felt brand new, like a monarch butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. His frail body grew tougher, his tired mind free of fogginess, and his senses heightened.
Luciel didn't know if he should feel grateful or afraid.
He looked at the Stigma faintly pulsing on his wrist. The shape was an enigmatic, scarlet circle, but he felt like it was unclear, hazy, and half-formed, as if it hadn't fully decided what it wanted to be. But the sensation was there.
The thought of becoming a Dormant was far-fetched to him, let alone a Resonant. Being a Dormant could secure you a comfortable life in the Districts of the Federation already, or any other civilized society for that matter. But being a Resonant could shoot you up into the high echelon of society, depending on what your Verse was.
Furthermore, the Outlands was infamous for the dangers of rogue Distortion activities. He'd been lucky not to encounter one, but now, he had a great weapon for self-defense. Having another weapon for survival was always welcomed, especially when the Districts would take weeks before dealing with a Distortion in the Outlands.
But there was one major issue that he couldn't overlook.
Throughout all recorded history, no one had ever awakened before the age of sixteen. This was common knowledge even if you were born in some backwater countryside.
Luciel didn't know exactly how this worked, or if there even existed scientific findings about the phenomenon. Nonetheless, because there was no precedent, society treated it as an ironclad law of awakening.
Typically, people would awaken between the age of sixteen to eighteen, with the oldest being twenty.
In other words, what Luciel wanted to say was that… he didn't know how old he was.
This had been a mystery of his life he wanted an answer to. He might be of age, but what if he wasn't?
There would be no rules or protocols for that. If Luciel were to reveal himself being the anomaly, he could bid his life farewell. He'd only incite fear, speculation, and questions that drew the wrong kind of attention — or even worse, become a research experiment with no freedom.
Technology had become so advanced that it could expose his age with a quick scan. No need for biological records or lengthy procedures.
On one hand, it was proven impossible to awaken before the age of sixteen, so it was normal to assume that he was of the awakening age.
'I mean… when does a dream just randomly pop up like that?'
That was his argument.
But on the other hand, the uncertainty of not knowing his age gave Luciel an immense feeling of dread. He hated that suffocating, leech-like feeling that would gnaw at him whenever a decision was to be made.
Luciel only took risks that disguised themselves as rewards. Certainty was his best friend, and he survived time and time again thanks to it.
That was his counter-argument.
He sighed wearily, tired from all the mental gymnastics.
'I'll think about that later. But these, however…' his thought lingered.
He shifted his gaze to the flaming runes hovering in the air.
Throughout his fifteen years of wandering, scavenging, and collecting information, Luciel had never heard of someone having a rune inscription describing their abilities and attributes. He had only heard that most Resonants instinctively drew out their abilities with Echo Essence from the soul and didn't follow any type of system.
Luciel, however, had a runic system. Still not believing it, he scanned the runes from top to bottom again.
Bearer: Luciel
Soul Aria: [Agnihara]
Soul Chorus: [Scarlet]
Soul Resonance: [Kindling]
Soul Cinders: [0/250].
Soul Bridges: [Flameborn], [Oracle of Embers]
Soul Verses: [Divine Flame]
Relics: —
Could he summon them again? Dismiss them at will? The flame hadn't told him anything, but it had shown him this.
He tried willing it.
Mentally, instinctively.
Anything that might make sense.
Then, with a single thought, the runes faded away like ash and into the depth of his soul. Gone, just like that.
'…That worked.'
He then exhaled slowly and focused. Not on the flame, nor flesh and bone, but on the realm beneath it.
A quiet pull stirred in his chest. The air felt denser.
Then they appeared.
Faint, scarlet runes floated in a half-circle before him. It was as if his soul had simply responded to his call and decided to show him its reflection.
He subconsciously wanted to dive deeper into the runes themselves.
Then, in an instant, the names started to write descriptions. Luciel's gaze fixed on [Agnihara] first.
Soul Aria: [Agnihara]
[You are a soul born of flame and bound by an ancient promise. You burn to expose the deepest of sins, to judge falsehood, and to shield what remains true, even if your blade goes against the heavens themselves.]
'Sounds heavy.'
Luciel stared at the long-winded and unnecessarily epic description of his soul, somehow understanding the gist of it. It sounded cryptic and frivolous to him at first, and even the name was in an unfamiliar language, but the more he repeated the words, the more it resonated with his soul, fleeting as it might be.
He certainly couldn't explain it clearly. Just a feeling that lay buried deep in the weight of his soul.
With a meaningful gaze, he continued down the line.
Soul Chorus: [Scarlet]
[The first awakening of divine fire. To bear Scarlet is to be seen by the flame, but not yet accepted. Its warmth is not to comfort, but to challenge.]
Soul Resonance: [Kindling]
[Scarlet has touched your soul, curious but distant. It stirs at the edges, uncertain whether you are worthy to wield it.]
Luciel figured these two were connected. The scarlet color marked the condition and identity of the flame: its temperament, nature, and will. The resonance, however, reflected the state of the bearer's soul: how closely his soul echoed the flame's rhythm.
And [Kindling], from the name, maybe it meant the flame hadn't acknowledged his soul yet.
The flame didn't obey him, but it didn't reject him either.
Luciel didn't know how to feel about this. Resonants usually took full control of their Verses immediately. It was different from mastery, of course, but he'd never heard of an ability being sentient except for familiars through summoning.
Although, having a companion could be a great boon to his growth. He had a completely different progression path than the normal Resonators, after all.
He narrowed his eyes to the Soul Cinders counter just beneath the Soul Resonance.
[Soul Cinders: 0/250]
There wasn't any description on this one. Only a number was shown. A measurement, maybe. For what, he didn't know. But it was the only part of the system that looked like it could grow. As to how? He had no clue either.
The most straightforward yet obscure concept.
Sighing, he continued to read the shimmering runes.
Soul Bridges: [Flameborn], [Oracle of Embers]
[Flameborn]
[Kindled in fire, tempered by conviction, and uncorrupted by nature. Heat, pain, and passion form the core of your being. As such, you burn brighter than any flame.]
[Flameborn] was less straightforward. It didn't sound like a skill, more like something that had configured his essence.
He blinked. There wasn't a need to dwell on it longer, so he continued reading the second Bridge.
[Oracle of Embers]
[Embers speak of unseen truths and lighten forbidden darkness. The flame ignites the hidden world behind your sight, weaving secrets in the dark where none but you may look.]
Luciel gasped inwardly. He felt a slight warmth tugging at his chest, as though the flame was silently nodding in agreement within him.
'So the runes were born from this…?'
This explained everything: why symbols suddenly appeared like sparks across his vision, why everything had such vivid yet obscure descriptions, like someone trying to guide him from afar but could only speak in their native language.
But it also meant something else.
No one else could see what he did, and possibly, no one else had these runes.
Luciel glanced over his shoulder, worrying someone might appear and steal a glimpse.
He pressed his lips and returned his gaze to the luminous runes. He wouldn't know the full scope of this gift, or curse, until he tested it. For now, there was only one thing to focus on.
He resumed reading.
Soul Verse: [Divine Flame]
[Your flame is the origin of life, the beginning of fire. It brings both salvation and ruin, depending on which path you choose.]
'That's interesting. These runes also call supernatural abilities Verses.'