The officer's chamber sank back into silence. Noctis slipped away, the shadows swallowing him whole as if he had never been there. The man on the cot murmured once in his daze, then fell still again.
Noctis returned to the hollow within Serana's chamber, his presence threading back into stone. His eyes glowed faintly, half-lidded with satisfaction.
The trial had succeeded. A lesser officer subdued with no more than a glance. No alarm, no noise, no resistance.
But Noctis was not content.
He closed his eyes, whispering into the silence: Grid.
The lattice blossomed around him, crimson lines sketching infinite branches across the void. The great trees pulsed with familiar might: Blood Arts, Faithbreaker, Beastkin Lineage. But his eyes slid toward the new mark — the charm.
Allure's Gaze glowed faintly violet-red, nestled low within the lattice. A small rune shaped like an eye, its pupil burning with subdued hunger. He traced it with his hand, and the Grid revealed the path around it.
Minor sparks branched away from the eye — faint glyphs shaped like whorls, like hypnotic spirals.
[Upgrade Path Detected — Allure's Gaze]
Allure's Gaze II — Entrancing EyeTargets resist less. Duration extended.Cost: 80 Blood Essence + 20 Faith Essence.
Allure's Gaze III — Binding Stare (Locked)Direct mental domination possible. Victim receives and obeys spoken command. Strong-willed resist but suffer psychic strain.Cost: 150 Blood Essence + 60 Faith Essence.
Noctis tilted his head, lips curving. "So it grows. From charm, to trance, to dominion."
But his eyes narrowed at the faint locks around the third rune. His Perception and Will burned strong — yet not strong enough. He needed more. Until then, the true domination would remain sealed.
He looked at his reserves. Enough to push into the second tier, at least. He extended his hand, funneling essence into the node.
The rune shuddered, sparks cascading across the lattice. The eye flared open wider, its glow deepening. Power coiled behind Noctis's own gaze, pressing harder, hungrier.
[Allure's Gaze Upgraded → Entrancing Eye]
The weight behind his eyes sharpened, no longer a mere pulse but a steady, irresistible pressure. He could almost feel it bleeding out now, the subtle magnetism of his presence tightening like a noose around any who met his stare.
He blinked, and the shadows bent faintly, drawn into the golden-red burn of his irises.
Noctis closed the Grid, sitting still in the hollow. He focused inward, letting the charm coil, then loosening it. The air seemed to thicken when he concentrated, as if the world itself wanted to bow to him.
He thought of the officer's slack face, his trembling obedience. That was only the beginning. The next will kneel longer, deeper. And once I meet the requirements, they will not only kneel — they will obey.
His lips parted, fangs flashing in a slow smile.
"The barracks will become my stable. One by one, without a blade drawn, without a cry heard. Until even their captains bend to me."
Above him, Serana slept still, oblivious. Her breath was steady, her body stronger since the healers' work. But her veins carried secrets he would drink again.
Noctis leaned back into the stone, satisfied. His Grid had grown. His eyes carried new weight. The barracks was his hunting ground, and now his prey had no chance of escape.
He closed his eyes at last, the night curling around him.
Soon, he would test Entrancing Eye on stronger prey. And after that — when his Perception and Will sharpened further — he would claim Binding Stare, and true dominion would begin.
The barracks slept. The torches guttered. Above, Serana's even breathing drifted through the wood, a rhythm of strength returned.
But beneath, in the hollow cut from stone, another rhythm pulsed — hunger.
Noctis's eyes opened, gold and crimson burning with intent. The Grid still shimmered behind his lids. Binding Stare. He could see it clearly: the sealed rune, the requirements glowing like chains.
He was close. Too close to wait.
He slipped into shadow, moving through the city's veins. Patrols tied in pairs muttered as they walked, ropes taut between them. Their eyes glanced often to the dark alleys where men and women had vanished.
Noctis flowed past them, unseen. Beyond the gates he went, into the countryside where cottages huddled against the night.
The first farmhouse he entered was silent. A family of four lay dreaming in the warmth of their hearth. He drank swiftly, efficiently, his fangs drawing essence before shadows devoured the bodies whole. The room was left empty, the fire crackling over nothing but silence.
He moved to the next. And the next.
With each Devour, his reserves swelled.
Hours later, standing in a moonlit clearing ringed by ash trees, he raised his hand. The Blood Grid unfurled, crimson veins stretching infinite. He sought the sparks nearest his thresholds.
A pale-white flicker on the Perception line.
[Perception Node — Minor V]Unlocks +10 Perception.
Cost: 15 Blood Essence + 1 Beast Essence.
He poured essence in. The rune shattered, light cascading into his eyes. The forest erupted into clarity — every branch's sway distinct, every beetle crawling beneath bark visible, every heartbeat within a hundred paces ringing in his ears.
[Perception +10]
His sight sharpened, now cutting through shadow like blades through silk.
Next, violet.
[Will Node — Minor IV]Unlocks +10 Will.
Cost: 25 Faith Essence.
He bled Faith Essence into it. The rune burst, fire searing into his skull. His mind solidified, pressure hardening within like a fortress wall. The whisper of Faith, the sting of holy essence, dimmed further.
[Will +10]
He exhaled, steam curling into the cold air. His smile was feral.
He closed the Grid, flexing his senses. The forest trembled with detail. His will sat iron-bound, steady as bedrock.
But it was not enough.
Perception: 230 required. He stood at 230 now.
Will: 250 required. He was at 245.
Close. So close.
He hunted further. Wolves crossed his path, their yellow eyes wary. He let them flee, then caught one with a flicker of shadow, dragging it to him. His fangs sank deep, the beast's essence flooding his veins.
Devour.
The body dissolved, Beast Essence pooling within. He drank two more from the pack, their growls fading into silence.
He stood among the ashes of their departure, the night itself seeming to retreat from him.
One More Push
He summoned the Grid again. A violet spark burned faintly, close to the Faithbreaker branch.
[Will Node — Minor V]Unlocks +10 Will.
Cost: 25 Faith Essence.
He pressed into it, feeding essence. The rune cracked, flared, and poured into him. His thoughts became a blade, his will a steel bar. The faintest flicker of doubt vanished.
[Will +10]
The lattice hummed. Binding Stare pulsed faintly now, the locks shuddering. The requirements had been met.
Noctis closed the Grid, his smile sharp as a wound. His eyes burned brighter, shadows bending toward them.
The path was open.
"Tomorrow night," he whispered into the clearing. "I will claim it. And when I do, no officer, no commander, no priest will resist me. Their eyes will meet mine, and they will serve."
He vanished into shadow, his laughter low and cold.
The bells of dawn tolled softly across the city, their chimes rolling over rooftops and echoing through the barracks yard. Sunlight crept between shutter slats, spilling gold across stone and steel.
Serana stirred with the warmth. She turned onto her side, the weight of sleep easing from her limbs. When her eyes opened, the light startled her — not for its brightness, but for how clearly she felt it.
Her hand rose instinctively to her cheek.
Warm. Full.
The pallor that had haunted her for days was gone. No shadow marked her skin, no hollow lingered beneath her eyes. The mirror-polished basin beside her cot reflected back a face flushed with life, her lips touched with rose in the morning glow.
She sat up quickly, startled at her own strength. Her breath drew deep without effort. Her legs bore her weight without faltering.
It was as if the fatigue of the last week had been no more than a dream.
The healers who checked on her stopped in their tracks.
"Lieutenant Serana?" one murmured. "You—your color…"
Another pressed fingers gently to her wrist, eyes widening. "Pulse steady. Stronger than yesterday. And your skin—there is no trace of the pallor at all."
Serana offered only a faint smile, half-shrugging as she stood. "Perhaps I only needed sleep. You worry too much."
The healers exchanged doubtful looks, but she ignored them. Her boots found the floor firmly. Her stride was measured, even powerful, as she crossed the chamber toward the door.
By the time she stepped into the barracks yard, sunlight lit her fully. Soldiers looked up, murmurs rippling.
"She's radiant."
"Yesterday she looked as though she'd collapse again."
"Is this… a miracle?"
Their whispers trailed her as she moved with authority, speaking orders in a voice clear and steady.
In her chamber, silence lingered.
Beneath the stone, within the hollow carved unseen into the wall, Noctis lay still. His eyes were closed, his breath shallow as he drifted in predatory rest.
He had drunk from her the night before, but only lightly — a measured taste, enough to claim essence without draining her strength. Her blood still carried power, yet he had left her with vigor to spare.
The result now glowed above him. Her vitality restored. Her face touched with life. Her body stronger than it had been in days.
He smiled faintly in his half-sleep, lips curling against the stone.
Perfect. She recovers. Which means she can be taken again. And again.
The Grid pulsed behind his lids, the charm paths humming softly, Binding Stare waiting to be claimed. But for now, the predator let himself sink back into the hollow, satisfied. His prey was ripening beautifully.
Outside, sunlight bathed Serana in gold. Her face was warm, her cheeks alive with color. She carried herself as if renewed, a rosary of strength strung bead by bead across her stride.
The soldiers saw a commander reborn.
She did not know the truth. That her radiance was not hers alone, but the glow of blood measured, taken, and left behind to bloom anew.
And beneath her very walls, the shadow that drank her life slept, smiling.
The sun dipped low, spilling its last embers across the rooftops. In the barracks, torches sparked to life one by one, their smoke curling into the cool air. The guards tied their ropes again, muttering uneasily as they stepped into their night patrols.
Inside Serana's chamber, quiet lingered. She had left hours earlier to resume her duties. Alone, the shadows deepened — until a ripple stirred within the wall.
Noctis opened his eyes. Crimson light burned faintly in the hollow.
Night had come. And with it, the promise he had waited for.
He rose from stone like smoke, his body half-formed until the shadows settled. His hand lifted lazily, and the Blood Grid bloomed into view. Crimson lattice stretched across the chamber in lines only he could see, the great branches glowing like arteries in the void.
Blood Arts pulsed. Faithbreaker hummed faintly. Beastkin Lineage growled with its new essence. And there — violet and red — the path of the eye.
Allure's Gaze.
Entrancing Eye.
And beyond them, locked but trembling, the third rune.
Binding Stare.
Its pupil glowed faintly violet, surrounded by glyphs like chains. Requirements etched into its surface pulsed in faint script:
[Requirements Met]Perception ≥ 230 (Current: 230)Will ≥ 250 (Current: 255)
Noctis smiled.
"At last."
Unlocking the Seal
He reached toward the rune. The chains rattled, then split. The cost shimmered across his vision:
[Binding Stare — Tier III]Direct mental domination possible. Victim receives and obeys spoken commands. Strong-willed resist but suffer psychic strain.
Cost: 150 Blood Essence + 60 Faith Essence.
He fed essence into it without hesitation.
Blood bled from his reserves, rushing like a flood. Faith followed, burning bright as it was consumed. The rune flared, its eye widening until it filled the lattice with violet-red fire.
Chains snapped. Glyphs screamed. Shadows bent inward.
[Skill Acquired — Allure's Gaze III: Binding Stare]
The weight crashed into him. His vision swam, not with weakness but with intensity. The world itself seemed to pause beneath his gaze. When he blinked, shadows recoiled, then bent low, as though kneeling.
His irises burned golden-red, but deep within, a second ring flared — violet, cold, commanding.
Noctis exhaled slowly, letting the power settle. The room itself felt like prey now. He let his eyes drift to the torchlight flickering through the shutters. It bent faintly, as though bowing.
The thought thrilled him.
He whispered, voice barely audible. "Kneel."
The shadows in the chamber seemed to collapse lower, pooling at his feet. A hallucination perhaps — or proof of what awaited any who met his gaze.
He tilted his head, lips curling into a smile.
"Yes. Tomorrow, an officer. A captain. Perhaps even Serana herself. Let us see what the Faith-bound do when their will is mine."
The Grid faded, closing like a crimson book. Noctis leaned against the wall, content. His hunger stirred still, but tonight it was less sharp. His new gift was enough to satisfy.
He let his eyes dim, though the violet ring glowed faintly even as he rested.
Tomorrow, he would test it. Tomorrow, the barracks would learn what it meant not merely to obey orders, but to obey him.
In silence, the predator closed his eyes. The night stretched on, and shadows bent closer, loyal to their new master.
The barracks yard filled with the noise of dawn drills. Steel clanged, boots hammered the stones, voices barked orders. The ropes still bound pairs of soldiers on night patrols, but now they were frayed, weary of the ritual. Whispers lingered in the halls: missing civilians, odd exhaustion among the ranks, strange shadows glimpsed in the barracks corridors.
And Serana.
She walked among them, helm tucked under one arm, her stride crisp. Sunlight kissed her face, her cheeks no longer pale but flushed. The healers claimed a miracle. The soldiers whispered of divine blessing.
Serana herself only sighed. "Stop staring. Train harder."
Their admiration did not wane.
The Hollow's Patience
Beneath her chamber, Noctis listened. He remained still in the hollow, shadows draped around him like a second skin. The new gift burned behind his eyes — Binding Stare. Its weight pressed outward even when dormant, as though the world strained to kneel whenever he opened his lids.
He wanted to test it.
The thought gnawed at him: to slip into another officer's room, fix them with his gaze, and speak the word. To watch them collapse, their will broken by his eyes alone.
But he did not move.
No. That would be wasteful. He had already subdued lesser prey. His charm had been proven on the weak. This new power — it deserved a test worthy of its strength.
And only one in these walls suited that role.
Serana.
Watching the Rose
That evening, when drills faded and the yard quieted, he rose within his hollow and listened.
She returned late, her boots heavy, her voice hoarse from command. The latch of her chamber clicked shut. She shed her armor piece by piece, setting sword and gauntlets aside.
Noctis's eyes burned faintly, following her movements through the slats in the wall. Her face was flushed, not with fatigue but with the heat of exertion. She had recovered fully. A commander in her prime, not the pale shadow she had been.
He smiled faintly. Yes. Strong-willed. Perfect.
The Binding Stare
She lay on her bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling.
That was enough.
The wall parted. Noctis emerged like smoke, crimson eyes opening in the dark.
She sensed it — a prickle of cold across her skin. She sat up sharply, hand reaching for her sword.
And her eyes met his.
His gaze ignited. The violet ring flared behind gold and crimson, his stare burning like a seal carved into the world. The air thickened. Shadows bent.
Serana froze. Her breath caught. Her hand trembled halfway to her weapon, but would not move further.
"Be still," Noctis whispered.
Her body obeyed. Her muscles locked in place, her chest rising and falling shallowly. Her will strained — sweat beaded her brow — but the violet ring pulsed, and resistance shattered. Her eyes glazed, entranced, caught fully in his stare.
The First Command
Noctis stepped closer, savoring the sight of her bound without chains.
"Offer me your blood."
Her lips parted. Slowly, mechanically, she tilted her head to the side. Her hand brushed back her hair, baring her neck in supplication.
Noctis's fangs gleamed as he leaned close. His tongue traced her skin once before he bit down.
Hot blood surged into him. Serana gave a soft moan, her face flushing crimson. Her body shivered beneath the hypnotic hold, her will suspended.
Noctis drank deeply, enough to taste her essence, then drew back.
The Gatekeeper Experiment
The Grid shimmered at once, script unfurling before his eyes.
[Fatekeeper Experiment: Confirmed]
New Branch Progression viable through entranced feeding.
Repeatable with officers and commanders.
Noctis's smile widened. "So it works again. Not just once. A fountain I can return to."
He wiped the blood from her neck with his thumb, then willed the wound closed. Smooth skin replaced punctures, leaving no trace.
Her eyes remained glazed, body obedient, waiting for command.
"Sleep," Noctis ordered.
She nodded faintly, lying back onto her bed. Within moments her breathing deepened, her body limp in the trance of exhausted slumber.
Noctis stood over her, crimson eyes gleaming with triumph.
Tomorrow, he would turn this gift on the others. Captains, lieutenants, commanders. He would bend them one by one, until the barracks was his dominion.
He slipped back into the hollow, the shadows welcoming him. His smile lingered as he closed his eyes.
Morning light spilled across the barracks like molten gold, seeping into every crack in the stone. The clang of steel came first, then the barked cadence of drills, and soon the yard hummed with familiar rhythm.
Within her chamber, Serana stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open, lashes catching the sunlight that pressed through the shutters. She sat up slowly, then paused, brow furrowed.
She expected fatigue. The lingering heaviness that had haunted her mornings for days. Instead, she felt… fine. Strong, even.
Serana rose, swinging her legs over the bed. Her body obeyed without resistance. She inhaled deeply, surprised by how steady her breath came. Her reflection in the polished basin showed a commander flushed with health, her face radiant in the dawn light.
Her fingers brushed her neck. Smooth skin. No mark. No tenderness.
She shook her head and pushed the thought away. It was just another night of rest. That is all.
Serana dressed into her armor, buckling straps with practiced speed. The weight of steel settled comfortably across her shoulders. She belted her sword, squared her shoulders, and strode out of her chamber as if nothing had transpired.
The barracks yard greeted her with the crisp scent of steel and sweat. Drills were already underway, officers barking orders, recruits stumbling into formation.
"Lieutenant Serana!" A sergeant snapped a salute.
She returned it, voice sharp, commanding. "Tighten the line. Your left flank drifts. Discipline it."
The man obeyed at once, shouting to his unit.
Through the day she oversaw patrol schedules, reviewed reports of missing civilians, and met with captains to discuss tightening the night watch. Speculation ran wild — whispers of rogue mages, unseen beasts, even vampires.
She cut those whispers short with firm words. "We will act on evidence, not fear. Until then, maintain your discipline."
Her clarity, her energy, reassured them. More than one soldier remarked that she looked renewed — as though divine blessing had touched her.
Serana only nodded, pressing forward with her duties.
Meals came and went. The sun arced high, then dipped. Reports piled across her desk, parchments of testimony and patrol notes. She read them carefully, making notations, her hand steady.
Not once did she falter. Not once did she let slip that anything had happened.
Because to her, nothing had. She remembered her duties, her drills, her day. The night before? A blur. A dream half-remembered, already dissolving.
As dusk bled into the horizon, the yard emptied, soldiers returning to their posts. Torches sparked along the walls, ropes were tied between paired patrols, and the uneasy rhythm of the barracks night began again.
Serana retired to her chamber. She removed her armor piece by piece, laying it carefully aside, and stretched with a sigh. Fatigue from the day tugged at her muscles, but her core remained strong. She slid beneath her blankets, allowing her eyes to close.
The chamber sank into quiet, the world narrowing to her soft breath and the whisper of night wind through the shutters.
Beneath the stone, in the hollow no one knew, Noctis opened his eyes.
Crimson and violet light shimmered faintly in the dark, his smile curling slow and sharp. He had waited patiently, letting her day play out untouched, content to see her act as though nothing had happened.
But now, night returned.
And with it, hunger.