Three days later, Rael stood before the mission board alongside the other recruits. His body still ached from training, but his mind was sharper than before. Selene's brutal lessons had forced him to adapt, to learn when to unleash his power and when to restrain it.
"Your first assignment," Selene announced, pinning a scroll to the board. "A village near the western border has gone silent. No survivors. We suspect an incursion of the Devoured."
The room tensed. The Devoured—monstrous beings twisted by abyssal corruption. Abominations of flesh and darkness.
"Darius, Rael, and Mira, you will form a unit," Selene continued. "You leave at dawn. Do not fail."
Darius scoffed. "Great. I get stuck babysitting the abyss-touched."
Rael clenched his fists. Mira, a quiet archer with silver eyes, simply nodded. "Let's just focus on surviving."
As they prepared for departure, Rael glanced at his reflection in a nearby blade. For a split second, his eyes weren't his own. A dark grin flickered across the metal's surface.
The abyss was coming with him.