Eclipse Requiem

The air **crackled** with power.

Kael's breathing was **ragged**, his vision tinted with flickering shadows and streaks of silver light. His entire body felt **different**—stronger, sharper, but also on the verge of **losing control.**

The assassin—**a Blacklight Archer of the Holy Order**—lay crumpled against the rocky wall where Kael's attack had sent them flying. Dust and shattered stone **still hung in the air** from the sheer force of the impact.

But Kael knew better than to believe that was enough.

His grip tightened on his sword, now **warped by the fusion of abyssal and celestial energy.**

Saren took a cautious step forward. "Kael, what the hell was that?"

He couldn't answer. **Because he didn't know.**

The power wasn't just his own. It was **reacting. Expanding. Growing.**

It was the **Fragment.**

The power of an Ascendant.

And it wasn't done yet.

**A sudden shift.**

Kael's instincts screamed at him, and he barely moved in time as the assassin **vanished from their position.**

**Behind!**

He pivoted—too slow.

A **dark arrow pierced through the air**, slamming into his shoulder. The force **hurled him backward**, sending him skidding across the rocky terrain.

Pain shot through his body, but before he could recover, **another barrage** followed.

Kael raised his sword just in time.

**CLANG!**

The arrows **collided** with his blade, but the sheer impact rattled his bones. He barely had time to adjust before the assassin **closed the distance**, moving **too fast for a normal human.**

Their dagger flashed.

Kael twisted, but the blade still **grazed his side**, tearing through his cloak and leaving a **burning wound** along his ribs.

**Damn it! They're faster than before!**

The assassin didn't speak, didn't hesitate—only pressed forward with ruthless precision. Kael gritted his teeth, countering each attack **by instinct alone.**

His body **moved differently** now, his reactions sharper.

**Because of the Fragment?**

He had no time to think.

The assassin **vanished again.**

**Above!**

Kael barely managed to raise his sword as the enemy **descended from the air, dagger aimed for his heart.**

But this time—

Something **clicked.**

**A surge of power exploded from within him.**

Time **slowed.**

The world around Kael seemed to **sharpen**, details **too vivid** for normal sight.

His body **moved before his mind could process it.**

**Abyssal Step.**

One instant, he was standing on the battlefield.

The next—

He was **behind** the assassin.

His sword lashed out.

**A direct hit.**

The force sent the assassin **crashing into the ground**, a cloud of dust and debris erupting from the impact.

Saren's eyes widened. "That… wasn't normal."

Kael exhaled slowly.

**No. It wasn't.**

He had just used **an ability he had never learned.**

It had come **naturally**, as if the knowledge had been embedded into his very being.

The Fragment wasn't just giving him **power**.

It was **rewriting him.**

---

### **The Unraveling Truth**

Kael stepped forward cautiously, sword still raised.

The assassin lay in the rubble, their hood torn, revealing strands of **silver-white hair.**

Kael froze.

**Silver hair?**

Only **one** faction in the entire continent was known for that trait.

"You're… not just a Blacklight Archer, are you?" Kael's voice was low, wary.

The assassin let out a **harsh breath**, forcing themselves to sit up despite their wounds.

And then—

They **laughed.**

A quiet, bitter sound.

Kael and Saren exchanged a quick glance.

Then the assassin finally spoke.

"You're sharper than I expected, Eclipse Bearer." They pulled off the remains of their hood, revealing **striking violet eyes**—the color of **celestial bloodlines.**

Kael's fingers clenched around his blade.

"You're from the **Celestial Order**."

The assassin smirked, wiping blood from their lip. "Not bad."

Kael's mind **raced.**

The Holy Order and the Celestial Order were **allies**—or at least, that's what the world believed. If this person was **both an assassin and a celestial**, then something was **very wrong.**

Before he could press for answers, the assassin **raised a hand.**

"Before you kill me, let me give you a piece of advice, Eclipse Bearer." Their voice was calm, but something in their tone sent a **chill** down Kael's spine.

"**You're not the only one changing.**"

Kael's heart **skipped a beat.**

"What?"

The assassin smiled faintly. "You absorbed a Fragment of an Ascendant, didn't you? But did you think you were the only one who had access to them?"

Kael's grip on his sword **tightened.**

"You're saying… others have them too?"

The assassin nodded. "And they've had them **for far longer than you.**"

A heavy silence followed.

Then, the assassin let out a small sigh and slumped back against the rubble.

"I was sent to kill you, Kael Veyren. But after seeing what you've become, I have a feeling I won't be the one to do it."

Their violet eyes met his, and for the first time, there was **no malice in their gaze.**

"Enjoy your power while you can. Because the moment the other Fragments awaken…"

Their lips curled into a final smirk.

"Your real enemies will come for you."

And with those final words—

The assassin's body **faded into light.**

A teleportation sigil—one far more advanced than anything Kael had seen before—**activated beneath them**, and in the blink of an eye…

They were **gone.**

Kael exhaled sharply, his hands trembling at his sides.

Saren walked up beside him, arms crossed. "...That was unsettling."

Kael didn't respond.

Because deep inside, he knew.

This was only the **beginning.**

If what the assassin said was true…

Then **others** had absorbed Fragments before him.

And they were already far ahead.