Even out here, away from Vale, I couldn’t shake the feeling. Worry sat heavy in my chest.

  We were on a ferry headed to Patch—Ruby and Yang’s hometown. The air was quiet, almost too quiet. Behind us, the sky over Vale had started to twist and churn. To the people back in the city, it probably just looked like a regur storm. But from out here? It looked like something out of a nightmare. Purple lightning flickered in the clouds, fshing like warning signs. The sky had turned bck, swallowing what little peace was left.

  Most of the people on the ferry were kids or elders. They sat close together, heads low. The rest were adults who knew they couldn’t help if they stayed—merchants, shopkeepers, delivery drivers. No Hunters. No soldiers. Just regur people trying to get away from something they didn’t understand.

  The ones who stayed behind… they were the ones who could fight. Huntsmen, medics, Vale’s defenders. People who had something to protect. Or maybe… people who knew they’d die trying.

  I clenched the cold metal railing, knuckles white. That guilt again, curling in my gut like poison.

  "This is my fault," I thought. "None of this would be happening if I had just died back there."

  I didn’t notice Yang watching me at first. Didn’t feel her eyes on me.

  Too wrapped up in it—my guilt, my fear, that heavy, awful voice in my head.

  I knew the truth. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t really on me. That thing—whatever it was—it would’ve come for Vale eventually. I was just another excuse. Another crack in the wall.

  But that didn’t make it any easier to stomach.

  Because the real reason I was upset wasn’t guilt.

  It was because I wasn’t there.

  Because I wasn’t fighting.

  Because I was running away while people braver than me stood their ground.

  I wasn’t okay with that.

  Not even a little.

  [ NEW MISSION UNLOCKED ]

  ? 50 Jumping Jacks? 20 Push-ups

  Reward: +125 EXPStatus: In Progress

  "This again? And experience points? Oi! System, what is this? Where did you even come from?" I thought, my head spinning.

  [Each time you complete a mission, you will be rewarded for your participation. These missions can be simple, like tying your shoes. As for my creator? You'll learn about her in time. But right now, in your current state, it would be foolish to inform you.]

  I took a deep breath, trying to wrap my head around everything. "Okay... Can you at least expin my hand? And those stats on the screen?"

  [Certainly! As for your hand, that's a side effect of awakening your Sembnce: Cross. It's a parasitic type—extremely rare. Your Sembnce has the power to purify and destroy Grimm with ease. That's why it's referred to as the Anti-Grimm Weapon.]

  Stats began to flicker across the screen, one line at a time, like a game HUD brought to life.

  Stats began to flicker across the screen, one line at a time, like a game HUD brought to life.

  { Name: Soma }{ Level: 4 }{ Age: 15 }{ Strength: 7 }{ Agility: 10 }{ Speed: 10 }{ Defense: 7 }{ Charisma: 7 }{ Luck: 7 }{ MP: (Locked) }

  Then the abilities section rolled in beneath it.

  [System] – A strange interface only I could see. It tracked my progress, handed out quests, and sometimes tossed in rewards like a cosmic gacha game. Whatever it was, it seemed tied to something... divine.

  [Fmes of Purification] – A sacred power meant to cleanse corrupted beings—Grimm. Instead of just killing them, it could purify their twisted essence, offering redemption. Like a fme burning away the darkness.

  [Blessing of the Shepherd] (Passive) – Protection from curses and status effects. A quiet safeguard always working in the background.

  [Sembnce – Cross] – A parasitic-type weapon fused to my left arm, centered on a glowing, stone-like cross embedded in the back of my hand. It wasn't natural. The arm had once looked monstrous—crimson, veiny, radiating unstable energy. But it was changing, adapting, evolving. The skin darkened. The veins smoothed. It almost looked human now... almost. But the power inside it? Still wild. Still growing.

  [Cross α (Alpha)] – The first stage of my Sembnce's evolution. My arm transformed into a jagged, adamantine cw. Tough. Brutal. Dangerous. It glowed faintly at the shoulder where it fused into my body. This was my first step toward mastering it... but I could feel something deeper lurking beneath the surface. Waiting.

  [Divine Dividing – Twice Critical Form] – For ten seconds, I could split my opponent's power and steal a portion of it for myself. When activated, shimmering, blue, dragon-like wings burst from my back. They gave me flight, and a serious boost in speed. A gift... or maybe a curse.

  “W-What the heck!” I muttered to myself, eyes wide as I scanned the screen. So many abilities… it was overwhelming.

  [Are you done compining, Master Soma, or should I say Mr. Aoizakai? Are you going to do something about it?]

  My face twisted in frustration.

  “What the hell am I supposed to do?!” I shouted, more to myself than anyone else. “I barely survived the st fight! I wouldn’t st two seconds in another one. Zero chance! Damn it…” My voice trailed off as I bit back the words.

  I realized I’d said it out loud, loud enough for everyone around me to hear—Ruby and Yang included.

  I froze when I saw them.

  Ruby’s eyes were wide, her usual optimistic spark dimmed, repced by concern. Yang, on the other hand, was standing with her arms crossed, watching me with a look of quiet disbelief. Her brow furrowed, her expression a mixture of frustration and something deeper, something I couldn’t quite read.

  I averted my gaze, feeling the weight of their stares. Guilt crawled up my spine. I should’ve been stronger. I should’ve been… better. But instead, here I was, losing control again.

  “What should I do?” I muttered under my breath, walking into the boat’s quarter-halls, needing space, needing to think. The walls felt like they were closing in on me. “What am I even supposed to do?”

  I wasn’t even sure if I was talking to myself anymore or to the damn voice in my head.

  Arriving at Patch Isnd, people scattered to find inns to stay for the night, or maybe even a couple of days. As for me? I'd be crashing at Ruby and Yang's pce. Being broke and having no memory didn't exactly give me much of a choice.

  I was dressed a bit better now, though. Bck long-sleeve turtleneck, jeans, and some brown boots. Not exactly fancy, but it did the job.

  Lately, I couldn't stop thinking about what the system had said. I had to do something. I couldn’t just sit back and let the beast destroy the hunters and the city of Vale. I couldn’t let it come to Patch Isnd, tearing through innocent people—especially Ruby and Yang. They hadn’t done anything wrong. This was all my fault. All mine.

  I was lost in my thoughts, trailing behind the two future huntresses, barely paying attention to where I was going. It wasn’t until I bumped into Yang’s chest that I realized they had stopped.

  I froze, flustered, my face burning as I stumbled back, but I didn’t say a word. What was I even supposed to say? My mind was too scrambled to form a decent excuse.

  That all changed when I caught Yang’s expression.

  Serious. Cold. Not a hint of that cocky smirk she wore like armor. Just fire.

  Ruby looked just as tense. She kept gncing between me and her sister, shifting on her feet like she could feel something boiling beneath the surface—like she was bracing for an explosion.

  I blinked. Confused.

  Did I... mess up? Say something wrong?

  “Yang?” I started, voice low.

  She stepped in front of me before I could say more. Cut me off like a wall smming down.

  Her arms were crossed. Shoulders squared. Jaw tight.

  "Have I gotten your attention now? Good."

  Her voice cracked like a whip—loud, sharp, impossible to ignore.

  “What’s your problem, dude?” she snapped. “Ever since we left Vale, you’ve been—off. Out of it. Always in your head. Snapping at shadows. Losing it over nothin’. Yeah, I know you lost your memory or whatever—but seriously. Do you know something my dad and Uncle Qrow don’t?”

  She took a step forward. Her fists curled tight at her sides. Every inch of her was tense—barely holding herself back.

  "I’m gonna be real with you," she said, eyes narrowed like she was staring through me. "I find you hel suspicious."

  Another step.

  "So—who are you? And what do you know about Fenrir?"

  Silence.

  Like the isnd itself held its breath.

  Even the wind pulled back, the waves going quiet like the whole world was watching.

  Ruby turned quick, grabbing her sister’s arm.

  “Yang, stop!” she hissed, her voice tight with panic. “He doesn’t know anything! He’s clueless—can’t you see that?”

  She looked at me—soft, pleading—but I couldn’t meet her eyes.

  My dreads hung over my face, hiding everything I didn’t want to show.

  The weight in my chest. The ache. The storm behind my eyes.

  Truth is...

  I deserved it.

  Every damn word.

  So I let the silence stretch. Let them get mad. Let them walk away thinking I was the vilin.

  It was easier that way.

  Because if they hated me now... they wouldn’t feel bad about what was coming next.

  I sighed—long, tired, bitter. Then I pulled up my shirt.

  The mark was there, etched deep into my skin like it had been branded by guilt itself.

  The Mark of Fenrir.

  "...Yeah," I said. My voice was low, hollow. "Yeah, I do know."

  Ruby froze. Yang’s eyes widened, fire flickering inside them.

  "It’s all my fault," I continued. “I led Fenrir here. I’m the reason this isnd’s about to become a graveyard.”

  I ughed. It wasn’t happy—it was cracked and ugly, the kind of ugh you let out when you’ve got nothing left.

  “All those Huntsmen, your dad, Qrow... they’re gonna die. Because of me.”

  Yang didn’t say a word.

  She didn’t need to.

  Her hair lit up, gold strands rising like fmes caught in a storm. Her eyes burned red, bzing hot with fury.

  "I knew it,” she snarled.

  Then she shoved me—hard. I smmed into a tree, bark cracking behind me. The air flew outta my lungs, and for a second I saw stars.

  She stood over me, fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white. Her body shook. Whether from rage or restraint—I couldn’t tell.

  She raised a fist.

  Paused.

  Trembled.

  Then dropped me.

  “Not worth it,” she spat, cold and venomous.

  She turned to Ruby, not even sparing me a second gnce.

  “Let’s go warn Dad and Uncle Qrow. This piece of trash just doomed the whole damn isnd.”

  Ruby hesitated. She looked at me—really looked. Her eyes didn’t burn with anger.

  They burned with disappointment.

  And that hurt worse than the hit.

  Way worse.

  Because I barely knew them. But somehow, someway, they mattered. We had something. A bond. A thread of trust.

  Now it was cut.

  And deep down, I knew...

  There was no fixing this.

  I was alone again.

  Back where I started.

  But this time, I couldn’t bme anyone else.

  This time?

  It was all on me.

  It had to be done.

  No one else was gonna make the call.And if I hesitated, even for a second—Ruby, Yang… they'd be the ones paying for it.

  Eventually, their voices faded, swallowed by the trees. Just the sound of wind scraping through the branches and the heavy thud of my heartbeat in my ears.

  I was alone again. Funny how natural it felt.

  I exhaled slowly, steam curling from my lips like a sigh from my soul.

  “…System,” I muttered, voice low. “I got a question.”

  [SYSTEM LINK ESTABLISHED...][VOICE RECOGNIZED: SOMA AOIZAKAI][COMMAND ACCEPTED — SPEAK.]

  I stared down at my hands—scarred, trembling slightly, but not from fear. From something worse. Doubt.

  “…Do I actually stand a chance against Fenrir?”

  [ANALYZING CURRENT PARAMETERS...][CALCULATING SURVIVAL PROBABILITY...][ANSWER: 0.4% CHANCE OF VICTORY. PROJECTED OUTCOME: DEATH.]

  I swallowed hard, heat rising in my chest. I wanted to scream.Wanted to break something. Instead, I just ughed. Quiet. Broken.

  “Thought so.”

  [YOU REQUESTED HONESTY, MASTER SOMA. WOULD YOU PREFER COMFORTING LIES INSTEAD?]

  “…No,” I muttered, bitter smile forming. “I’ve had enough of those for one lifetime.”

  [THEN PERMIT ME TO OFFER A STRATEGY.]

  I tilted my head. “Go on.”

  [FENRIR CAN BE PURIFIED.]

  My brow furrowed. “Purified? You mean... like exorcised?”

  [SIMILAR PROCESS. PURIFICATION REQUIRES TWO CONDITIONS:]1. TARGET MUST BE SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKENED.2. USER MUST POSSESS SUFFICIENT SPIRITUAL RESISTANCE TO WITHSTAND FEEDBACK.]

  I stared off into the trees. The image of Fenrir’s glowing eyes fshed through my mind—eyes filled with rage, sorrow, and something ancient. Something cursed.

  “Right. And who’s gonna weaken a monster like that for me?” I scoffed. “You just said I’d die if I even looked at it wrong.”

  [YOU ALONE — YES. HOWEVER, IF YOU COORDINATE WITH OTHER HUNTERS...]

  “…Don’t you dare say it.”

  [QROW BRANWEN. TAIYANG XIAO LONG.][LEVEL 35 HUNTERS. COMBAT PROJECTION: 72% SUCCESS RATE IF ASSISTED BY YOU WITH ‘DIVINE DIVIDING – STAGE ONE’.]

  I turned my back to the System window, grinding my teeth. “I’m not going to them. I barely survived st time.”

  [STATEMENT: ‘I WOULD RATHER DIE ALONE THAN ASK FOR HELP.’][ANALYSIS: FOOLISH.][DEATH ACHIEVES NOTHING. PRIDE IS A LUXURY. YOUR OBJECTIVE IS TO PROTECT.]

  “Don’t you throw my own mission back at me—”

  [EMOTIONAL STABILITY: LOW][CORRECTIVE SUGGESTION: FOCUS.]

  I closed my eyes, taking a shaky breath. The forest around me felt heavier now. Thicker. Like the weight of everything I hadn’t said was pressing down on my shoulders.

  “…How close am I to unlocking Divine Dividing?”

  [REQUIRED LEVEL: 20.][CURRENT LEVEL: 4.][PROGRESS TO NEXT LEVEL: 37%.][SECONDARY CONDITION: SPIRIT RESISTANCE TIER 2 REQUIRED TO SURVIVE PURIFICATION BACKLASH.]

  I cursed under my breath. “So sixteen more levels. And spirit training. And I gotta get the band back together.”

  [ YES.]

  I let the silence hang. Let the truth sit with me.Yeah, the System was right.I could either die bitter… or live with help.

  “…Alright,” I finally said, squaring my shoulders. “Mark it. Let’s do this.”

  [NEW OBJECTIVE SET:]? REACH LEVEL 20? UNLOCK DIVINE DIVIDING – STAGE ONE? INCREASE SPIRIT RESISTANCE TO TIER 2? LOCATE QROW & TAIYANG? WEAKEN FENRIR? EXECUTE PURIFICATION

  The HUD flickered once, then locked into the top-right corner of my vision.

  [NOW LOADING SIDE QUEST: “PURIFY THE WOLF.”][ESTIMATED TIME TO COMPLETION: UNKNOWN.]

  I took another breath, the weight of it all heavy in my chest. But there was something else gnawing at the back of my mind, something that wouldn’t leave me alone. The word the System had used: Purification. I’d always known it as a sacred thing. A final act of salvation, of cleansing. But…

  What if I wasn’t strong enough?

  [MASTER SOMA…] The System's voice came through, softer now. Almost like a warning.[YOU MUST BE AWARE OF THE RISK: MALEVOLENCE.]

  I froze. The air around me seemed to thicken, and my stomach twisted.

  “…What?”

  [MALEVOLENCE IS A DARK FORCE.]

  [ABSORBING THE POWER OF A BEAST SUCH AS FENRIR WILL CAUSE A BLIGHT UPON YOUR SOUL. THIS WILL GRADUALLY ERODE YOUR SANITY AND LIFE FORCE.]

  [IF YOUR SPIRIT RESISTANCE IS INSUFFICIENT, YOU WILL BE CONSUMED. YOU WILL BE LOST.]

  I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breath. The sensation of being watched, the ominous weight of Malevolence… it was already there. Dark. Lingering in the corners of my mind.

  “But if I’m strong enough… I can control it, right?” I said, though I knew the answer. I had to believe it.

  [CONDITIONS: IF YOU HAVE THE WILLPOWER TO STAY STRONG, YOU MAY GAIN CONTROL. HOWEVER, THIS IS A DANGEROUS PATH.]

  I swallowed. “Right. A dangerous path.”“Just like everything else I’ve done.”

  [YES. BUT THIS WILL BE THE HARDEST TEST.]

  I flexed my fingers, feeling the pulse of the power stirring deep inside me. I could almost taste it now—the raw energy of Fenrir, the deadly temptation of absorbing its strength. A power that could change everything.

  The risk, though… the cost. Was I willing to gamble my soul?

  “…I’ll have to be,” I muttered under my breath, setting my jaw. "I don’t have a choice."

  I gnced once more at the trees, the shadows of the forest stretching long across the ground. The time for hesitation was over. Fenrir’s blood would be mine to purify—or I would die trying.

  One way or another.

  [OBJECTIVE UPDATED:? ACCEPT MALEVOLENCE? GAIN CONTROL OVER FENRIR’S POWER]

  I clenched my fist tighter, fire burning through my veins like I was born for this. The road ahead? Dark. Twisted. Probably cursed seven ways to Sunday. But it was mine.

  And I’d be damned if I let it swallow me whole.

  “So…” I cracked my neck, fire in my chest rising like thunder. “When do we start?”

  The shadows trembled.

  Then they broke.

  Figures emerged—twitching, snarling. Crooked limbs, cracked bones, glowing red eyes like coals in a dying fire.

  They surrounded me.

  ENEMY: Hellion SpawnLevel: 5Type: AberrantStatus: HostileWeakness: Holy | BluntResistance: Fire | Fear | Dark Affinity

  “Alright then,” I muttered, steadying my breath. “Let’s see how well you handle purification.”

  END OF CHAPTER