"I see you''ve been having fun, Abad," a man''s voice said as a figure entered the room. As the smoke cleared, Abad could make out the smoldering remains of a dozen guards behind him. Among them was Keila. Abad''s heart clenched.


    "Kasimir?!" Abad''s face had only half transformed back. His words were alien and guttural.


    "I knew you couldn''t resist taking that little coin I left you. I''ve been able to watch everything. It was only a matter of time before you returned to your old ways. It''s in your blood." The man''s voice was calm and casual as if he were discussing the weather. From behind the mage, Shani, A-Nis, Firtz, and two other people he didn''t recognize emerged, one a red-haired dwarf and the other a brown-haired half-elf, fanned out and drew their weapons.


    When they saw him, Shani gasped, A-Nis grimaced, and Firtz roared. "I told you we shouldn''t have let that tainted bastard live!" Firtz bellowed and drew a handaxe. An instant later, Abad barely dodged it as it flew past, the axe lodging into a nearby display case.


    "I''ve rejected it, Kasimir!" Abad screamed as he willed his [Nightmare Aspect] to fade. His bones creaked and popped further in response. He was nearly normal again.


    Kasimir laughed and pulled something from his pocket. A moment later, a wall of energy surrounded them. Abad recognized it. It was an [Unbreakable Shield]. "You five, go release the slaves and finish off the guards. They won''t be much anymore without their master. You''ll be of no use here. I''ll finish this."


    Firtz growled, and the others looked skeptical, but the adventurers reluctantly left, though the half-elf hesitated for several moments, a curious look on his face.


    "Why?" That was the only word that Abad could conjure. It passed through his reformed lips as he watched his world burn away, again. He choked as tears filled his eyes. He hadn''t wanted this. He hadn''t wanted to return to this life. He finally realized how much he hated it. How much he hated being the monster everyone thought he was.


    Kasimir looked pained for a moment, then pointed at the scepter. "I told you. It didn''t matter what we wanted. The second you woke up and decided to return to this world, your fate was decided."


    "You knew, didn''t you?" It struck Abad then. Nothing had been chance. His run-in with Firtz and A-Nis. The troll attack and being forced to reveal himself. Being found by Keila. All of that had been orchestrated by the ancient man standing before him. "Why would you do this to me?"


    Kasimir sighed and stood tall. "Once upon a time, there were heroes and villains. They clashed and struggled against one another. The people lived in fear, but also in solidarity. True heroes were born, and they vanquished the forces that ruled over them. They defeated the villainous mages, put down the dragons that tormented their kingdoms, and destroyed the monstrous armies that rose to devour them time and time again. There was peace for many years. But that peace didn''t last. A new evil arose—one far greater than the others—but this one couldn''t be fought on the battlefield. It came in the night, unseen and unheard. It corrupted the kingdom''s citizens, and turned them against the land and their fellow countrymen. This evil was born of their hearts, and they paid for it with the blood of their brothers and sisters."


    "I don''t care! I just want to be free!" Abad screamed at the man, spit flying.


    "And why should your wants matter to us?" The man''s voice rose. "It was you, Abad! It''s always been you and your disgusting kind. You were the reason we came to this world. To destroy the darkness that had been plaguing it." As Kasimir spoke, he twisted his hands, and a dark seal appeared under Abad. Tendrils of shadow began crawling up Abad''s ankles. "But without an enemy, these pathetic people will consume themselves, and I won''t let that happen."


    His face twisted for an instant as he spoke. Something lay underneath. His face wasn''t his.


    "That''s why you''re going to take in every single drop of your brethren''s black essence today. Then, you''ll continue the crusade you and your friends started an age ago." He smiled. It looked off, as if his lips were too wide. "I did it with one of your dark brothers centuries ago, but he was too weak. Again I tried with another, but he too was sent back into the seal. I tried again later with your black sister, and while she did better, she failed too. I''d hoped her creations would continue the cause, but they were too frail. We crushed them too easily. They''re little more than tools now. You''ll be much better, I think. That''s why you''ve been brought to me again. You''re a gift from the Goddess."


    "And if I refuse?"


    The ancient mage smiled a sad smile as if the words pained him. "You can''t. I''ve seen how it plays out. Again and again, I''ve watched the world unravel. We try to stop the future, but it''s too late. Our pathetic squabbles ensure that the world breaks. In a few years, a decade, a century, it consumes itself." He shook his head. "But with you, we''ll have centuries longer to plan. An age, perhaps. Your creations will be pulled from the Depths and fuel the towers. The beastkin will follow your will. The weak and corrupt will flock to you. And we will rally against you." He chuckled darkly. "And this time, there won''t be any stupid mistakes. I won''t let you choose your path like the others did. We will grow stronger and survive, because we have you, old friend, and I''ll be the one to guide your wrath."


    The black essence crawled from the seal up his legs, swirling and writhing against his flesh, burrowing deep within him. It wasn''t like the scepter. It didn''t obey him, see him as its master. As the essence entered his spirit, he heard their words. He could feel them sinking into his mind, whispering dreams of conquest and destruction into his heart. As the shadows reached his core, his scroll unfurled.


    <hr><hr>


    [A Dark Lord''s Rise]: Though you sought freedom from the shadows of your past, fate—and the schemes of others—have bound you anew to a mantle you did not seek. The cycle continues anew.


    You receive the [Dominion] Shadowspawn talent.


    [Dominion]: By infusing your words with your essence, you gain the ability to alter reality itself. Creatures, environments, and objects must adhere to your whims, provided your mana and essence reserves can sustain the change. The strength of your influence scales with your intent, the scope of the alteration, and the resistance of the target. The world bends, reshaped not by steel or spell, but by the simple utterance of your will. Dominion is yours to claim.


    You reach Level XIV


    Choose an Enhancement


    [Focus I]: Your mental clarity improves, enhancing your ability to concentrate and reducing the likelihood of spell disruptions. This heightened focus increases your casting precision and slightly boosts your resistance to mental effects.


    [Mana III]: Your mana reserves increase significantly, granting you the ability to cast more spells before experiencing fatigue. This enhancement is ideal for prolonged battles or intensive magical tasks.


    [Life II]: Your overall health increases, making you more resilient to physical damage and slightly improving recovery speed from injuries. This enhancement also bolsters your vitality, enabling you to endure harsher environments and prolonged exertion.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    <hr><hr>


    He didn''t want this.


    As his mind faded, he selected [Focus I] as fast as he could, and the words burned onto his scroll. But before they finished doing so, his scroll faded away. He could feel the darkness consuming him. A pulse of black shot through his core. His body shivered, shook, and grew, transforming him back into that beast of scale, feathers, and shadow. He grew taller and broader with each passing second. His black wings spread from his shoulders once again. His arms and legs expanded as large claws sprouted from his fingers and toes. The black beak sprouted from his face, black and shining in the dim light, and a hunger arose from deep within.


    This time, however, he felt the familiar weight of the crown on his head as he finished transforming. In a flash, a bolt of black flame shattered the dome above as Kasimir''s black seal faded and the [Unbreakable Shield] shattered.


    Taking a single step forward, he watched as the man''s eyes filled with fear. The mage whispered words, and black blades of ice exploded from his palm. They were nothing compared to the beast. They melted away, doing nothing.


    Step.


    The beast could see the woman the warlock had spent so much time with, her body scorched, her eyes staring at the ceiling, unseeing.


    Step.


    She was just like the pitiful elf within—a slave, controlled by another''s will. And now she was dead.


    Step.


    A small voice inside the beast screamed to help her. The beast hesitated, then acquiesced. The voice gave the beast words.


    "[Live Once More, and Be Free]."


    The beast''s words rewrote reality. The woman''s wounds disappeared, and she screamed as her fading spirit was thrust back into her restored body. Her eyes grew wide as she saw Him. She stood and ran. The voice thanked the beast.


    Step.


    Movement from the side.


    Step.


    The brown-haired half-elf watched from the shadows. He didn''t matter.


    Step.


    Rage. Another spell shot from the little mage and failed. Irritating insect. The beast swatted the old man across the room. The elderly man slammed into the wall near the door, and the spell concealing him faded. All that was left of the mage was a skeletal corpse, twin red pricks of light glaring at Him.


    Step.


    Seeing the pitiful being who thought it would be His master drew out the darkness from within. It consumed Him.


    The small dot that was the warlock tried to hold back the endless tide of hate that filled him, but the little elf''s will was but a pebble standing in the way of a raging river. The speck of resistance was consumed in the raging torrent...


    ***


    "...Boy..."


    ***


    She could feel it. Her Lord''s feelings in His final moment.


    Disbelief.


    Pain.


    Fear.


    She could almost see His death. Then, in an instant, the link binding them snapped as His energy vanished. Gone. The young orc dropped to her knees. Her hand gripped her chest. What happened? How could He have died?


    ***


    She lived in a haze for many years. Her master was gone. She was free to do as she pleased. Free, but lost. She didn''t know what to do. For many years, she traveled. Learned. Grew stronger.


    For so long, she dedicated herself completely to serving the being, working to help Him become great. He was her world. When He abandoned her, when He died, her purpose fled with Him. After many years, she came to feel like she had moved on from her failure. She would live on. He would have wanted that.


    ***


    Then, she felt it. His essence, calling out to her from the edge of oblivion. His soul sang out for her. And she answered. Of course she did. What choice did she have? She would find Him.


    ***


    She found the town His spirit was in. There were shouts, fires. Curses over the wind. She walked through the gates. Guards called to one another.


    "Over here!"


    "Don''t like it escape!"


    "Grab it!"


    "Halt!" A guardsman approached. He looked her over, then grabbed her arm, dragging her forward. She cursed and broke his grip. He spun around, leveling a blade at her. Another appeared. "Halt now!"


    She lifted her raven-headed scepter, her faithful old companion, the one He made for her. A pulse of light. Their eyes went wide.


    [Greater Command]


    "Kill yourselves."


    They fell on their own blades.


    She continued.


    A guard ran at her.


    [Devour Essence]


    Another stabbed at her.


    [Finger of Death]


    Another lunged.


    [Reaper''s Grasp]


    Their strength became hers. More came. More fell.


    Then, an alley. Bodies. Fire. Blood. A small shack. Filthy. A small boy. His eyes were red. Glowing. He held his side. More blood. A man approached the boy, blade raised.


    [Death''s Whisper]


    The man died.


    The boy was Him. She felt it.


    "Mom... my mom is dying." Tears. "I can''t save her."


    She looked beyond, into the pitiful shack. Blood. Shallow breaths. Golden hair. A dagger in her chest.


    "Help me. Please." More tears.


    She walked up to Him then. She placed an arm on his shoulder. He looked up at her. So innocent. He was afraid, but He trusted her.


    "...The monster is this way!"


    "...Come on men!"


    "...Don''t let it escape!"


    She heard the voices. The boy''s face was so earnest. They should leave now. She didn''t have to help the mother. The mother didn''t matter. She only needed Him.


    She reached out with her senses. The mother wouldn''t survive.


    But His eyes... So alike. And not.


    Kinder.


    More compassionate.


    More mortal.


    "I will try."


    ***


    "...I''m proud of you..."


    ***


    Abad could hear the screams of the monster that was him shaking the foundations of the mansion. He pushed with everything he had, and the darkness that had almost consumed him relented. In a single great motion, he raised his taloned hand and swiped downward, and the shadows poured out of him like a waterfall. The black seal reopened, and the black mass oozed from his spirit into the magical construct. The marble tiles shattered as the energy poured out of him. The hungry seal took it all. The black energy sank into the runes, flowing from him back into that black space between worlds. He screamed as his bones cracked and twisted, until his voice was his own again, until the final drops of darkness went back to whence they came.


    Then, he was Abad again.


    He fell to his knees.


    "No!" the old skeletal man cried, hobbling towards him. "What have you done?"


    His scroll unfurled.


    <hr><hr>


    You lose the [A Dark Lord''s Rise] achievement.


    [Breaking the Chains of Fate]: When faced with the mantle of the Dark Lord, you choose freedom over power, rejecting your fate and forging your own destiny. The cycle is broken.


    Your [Elf] heritage transforms into the [Sun Elf] (????☆) heritage.


    You gain the [Scion of Lost Light] Sun Elf talent.


    [Scion of Lost Light]: The remnants of a forgotten brilliance burn within you, a beacon of hope and defiance against the encroaching darkness. You and all allies within your aura gain increased resistance to shadow and necrotic damage, and your fire and light spells are infused with the Lost Light of Reial.


    You reach Level XV


    <hr><hr>


    "Sorry to disappoint you," Abad gasped, a soft smile on his face.


    He did it. He was him. He was Abad-Shai.


    "How did you resist? Why?!" He screamed as the remnants of the seal beneath them faded away into motes of darkness. The mage looked lost, confused. The visage he had cast over himself had shattered, revealing the corruption beneath. Kasimir''s face was gaunt and skeletal, his decayed skin pulled taut against his bones. The smell of rot hung about him like a cloud.


    "I didn''t want it." He replied honestly. "Not anymore."


    "The future!" Kasimir bellowed, his voice strained and inhuman. "You''ve doomed us all! Thrown it all away! For what?!" Magic began to surge from the ancient being. The lich, Abad realized. That''s how he''d survived all this time.


    "I don''t care," Abad responded. "You said it before. I''m self-absorbed. I chose to be free." He turned to where he saw the half-elf before. He could just make him out behind the rubble. "There''s a woman trapped in a box outside in the courtyard. Please rescue her. She needs a real hero, one better than me. I''ll finish this." The man vanished, and the sound of footsteps filled the chamber before disappearing down the stairs.


    His scroll unfurled.


    <hr><hr>


    You have completed [Oath to Zethari].


    You gain the [Pack Bond] enhancement.


    [Pack Bond]: Grants an increase to your ability to work seamlessly with allies, enhancing cooperative efforts and tactics. Additionally, you gain a boost to perception when near companions.


    <hr><hr>


    "It''s too late. He won''t reach her in time. I''ve instructed my forces to kill the branded here. I said they were all too far gone, pawns in your schemes. And if she still lives, I''ll ensure she dies. Slowly. And it''ll all be your fault." Kasimir spat as magic pulsed around him.


    "The Goddess disagrees." Abad reached down and hesitated as his hands hovered over his scepter.


    Could he do this?


    He grabbed it. Absolute power filled him. The Power threatened to drown him again, but instead of losing himself, this time he crushed it. The scepter bent to his will. He was his own master, no one else''s.


    The second he grabbed the scepter, Kasimir screamed, and a wave of magical energy surged off the man like the sun itself. A howling filled the air, and the room shattered.


    Without thinking, Abad leaped toward his pack, grabbed it, and drew on the scepter''s power, willing himself to be anywhere but there.


    [Teleportation]