The pendant throbbed in Jax's hand like a second heartbeat—slow, deep, and ancient. It wasn't just a power-up. It felt alive. Dangerous. Hungry.
Mel eyed it warily. "You sure you wanna keep that thing on you?"
Jax shrugged, slipping it into his jacket. "Feels like it chose me."
"That's what they say before turning into villains," she muttered.
They were back on the rooftop of an abandoned high-rise, the city glowing below like a circuit board. Drones buzzed in the distance, sirens sang far away, and yet the world felt quiet. Too quiet.
Suddenly, Jax's system flickered.
[New Passive Unlocked: Blood Pulse]
Effect:Detects hostile intent within 20 meters. Increases agility +5% when surrounded.
His eyes widened. "This thing's changing my system."
Mel raised an eyebrow. "That's not supposed to happen. Even awakened gear doesn't rewrite your class like that."
Before they could unpack it, the building trembled.
A ripple of dark energy blasted from the relic in his pocket.
"You have been marked."
"Trial of the Crimson Vein begins in 48 hours."
Jax's heart dropped. "Yo what?!"
Mel backed up. "Marked? Like… hunted?"
As if on cue, three cloaked figures stepped from the stairwell—no sound, no warning. Their eyes glowed faint red, like Jax's. One of them hissed.
"You took what belongs to the old blood. Now you bleed for it."
Jax didn't wait. He launched forward, aura flaring red, fist blazing. The first enemy dodged—barely—and slashed at him with a curved dagger that shimmered like obsidian flame.
He grunted, twisting mid-air, landing hard but on his feet. Blood trickled from his arm. The cut didn't just sting—it burned.
Mel threw a flash-sigil into the air. It burst like a camera flash on steroids, blinding everyone for a split second.
"Go!" she yelled.
They leapt from the rooftop onto a lower platform, rolling into a run as more figures climbed into view. Hunters. Marked like him. Or worse—drawn by the relic.
They ran through alleyways and rooftops, chased by echoes of growls and footsteps that never seemed to tire.
When they finally stopped in an old subway tunnel, Jax collapsed onto a bench, breathing hard.
Mel panted, hands on her knees. "Okay, I take it back. That thing definitely didn't just 'choose' you. It cursed you."
Jax looked at his hands. They were still trembling, glowing faint red. Not from fear—power. Raw and rising.
"I think it's more than a curse," he said quietly. "I think it's a calling."
Mel shook her head. "Well if it's calling, maybe let it go to voicemail next time."
They laughed—a short, breathless sound in the dark.
But in Jax's system, a countdown had already begun.
[Trial of the Crimson Vein: 47:52:09]
Whatever was coming… it wasn't going to wait.