Dancing on the golden ashes

Didn't you say you'd never take over?! I screamed internally, my voice echoing through the void of my mind. You've completely betrayed my trust! If it's food you wanted, I would have found you a beast to feed on—not humans. How am I better than a beast now? Am I even still human? You keep ruining my humanity!

The eerie entity inside me had taken full control of my body. It offered no reply, no acknowledgment of my despair. Instead, it moved my body relentlessly and mercilessly.

Even as countless orbs of darkness flew toward me, my body moved with swift, graceful precision. Each slice of my scythe cut through people effortlessly, the sheer skill and power behind every motion leaving me stunned. I had no idea my body was capable of such deadly mastery—it was all the entity's doing... I killed. And killed. Without stopping. Without feeling. My tongue, as though it had a will of its own, licked every drop of blood that spilled onto my lips, savoring it like it was nectar.

I had become what I feared most—a monster.

Moments later, it was over. The battlefield was silent, a grim testament to the slaughter. My body had moved with horrifying precision, a beautiful yet terrifying display of power I never knew I possessed. Or perhaps... that it possessed.

I stood alone, the last living being in this cursed place.

This world is my prison now, I thought bitterly, staring at the carnage around me. They were all innocent—every single one of them—and yet...

My thoughts shattered like glass as the taste of human flesh lingered on my tongue. The disgust I had always clung to was gone, replaced with something far worse—satisfaction. In total, forty-three orbs were consumed by me.

[Congratulations!]

[You have reached Level 25]

[Magic Control has now reached Level 20 and gained an extra element - Metal]

[Congratulations!]

[You have reached Level 26]

[Congratulations!]

[You have reached Level 27]

[Congratulations!]

[You have reached Level 28]

[Congratulations!]

[You have reached Level 29]

[Congratulations!]

[You have reached Level 30]

[A special condition has been met:]

[Advancing to Soul King...]

[Congratulations! You are now a Soul King]

[New Soul King Abilities Granted:]

[Sovereign's Domain (Darkness Prison will merge into this ability and become one):]

[The user asserts their dominance over an area, summoning a dark, ethereal domain where their powers are amplified by 20%. Within the domain, time slows by 50% for enemies, who are rendered unable to sense or see anything by normal means.]

[Soul Harvest has evolved into Soul Reaver]

[Level 1 Soul Reaver:]

[The user can now rip the soul directly out of a weakened enemy on the brink of death, instantly executing them and consuming their soul. The nutritional value is doubled as the soul has no time to dissipate.]

Fuck… at what cost?

This didn't feel like victory. It felt like a cruel joke—a spit in the face rather than a triumphant level-up.

This isn't how I wanted to grow strong...

"This is for our own good..."

The eerie voice echoed through my lips, though they no longer felt like mine. It wasn't us speaking together anymore—it was only that fucking eerie entity. Alone. Without my will.

"There are no innocent people in this world, and you know that better than anyone, Gaon..."

Its voice trailed off, cold and final. My gaze shifted involuntarily to the right, drawn behind a massive crystal. There, trembling and half-hidden, stood a woman—no older than me.

I could feel her fear. Her body quivered uncontrollably, her presence weak. Level 13, barely enough to survive in this world.

Her eyes, wide and terrified, locked onto mine. They were pleading—begging me to stop, to spare her. I wanted to... I tried to...

But no...

I thought that since I was full—since I had consumed so much—I would regain control. That somehow, I could wrest my body back from the entity.

But I didn't.

I couldn't.

My scythe moved on its own, rising into the air as though it had a will of its own. It was back to its normal form—if normal could ever describe a weapon cloaked in such immense darkness. It spun violently, slicing through the empty air with a whistle before vanishing completely.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

What's happening?! I screamed internally, panic clawing at my mind. I was supposed to be the owner of this body, yet I had no idea what was unfolding.

Then, in the next moment, my thoughts froze.

The scythe reappeared—materializing in front of the woman. She had no chance to scream or run. It sliced through her mercilessly, cutting her cleanly in half.

My hand shot forward, fingers outstretched, as though reaching for something unseen. A strange, indescribable sensation flooded me—the feeling of grabbing something ethereal.

And then I saw it.

A black orb tore free from the woman's body, wrenched from her very soul. Her eyes, once wide with terror, dulled in an instant, the spark of life snuffed out and replaced by nothing but cold, empty death.

The orb rested in my palm now, humming faintly with power. My hand moved on its own again, fast—too fast—bringing the orb to my lips as I consumed it.

A wave of foreign emotions slammed into me, fear and sorrow washed me, overwhelming and raw. They weren't mine. They belonged to her.

But instead of breaking me, they did the opposite. They strengthened me. The fear and sorrow coursed through my body, dark and unknown, filling me with power I hadn't asked for.

And I hated it.

"If you want to become stronger, this is your path," the voice hissed through my lips, its tone dripping with twisted conviction. "You must learn to spread fear into the hearts of your enemies. That fear will amplify your powers beyond measure—so high it will scrape the heavens. We will become unstoppable, Gaon. I will strip you of all your weaknesses. I will forge you into the true warrior of death. This is my mission."

To hell with your mission! Give me back my body! I screamed internally, thrashing against its control. My golden fire—it was there, I could feel it—but it was locked, caged, completely beyond my grasp. No matter how strong I had become, I couldn't access it. It was mine, yet it refused to answer me.

And then it laughed.

A wild, guttural sound that erupted from my throat.

"Ha... Hahahaha!"

The laughter echoed around me, manic and triumphant, as though mocking my struggle.

"If you think that your precious soul energy will suppress me, you're still so naive," it sneered, venom dripping from every word. "The stronger you grow—whether through the system or through cultivation—I will grow alongside you. We are tied forever, Gaon. The chains that bind us cannot be broken. Remember that, my child."

Finally, control was mine again. My knees hit the ground hard, and I crumpled, my hands trembling as tears streamed down my face.

Am I still human?

The entire place was a nightmare of blood—washed, drowned, and stained in red. The wild bonfire that had once roared with life was now extinguished, choked out by the same crimson flood.

I forced my gaze downward, my body trembling. My hands—my scythe—it was all soaked in blood. I was a killer. No, worse than that. Even humans, innocent and undeserving, could no longer escape the slaughter I brought.

How ironic.

I had thought I could become an empress—someone who would build a haven for the weak, a sanctuary where they could rest and feel protected. But what if I lost control like this again? What if it happened in my own empire? I didn't even want to imagine that horror.

I whispered bitterly into the silence, my voice hoarse and shaking. "This world is just as disgusting as the one before... Or is it like this because I'm here? Fuck... This place is a bloody mess. I should mov—"

"Ouch!"

A sharp, searing pain stabbed through my scalp—two different spots. My hands shot up instinctively, my fingers grazing something sharp and unyielding.

Horns.

I froze.

Horns?!

I touched them again, disbelief coursing through me. They were real.

"Seriously? A horn? Am I actually becoming a freaking devil…?"

I summoned my wings and rushed out of there, the air whipping against me as I fled. It was too much—far too much for me to handle.

Is my body evolving into a demon?

The thought clawed at my mind like a shadowy curse. My skills, my powers—they're all so deeply tied to darkness. And then there's the future Demon Lord title… Was this always my path? I just wanted to get out. This place was too disturbing, too suffocating.

Fuck, I don't know...

A bitter laugh threatened to escape my throat, but it turned into a shuddering breath. I love this kind of stuff. If this were an anime or a game, I'd be thrilled. A dark, overpowered protagonist destined to dominate.

But this isn't anime.

This is my reality.

Who am I now?

Am I still Gaon? Or am I becoming a merciless Death Eater, a monster that feeds on souls and leaves only death in her wake?

I don't know anymore.

It feels like I'm starting to lose myself…