Chapter 11
The altar pulsed.
Not like a heart.
Like a wound.
It called to Kiro not with words, but with longing—like the soul of a starving god reaching out from the brink of non-existence. The Blood God's Core, dark and heavy as obsidian, hovered an inch above the altar stone, suspended by threads of memory. Veins of dull red ran through it, pulsing slower than any living thing should.
And yet, it lived.
"Do you wish to evolve?""Core stability required. Risk: absolute.""Begin Core Assimilation: Y/N?"
Kiro didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The instant the word left his lips, the chamber reacted. The runes above the altar flared to life in a tongue older than stars, and Blood Venom in his hand split open like a living thing—liquid steel folding back to reveal a skeletal grip now fused to his palm.
The Core burst into flame.
But it wasn't fire—it was memory. Emotion. Death.