The stench of blood clung to the air
Azrael lay on the cold, damp floor of the alley, his body trembling from exhaustion. Rain poured from the heavens, washing away the crimson stains on his skin, but it couldn't erase the pain. His ribs ached, his vision blurred, and his breaths came in shallow gasps.
"Pathetic."
The word rang in his ears, spoken by the man who had left him like this. A hired enforcer. Another faceless monster working for the people who wanted him dead. They hadn't even deemed him worth finishing off.
A life worth nothing.
His fingers twitched as he tried to move, but his body wouldn't listen. His stomach growled, but hunger was the least of his concerns. He had lived like this for years—running, hiding, stealing scraps just to see another sunrise. But this time, he wasn't sure if he'd make it to dawn.
A sharp, cold wind howled through the alley, carrying with it a whisper. It wasn't human. It wasn't natural.
Then, the system spoke.
[Initializing…]
Azrael's heart pounded.
[Host detected. Binding process commencing…]
He had heard rumors. Stories of people marked by something greater. Some called it a blessing. Others, a curse.
He didn't get a choice.
A searing pain shot through his skull as unseen forces latched onto his very being. His screams were drowned by the storm as a flood of information surged into his mind.
Then, in the darkness, a message appeared before him.
[Welcome to the Nightbound System.]
[Survive. Grow stronger. Or perish.]
Azrael's fingers clenched into fists. Survive. That's all he had ever known. But now…
Now, the stakes were higher than ever.