Age Of Eldritch

"The gate will transport you to various locations, and I believe everyone has a biosync by now. Please, survive and return safely!"

That was the final address. Teenagers and young adults stood before the safe gate, the only thing separating them from the horrors of the Dark Lands. Families clung to their loved ones, tears streaming down their faces, offering final hugs and prayers before the transport would begin.

"It would be best for you all to stick together," the announcer's voice echoed through the crowd, "but the Dark Lands will scatter you far from one another. Do not waste your time searching for friends or siblings—remember, not everything that looks human is human. And if you do find a real human, stick together!"

Xaren stood alone. He wore the same grey hoodie he'd donned in the registration office, the frayed hem fluttering slightly in the breeze. His eyes flicked to the crowd of young people, all clutching weapons—gleaming swords, crossbows, even heavy axes. Every transcendent had prepared, armed to the teeth for survival.

But Xaren stood empty-handed. Now, he truly questioned his will to live.

He couldn't afford a transcendent weapon, and ordinary tools were practically useless in the Dark Lands. It left him wondering if he had any real chance of survival. Still, he didn't have a choice. If he stayed behind, he'd be dead within a week and a normal weapon was nothing but unnecessary baggage.

"Xaren!"

The sharp voice cut through the noise, drawing his attention to a stocky man stomping his way through the crowd. His face was flushed with fury as he stormed over, grabbing Xaren roughly by the ear.

"You thought you could just leave like this?" the man hissed. "What do you think the Dark Lands is, a punny little playground? Or your shop?"

"Ow! Ow!" Xaren winced, squirming under the painful grip.

Jim or Uncle Jim, as the older man preferred to be called, released him with a huff, though his face still burned with anger. "Look at you! Are you out of your mind? Do you wish to die?"

Xaren blinked, his eyes beaming in confusion. "Who are you again?"

Jim froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Relax, I'm kidding." Xaren smirked, quickly stepping back out of arm's reach before Jim could retaliate. "Why are you here?"

"Because I work here, obviously," Jim grumbled, rubbing his temples as he stared at the gate. "Listen, kid, it's your turn soon."

"Hmm."

Silence fell between them, awkward and heavy, before Jim sighed deeply and fished something from his pocket.

"Take this." He pressed a silver ring into Xaren's palm. "There's food, weapons, and a few essentials stored inside. I used it back when I was a sentinel. The password is..." He leaned closer, whispering the phrase into Xaren's ear.

Xaren's lips twitched into a faint smile as he slipped the ring onto his finger. "Thank you."

The announcer's voice rang out once more, signaling the beginning of the process. Xaren glanced toward the gate, his chest tightening slightly.

"I'll make apple pie, Xaren!" Jim called out, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "So come back to us, okay?"

"Sure," Xaren muttered under his breath, though a faint smile lingered on his face. Without turning back, he stepped into the gate.

The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the air shifted.

The suffocating heat and oppressive light of the Sun City vanished. A bone-deep chill settled over him, and the light dimmed into nothingness. The darkness wasn't just an absence of light—it was alive, pressing against his skin, filling the air with a weight that made it hard to breathe.

Then, the sound of a soft chime broke through the stillness.

[Welcome to the Dark Lands.]

The message on his biosync glowed faintly, illuminating his pale face. Xaren turned instinctively, but the gate was gone. There was nothing but an expanse of gnarled trees and endless shadows. The pain that he felt in the Sun city vanished alongside the gate.

The Sun City never experienced night; its artificial sun burned perpetually, keeping the specters at bay. But here, in the Dark Lands, it was the complete opposite as the sun never rose.

The forest loomed around him, its thick canopy blotting out even the faintest hint of starlight...even though, there was none to begin with. Shadows stretched endlessly, broken only by the occasional movement of branches in the wind.

"Don't stay in one place for too long. Keep moving."

He remembered the warning that the woman from the registration office gave. It echoed in his mind, snapping him into motion. So did a lot of memories that he had forgotten.

He moved forward, carefully parting the low-hanging branches in his path. The wind was icy, numbing his fingers as it whipped through his thin hoodie. Each step seemed to echo, the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs unnaturally loud in the oppressive quiet.

But as he walked, another sound joined the rustling of leaves—a faint, rhythmic shuffling.

At first, he thought it was the wind. But the sound grew louder, more deliberate, as though something—or someone—was mirroring his steps.

Xaren froze, his breath catching in his throat. The rustling didn't stop.

His eyes darted to the shadows behind him, searching for movement. The darkness seemed to shift and ripple, as if alive. He turned slowly, scanning the twisted shapes of the trees, the dense undergrowth that hugged their bases.

And then he saw them.

Dark shapes crouched low to the ground, their forms blending seamlessly into the underbrush. At first, they looked like shrubs or twisted roots, but their movements betrayed them. They pulsed and swayed in time with his steps, following him silently, hunched and predatory.

The biosync on his wrist emitted a sharp ping, the glowing screen lighting up with a single line of text.

[Blood Bloom - Fiend Rank.]