Shadowed Ascendance: The Forbidden System

Morning light spilled across Luxaria's cobblestone streets, illuminating the grand spires of the capital but failing to penetrate its underbelly of squalid alleys. Cries of market vendors and the clip-clop of carriage horses echoed along the main roads. Yet beneath the city's bustling facade, an undercurrent of fear and intrigue simmered. Whispers spread of a sudden explosion in the slums last night—and an unsettling wave of dark magic that had flared and faded before dawn.

Reziel Blackwood limped through a winding backstreet, a trembling hand pressed against the still-seeping gash on his side. Each step burned, a vivid reminder of the knife that had nearly gutted him. He needed to tend to that wound soon. But more troubling than the physical pain was the brooding presence in his mind: the Forbidden System.

Host Vitality: Low. Advisable to stabilize injury promptly.

Next Quest Available…

He clenched his jaw. The floating text was an unwelcome reminder that the System's demands wouldn't stop. He shoved aside the translucent words and continued forward, refusing to open any new quest prompt just yet. Dark Pulse still crackled faintly in his veins, a chilling echo of the power he had unleashed on the street thugs.

I'm losing too much blood, he realized grimly. The dizziness creeping into his vision wasn't just exhaustion—it was blood loss.

Spotting a sign that read "Madge's Remedies" on a crooked door, Reziel slipped inside. The shop was small and musty, shelves overflowing with herbs, salves, and questionable bottled concoctions. Behind the counter sat an elderly woman wearing a perpetual frown.

She blinked at Reziel's ragged appearance. "We don't do charity here," she said, voice sharp as a blade.

Reziel fished into his pocket, retrieving a single silver coin. "I can pay—" A fresh stab of agony nearly buckled his knees. He braced himself on the counter, blood dripping onto the worn wood. "Something to stop the bleeding… quickly."

Madge's expression softened, if only slightly. She reached for a small jar of pale-green salve and a roll of cloth bandages. "Put that coin down. Take off your shirt so I can see what we're dealing with."

He complied, biting back a grimace as she prodded around the wound. The old woman muttered under her breath. "You're lucky. Knife missed your vitals." She slathered the ointment and wrapped the bandage tightly. Reziel let out a slow hiss, pain turning to a deep throb.

When she finished, he slid the silver coin across the counter. She pocketed it, then fixed him with a keen stare. "I've seen too many kids like you come through my shop with stab wounds. Usually they're gang runners, or in debt to bigger fish." She paused, eyeing the bruises on his arms. "You be careful. Luxaria's streets are getting worse these days."

Reziel forced a nod of thanks, tugging on his ragged coat to hide the bloody bandages. He left the shop before she could ask more questions. Though still in pain, at least the bleeding was under control. For now.

Outside, sunlight had grown bright, exposing the city's daily chaos. Crowds of laborers, merchants, and travelers poured through the main roads. But Reziel noticed more knights than usual patrolling in gleaming white armor. Knights of the Radiant Dawn carried tall spears and wore tabards emblazoned with a golden sunburst—Luxaria's emblem of order and law.

He slipped into the throng, scanning faces and listening to snatches of conversation.

"They say there was some sort of ritual in the slums…"

"I heard it was demon summoning!"

"The Knights are searching for any suspicious mages…"

Reziel's stomach churned. He was indeed "suspicious" now, with a newfound dark magic bound to his soul. If the Knights caught him, best-case scenario was imprisonment. Worse, they could label him a heretic or demon's pawn and execute him without trial. He needed to remain invisible.

Yet a hush fell upon the bystanders as a knight strode forward—Aria Highwind, though he didn't know her name yet. She was tall, clad in the polished silver plate of an official knight. Her helmet was off, revealing determined gray eyes, golden-brown hair pinned at her nape. She wore a deep frown as she stopped an older merchant to ask questions.

"You said you saw violet flames around midnight?" Aria asked, voice firm. "Tell me more."

The merchant bobbed his head nervously. "Yes, ma'am. A strange glow… like unholy magic. It came from the old quarter. Then I heard a loud bang. The next morning, I found a charred alley and strange symbols on the ground."

Aria's gaze flicked around, scanning passersby as if she could spot the culprit just by looking. Reziel's heart pounded. He tried to edge away, but the crowd was dense.

"Have you spoken to anyone else who witnessed this?" Aria continued.

"N-no, my lady," stammered the merchant. "But people are spooked. They say it's a sign of a rising dark mage."

Aria's jaw tightened. "If you see or hear anything else, contact the Knights immediately."

She turned, noticing Reziel trying to push past a couple of onlookers. Their eyes met for the briefest moment. Reziel's body tensed. Aria's stare was intense, measuring—almost suspicious. He forced a casual expression, lowering his gaze and sliding deeper into the crowd.

Once he broke free, Reziel ducked around a corner and exhaled shakily. Her presence radiated authority, and it unsettled him. No matter how tough he acted, a direct confrontation with a knight—especially one apparently investigating forbidden magic—would spell disaster. He needed to remain a ghost, at least until he understood how to control the System.

Finding a quiet nook behind an abandoned bakery, Reziel slumped against the wall, exhaustion threatening to drag him under. He pulled aside his coat to inspect Madge's bandaging; the salve had slowed the bleeding, but he still felt weak.

As if sensing his vulnerability, the Forbidden System interface shimmered into view:

Host Status

HP: Critically Low (Reduced stamina, slower reflexes)

Mana: Minimal but regenerating

Skill(s): [Dark Pulse – Tier E]

Next Quest: Available

Reluctantly, Reziel focused on the blinking text labeled Next Quest. A window unfurled.

Quest: Growth Through Conflict

The System thrives on challenge and confrontation. Seek out a threat that tests your newfound power.

Objective: Triumph over an enemy of at least equal or greater skill.

Reward: Skill Upgrade (Dark Pulse -> Tier D) or New Skill (random)

Reziel's face twisted in grim amusement. "So you want me to pick a fight?" he muttered. The System remained silent, but its meaning was clear. To grow stronger, to earn more abilities, he had to court danger. That was the path of forbidden magic, apparently—violence and conflict.

He stared at the text, a storm of emotions swirling inside him. On one hand, the promise of greater power was tempting. Surviving in Luxaria often meant fighting for scraps; a stronger ability might keep him alive. On the other hand, he already felt uneasy about the direction this was heading.

Before he could decide, a sudden shout echoed from the main street. Curious, Reziel edged out of his hiding place and peered around the corner.

A trio of knights had detained someone at a small produce cart—Aria Highwind stood at the forefront, her posture taut. Reziel recognized the battered face of one of the men he'd fought that morning—a gang member who had run off. The thug was pinned to the ground, cursing and protesting.

"I told you, lady, I didn't see no ritual! I was just minding my business!"

"Your injuries suggest a magical confrontation," Aria said coldly. "And you match the description of a known street enforcer. You might want to reconsider your story."

The man glared but flinched under Aria's steely gaze. "T-there was a kid," he sputtered. "Dark-haired, scrawny… had some weird power. He—" He hesitated. "He used something that knocked out two of my buddies. We were just—uh—trying to talk to him."

Reziel's blood turned to ice. He understood exactly what the thug was describing. Dark Pulse. If Aria put the pieces together…

Aria folded her arms, scanning the crowd again. "So you're telling me a young man wielding violet magic attacked you first?"

"Well, not exactly first," the thug said, hastily adding, "But he definitely had that weird purple stuff around his hand. Looked unnatural."

A wave of murmurs rippled through the onlookers. Aria exhaled, frustration evident on her face. "Violet magic… it's consistent with the signs from last night." She addressed her fellow knights. "Take him in for questioning. Find out whatever he knows about the boy."

Reziel's heart hammered as two knights hauled the thug away. Aria lingered, gaze sweeping the alley mouths and side streets. For a tense moment, Reziel feared their eyes would meet again, but she marched off toward a different part of the district.

He remained still, adrenaline flooding his veins. In less than a day, he'd gone from obscure orphan to target of the city's knights. And while Aria Highwind had no confirmation yet, it wouldn't take long for her to figure out a consistent pattern: an unknown mage with violet, forbidden power was prowling Luxaria's streets.

I should leave the capital altogether, he thought. Hide out in the countryside until this dies down. But a bitter truth gnawed at him: the city was the best place to lay low in terms of anonymity—so many faces, so many districts. And beyond that, he had no money, no supplies, nowhere to go.

He clenched his fists, ignoring the aching bandage. The System's quest prompt hovered at the edge of his vision, its silent urging for "growth through conflict" echoing in his mind. If he wanted to protect himself from knights, gangs, or whoever else might come after him, he needed more power. But was he truly ready to sink deeper into this dark bargain?

Reziel took a shaky breath, forcing the System interface away. For now, he'd regroup—find a safe hideout, rest, and think. Tomorrow, he'd decide if the next step was to flee Luxaria or face the city's dangers head-on with the System at his side.

Yet as he slipped back into the alley's shadows, he couldn't shake the feeling that every choice he made only tightened the System's grip on him—like an ever-present whisper, guiding him deeper into the darkness he both dreaded and craved.