ARC I — "ASHES OF THE FAITHFUL"
The fog clung to the forest like a living thing, twisting around broken trees. The alien patrols had retreated for now, but Adrian didn't move. His aura lingered in the air, faint black-red smoke that flickered like fire under a dying sun.
"You're growing impatient," the demon whispered. "Good. There's someone you need to meet."
Adrian tilted his head slightly. His voice was calm, lethal, and effortless.
"Lead the way."
"Ha… that tone. Perfect. I like it. Calm. Controlled. Terrifying. Just like I promised."
They moved through the shadows until a ruined cathedral appeared on the ridge above. Its walls were scarred with old battles — alien fire, collapsed stone, and shadows that didn't belong.
"Here," the demon said. "This is where your past ends… and your new life begins."
Adrian stepped forward, hands relaxed at his sides. The aura swirled around him, blades and tendrils shifting like liquid. His eyes, faintly red, scanned the structure. Every line of his body radiated deadly composure.
A shape emerged from the cathedral's shadows — humanoid, cloaked, but radiating ancient authority. The demon's voice in Adrian's mind tightened, serious now.
"He is the one who will mark you. Listen carefully. Every word matters."
Adrian's smirk was almost imperceptible. "I'm listening."
The figure studied him, then raised a single hand. Shadows gathered around it, twisting into sigils that glowed faintly. Adrian didn't flinch. He didn't hesitate. The aura around him flared in response.
"From this day forward," the figure intoned, voice deep and resonant, "you are no longer what you were. You are no longer Adrian Matter. You are…"
The demon's whisper cut into his mind.
"Yes… take it. Accept it. This name carries the weight of everything you will become."
The figure pronounced a single word.
"Kurotsume."
Adrian's lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile.
"Kurotsume," he repeated, the word tasting like power on his tongue.
"Perfect," the demon purred. "Roll it around in their mouths. Make them fear it. Make them know you exist before they see you."
Adrian's aura flared brighter, the shadows around him tightening like claws. He stepped forward, voice low, calm, unshakable:
"They'll learn my name soon enough… and when they do, it won't matter how fast they run."
The figure nodded once, letting the shadows dissolve. Adrian exhaled, his aura settling, his presence sharp, precise, and unstoppable.
"I like this version of you," the demon murmured. "Cool, calm, untouchable. Just the way it should be."
Adrian tilted his head toward the horizon, the fog curling around him like black smoke.
"Let them come. They're late to the party… and the party always ends with me."
The demon chuckled.
"Yes… Kurotsume. Let's see how far this name can cut."
And in the distance, beneath the alien towers, lights shifted. Something ancient and dangerous stirred, sensing the rebirth of a force that would not be ignored.