Vathis: Ashes of the Forsaken

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The Aftermath of the Village Massacre

Aeron stood in the center of the ruined village, surrounded by broken bodies and burning homes. Blood coated his hands—sticky, warm, and the proof of his uncontrollable hunger. The hunger had consumed him, twisted him into something monstrous. He had devoured them all: men, women, children. It was no longer a vague memory or a blurred nightmare—it was real. His body still pulsed with stolen life, and the taste of flesh clung to his tongue like a curse.

The sky above had darkened, as if the gods themselves recoiled from what had happened here. Yet, no divine judgment came. No salvation. Only silence.

Aeron staggered back, his breath ragged, his hands trembling as he clutched his own arms, trying to feel something other than the overwhelming emptiness in his chest.

Then, the whispers began.

From the corpses.

From the shadows.

From deep within his mind.

"Murderer."

"Monster."

"You belong to us now."

Aeron collapsed to his knees, clutching his head. His mind was unraveling, his soul sinking into the abyss. He saw glimpses of the monstrous form that had overtaken him: a hulking shadow, its endless maw filled with writhing tongues and gnarled teeth, its eyes nothing more than pits of endless hunger. The Devourer—the thing inside him—still lurked, waiting to take control once more.

"More. You need more."

His fingers twitched. His throat felt dry. The hunger hadn't completely left. If he let go—if he gave in—he would never return.

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The Arrival of Segirus

Aeron didn't sense the approaching presence at first. His mind was too fractured, too lost in his own horror. But then—footsteps.

Measured. Controlled. Purposeful.

Aeron lifted his head slowly, his bloodshot eyes meeting those of a man draped in dark indigo robes, runes shimmering along the fabric like living sigils. His long silver hair cascaded down his shoulders, and his piercing blue eyes were unreadable. He carried no weapons, but his aura was undeniable—powerful yet restrained, like a storm waiting to be unleashed.

The stranger surveyed the carnage, his expression calm, though his eyes lingered on Aeron with something almost like understanding.

"You must be Aeron," he finally said.

Aeron opened his mouth to speak, but only a hoarse croak came out.

The stranger took another step forward. "I am Segirus. A seeker of knowledge and a guardian against forces like the one within you."

Aeron flinched at the words.

"I…" Aeron tried to speak, but his voice was barely human. "I killed them. I couldn't stop. It—it took over—"

Segirus remained still, unwavering. "The Devourer's curse is a terrible affliction. But it does not have to define you."

Aeron let out a hollow laugh, raw and bitter. "You don't understand. It's not just a curse… It's me." He gripped his own arms tightly, his nails digging into his flesh. "I became that thing. I wanted to consume them."

Segirus regarded him for a long moment. Then, in a slow and deliberate motion, he extended his hand.

"There is a way to sever it," he said. "But it will not be easy."

Aeron stared at the offered hand, his mind warring with itself. Could he trust this man? Could he even be saved? Or was he doomed to descend further into madness?

The hunger still whispered, still clawed at him. But beneath it—beneath the horror—was something else.

A desperate hope.

Aeron reached out and clasped Segirus's hand.

The moment their skin touched, the world around them shifted.

---

The Purification Ritual: Confronting the Monster Within

The ruined village faded away, replaced by an abyss of swirling shadows. The void stretched endlessly, a place outside of time and reality. Runes of ancient origin hovered in the air, glowing softly.

Segirus released Aeron's hand and stepped back, his voice steady.

"We are now inside the boundary of your soul. This is where the true battle begins."

Aeron turned sharply at a deep, guttural growl.

From the darkness, it emerged.

A towering abomination, its body a mass of writhing flesh, mouths upon mouths forming and dissolving across its surface. Its many eyes—glowing pits of hunger—fixed onto Aeron with primal desire.

"You cannot remove me." The thing's voice was like a chorus of the damned. "I am you. You are me. We are one."

Aeron's breath came fast and shallow. His legs trembled. But Segirus placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Do not listen," Segirus said. "It is nothing more than an infestation. A parasite latched onto your essence. But it can be removed."

The creature let out a monstrous laugh. "You wish to separate us? Fool. He has already accepted me. He wants to devour more."

Aeron clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms. "No," he muttered.

The creature stepped closer. "You enjoyed it, didn't you? The taste of their fear? The warmth of their flesh? The power?"

Aeron shook his head violently. "No!"

"Liar."

The monster lunged.

Aeron reacted on instinct, raising his hands—only to realize runes had formed in the air around him.

He gasped. The symbols… they felt natural. Familiar.

Segirus's voice rang through the abyss. "Rune magic flows through you, Aeron! It is your true talent! Use it!"

Aeron's mind clicked into place. He traced a rune in the air, feeling the energy surge through him. The rune expanded, glowing with a bright blue light, and as the monster reached him—

The symbol ignited.

A shockwave of energy blasted the abomination back. The beast roared, recoiling as its many mouths twisted in agony. The runes seared into its flesh, burning the hunger away.

Aeron's breathing steadied. He could fight it.

No—he could win.

He raised both hands, tracing more symbols, the language of magic forming around him. The runes responded to his will, constructing a spell of immense power.

The creature let out a final, furious scream—before it was engulfed in brilliant light.

The abyss shattered.

---

The Awakening of a Rune Mage

Aeron gasped as he snapped back into reality, his body drenched in sweat. The village square remained unchanged, but something inside him had changed.

The hunger was… gone.

Not completely—but contained. Controlled.

Segirus observed him with satisfaction. "You have done what few ever could. You severed the curse with your own power."

Aeron looked at his hands. Traces of the runes still shimmered faintly along his skin.

"The runes," he whispered. "They… they were inside me all along."

Segirus nodded. "You are a rune mage, Aeron. A true prodigy. Your affinity is unlike anything I have ever seen."

Aeron took a deep breath, the weight of everything settling upon him. The hunger had ruled him for so long, but now… now he had something else. A different power. A new path.

He looked up at Segirus. "Will you teach me?"

Segirus smiled, extending a hand once more. "I will guide you. But the journey ahead will not be easy."

Aeron grasped his hand, a new fire burning in his chest.

Together, they left the ruined village, stepping into an uncertain future.

Aeron, the Devourer, was no more.

Aeron, the Rune Mage, had been born.