Rey swallowed and finally asked what had been bothering him since earlier.
"Hey… what did you mean just now about me being alone or something?"
Veylen's expression did not change.
"You need to understand everything," he said calmly. "Especially the parts you will regret knowing too late."
He paused, as if choosing where to cut first.
"You already know we are cursed to not disrupt the balance of the world. What you don't know is the nature of that curse."
The air felt heavier.
"It is worse than death. Worse than constant pain."
Rey's fingers curled slightly.
"We are cursed to live alone. From beginning to end."
Veylen's voice was steady, but something cold lingered beneath it.
"Every member of Shadowthrone has someone they love. Always. It happens naturally. But the curse ensures we can never stay with them."
Rey frowned.
"If we do," Veylen continued, "they suffer. Slowly. Inevitably. Anyone who tries to remain by our side is consumed by corruption, despair, or death. Time heals wounds, yes… but only because it erases those who stay close to us."
Rey's chest tightened.
"This curse," Veylen said, "is also our strength."
He raised his hand slightly.
"It is called ≪Nirzveil's Covenant≫."
The name echoed unnaturally.
"It is neither purely a curse nor a blessing," Veylen explained. "It is both. It has six characteristics."
Rey listened, unmoving.
"First.
"Everything you possessed before joining the family is rewritten into the path of Darkness. Every affinity you had becomes Darkness-aligned."
He glanced at Rey.
"It does not erase them. It transforms them."
"My fire became Abyssal Fire. My light became Corrupted Radiance. My ice became something never recorded before… Ice of the Void."
A faint smile flickered.
"I am curious what your elements will become."
Rey did not respond.
"Second.
Veylen's tone sharpened.
"Everything you touch will slowly be tainted by Darkness. Objects. Land. Living beings."
Rey's heart sank.
"Yes," Veylen said flatly. "That includes those you care about."
Rey clenched his teeth.
"Third.
"Your soul becomes partially fused with the Origin itself. No curse, mental control, or soul corruption can ever affect you again."
Rey's eyes widened.
"But," Veylen added, "every time you ascend a tier… something is taken from you."
"…What?" Rey asked quietly.
"Emotion," Veylen replied. "Piece by piece."
Silence stretched.
"Fourth.
"A pure blessing. Your attack and defence increase whenever you exist within darkness."
He spread his arms slightly.
"And we are always within darkness."
"Fifth.
Veylen's gaze darkened.
"This trait turns us into calamities for those who feel desire."
Rey stiffened.
"Charm. Attraction. Obsession," Veylen continued. "All beings who see even a fragment of us feel it amplified to its peak."
His voice dropped.
"Those closest to me died because of it. The urge to touch. To approach. To stay."
A slow breath escaped him.
"They fell into corruption through me."
The room felt colder.
"And finally," Veylen said, "
Rey already felt dread.
"Death is not an escape for us."
Veylen looked straight at him.
"When we die, our souls are dragged into Darkness itself. Trapped eternally. Waiting."
Rey's pupils shrank.
"All deceased members are already there," Veylen continued. "Waiting for one among us to free them."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"Even I am not exempt. What you see now is only a shard. A projection left behind by the Will… because of you."
Rey slowly lifted his head.
"I was shocked," Veylen admitted, "to see such fondness directed at you. Enough to leave me behind."
He straightened.
"That is why I will guide you. Not out of choice. But duty."
He finished speaking and waited.
Rey stared blankly for a few seconds.
Then he muttered, half to himself, "So… this is the usual novel thing, right? Big curse, big power, lonely main character…"
His lips twitched.
"Guess I didn't even need a tragic backstory."
Aiden snapped.
"OI. OI. OI."
He shouted directly into Rey's ear.
"Get back to reality, you novel-addicted idiot."
Rey jolted.
"Huh? What? Why are you all staring at me like that?"
Victor sighed. Zero looked away.
"…Never mind," Aiden muttered.
Rey scratched his head.
"So… since I'm stuck being a cursed half-robot-human thing now," he said casually, "hand it over."
Veylen blinked.
"…What?"
"The stuff," Rey said, extending his hand. "The powerful items. Ancient artifacts. Endgame gear."
His face was dead serious.
"I'm getting those, right?"
Aiden and the others slapped their foreheads in disbelief.
Veylen stared at him for a moment.
Then he chuckled softly.
"You are shameless."
"So I'm not getting anything?" Rey asked, disappointed.
"Oh, you are," Veylen said.
He snapped his fingers.
The world twisted.
In an instant, everything vanished.
Rey stumbled—and then froze.
They stood inside a different space.
A vast room shaped like a perfect nonagon. Nine sides. Empty. Silent.
"…Are we still inside my body?" Rey asked slowly.
"Yes," Veylen replied.
He pointed upward.
"Look carefully. That is where it's hidden."
Rey tilted his head back.
His mouth opened.
"…How the hell," he whispered, "are those things inside me?"
—