《Abyssborn》 Chapter 1 (The Shard That Is Feared) Every person in this world has their own Fractum¡ªa power that awakens at an early age, usually around five. But for Nait Elstein, it awakened when he was only one year old. The first case in all of human history. His goal? To join the empire¡¯s strongest order¡ªThe Colossus Order.
"Every person is a shard of something greater." That¡¯s what the elders used to say. But sometimes, a shard is too big for its vessel.
¡ª This is impossible. The murmur of voices filled the dark hall. Tall figures in black robes sat around a massive, round table. Their eyes were locked on a small child sitting in the center of the room. Nait Elstein. Only one year old. And yet, he had already awakened his Fractum. ¡ª No one in history has ever awakened their power this early! ¡ª What if he¡¯s unstable? This could lead to disaster! ¡ª We must¡­ The child stared at them with steel-gray eyes. He did not cry. He did not scream. He showed no fear. And at that moment, they all understood¡ª He was not an ordinary child.
10 years later¡­ The Empire is divided into castes. Some are born weak. Others shape the fate of the world. Everyone has a Fractum¡ªa power that defines their place in this society. But when a Fractum awakens too early¡­ ¡­it is not the world they fear. The world begins to fear them.
Nait Elstein lived on the outskirts of the Empire. His father was the best blacksmith in the region. His Fractum, "Forge Master," allowed him to create blades stronger than steel and armor tougher than stone. Nait was proud of him. But deep down, he knew¡ªhis own Fractum was something else entirely.
The School Incident The Day Everything Went Wrong ¡ª Hey, you! A group of older students blocked Nait¡¯s path. There were four of them. Their leader¡ªRandolph. The son of an aristocrat. A spoiled brat who always got whatever he wanted.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡ª I heard you have some special Fractum. ¡ª He smirked, tilting his head. ¡ª Let¡¯s see it. Laughter echoed from behind. A crowd started to gather. Nait didn¡¯t want to fight. He stayed silent, meeting Randolph¡¯s gaze. But Randolph took silence as a challenge. ¡ª What? You think you¡¯re better than me? The smirk vanished. He grabbed Nait by the collar. And in that moment¡ª He made a mistake.
Descent into Darkness The shadows beneath their feet quivered. ¡ª What¡­? They didn¡¯t notice at first. Then, suddenly¡ª The darkness flared to life. Like living hands, it grasped their legs¡ªpulling them down. ¡ª W-what the hell?! Randolph jerked back, but his body refused to move. Panic flashed in his eyes. And that¡¯s when Nait understood how it worked.
Stand still, and the darkness will consume you. Move, and you might escape.
One of the boys managed to jump back¡ªthe shadows couldn¡¯t reach him. But the other two¡­ They were already sinking. ¡ª Help!!! They screamed. But no one knew what to do. The shadows clung to them like a swamp, slowly swallowing their silhouettes. Nait¡¯s eyes remained cold. He stood still. And the darkness kept pulling them under.
The Arrival of Zane A quiet chuckle came from behind. ¡ª Damn, dude, what kind of horror show did I just walk into? A warm hand rested on Nait¡¯s shoulder. He flinched. ¡ª Zane¡­ He exhaled, finally relaxing. Zane grinned¡ªa lazy, carefree smile, as if he wasn¡¯t looking at two half-conscious, terrified bullies. ¡ª Next time, give me a heads-up before you start summoning demons, okay? The shadows began to recede. The black mire seeped back into the ground. The bullies, gasping for air, scrambled to their feet. They looked at Nait like he was a monster¡ªthen turned and ran. ¡ª Yeah, keep running, cowards. ¡ª Nait scoffed. Zane just shook his head. ¡ª Alright, are you done with your edgy villain arc? ¡ª He yawned. ¡ª Let¡¯s go eat. Your aura of darkness is making me hungry. Nait frowned at him. ¡ª Are you serious?.. ¡ª I¡¯m always serious when it comes to food. A pause. Then¡ªNait laughed. ¡ª Fine¡­ Let¡¯s go. They walked away, leaving behind whispers, fear¡ª And the fading traces of darkness.
The Cafeteria The smell of melted cheese and warm dough filled the air. Nait took a silent bite of his pizza. Meanwhile, Zane leaned back in his chair, feet up on another seat, shamelessly devouring his third slice. ¡ª You do realize they want to kill you now, right? Nait slowly looked up. ¡ª Randolph? ¡ª Who else? Zane snorted. ¡ª The guy was already an asshole, but now? You humiliated him in front of the whole school. Nait kept chewing, unfazed. ¡ª So what? He¡¯ll cry to daddy? Zane grinned. ¡ª Maybe. But his daddy isn¡¯t just anyone¡ªhe¡¯s in the Senate. A heavy pause. Zane leaned forward, voice dropping slightly. ¡ª There¡¯s a rumor¡­ Nait raised an eyebrow. Zane tapped his fingers against the table, as if debating whether to say it. ¡ª They say his family has ties to the Colossi. Silence. Nait stopped chewing. Zane, pleased with the reaction, grabbed another slice. ¡ª So eat up, buddy. If they come for you, you¡¯re gonna need the energy.
Heading Home Zane yawned, stretching. ¡ª Alright, I¡¯m off. You good? Nait nodded. ¡ª Yeah. ¡ª Try not to start another apocalypse. ¡ª Me? Never. Zane laughed, shaking his head. ¡ª Sure. He turned and disappeared into the night. Leaving Nait alone.
Footsteps echoed in the silence. Home was two blocks away. Then¡ª The world shuddered. What?.. His vision blurred. The air tightened, like a collapsing bubble. Shadows bled. Streetlights stretched into dim streaks. Fractum? Nait tried to move¡ª But his body wouldn¡¯t respond.
Silence. Darkness. Oblivion. End of Chapter. Chapter 2 (Who Watches from Above) Pain. Dull, throbbing, relentless. Nait woke up abruptly, as if he had been yanked out of oblivion. And immediately knew something was wrong. He tried to move¡ªand realized he couldn¡¯t. Not because he was tied up. The space around him pressed down, as if invisible walls were crushing every cell of his body. Fractum. But not his own. ¡ª Finally awake. A voice. Calm, confident. No rush. Standing before him was a man in his mid-thirties, short graying hair, and the face of someone who couldn¡¯t care less about moral norms. He didn¡¯t look like a common thug. Too composed. Too experienced. ¡ª Name¡¯s Kaiser, ¡ª he introduced himself, looking down. ¡ª I assume you¡¯ve already realized you can¡¯t move? Nait said nothing. Kaiser smirked. ¡ª Oh, silent? Smart kid. This is my Fractum¡ª"Gravity Shackles." He lazily snapped his fingers, and the pressure on Nait increased. ¡ª Completely blocks movement but leaves one fun detail¡ªfull awareness. Kaiser crouched, grinning. ¡ª So you¡¯ll feel everything till the very last moment. "Who hired you?" Nait wasn¡¯t planning to die quietly. ¡ª Who hired you? Kaiser laughed. ¡ª I like you, kid. You¡¯re about to die, but at least you¡¯re trying to learn something. He pulled out a knife and twirled it in his hand, examining the blade like he was seeing it for the first time. ¡ª Doesn¡¯t matter who hired me. What matters is that the job¡¯s paid for. Nait gritted his teeth. Randolph. Of course. Kaiser slowly shook his head. ¡ª You know, I¡¯ve killed a lot of people, but kids¡ªthat¡¯s a rarity. He sighed theatrically. ¡ª But if a child is dangerous¡­ He pressed the blade to Nait¡¯s throat.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Cold steel against his skin. Nait couldn¡¯t move. Fractum weighed on his body, not even letting him take a deeper breath. Kaiser gripped the knife confidently, knowing his victim could do nothing. But in the next moment¡­ Someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Calmly. Casually. As if simply stopping an old friend in the street. ¡ª Yo. Kaiser didn¡¯t even have time to be surprised.
Air. Cold. An endless abyss. Kaiser didn¡¯t even realize something had gone wrong. One moment, he was looming over a helpless Nait, knife at his throat¡­ And the next¡ªa hand was placed on his head. Calmly. Casually. As if fixing his hair. ¡ª Yo. The world vanished. And was replaced by stone. A dull impact. Kaiser didn¡¯t understand what had happened. His face smashed into the wall with full force. A crack. The stone fractured, and his mind reeled from the impact. Kaiser staggered but didn¡¯t fall. Because the hand was still on his head. ¡ª Hold on, hold on, not done yet, ¡ª Zane¡¯s voice rang out. And the world vanished again. This time, Kaiser was on the ground, knees down. But not just on the ground. On his knees before Nait. In the exact same position Nait had just been in. Kaiser blinked. Zane¡¯s hand was still on his head. ¡ª Oh, this looks about right now, doesn¡¯t it? The world vanished again. Now Kaiser was on a rooftop. He staggered, looking down¡ªat Nait, at Zane, and¡­ himself? No, his body wasn¡¯t there. Only their gazes met. And the hand was still on his head. ¡ª Alright, now for the important part. Kaiser struggled. ¡ª W-what are you¡­?! But this time, the world didn¡¯t just vanish. It exploded. Sound disappeared. Weight disappeared. His body disappeared. And Kaiser realized¡ªhe was in the sky. High. Terrifyingly high. Beneath him, nothing. Only emptiness and merciless gravity. Kaiser flailed helplessly, his body twisting midair. ¡ª W-what the¡­?! Zane floated beside him, calmly watching his desperate attempts to grab onto something. Then sighed. ¡ª I was just wondering¡­ He tilted his head lazily. ¡ª Can you fly? Kaiser lunged forward, trying to grab him¡­ But Zane was already gone. And then he plummeted. Like a stone, no hope, no chance.
The Return Nait still couldn¡¯t move. Kaiser¡¯s bindings still held him, a cold, invisible weight pinning every muscle. But now, he simply watched. Zane extended a hand. In the next moment, a spear disappeared from a bandit¡¯s grip¡­ and landed in Zane¡¯s palm. He didn¡¯t even glance at it. ¡ª Alright, let¡¯s begin. The bandits didn¡¯t understand what had happened. The first charged forward, swinging his sword¡­ Zane vanished. And reappeared right in front of him. The spear was already in his chest. Zane hadn¡¯t even moved his hand. He just appeared in the perfect stance, with a weapon that found its mark on its own. The bandit exhaled, his body slackening as he collapsed. The others hesitated, wavered, but still attacked. Zane vanished again. The second fell. Appearance¡ªspear already at his throat. The third. Zane emerged behind him, spear piercing through his ribs. The fourth. Impaled before he could turn. Fifth. Sixth. Seventh. One by one. No pauses. No mistakes. No fight. The bandits never even realized they were dead. The last stood, trembling. ¡ª I¡­ I surrender¡­ Zane twirled the spear. ¡ª You surrender? The bandit nodded furiously. Zane vanished. When he reappeared, the spear was already through his chest. Chapter 3 (Phantom Reconstruction)
The next day, Randolph did not show up at school. Not exactly unexpected. Nait walked into the classroom as if nothing had happened, but he felt it immediately. Heavy stares. Some looked away the moment he turned his head. Others whispered, as if he weren¡¯t just two meters away. ¡ª They say he took him out. ¡ª At night. ¡ª Just vanished. No one¡¯s seen him since. Nait sat in his seat, ignoring them. But the atmosphere had changed. Yesterday, he was an outcast, but predictable. Today, he was a threat. Suspicions Nait sat at his desk, tuning out the whispers around him. But the silence in the classroom was different. It tightened, electrified with tension. ¡ª Hey. Nait slowly turned his head. The guy at the next desk, Roy, was staring straight at him. Not scared, but firm. ¡ª Did you do something to Randolph? The class froze. Nait didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, he just locked eyes with Roy. For a long time. Roy suppressed a nervous breath. ¡ª You¡­ ¡ª I did nothing. Nait¡¯s voice was calm. Too calm. Roy snorted, turning away. ¡ª Yeah. Sure. The whispers in the class grew louder. Nait leaned on his elbows, lacing his fingers together. "You¡¯re all so predictable." After Classes ¡ª Congrats, ¡ª Zane said, clapping him on the shoulder. ¡ª You¡¯re not just an outcast anymore. Now you¡¯re a killer outcast.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Nait gave him a tired look. ¡ª Should I be proud? ¡ª Well, let¡¯s think. ¡ª Zane made a show of pondering. ¡ª Randolph probably just went underground, but to everyone else, he¡¯s either dead or in a coma. ¡ª And that¡¯s a good thing? ¡ª Of course. Now they fear you not just out of habit, but with respect. Nait snorted. ¡ª Yeah, the whole school loves me. ¡ª Nah. The whole school is scared of dying. They left the building, walking down an empty corridor. The Shadow Nait walked ahead, not thinking much. A normal day. A normal hallway. But then¡­ Something was off. Step. His foot sank into the floor. Not completely. But the sensation was eerie. Like the asphalt beneath him had suddenly turned liquid. Nait jerked back. Normal floor. Normal shadow. His heart pounded harder. What¡­ was that? He clenched his fists, furrowed his brows¡­ And walked on. But the unease didn¡¯t leave him. Imperial Inquisition A stone plaza was enclosed by massive iron pillars. Around its perimeter stood men in black robes with golden emblems shaped like inverted swords¡ªImperial Inquisition investigators. They weren¡¯t just watching. They were recording. Every trace. Every detail. Every fragment of truth. But this time, the truth was strange. Heavy footsteps echoed across the stone pavement. An investigator noticed him first. He instinctively straightened, hands clasped behind his back, as Konrad Stein stopped beside him. ¡ª Report. The investigator glanced at the plaza before him. Corpses. Many. Over ten bodies scattered across the stones, like discarded puppets after a failed performance. But one stood out. Kaiser. The investigator cleared his throat, speaking clearly: ¡ª Mercenary group. Records indicate they operated without insignia, unofficially. All dead. He nodded toward the central body. ¡ª But the key figure¡ªKaiser. Konrad silently examined the corpse. The investigator continued: ¡ª High-class mercenary. Assassin. Operated in elite circles. Pause. ¡ª And someone crushed his skull. Konrad didn¡¯t respond immediately. He just stared at the corpse, analyzing details. Konrad Stein stood beside Kaiser¡¯s body, arms crossed. He said nothing. He simply waited. And he didn¡¯t wait long. Footsteps echoed across the pavement. Light. Confident. But with every step, the air seemed to grow heavier. Investigators parted as Lucas Dorn arrived. Tall. Clad in the pristine black uniform of the Truthwardens. No cloak. No weapons. He didn¡¯t need swords. He halted by Kaiser¡¯s corpse, tilting his head slightly. ¡ª You¡¯re late. Konrad broke the silence first. ¡ª You know I don¡¯t work fast, ¡ª Lucas smirked calmly. ¡ª I work right. Konrad snorted. ¡ª We¡¯ll see. Lucas ignored the remark. He slowly knelt, touching the cold stone with his fingertips. And in that moment, the air ignited with resonance. FRACTUM "RECONSTRUCTION" ¨C ACTIVATION. Space shuddered. As if the entire world had suddenly shattered, then reassembled¡ªnot as it was now¡­ But as it had been yesterday. Ghostly silhouettes emerged across the plaza. Everyone saw them. The investigators tensed in unison. The spectral shadows moved. Blurry. Faceless. Voiceless. But their actions were clear. They replayed the murder. Lucas didn¡¯t blink. ¡ª Let¡¯s see what really happened here.