Kai Arashi crouched atop a rusted skyscraper, staring at the city lights below.
Two Sigils burned faintly under his skin:
Minor Regeneration.
Minor Water Manipulation.
Pathetic by themselves.
In the Academy, students would laugh at abilities this weak.
But Kai knew better now.
The Abyss whispered to him.
Taught him.
Changed him.
Inside his mind, the System pulsed:
[Abyss Core Stable.]
[Sigil Copy Capacity: 3/10.]
[New Option Available: Sigil Evolution.]
Kai's heart thudded.
Evolution?
The screen glitched and reformed, displaying two choices.
[Option 1: Standard Copy.]
Basic use of stolen Sigils.
[Option 2: Abyss Mutation.]
Infuse copied Sigils with Abyssal energy, creating Unnatural Forms.
WARNING: Mutated abilities may have unpredictable effects.
Kai didn't hesitate.
He wasn't here to be "standard."
He pressed [Abyss Mutation].
A black ripple spread across his body.
The stolen water Sigil burned, twisted —
its symbol fracturing into a jagged, ever-shifting rune.
Pain flared through his hand, but Kai gritted his teeth.
When the darkness faded, a new ability hovered in his vision:
[Ability Unlocked: Blood Tide.]
Control the blood within your body — or the bodies of others.
Kai's eyes widened.
Blood.
Not just water.
Not just defense or splashes.
Real control.
Real power.
He flexed his fingers.
The air around him shimmered.
If he wanted…
he could squeeze the life out of someone with a thought.
Turn their blood into weapons.
A god among insects.
The Abyss laughed inside him, cold and ancient.
And for the first time in his life, Kai laughed too.
The world had mocked him.
Spit on him.
Broken him.
But now?
Now he would rewrite the rules.
One stolen Sigil at a time.
One corpse at a time.
Until nothing — and no one — could stand above him.