Bound by Essence

In a world where humans absorb monster powers—Essences—into their souls, strength is earned through blood and battle. Each person can carry up to five powers, but only the strong live long enough to fill them. Liam, a quiet boy from the peaceful village of Tharn’s Hollow, was never meant for greatness. That changed the night the sky cracked open and an ancient S-class monster fell from the stars. When the villagers struck it down, Liam approached the dying creature—and in that moment, it looked at him. Saw him. Chose him. The creature’s Essence, Eye of the Abyss, fused with Liam’s soul. Years later, Liam is nineteen and ready to leave his village to become a Hunter—one of the brave few who fight back against the rising tide of monsters threatening the world. But his path won’t be simple. His power is strange, feared, and far more dangerous than he understands. It shows him truths, exposes lies, and whispers things no human was meant to hear. As Liam joins the world of Hunters, he’ll discover that monsters aren’t the only things hiding in the dark—and some eyes were never meant to open.