Somewhere in the depths of darkness, the ancient creature with the blindfold let out a painful wheeze. A single drop of blood crashed to the ground, reflecting the only salvation and doom for the one who rose above the gods.
An ordinary young man from another dimension, everything was bound by the Arcane Scripture even before the world was born.
He did nothing but run, forcing the course of events to bend so that death would avoid him.
But... his first chase was nearing its end. However, the real pursuit did not begin yet, for the Crimson Reaper and his Blades were nothing in the face of true power.
"Gha... Gha... Gha..."
Kain was breathing heavily, not from fatigue but from the adrenaline rush making his body shake.
He realized that he could have just died, but he acted regardless.
Now, the runes led him back to the beginning, accompanied by messages.
[Trait - the Lost Lamb has been altered under the weight of events into a new Trait.]
[New Trait - Cornered Beast.]
Trait description: [Even when there's nowhere else to run, it doesn't mean it's the end. The desire to live comes from the blood, depends on its power, and gives rise to the relative instincts... The power of the runes and your body will awaken to the peak when you find yourself in a corner... but only if the situation is so desperate that fate itself is helpless.]
"Screw it!" Kain waved his hand, removing the runes.
Then, all his attention was directed towards the stone throne and the countless swords embedded in the ground.
Everything was the same as it was a few days ago. The Sacrificial Plateau maintained its frightening sight under the light of the blood moon.
With his still red eyes, Kain saw the runes like ghosts clustering around the stone throne. Moreover, in the center was a special mark reminiscent of the Red Swirl that was on his chest.
However, instead of the vortex, inside was a closed eye shackled in X-shape chains, sleeping or, rather... blind.
Then, Morbia's words erupted in his mind.
She felt when she realized the terms to obtain her Ascension Rune.
"No... This can't be..." Kain slowly rose, staring at the throne. "All I had to do was touch it? And I wouldn't have to go through this eternal chase..."
Then, Kain realized one simple thing.
Unlike Neil and Sylvia, who ended up in one of the three places mentioned by Kserx, Kain was here.
He was luckier than the others, perhaps more so than all the Keepers before him, for his Ascension Rune was less than a hundred steps ahead.
Were there any additional conditions?
Kain did not know that. The only thing he was sure of was that there was no more time to waste.
Running down the main path, a shiver came to his feet. He turned around to see crimson hounds one by one emerging from the bloody puddles.
In a wild herd, they wanted to pounce on Kain when a stream of runes drew the dividing line.
The hounds were too afraid to approach, bringing a knowing smile to Kain's face.
"One drop of blood was enough last time. I don't know why, but I'm their natural enemy."
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
Suddenly the ground shook, and streams of energy came out of every puddle, sword, and dead body covering the plateau.
Scarlet rivers condensed into a spinning sphere, transforming into a great wild beast on two legs clad in armor. Tall enough to trample houses and slash forests with its claws, yet, in essence, the same as hounds.
ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!
With a deafening roar, the beast ran forward, the hounds following, their desire to tear Kain apart going nowhere.
Run for the throne?
No, Kain had a better idea.
"Water doesn't run away from fire, even if the fire is stupid enough to attack..." he muttered, cutting his palm with the dagger.
Then, he gripped the stone tightly. Making sure the blood-soaked his weapon, Kain nodded and drew his arm back making his strongest throw.
Cold vapor wafted off the streams of blood as the stone slammed into the beast's stomach.
A shiver ran through its massive body, covering it with bumps and bloating.
The blast mixed with the flesh tore the beast apart, freezing everything around it. The surviving hounds fled away in fear, disappearing into the shadows.
"This... This feels too good..." Kain muttered, looking at the carnage he caused. "I can't get used to this power. It won't work against other monsters or Valkyra. So I have to get stronger!"
He, like all Tainted, had only one way to do that - get the Codex.
Kain's eyes returned to their green color as he stood before the throne.
Without question, he reached out his hand, touching the mysterious mark at the throne's base. The runes all pointed to the same place.
"If it is necessary to sit on it, I am ready..." he put his palm to the closed eye.
In an instant, bloody lines ran along the throne, splitting it into flesh-bound pieces as if the throne were a living being.
The debris caught the air, leaving Kain a bloody path to the core, something that had been lurking in the depths all along.
Step by step Kain approached the large red heart, beating faster with each stride he took. The throne was the body through which the heart pumped blood, veins still bound the heart, and debris floating in ropes around Kain.
Kain leaned over. "Just like Morbia said... Once you see it, you know immediately what to do."
Without hesitation, Kain brought the cut hand to the heart, squeezing it tightly. His blood caused the heart to react the same way the hounds did - freezing into a dense layer of ice running across the surface.
All the life force from the debris traveled to the heart, it fought back, tried to escape, but... there was no way out of the inevitable.
The rocks crumbled to the ground as the heart crumbled into shards, forever bringing change not only to the world but also to the fate of one unfortunate young man.
Space trembled.
Cold, grim light fell on Kain's face from the bloody star hovering over the throne remains.
The Contender, Kain Linch, found his Ascension Rune.
In a heartbeat, the Ascension Rune disappeared into his chest in a bright flash as a flow of countless runes swept across his eyes.
But... Only one thing truly mattered.
[Tainted, you became an Awakened...]
[You obtained your Codex - the Bereft Dream.]