The Lord of Veins | Shadow Slave

Opening his eyes, he was greeted by a sky painted in red hues and massive clouds deep red in color cast a shadow over him, igniting a primitive panic within him.

Sitting up abruptly, he found himself amidst a forest where trees stood bare of leaves, instead laced with spikes protruding up to the sky.

A circular clearing he stood upon, etched with ancient runes that glowed crimson, evoking an ominous aura amongst the already unpleasant scene.

He ran his fingers over the runes, creating a tactile impression as his fingers traced upon its contours.

A sharp whistle pierced the air, causing his head to flick about in search of the sound's origin.

Failing to locate the source, his gaze was then drawn to the massive moon. It was the biggest he'd ever seen, and its color was that of blood.

A droplet splattered across his face, shattering the trance he was in, forcing a reflexive blink as he instinctively wiped it away, only to find his hand smeared with crimson. Panic crept back in; he used his other hand to wipe the blood, only smearing it further and further.

Ignoring the second whistle, he wrestled with the surreal scene unfolding around him.

Rain was falling from the sky, not of water, but of blood, filling the air with the metallic tang of iron.

'What's going on? Is this hell?'

Once more, that damned whistle pierced the air, guiding his attention. With intense fear engraved on his face, he turned left, emerging from the forest, a sight so chilling it gripped his soul.

It wasn't merely a person; no, this entity was a mistake, defying all human understanding. Its face resembled that of a man, with cascading long black, blood-soaked hair that touched the ground as it lifted its head slightly. Circular lidless eyes fixated on him, its body a grotesque fusion of a serpent donning human flesh.

He could have probably discerned the details of its body, which seemed as long as a bus, if he could shift his gaze away from the abomination's eyes.

Zerin's body remained immobilized, his muscles refusing to respond to his desire to flee.

He stood transfixed in the midst of the clearing, his eyes locked with the creature that stood before him. Its gaze penetrated his very being, with such intensity that it caused him to tremble.

It was as if the creature, with eyes as sharp as a predator's, was studying him, sizing him up like prey.

A primal instinct urged Zerin to scream, to release the fear and panic that was overflowing within him.

But when he opened his mouth, no sound escaped his lips. His voice was stolen, swallowed by an unseen force.

The creature then responded in a way that Zerin wished he could undo his actions. The creature's mouth unhinged, snapping and cracking, a grotesque display of its elongated jaws dropping, emitting a piercing sound akin to the static of a television.

The deafening noise assaulted Zerin's senses, reverberating through his body.

It was as if the very fabric of reality was disintegrating around him. He felt an indescribable pressure, as if an invisible entity was tearing apart the delicate strings of his fragile consciousness. The world around him blurred and then faded, as if someone was pulling the curtains.

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Feeling the pressure lifting, he awoke in darkness.

This would have been shocking enough, but what startled him even more was the sight of a familiar set of runes, red in hue, emerging as he regained his senses.

Blinking repeatedly, he initially dismissed it as a trick of his eyes. However, as he focused, the truth became clear - the runes were indeed there, and they became discernible.

Name: Zerin

True Name:

Rank: Aspirant

Soul Core: Dormant

Memories:

Echoes:

Aspect: [Born Of The Blood]

Attributes: [...]

'Born of the blood? What the hell does that even mean?'

Zerin furrowed his brow slightly, lifting his hand to his head as the Aspect description unraveled in the runes.

Aspect description: [Those Born From That Blood Are Particularly Favored.]

As the torches lining the walls of the structure where he resides ignited, Zerin's eyes squinted in pain from the sudden change in brightness, causing the runes to dissipate.

Glancing around and taking in his surroundings, he realized he was naked and not alone; he was lined up shoulder to shoulder with others who were also unclothed, both men and women, their faces filled with worry, their wills seemingly stolen.

Several moments of eerie silence were interrupted as the double doors of the dungeon swung open, admitting an entity into the room.

The atmosphere shifted as Zerin's eyes fell upon the hideous creature, triggering waves of nostalgia as memories flooded back to him, prior to his confinement in this horrid room that had the likeness of a dungeon. He remembered it all in a blink - the blood rain, the beast, and the crimson sky flashed through his mind.

However, this entity was unlike the beast he encountered before.

Levitating above the ground, its body exuded the stench of fresh blood, with curtains of flesh hanging from its form. The Entity's face was a grotesque amalgamation of piles of flesh layered upon each other.

As the door slammed shut, the Entity approached the first person in line; their hand lifted involuntarily as if controlled by a puppeteer.

With a sharp claw protruding from its finger, the Entity sliced the person's wrist, causing blood to drip. The individual grimaced in pain as the creature dabbed its finger on the wound, collecting a droplet of blood before navigating its finger through the hole that seemingly was its mouth.

This macabre ritual continued down the line, each person enduring the same gruesome fate until a brave girl's turn, if brave was even the proper word to say - more like stupid. Despite the force trying to manipulate her hand, she resisted it fiercely, surprising Zerin with her defiance.

However, his amazement turned into horror as the creature swiftly severed her arm, eliciting ear-shattering guttural screams until her voice grew hoarse, followed by sudden silence as she collapsed on the floor.

The Entity then lifted her severed arm, its grotesque face expanding wide with a groan, allowing the arm to seep into the Entity's maw, devouring it whole.

After that, no one dared to resist the Entity; they allowed the Entity, draped in flesh, to slice into their wrists and taste their blood.

Moving down the line, it was finally Zerin's turn. The Entity glanced at Zerin, and immediately Zerin's hand shot towards the amalgamation against his will. the Entity dragged its claw across his wrist as it did to the others, causing searing pain that made him feel his heartbeat in his wrists.

The entity then dabbed Zerin's wrist with its long bony finger, tasting his blood before pulling back with a gurgling sigh, a disgusting smile arising on its face, sending chills down Zerin's spine.

'What the hell is this monster smiling about?!'

To his surprise, the Entity placed its hand, covered wrapped in layers of flesh upon Zerin's wrist, instantly coagulating the blood, stopping it from further spilling on the floor - a gesture it did not show to the rest.

The entity then whistled, a sound that reminded him of the beast he saw in the blood-soaked forest.

Out from within amalgamation of flesh slithered out the serpentine fleshy creature, or at least one of its kind, as this one was much smaller than the massive serpent he saw before. It rested near the Entity like a dog, as the monster stroked the creature's head, the creature whistling at the Entity.

Then, the Entity whistled at the fleshy creature and pointed at Zerin's feet, prompting the flesh creature to slither towards him slowly, causing him to jump slightly in panic.

"Fear not dear child… It will not harm you..."

The Entity communicated directly with Zerin's mind. The message appeared to be meant solely for him, as he turned, and no one seemed surprised by the interaction.

Meanwhile, the fleshy creature greedily lapped at his blood, panting like a dog as it mopped the floor with its face, then slithered on to the other pools of blood left by the rest.

The Entity then reached out its claws, tearing into the living flesh that draped its body, causing the voices within to groan in agony.

From this display, the Entity extracted a staff made of bone, with a swirling red mass at its tip, that Zerin could only guess that it was blood.

"Take,"

The Entity said this time in an audible gurgling voice, as its voice struggled to pass through the layers of flesh, before sending forth the staff to Zerin.

Upon taking the staff, it felt cold to the touch, and the staff seemed to vibrate slightly.

[You have received a Memory...]

Zerin was able to move.