Eclipsed monarch

As Kale faced the man blocking their escape, memories from his past life surged to the forefront. He had fought alongside this man once. Veylen.

Back then, Kale had respected his skill.he understood the true depths of Veylen's abilities—his power wasn't just physical.

So that's how they tamed her… like a dog.

Veylen possessed a rare ability—one that allowed him to manipulate the minds of others, making them see and believe whatever he wanted. It wasn't absolute, but it didn't need to be. With enough pain, enough suffering, the mind broke on its own. Then, his ability simply reshaped the shattered remains.

That was what had happened to the mage.

Kale's grip tightened. "Serene, take her. Get her out of here."

Serene hesitated. "And leave you?"

"Go." His voice was low, firm. She clicked her tongue but obeyed, carefully lifting the unconscious woman and disappearing into the shadows.

He moved first.

Kale barely had time to react before Veylen's blade was upon him. He twisted, parrying at the last second, but the sheer force behind the strike sent him staggering.

Veylen didn't stop. He pressed forward with relentless precision, his sword slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Kale dodged, countered, but Veylen was faster. Stronger. Sharper.

A sudden feint—then pain.

Then, Rei joined the fray. "I'm with you!"He lunged at Veylen with ferocity, his blade arcing toward his throat. Veylen tilted his head slightly, letting the attack pass inches from his skin before retaliating

Kale hissed as Veylen's blade carved a deep gash along his ribs. Blood seeped through his shirt, but he forced himself to move.

Another strike. Another near miss.

Damn it. He's not just skilled—he's overwhelming.

Veylen smirked. "You're thinking too much, Kale."

He vanished.

No—Kale's mind blurred. His body locked up. Was Veylen still in front of him? Or behind?

A trick.

Kale barely managed to duck as a blade slashed through the space where his head had been. He rolled, barely avoiding another strike. His breathing was ragged, his vision flickering.

Veylen's ability wasn't direct control—it was deception. If Kale couldn't trust what he saw, he was already at a disadvantage.

A presence behind him.

Fake.

He turned left instead—and barely managed to deflect the real attack.

Veylen chuckled. "Not bad. But not enough."

A kick slammed into Kale's stomach, sending him crashing into a stone pillar. His body ached. His fingers were numb. He pushed himself up, but his movements were sluggish.Kale lay there, gasping. His vision blurred. Am I… going to die here?

Suddenly

[System Alert: Critical State Detected]

[Choose: Sacrifice Emotion or Lifespan]

A cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

One choice would strip him of something human.

The other… would bring him closer to death.

Time was running out.

He had to decide.