Deep within the jungle, where the trees grew thick enough to strangle the light, two figures moved with silent precision. Their steps barely disturbed the undergrowth, their breaths steady as they scanned the tangled vegetation ahead. Cedric, the eldest of the two, moved first—his eyes sharp, his presence commanding. Beside him, Dumbar followed, loyal as ever, his fingers twitching in anticipation of the hunt.
Cedric was no ordinary hunter—he was the son of the Axgard clan's ruthless leader, the heir to a lineage drenched in blood and fear. The Axgard clan was infamous, feared by both nobles and commoners alike, not just for their savagery but for their mastery of something truly unnatural.
While other awakeners wielded elemental forces granted by nature—fire, water, air, earth—the Axgard clan had something different. Their power was born not from the world but from human ambition. The Dark Element, a force crafted through forbidden means, was unnatural, unstable, and violent. Unlike the organic elements, which coexisted in balance, the Dark Element consumed. It had no mercy, no restraint. It twisted and crushed, manipulated and destroyed.
Once, long ago, the Axgard clan had been one of the ruling powers. They had stood alongside the strongest elemental families, wielding darkness like an unstoppable tide. But power like that came at a price. The Dark Element was unpredictable—it corrupted those who wielded it, turning ambition into obsession, turning men into monsters. It did not enhance its users. It devoured them.
After the devastation of the War of the Blackened Sun, where Axgard warriors slaughtered thousands in their thirst for dominance, the ruling factions had come together to ban the Dark Element completely. Those who wielded it were hunted, executed, erased from history.
But the Axgard clan did not fade.
They survived, hidden in the shadows, passed down their teachings in secret, buried their influence where no law could reach them.
And now, Cedric stood in the heart of the jungle, prepared to bring more strength to his people.
Cedric raised a hand, signaling Dumbar to halt. The air here was thick, humming with something unnatural. Elemental creatures roamed this jungle, beasts imbued with raw energy, waiting to be harvested by those strong enough to kill them.
"We're close," Cedric murmured, his breath steady.
Dumbar smirked. "I hope it fights back. I'm itching for a challenge."
Cedric didn't answer. His focus had sharpened, eyes locked onto the clearing ahead. Something moved between the trees—huge, shifting, crackling with power.
Then—it emerged.
A Thunderfang Panther.
Its body was sleek and muscular, black fur rippling with veins of electricity. Each step it took sent sparks flying, its piercing golden eyes locked onto the two intruders.
Dumbar grinned. "Perfect."
The panther tensed, its muscles coiling. Then, it attacked.
Lightning burst from its limbs as it lunged. Cedric barely shifted, stepping aside as the massive creature shot past him with electrified speed. Dumbar wasn't so still—he welcomed the fight.
Dark energy pulsed from his fingertips.
A black mist seeped from his body, curling like living smoke around his arms, whispering against his skin like hungry shadows. As the panther twisted, preparing for another charge, Dumbar's Dark Element surged.
His shadow expanded, stretching unnaturally, consuming the light around them. Then—it moved.
The shadow rose from the ground, twisting into sharp, jagged spears, reaching toward the panther like grasping fingers.
The beast screeched, its body jerking as the dark tendrils wrapped around its limbs, pulling, twisting.
Cedric watched calmly.
"You're being slow," he muttered.
Dumbar grinned. "I'm enjoying myself."
The Dark Element tightened, constricting the panther's movement. The beast struggled, electricity sparking violently, but Dumbar squeezed harder.
Then—Cedric moved.
Unlike Dumbar, Cedric didn't waste time.
His dark aura flared, the shadows beneath him deepening as he stepped forward. Power hummed in the air, invisible but undeniable.
Then—he snapped his fingers.
The effect was instant.
The panther's body convulsed.
The darkness exploded inside its flesh.
Blood erupted from its mouth as the corruption spread through its veins, turning its lightning against itself. The creature shuddered, limbs locking in place.
Cedric reached out, placing a hand on its skull.
The life drained from its eyes.
A second later—it was dead.
Dumbar exhaled, shaking the dark mist from his hands. "You take all the fun out of hunting."
Cedric wiped his hand against his cloak, ignoring the blood staining his palm. "We weren't here for sport."
Dumbar sighed, kicking the lifeless panther lightly with his boot. "You always do this."
Cedric glanced toward the deeper parts of the jungle, sensing more elemental energy lingering in the distance. "One more," he muttered.
Dumbar grinned. "Fine. But this time, I get the kill."
Cedric didn't answer.
Instead, he stepped forward, deeper into the wild.
Into the heart of the darkness that had made the Axgard clan legendary.