The sigil burns into me.
Not my skin—deeper. Into my bones. My very essence.
The moment my fingers touch it, a surge of heat rushes through my veins. My body locks up, my vision whitening as something ancient, something once mine, brands itself into my soul.
And then—
I remember.
Not everything. Not yet. But fragments. Pieces of power, of knowledge, of what I once was.
A War God. A divine force of destruction. The gods' executioner.
And now?
Now, I am Forsaken.
The sigil pulses against my chest—no longer burned into the ground but etched into my flesh. Black lines stretch across my skin, forming an intricate pattern, shifting subtly as if alive.
I exhale, my breath ragged.
The power is faint, just a drop of what was stolen from me. But even a drop of divinity is enough.
I am no longer powerless.
Moments Later
The forest is silent. The Void Knight is gone—consumed by its own collapse.
But I am not alone.
I feel eyes. Watching. Studying.
Not the gods. Not yet. Something else.
I turn sharply. "Come out."
A pause. Then—movement.
A figure steps from the shadows.
The assassin.
The same one from the tower. Cloaked in dark leathers, a dagger resting easily in their grip. Their stance is different now. No longer playful. No longer amused.
Now, there is caution.
They saw.
They saw me kill the Void Knight. They saw the sigil burn into me.
I wipe the blood from my lips and level my gaze at them. "Still think I'm weak?"
They don't answer.
But their fingers tighten around their dagger.
I understand immediately.
They came back to kill me.
End of Chapter 7.
Asher has claimed his first sigil—and now, the assassin has witnessed it. Will they attack? Or does Asher have another fight on his hands? Want me to continue with Chapter 8: Blades in the Dark?