The Devourer's Dominion

The fire crackled softly. Shadows flickered against the cavern walls.

Aetheron sat near the edge of the firelight, elbows resting on his knees. His body still ached, but the pain wasn't what kept him awake.

It was what had happened earlier.

His power—or whatever it was—had reacted on its own.

He clenched his fists. That moment… it wasn't just him moving. Something else had taken over.

And that masked bastard knew it.

Juno's voice cut through his thoughts.

"You're overthinking again."

She sat beside him, stretching her legs out. The firelight cast a warm glow on her face, but her expression was serious.

Aetheron exhaled. "You saw it too."

Juno didn't answer right away. Instead, she plucked a small rock from the ground, rolling it between her fingers. "Yeah. You moved different. Faster. More… precise."

Aetheron frowned. "It wasn't me."

Juno side-eyed him. "Then who was it?"

That was the question.

Aetheron didn't know.

A Silent Shift

Kyren and Aria sat a few feet away, murmuring quietly. Rael was on watch duty near the cave entrance, his blade resting across his lap.

Despite the silence, everyone felt it.

The fight earlier wasn't just an ambush. It was a message.

They were being watched. Measured.

And Aetheron had been the main event.

Juno broke the silence. "You're not gonna tell them, are you?"

Aetheron glanced at her. "Tell them what?"

Juno gave him a dry look. "That you're changing."

Aetheron didn't answer.

Because honestly? He didn't know what to say.

He could barely understand it himself.

And until he did—

No one else needed to know.

A New Dawn, A New Hunt

Morning came too soon.

They moved before the sun fully rose, leaving the cave behind.

The forest was quiet—too quiet.

No birds. No insects. Just the faint rustling of leaves.

Something was off.

Aetheron knew it. Felt it.

Rael did too. His hand rested on the hilt of his blade, eyes scanning the trees.

Kyren muttered, "Feels like a damn graveyard."

Then—

Snap.

Aetheron didn't hesitate.

He moved.

A figure lunged from the trees—fast, but not fast enough.

Aetheron caught their wrist mid-strike and twisted.

A sickening crack. A muffled scream.

The attacker collapsed, clutching their broken arm.

And just like that—

The rest of them appeared.

The Sovereign's Hunters

They didn't wear masks like the last group.

Instead, their eyes glowed with an eerie silver light.

Hunters.

Juno's grip tightened on her spear. "You've got to be kidding me."

Aetheron didn't flinch. "They're different."

Aria nodded. "Stronger."

One of them stepped forward—taller than the others, wearing a dark cloak lined with silver. His voice was smooth, almost amused.

"So, you're the one who devoured the mark."

Aetheron stilled.

The man smiled faintly. "You carry its presence, but you are not its master. Not yet."

Juno scoffed. "And let me guess. You're here to change that?"

The man's smile widened. "Something like that."

Then he vanished.

Aetheron vs The Hunter

He was fast.

Not just normal fast—unnatural.

Aetheron barely managed to dodge as a blade sliced through the air where his head had been.

His instincts screamed.

He countered, fist glowing with power—but the man was already gone.

Aetheron pivoted—too late.

A sharp pain exploded in his side.

He staggered, blood dripping down his ribs.

The man didn't press the attack. He just watched, as if studying him.

Testing him.

"You hesitate," the hunter mused. "You resist the mark's pull. Why?"

Aetheron's eyes narrowed.

"Because I don't let things control me."

The man chuckled. "A bold claim."

Then he moved again.

The Beast Awakens

This time, Aetheron didn't think.

He let go.

For a split second, his vision darkened. His body acted on its own.

His fist met the hunter's chest—

And something cracked.

The hunter stumbled back, eyes widening.

Aetheron didn't stop. He moved too fast, too precise, too strong.

His foot slammed into the hunter's ribs—sending him flying.

The other hunters tensed, their silver eyes flickering with something almost like fear.

Aetheron exhaled.

And felt it.

The mark was pulsing—hungry.

Calling to him.

He clenched his jaw, forcing it down.

He was still in control. For now.

An Unfinished Battle

The lead hunter coughed, wiping blood from his mouth.

Then—he smiled.

"This… is interesting."

Aetheron glared. "You talk too much."

The hunter ignored him. "You will have to make a choice soon."

Juno's spear snapped up. "We're done listening."

The hunter sighed. "Not yet."

Then—they disappeared.

Just like that.

Kyren cursed. "Cowards."

Aetheron exhaled slowly. That wasn't running away.

It was something worse.

A warning.

The Weight of What's Coming

They didn't speak for a while after that.

Eventually, they kept moving.

But Aetheron's mind was elsewhere.

The mark was waking up.

And something else was waking up with it.

And if that fight had proven anything—

He wasn't ready.

Not yet.