The Box: Fate
Chapter 21 — The Architect's Parting Gift
The warm light of Hina's Celestial Healing was still fading when Kataki eyes finally snapped open But the relief in the room lasted only a second As soon as he regained consciousness Kataki let out a choked gasp of agony clutching his face
Suddenly thin jagged black veins began to crawl across his skin erupting from his chest and climbing up his neck like ink spreading through water These were not normal wounds; they were the "Architect's Mark"—a curse left behind by the Master of the Shadow
"Kataki! What's happening?" Akira shouted reaching out but a cold repulsive energy pushed his hand back
Kataki eyes once sharp and calculating were now bloodshot and burning He looked toward the window where the morning sun was pouring in and he screamed shielding his eyes as if the light were liquid fire
"The light... it's burning!" Kataki rasped his voice trembling Close the curtains! Now!
Zanaki rushed to pull the heavy drapes shut plunging the room into shadows Kataki finally relaxed his breathing heavy but the black markings remained etched into his skin pulsing with a faint dark rhythm
Kyoshiki stepped forward his Spirit Balance skill active He observed the energy swirling around Kataki head It is a curse of the abyss Kyoshiki explained solemnly The Master didn't just fight you he marked you Your eyes have been inverted You can no longer perceive the world through natural light To your eyes the sun is now a weapon of destruction
Hina tried to use her healing magic again but the white light bounced off the black markings She shook her head sadly My magic can heal the body but it cannot touch a curse of this level It's bound to his soul
Kataki sat up slowly his hands shaking He felt the darkness around him but he couldn't see the faces of his friends—only blurry painful shapes I can't lead... I can't fight if I'm blind to the day he whispered the frustration evident in his tone
Without a word the Hunter girl Seinaru appeared once more in the corner of the darkened room She walked toward Kataki and pulled a long silken strip of midnight-blue cloth from her belt It was embroidered with silver runes that seemed to glow with their own inner light
The Architect plays a cruel game Seinaru said her voice calm He has blinded you to the sun so that you may only see through the lens of the shadow But a hunter does not need light to find their prey
She leaned forward and carefully tied the cloth over Kataki eyes securing it firmly
This is the Blindfold of the Void she whispered It will dampen the sun's fire and allow your mind to process the curse Do not take it off Through this the darkness will become your sight
The room watched in silence Kataki sat still for a moment the blindfold covering the upper half of his face Then slowly he turned his head He looked directly at Akira then at Zanaki and finally at the window
I can see Kataki said his voice regaining its cold steady edge But it's different I see the flow of mana... I see the heat of your bodies... I see the structure of the world itself
He stood up his movements even more precise than before Even though his eyes were covered he walked across the room without hitting a single piece of furniture The black markings on his neck settled glowing faintly beneath the fabric
The Architect thought he was taking my sight Kataki said a small dangerous smirk appearing on his face But he just gave me a way to see through his illusions This isn't a curse... it's an upgrade
Zanaki laughed though there was a hint of worry in his eyes Only you could get blinded and call it an upgrade Kataki But hey if it works it works
Kataki adjusted the blindfold the silver runes shimmering He could now see the world in a spectrum of energy and shadows a perspective that no other player possessed The Master had tried to break him but Kataki had simply adapted to the new rules
We move at sunset Kataki commanded his voice filled with a new dark authority We have six more bosses to find And I can see exactly It seems there must be a solution to this in this world The game master told we that after defeating a boss a new story will begin Now we just have to find that story