Chapter 5: Field test
Kaine circled the Marcus-thing slowly, studying it like a mechanic examining a particularly confusing engine. The creature—his creature now—stood perfectly still in the center of the chamber, pale eyes tracking his movement with the attention of a well-trained dog waiting for commands.
The thing that had been Marcus looked almost normal if you didn’t look too closely. Same expensive clothes, same aristocratic features, same general build. But the details were all wrong. The skin had taken on a grayish pallor that made it look like carved stone in the firelight. Dark veins were visible beneath the surface, creating a web-like pattern that pulsed faintly with each breath it didn’t actually need to take.
Most unsettling were the eyes. Where Marcus had possessed the burning red orbs typical of his generation, the Ghoul’s eyes were pale and cold—like moonlight reflected off ice. They tracked Kaine’s movement with perfect attention but absolutely no personality behind them.
"So you’re a Ghoul," Kaine said, stopping in front of what used to be one of the most dangerous vampires in the city. "That’s... anticlimactic."
Marcus’s head tilted slightly at the sound of his voice, but there was no recognition there. No personality. Just empty attention and the kind of patient stillness that suggested it could stand there for hours without moving.
[TUTORIAL COMPLETION DETECTED]
[UNLOCKING SPECIAL ABILITIES...]
[CONGRATULATIONS! You have gained access to your Grave Knight abilities.]
[SPECIAL ABILITIES UNLOCKED]
Blue text flooded Kaine’s vision, displaying information that felt like it was being burned directly into his consciousness.
••DEATH SIGHT•• [Level 1]