Pain did not just hurt; it tore Thorn apart from the inside out.His skin burst open in tiny red tracks as blood leaked out from every pore along his arms, chest, and neck. The feedback from the stone hit him like a runaway cart. He doubled over into the mud, clutching his ribs and spitting dark red drops onto the cold ground."Stop," Thorn choked out, his fingers digging into the hard lump in his chest. "Stop, just stop right now."The artifact inside his body did not listen. It vibrated with a dark, heavy rhythm that echoed through his bones, shaking his entire frame."What is wrong with you?" Thorn gasped, trying to pull his hand away. "I used your power, so why are you killing me?"Under his boots, the ground began to act wrong. The heavy rain stopped falling downward. Instead, fat drops of brown water floated sideways, hovering in the air like glass beads. The heavy rocks along the ravine wall lost their anchor to the earth, drifting upward into the grey sky as if they weighed no

One wrong move would send a thousand swords straight through Thorn's heart.The line of trembling miners moved forward step by agonizing step under the harsh sun. Sweat dripped down Thorn's neck as he stared at the massive black mirror resting on the wooden platform. Guard swords glinted in the light, ready to cut down anyone who panicked."Next!" a senior disciple barked, his voice filled with pure disgust. "Hurry up, you filth!"A thin, middle-aged laborer shuffled forward to the black stone, his hands shaking violently. He bit his lip, letting a single drop of blood fall onto the dark glass surface. The stone instantly flared with a bright blue flame, illuminating the man's terrified face."Standard spiritual vein," the disciple announced coldly, writing on a scroll. "Move to the left. Next!"Thorn took three slow steps forward, closing the distance. His mind raced. If he let his blood touch that stone, the primordial artifact in his chest would clash with the divine magic. The mir

Never make a deal with an entity that has no soul left to lose.Thorn did not back down. He stood his ground on the cold cavern floor, staring straight up at the giant frozen eye hovering in the dark.The purple light from the rift shifted, forming the faint silhouette of a woman bound to the rock wall by nine massive black iron spikes. Her hair floated like silver smoke, and her glowing eyes burned with ancient hatred."A mortal boy," a voice echoed directly inside Thorn's head, sounding like grinding glass. "A fragile, bleeding insect holding the heart of the Unmade Primordial."Thorn clutched his chest, his dark eyes narrowing. "Who are you?""I am Lyra," the voice rasped, her spectral chains rattling in the dark. "I am what remains of the original world before those golden usurpers chained us and called themselves gods. They lied to you, little rat. They did not create this universe. They stole it and locked the true owners under the dirt.""I do not care about your history," Thor

Running from a god on wings was a fool's errand.Thorn sprinted through the dense, jagged trees of the outer wilderness, his boots slamming hard against the uneven soil. Above the thick canopy, a bright trail of golden light tore through the clouds, cutting down tall pine trees like dry grass."You cannot hide from the sky, little rat!" Elder Vane’s voice thundered from above, vibrating the dirt beneath Thorn’s feet. "Every breath you take leaves a trail of corrupt magic in the air!"Thorn did not look up. He kept his head down, breathing heavily through his nose as he darted between massive stone boulders. His body burned from the strain of the landslide, and his right hand remained cold and numb."He is closing in fast," Lyra’s sharp voice echoed in his mind. "A high-master can cross three leagues in a single heartbeat while flying. Your legs will fail long before his energy runs dry.""I am not trying to outrun him," Thorn grunted, leaping over a fallen log and skidding down a stee

The sky was bleeding, and there was no way to stop it.Thorn stood in the quiet canyon, staring up at the empty space where the golden bird had vanished. His chest heaved with slow, heavy breaths, but his heart felt like a block of ice."We need to move now," Lyra said in his head, her ghostly voice sharp with panic. "That messenger bird will reach the high council before the sun sets. Every hunter on the continent is coming for your neck.""I know," Thorn grunted, taking a step forward.He stopped instantly, his boots frozen on the dirt. A strange, wet tearing sound filled the air, echoing from high above the slate walls. It did not sound like thunder or cracking rock. It sounded like thick cloth being ripped apart by massive hands.Thorn looked up.The blue sky above the canyon split open. A jagged, dark purple tear stretched across the clouds, growing wider by the second. Pale purple light poured out from the rift, casting long, unnatural shadows across the dirt."What is that?" Th