Kaelis felt something awaken inside him. A muffled scream escaped his lips as he clutched his chest, gasping, trying to understand the sensation overtaking him. It wasn't pain, nor discomfort — it was something entirely new, something he had never experienced before. It was as if body and soul were being rewritten by an unknown energy… and yet, strangely familiar.
The strength didn't come from outside. It emerged from within, like a slumbering star finally awakening.
This energy flooded every inch of his being, making his emotions vivid, as if he were seeing the world with renewed eyes. Soon, his body began to change as well. It was as if a small sun had been lit in the center of his chest, radiating heat in intense waves — first to his back and shoulders, then to his limbs, until it reached the tips of his fingers and toes.
Under that heat, Kaelis's bones, muscles, and even his organs were restructuring themselves, becoming denser, stronger, more alive. He felt himself being reborn — stronger, faster, more complete.
It was absolute euphoria.
With each passing second, the transformation deepened. A new confidence bloomed in his heart. The fragile boy he had been was vanishing, giving way to something different. He no longer felt vulnerable. He felt… extraordinary.
Every muscle seemed to expand and strengthen, like steel cables woven beneath his skin. With his powers now awakened — and his soul forged in the flames of the First Nightmare — Kaelis was no longer the same.
Over time, the sun in his chest began to cool. The heat gave way to a serene cold, washing over his body and taking with it all the pain and exhaustion accumulated over the years. The icy wave reached his mind… and then his back.
Kaelis felt something sprout there — a new limb, a part of himself reborn. But unlike the searing pain he had felt when making his wings erupt in the inverted world… now it was natural. Gentle.
He closed his eyes and felt the wings forming calmly.
"What a strange… sensation. So different from the pain in that cursed city."
When the transformation ceased, Kaelis opened his eyes — and he was no longer in the void.
He was inside a colossal cathedral.
But it wasn't like the Inverted Cathedral. This one was majestic. Its walls, pure white intertwined with cracked silver, exuded serenity. In the center of the sanctuary stood the statue of the Heart God — the same one he had seen chained in the profane temple… But here, it was free.
The statue held its arms slightly forward, and over its right hand floated a golden star, dark and vibrant like a sun. At its feet, there was a shallow plain of clear water, reflecting everything around like a mirror.
Kaelis instantly knew where he was.
This was his Soul Sea.
Very different from what he had imagined. He thought he would find a calm ocean under a distant sun… he had never dreamed of a cathedral, much less a deity adorning his inner sanctuary.
His eyes turned to the black sun — and then he saw them: two small orbs of light orbiting the star, like satellites trapped by the gravity of his core.
A discreet smile appeared on his face.
Those were the Memories earned in his First Nightmare: the Armor of Divine Dusk and the Sword of the White Priest. In the future, there would be dozens of orbs like these. And maybe… even a few Echoes.
Impatient, Kaelis summoned his runes. He wanted to see what had changed.
Name:Kaelis
True Name:Angel of the Broken Vow
Rank:Sleeper
Angelic Core:Dormant
Seraph Fragments:[2/1000]
Where the level of his core should have been, something unprecedented appeared: Angelic Core.
Kaelis blinked, confused. He had never heard of anyone with a different type of core. Was he… truly unique?
That anomaly explained why his Soul Sea was so unusual. And that wasn't all… just below, a new piece of information caught his attention:
Seraph Fragments.
Normally, there would be a counter for consumed soul fragments. But here, there was no such thing.
"I… have a completely different progression path from everyone else?"
The idea was as thrilling as it was terrifying. If he didn't have to compete for resources like the others, he would have a massive advantage. He could grow with unimaginable speed and freedom.
On the other hand… he had no idea how to obtain these so-called fragments.
But he already had two. Somehow, he had earned them in the First Nightmare.
"I'll have to investigate this carefully…"
Kaelis returned to the runes.
Memories:[Armor of The Divine Twilight], [Sword of the White Priest]
Echoes:–
Attributes:[Breath of Azrael], [Reflected Truth], [Weight of Unborn Wings]
Aspect:Fractured Seraph
Aspect Rank:Divine
Aspect Ability:Fractured Manifestation
Description: — The Fractured Seraph is the embodiment of salvation and judgment. The divine vessel did not ascend… He fell into the depths of darkness with the light still burning in his bones.His wings are imperfect, but his body carries echoes of his true form. When he assumes his angelic form, runes of judgment are etched onto his soul like living tattoos, his eyes ignite with arcane symbols, and his golden blood flows slowly, releasing a dark mist that seems to have a will of its own.
Kaelis shivered.
That ability… was similar to the monstrous form he had assumed in the First Nightmare. A version of himself without feelings. Without mercy.
Just thinking about becoming that again made his chest tighten.
"I hope… I never have to transform into that thing again."
Trying to push away the memory, Kaelis focused on a peculiar attribute:
— "Weight of Unborn Wings"? What the hell is that?
Intrigued, he looked at his right shoulder… and saw a magnificent angelic wing, white as snow, graceful like a living sculpture.
But when he looked at his left shoulder…
"This has to be a joke…"
The left wing was also white and angelic — but small. Undeveloped. It looked like a child's wing.
In disbelief, he read the attribute's description:
--------------------------------------------------
[Weight of Unborn Wings]— "You were born to fly, but taught to crawl."
Represents the potential contained in your incomplete angelic form.While this attribute remains not fully awakened, it symbolizes a limitation — but also the promise of brutal ascension.
--------------------------------------------------
Kaelis fell silent.
Angels were made to fly. And he… was incomplete.
"This is cruel. I suffered so much… for this?"
He knew: with those wings, he wouldn't fly.
"There's no way this could get worse, right?"
And, as if the world had heard him…
The voice of the Spell echoed.
[All power comes with a price.]
[You have received a Flaw.]
[Your Flaw is: …]
Kaelis's eyes widened as he saw the new runes.
"No, no, no… This looks way too complicated…"