Nightborn Evolution

The tunnel stretched into the unknown, the dim glow of flickering lights barely illuminating the path ahead. Every step Kairo and Lena took echoed in the silence, a constant reminder that they were alone… or at least, they hoped they were.

Kairo flexed his fingers, still feeling the remnants of Void Energy coursing through his veins. His latest encounter with the Abomination had left more questions than answers.

Lena walked beside him, knife in hand, eyes scanning the darkness. "You sure we're going the right way?"

Kairo nodded. "There's something deeper in these tunnels. I can feel it."

His system had remained silent since the last battle, but his instincts screamed at him—something down here was waiting.

Lena sighed. "You and your damn instincts. I swear, every time you say that, we end up fighting something worse."

Kairo smirked. "You're still here, aren't you?"

Lena rolled her eyes but didn't argue.

They continued forward.

Minutes passed before they stumbled upon something unsettling.

The tunnel walls were covered in claw marks. Deep gashes ran along the metal, as if something had been dragged through here.

Lena crouched, brushing her fingers against the scratches. "More Forsaken?"

Kairo examined them closely. The grooves were unnatural, twisting in erratic patterns.

"Maybe," he said. "But something's different."

He looked ahead and spotted a dark stain on the floor. Blood—but not fresh.

And then he saw it.

A corpse leaned against the tunnel wall. The body was barely recognizable—skin pale, veins blackened, and mouth frozen in a silent scream. His eyes had been clawed out, his chest torn open as if something had been ripped from within.

Lena cursed. "Damn… that's brutal."

Kairo crouched beside the corpse, his mind racing. This wasn't just another Forsaken victim. This was something worse.

His system chimed.

[Unidentified Mutation Detected.]

[Warning: Unknown Entity May Be Near.]

A chill ran down his spine.

Lena's grip on her knife tightened. "I don't like this."

Kairo stood. "Neither do I."

But there was only one way forward.

As they moved deeper into the tunnels, the air grew colder.

The walls were no longer metal but twisted black stone, pulsing with a faint, eerie glow. It was as if they had stepped into another world.

Lena whispered, "This place is wrong."

Kairo agreed.

Then, a voice echoed through the tunnel.

A whisper.

Faint. Indistinct.

Lena froze. "Tell me you heard that."

Kairo nodded slowly. The whisper wasn't external—it was inside his head.

His system flickered.

[Caution: Mental Interference Detected.]

Kairo clenched his fists. "We need to keep moving."

But as they took another step—

The shadows shifted.

From the darkness, a figure emerged.

At first, it looked like another Forsaken. Its body was twisted, malformed, black veins pulsing beneath its pale skin. But its eyes were different—glowing violet, unnatural and intelligent.

It smiled.

A voice—calm, but filled with malice.

"You do not belong here."

Lena tensed. "Great. Another talkative one."

Kairo's system identified the entity.

[Corrupted Nightborn – Class: Abyssborn]

Not a Forsaken. Something else.

The Abyssborn stepped forward, its movements slow and deliberate. "You walk a dangerous path, Voidwalker."

Kairo's breath hitched.

It knew what he was.

The Abyssborn grinned wider, exposing jagged teeth. "You think you can control it, don't you? The power inside you."

Kairo stood firm. "I'll master it."

The Abyssborn chuckled. "How bold. How foolish."

Lena whispered, "This thing gives me the creeps."

Kairo didn't need to be told twice.

His system flared.

[New Threat: Abyssborn – Lethal Classification.]

The creature lunged.

Kairo barely dodged as clawed hands swiped at him, the air itself distorting around the Abyssborn's limbs.

Lena struck first, aiming for its throat—but her knife passed right through it.

"What the—?!"

The Abyssborn laughed. Its form flickered, shifting between solid and shadow.

"You cannot kill what is already beyond death."

Kairo activated Voidwalker's Grasp, channeling energy into his fist. If physical attacks didn't work, then maybe—

He struck.

The moment his fist connected, the Abyssborn's body convulsed.

A scream—not of pain, but recognition.

Kairo's system flashed.

[Void Synchronization Activated.]

The Abyssborn snarled, retreating. Its form stabilized.

"You… you are different."

Kairo exhaled, realizing the truth.

His Void power could hurt it.

The Abyssborn's expression twisted into something almost resembling… amusement.

"Perhaps you are worthy after all."

Then, without another word—

It vanished.

Lena exhaled. "Yeah, that's not ominous at all."

Kairo's system updated.

[New Objective: Investigate the Abyssborn.]

His fists clenched. This wasn't over.

It was just the beginning.

Kairo and Lena continued forward, deeper into the unknown.

One thing was clear—this wasn't just about survival anymore.

Something far worse was stirring in the abyss.

And Kairo was caught in the middle of it.