Evolution of the Ruined Heir

Nyx was a bloom, and not even she could accomplish what he'd just done.

Many over the course of generations had tried to stop the darkness from spawning, but had failed. Even Zeniths.

The darkness pillar had never budged. Until today. Nyx glanced at the boy who seemed to keep making the impossible possible.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Malakai had fallen on the earth, breathing heavily. Closing this single pillar had taken him more than he'd ever thought possible.

"I'll be fine," he responded between deep breaths. Though he was exhausted, he couldn't hide his excitement.

"What about him?" Nyx decided to change the topic.

Malakai glanced at the other node formation man. The man had wet himself, body trembling.

He wasn't sure if it was because of what he'd just witnessed or Nyx's appearance. Regardless, Malakai lazily waved his arm, and the man was beheaded by a slash of vita.

'Not again.'

But he had no intention of going through that hell again. Not now, at least. He was too tired.

As the darkness formed, he quickly dispatched it with a thought and retrieved the vita core.

"What do you think?" he asked Nyx, who had settled down beside him.

"It's…" Nyx hesitated.

"C'mon. Speak freely." Malakai urged.

With a serious look she nodded. "Honestly, it's an amazing accomplishment. One that would sweep the dome like a storm."

"But…" Malakai smiled knowingly. "But what?"

"It won't be a welcomed achievement," she said. "The other clans and even the Sanguine would hunt you down."

'She's right.' Malakai thought to himself. It was due to one important fact.

'Closing the portals isn't rewarding.'

No darkness creatures meant no bodies for resources. No vita cores and more importantly, no vita. Without the death of darkness creatures, no new vita was being added to the world.

It meant they would only keep on consuming, never adding. They would run out of vita before they even knew it.

There was just no way in hell the other clans would sit by and let that happen. Revealing that he could close portals was akin to painting a big fat target on his back.

"What will you do?" Nyx asked, worried.

Malakai shrugged. "What we need to do. Keep it a secret."

"Yes, Malakai."

After recovering a bit, Malakai retired to his room. Though he wanted nothing more than to sleep and rest, he still had matters to settle.

'The life essence.'

While he was closing the portal, he had felt the roar of the life essence within him. After all this time, Malakai believed it was time to figure out just what he had bonded with.

'It always reacts when I'm in need.' Something he'd noticed for a while now. At the forest on his way back from Blackreach, his fight with Aurelia, and during other crises.

But now, without any danger in sight, what would happen when he swallowed this vita core? Would the life essence react?

Malakai put it to the test. Usually, until he'd done it, only death awaited those who swallowed a vita core, especially one as powerful as a grade three.

Unlike vitaeon, the core, once swallowed, exploded in a surge of vita within the body. Most couldn't handle that surge, and even those who did would find their bodies injured from within. Bodies weren't built to handle such strain so fast.

But Malakai wasn't like most people.

'I have to try.' If there was one thing he was sure of; the life essence wouldn't let anything happen to him.

'I'll start small.'

He picked up the grade two vita core he'd gotten and held onto it. Then, with a deep breath, he threw it into his mouth and swallowed.

Malakai focused on the core. As soon as it entered him, it began to shake and vibrate.

'It's about to explode.'

Yet, he still couldn't feel the presence of the life essence.

'Was I wrong?'

Malakai felt a surge of dread just as the core's trembling seized. There was a moment of silence, then it erupted.

Malakai felt an unimaginable pain hit him. It was like scalding hot lava moving through his body, searing him from the inside.

'Shit.'

But in the next moment, a warmth suddenly spread through him, and the pain vanished like it was never there.

'The vita is gone too.'

He ignored his drenched clothes, and focused inward. He frowned.

'I didn't gain any vita.'

What was going on? Where did the core go…

Malakai's eyes widened. 'Don't tell me.'

He focused inward once more. 'Did you take it?'

Rather than receiving words as response, Malakai got an emotion.

'Hunger…' He squinted his eyes. 'You want more?'

A surge of energy ran through his body.

Malakai's eyes narrowed in realization.

'It absorbed the vita.' The pieces started clicking in place.

During the other times he swallowed vita cores, his life had been in danger. So, the life essence had used the surge of vita to boost his strength.

However, now, where there was no need for the boost, it had absorbed it.

'But why? Is it growing stronger?' he asked himself, but all he received was a surge of hunger from the life essence.

'What do you think?' Malakai asked.

'Honestly, I'm not sure,' Valentine said after a moment. 'But I think the life essence is trying to tell you to feed her.'

'Her?'

Valentine shrugged. "'It' just doesn't sound right."

Malakai shook his head. 'I figured. But should I? Do you even know what the life essence is? What if making it stronger becomes a curse?'

He feared a future where it grew so powerful he couldn't control his own body.

'The way I see it, you have too many enemies already. If you don't grow stronger, and fast, the life essence will be the least of your problems.'

Malakai nodded at the words. Valentine was right.

'I'll worry about it later. When it comes.' Right now, the life essence was the only thing granting him power, and so, he had to treat it accordingly.

Malakai brought out the grade three vita core and held it to his face.

"You're hungry…" he muttered. He felt the essence roar. "Then I'll feed you."

In the next moment he threw the grade three into his mouth and swallowed.