Soulbound Ascension

"The hell is this?"

Oner's voice cuts through the oppressive silence like a blade, low and charged with restrained fury.

Inside the shimmering dome of celestial energy Zeus hastily erected, the world has been suspended. The Copper Box Arena beyond the barrier is eerily still. The roar of the crowd, the commentary echoing through the air, and even the flicker of the stage lights—all frozen, captured mid-moment. It's as if time itself has been silenced, holding its breath.

But within the barrier, the T1 roster is anything but still.

Faker floats mid-air, his body surrounded by a faint crimson glow that pulses rhythmically, like the beat of a disembodied heart. Dark smoke coils around him like a snake, slithering over his limbs and twisting through the air with an almost sentient purpose. His head tilts back, eyes closed, and his usually composed features are twisted into something unreadable—a blend of pain, fear, and something darker.

Zeus takes a slow step back, his wings unfurling—brilliant, golden, and translucent. The radiant light they cast refracts across the dome, creating shimmering patterns against the barrier. His jaw tightens as his gaze flickers between Keria and Oner. The air between them vibrates with unspoken tension, their carefully guarded secrets shattered in an instant.

"Junnie..." Keria's voice is barely audible. He takes a hesitant step forward, the small brass bells tied to his wrist jingling softly in the stifling stillness. His hand clutches the charm bag at his side, faint golden light leaking from its seams. "Are you...?" He doesn't finish.

Oner's earth-brown eyes, tinged faintly with gold, narrow, the glow from the crimson barrier reflecting in their depths. "Don't play dumb," he snaps, his tone sharp and accusatory. He jerks his chin toward Keria. "The bells. The light. That charm you're clutching like your life depends on it. I see it now. I feel it."

Keria flinches but doesn't answer. His fingers tighten around the charm bag as though it can shield him from Oner's piercing glare.

"And you," Oner continues, his gaze snapping to Zeus. His voice hardens further. "You're not exactly subtle either." His eyes dart to the faint outline of the celestial's wings, which ripple slightly as if reacting to the accusation.

Zeus doesn't flinch, doesn't back down. Instead, he squares his shoulders, his gaze equally cutting. "And you're one to talk?" His voice is steady, but the tension in his jaw betrays him. "That shadow of yours—it doesn't belong here. I've been watching it for months."

Oner's growl deepens, reverberating through the dome like distant thunder. His stance shifts, knees bending slightly, muscles coiled and ready. "You've been watching me?"

"Yes," Zeus replies evenly, though a flicker of frustration crosses his features. "Because it's my job. And I think you know exactly what I mean."

Keria steps between them, his hand outstretched. "Stop it. Both of you." His voice is strained, as though holding back a dam of emotion. "This isn't the time."

Oner turns his attention back to Keria, his eyes narrowing. "Then explain yourself. Mudang."

The word lands heavily, laced with understanding and accusation. Keria's breath catches, his face paling as though the air has been knocked from his lungs. He swallows hard, his fingers trembling. "I didn't... I didn't want you to know," he whispers. "Not like this."

Zeus exhales slowly, the glow of his wings dimming slightly as he glances at Keria. "You've been trying to help him, haven't you?" His tone softens, his gaze flicking to Faker's floating form.

Keria nods hesitantly, his eyes darting toward their captain. "For weeks," he admits. "But whatever this is, it's beyond me." His voice wavers, and his shoulders slump. "I've tried everything. He's been unraveling, and I couldn't stop it."

Oner takes a deliberate step closer, his movements precise and measured, like a predator stalking prey. "And you didn't think to tell us?"

Keria's eyes flash with frustration, his voice rising as his composure cracks. "Tell you what? That Sanghyeok-hyung was breaking apart in ways I couldn't explain? That I was barely holding him together while you were all too busy trying to keep this team afloat?"

The sharpness of his words lands like a slap, momentarily stunning both Oner and Zeus into silence.

Zeus is the first to recover, his tone calm but firm. "And what about you, Hyeunjun-hyung?" His gaze pierces Oner. "You've been hiding your true nature as well. Did you think no one would notice the way the air around you changes when you're angry? The way shadows twist unnaturally when you're near?"

Oner's jaw tightens, his arms crossing defensively over his chest. He doesn't deny it. Instead, he gestures sharply toward Faker. "I've been doing my job. Protecting the balance. But this?" He nods toward their captain, his voice edged with unease. "This is something else entirely."

All eyes turn to Faker, who remains suspended mid-air, his body eerily still save for the faint rise and fall of his chest. The crimson glow around him pulses faintly, and the dark smoke coiling around him shifts like a living thing, casting long, distorted shadows against the barrier.

Oner breaks the silence again. "Can someone explain to me what the hell just happened? And why is Sanghyeok-hyung emanating an unknown but ancient and terrifyingly dark aura? And what is that dark smoke around him?" His tone sharpens, a mix of confusion and unease. "It's threatening the balance of just and unjust intentions I am overseeing. Who—and what—is he?"

Keria shakes his head, his expression pained. "I don't know, Junnie. All I see is the total spillage of negative emotions pouring out of him." His voice is heavy with guilt. "That's what I was trying to soothe and heal over the past few weeks. But it just gets worse every day. Earlier was my last attempt... but something—or someone—interfered."

Zeus steps closer to Faker, his cerulean eyes narrowing as he studies him intently. "Interfered?"

Keria nods, his voice trembling. "It broke something inside him. And now... this."

Zeus exhales sharply, his wings folding neatly behind him as his expression grows grim. "I don't know what's happening to him either. But from the looks of it, this isn't a possession. It's a reawakening."

Oner's eyes narrow. "Reawakening?"

"Yes." Zeus's voice is steady, but his expression is shadowed with unease. "As to what kind of being he truly is, I don't know. My powers are limited to guarding and overseeing members of the Korean pantheon. I tried probing his psyche earlier, but..." He trails off, his lips pressing into a thin line.

"But?" Oner prompts.

Zeus shakes his head. "Whatever's inside him... it's not of the Korean pantheon."

The weight of his words sinks in, leaving them all speechless.

Faker's Perspective

The heat of the air burns my lungs as I gasp, struggling to make sense of the surrounding chaos. I'm not in the arena anymore.

Bodies litter the ground, lifeless forms draped across the broken earth like discarded puppets. Blood pools beneath them, its metallic stench sharp in my nostrils. The sky above is a swirling mass of black and red, fire licking at the edges of the horizon. Smoke rises in thick plumes, obscuring what little light remains.

I stumble forward, my feet crunching against shattered glass and brittle bones. The air is thick with decay, sulfur, and the faintest trace of something sweet—rotting flesh.

Screams echo around me, mingling with the screeches of creatures I can't identify. Their shapes are blurred, their twisted forms obscured by the chaos.

"Voivode..."

The voice is soft, feminine, and achingly familiar.

I turn, searching for its source, but the world seems to shift around me. My gaze falls on a shard of glass, half-buried in the dirt.

I freeze.

My reflection stares back at me, and the sight sends a cold shock through my veins.

It's still me—but it's not.

My angular features are sharper, more defined. My nose and lips are unchanged, but my eyes... they're bigger and crimson, glowing faintly like embers. My usually short-cropped hair's long and messy, ears are pointed, and when I open my mouth in shock, I see the glint of fangs.

A scream tears from my throat, echoing into the burning sky.