The wagons creaked to a stop near a clearing surrounded by sparse woods. It was a quiet spot, far from the thick forests we’d left behind and just out of earshot of a bubbling stream that ran nearby. The sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows through the trees as everyone climbed out to stretch their legs.

Branna muttered something about her back as she hefted her axe off the wagon, while Ryn wandered off toward the edge of the clearing, his crossbow still slung over his shoulder. Aedric and Lira began unpacking supplies for lunch, their usual quiet banter a little more subdued after the rough week we’d had.

Sid dismounted from the lead wagon, his boots crunching against the dirt as he approached me. “Sigvard,” he said casually, though his tone was sharper than usual. “Help me check the perimeter. Make sure we’re alone out here.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Uh, yeah, sure.”

He motioned for me to follow, and we stepped away from the group, weaving through the trees that bordered the clearing. The others didn’t seem to pay us any mind, too focused on their tasks or catching a break after the long ride.

We walked in silence for a moment, the sound of leaves crunching underfoot the only thing breaking the stillness. I glanced at Sid out of the corner of my eye, trying to read his expression, but his face was unreadable, his jaw tight, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

“Something wrong?” I asked hesitantly.

Before I could process what was happening, Sid turned sharply and shoved me hard against the nearest tree.

The bark scraped against my back as his forearm pressed against my chest, pinning me in place. His face was inches from mine, his sharp eyes narrowed with suspicion and something darker—anger, maybe even fear.

“What are you?” he demanded, his voice low and sharp.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I sputtered, struggling against his grip.

“Where is Sigvard?” he growled, his grip tightening. “The real Sigvard. Is he still in there, or are you just wearing his face?”

“I am Sigvard!” I snapped, my heart racing. “What the fuck, Sid? Let me go!”

“I can see your class,” he said, his voice cold. “You came out of that portal from the darkness. Your class isn’t ‘Ranger’ anymore—it’s Shadow. So tell me, what the hell are you?”

“I don’t know what’s happening!” I shouted back. “But I am Sigvard! I saw it too, alright? My class changed. I don’t know why, I don’t know what it means, but I’m still me!”

Sid’s eyes bore into mine, his expression unrelenting. “Don’t lie to me. I watched you come out of that portal. You went in a Ranger and came out… something else. Is Sigvard still in there, or are you something new?”

“I am Sigvard!” I yelled, the panic rising in my chest. “I swear to you, Sid, it’s me! I don’t know what’s happening, but I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t choose this!”

His grip didn’t loosen. “Then why didn’t you tell me? Why the hell did you hide it?”

I froze, my mouth opening and closing uselessly. The truth burned at the back of my throat, but I couldn’t make myself say it.

“Answer me!” he barked, his forearm pressing harder against my chest.

Finally, I forced the words out. “I thought you’d kill me!”

His grip loosened slightly.

I sucked in a shaky breath, the pressure on my chest easing just enough for me to keep talking. “I didn’t know how you’d react, Sid. You’ve seen what corruption does to people in this world. You’ve killed things like me! I thought—if I told you—you’d think I was one of them.”

Sid’s jaw tightened, and he stared at me for a long, tense moment. His hand still gripped the hilt of his sword, and for a second, I thought he might actually draw it.

But then his shoulders sagged slightly, and he stepped back, lowering his arm.

“You’re scared,” he said, his voice quieter now. “But you’re also stupid. You should’ve told me the second you saw that change.”

“I didn’t know what to say,” I muttered, rubbing at my chest where he’d pinned me. “I don’t even know what it means. I saw the abilities… I thought maybe I’d just figure it out on my own.”

Sid’s eyes softened slightly, though the tension in his posture didn’t ease. “Abilities?”

I nodded hesitantly. “Yeah. Corrupt Weapon. It… it lets me summon a weapon made out of this black… stuff. It’s like ink, but it hardens into a blade. I tried it back at the camp, while you were fighting the hag. I don’t know what else it does.”

Sid ran a hand through his hair, letting out a long sigh. “Gods, Sigvard. Do you have any idea how dangerous that sounds?”

“I know!” I snapped. “You think I’m not freaking out about it too? I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I haven’t hurt anyone. I haven’t changed. I’m still me, Sid.”

He watched me carefully, his sharp eyes scanning my face like he was searching for something—some sign, some clue that I was lying. Finally, he let out another sigh and crossed his arms.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll believe you. For now.”

“For now?” I echoed, my chest tightening.

“Until you give me a reason not to,” he said bluntly. “But if you hide something like this from me again, I won’t be so understanding. Got it?”

I nodded slowly. “Got it.”

Sid stepped back, glancing over his shoulder toward the clearing where the others were still unpacking. “Let’s get back to camp. Don’t say anything to the others yet. If you really don’t know what’s going on, we’ll figure it out. But until we do, we keep this between us.”

I hesitated but nodded again. “Alright.”

Sid turned and started walking back toward the camp, his posture tense. I followed a few steps behind, my mind racing.

The fear in his eyes, the suspicion in his voice—it hadn’t gone away completely. He might’ve believed me, but I knew I hadn’t won him over entirely. And the truth was, I wasn’t sure I could win him over.

Because I wasn’t sure I believed myself.

Sid stopped mid-step as I called out. His shoulders tensed, and he turned back toward me, his sharp eyes narrowing. “What now?”

“What’s the Darkness?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended, but the weight of the question made my chest feel tight.

He studied me for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a sigh, he leaned back against a nearby tree, crossing his arms.

“Well, you’re still just clueless,” he muttered, rubbing his temple like he was trying to figure out how to explain something he didn’t want to think about. “The Darkness isn’t just corruption. It’s… bigger than that. There are other worlds, Sigvard. Other universes separate from this one. Sometimes, portals—like the one you fell into—connect those worlds to ours. But here’s the thing: I’ve been through a portal or two, and I’ve heard the stories of people who’ve seen more. Those worlds? They’re never good places.”

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

I stayed silent, listening intently.

“The Darkness is one of those worlds—or, more accurately, a world that used to be like ours,” Sid continued, his voice lowering. “The stories say it was a world full of light, like ours. Maybe better than ours. But something came into that world—some kind of force or being—called The Darkness. It took over. Not just a city or a kingdom, but the entire universe. It corrupted everything. Twisted it. Blotted out the stars and plunged the whole place into eternal blackness. Nothing in that world was left untouched.”

My hands clenched instinctively, my breath coming faster as he spoke.

“From what I’ve heard, no one survives in that world unless they’re corrupted—completely enslaved by the Darkness. Anything pure or untainted is destroyed. And anything tainted becomes part of it. Its armies. Its influence. Its spreading corruption.”

I couldn’t breathe. I felt like the air had been sucked out of my chest.

“Why would the hag want to risk letting something like that come here?” I asked, my voice shaking.

Sid shook his head. “I don’t know. Hags aren’t exactly known for their logical thinking, Sigvard. They’re ambitious, desperate, and always seeking power, no matter the cost. Maybe she thought she could control it. Maybe she wanted to bargain with it. Maybe she was just insane.” His jaw tightened. “But whatever her reasoning, opening that portal could’ve brought disaster to this world. You’re lucky it didn’t. We all are.”

The weight of his words hit me like a hammer. My mind raced with questions, but one rose above the others, sharp and unavoidable.

“Am I a danger to this world?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Sid stared at me for a long moment. His face was unreadable, but his silence spoke volumes. Finally, he exhaled through his nose and said, “I don’t know.”

That answer didn’t help the tightness in my chest.

“The portal you came through—it was sealed when you came back. The corrupted creatures didn’t seem to spread their taint to anything else in the swamp, and from what we saw, the corruption stayed contained to them and the portal itself. So… I think we avoided a world-ending event. But…” He trailed off, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied me. “You’re the unknown here. If the Darkness is still connected to you somehow… Well, we’ll have to deal with that if it happens. For now, we’ll hope that being in another universe severs its hold on you. That’d be the best-case scenario.”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “And if it doesn’t?”

Sid didn’t answer. He just looked at me, the faintest hint of unease flickering behind his sharp gaze.

Finally, he stepped forward and motioned toward my arm. “Let me see it. The black ink.”

I hesitated. The memory of the cold, writhing ink sliding down my arm made me shiver, but I knew he wouldn’t let this go. Slowly, I nodded and focused on the ability Corrupt Weapon, willing the blackness to return.

It happened faster this time. The chill spread down my arm in seconds, and the thick, oily ink poured from my forearm, moving like it had a mind of its own. It twisted and writhed, pulling itself together as it solidified into a weapon.

This time, I shaped it into a sword again, and the ink obeyed with a strange, fluid ease. The hilt formed in my palm first, cold and solid, followed by the blade—a jagged, obsidian-black edge that shimmered faintly in the light filtering through the trees.

Sid watched the whole process intently, his face unreadable.

The sword felt heavier this time, but not in a physical sense. It carried an odd weight in my chest, like a part of me had been taken and reshaped into this weapon. I gripped the hilt tightly, feeling the faint hum of energy radiating from the blade.

“I’m faster at making it,” I said quietly. “With practice, I think I could make it almost instantly.”

Sid reached out, his hand hovering just above the blade, but he didn’t touch it. His eyes narrowed as he studied the weapon, the faint traces of ink still writhing near the hilt.

“Well, damn,” he muttered after a long silence. “I guess you won’t need to buy weapons anymore.”

I snorted, the faintest trace of humor slipping through my tension. “Yeah, well, I’d rather not rely on this thing if I don’t have to.”

Sid straightened, his expression hardening. “Show no one. Not until we have a better sense of how people will react. The Guild? The Empire? Even the Con? They see that weapon, or they hear about your class, they’ll assume the worst.”

I nodded. “I wasn’t planning to.”

Sid turned away, running a hand through his hair. “Good. For now, keep it hidden. Practice with it when you’re alone, but don’t let anyone see it. Not until we know if this thing is more of a blessing or a curse.”

I released the sword, and the black ink dissolved into tendrils of smoke before vanishing entirely. The weight in my chest eased slightly, but it didn’t disappear.

“Sigvard,” Sid said, glancing back at me. “This thing—this corruption—it’s dangerous. To you, to us, to the world. But for now… it hasn’t turned you into a monster. Keep it that way.”

I didn’t argue. I wasn’t sure I had the strength to.

The city felt louder than ever as we rolled in, the usual hustle and bustle of people going about their lives overwhelming after the quiet desolation of the swamp. The clatter of wagon wheels on cobblestone, the calls of merchants hawking their wares, the laughter of children running through the streets—it all seemed almost surreal, like I’d stepped into a completely different world.

The others were already dispersing as soon as we hit the guildhall. Branna muttered something about needing a drink and headed straight for the tavern. Ryn disappeared without a word, probably off to tend to his weapons or brood in some corner. Aedric and Lira were laughing softly to each other, talking about something only they could hear as they headed toward their quarters. Even Sid, normally the last one to relax, seemed relieved to be back, though he only gave me a quick nod before heading upstairs.

I walked into the guildhall without a word, my mind too heavy to process any of the noise or movement around me. Mason greeted me from behind the counter with his usual polite smile, but I didn’t even acknowledge him. I just walked straight past, up the stairs, and into my room.

As soon as I closed the door behind me, I collapsed onto the bed, the rough mattress groaning under my weight. I didn’t even bother to take off my boots or my gear. I just laid there, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts running wild.

Why me?

The question circled through my mind like a vulture, picking at every doubt, every fear, every fragment of uncertainty I had.

Why was I in this world? Out of all the people, out of all the lives… why me?

I thought back to the beginning. Waking up in that cell, confused and disoriented. Choosing Ranger because it seemed like the safest option, the least complicated class. Signing up with the guild, following Sid, fighting alongside people I barely knew. At every step, I had made choices. Small ones, big ones, some I thought would make no difference.

But every one of them had led me here.

The ceiling above me blurred slightly as my eyes glazed over. I couldn’t stop thinking about the portal, the hag, the Darkness. The Shadow class. The Corruption. What did it all mean? Was there some reason for this? Some purpose behind everything I’d been through? Or was it all just… chaos? A random string of events that dropped me into a world I didn’t understand, with a power I couldn’t control?

What if people found out?

That thought made my stomach turn. The people here didn’t even trust Outlanders on a good day, and I wasn’t just an Outlander anymore—I was something worse. Something touched by the Darkness. Something corrupted.

I rolled onto my side, my hands clenching the rough fabric of the blanket beneath me. It wasn’t called the Darkness and Corruption because people liked it. The stories Sid had told me, the fear in his voice when he talked about what the Darkness had done to other worlds—it wasn’t something people would forgive. If they found out, they wouldn’t hesitate to turn on me.

My mind wandered to the black ink, the weapon that felt like an extension of me but also like something foreign, something wrong. I hadn’t felt any different since gaining the Shadow class—no anger, no malice, no creeping darkness whispering in my mind. If I didn’t summon the ink, if I didn’t focus on the corruption, I felt… normal.

But was that really true? Or was I just fooling myself?

I sighed, turning onto my back again and staring at the ceiling.

What did Shadow even mean? Was it just a name? A label slapped onto me because the System liked to keep things thematic? Or was there more to it? Did the class mean I was destined to become something darker, something like the creatures we’d fought in the swamp?

My eyes burned, but I didn’t cry. I just laid there, the questions swirling in my mind, looping back on themselves until they blurred into a tangled mess of fear and doubt.

I thought about Sid. His sharp gaze, his steady hand on his sword. His blunt, unwavering confidence that we could handle anything as long as we fought smart and stayed together. He’d said the portal being closed might sever the connection between me and the Darkness. That whatever corruption had touched me might be… dormant now.

I clung to that hope, though I didn’t know if I believed it.

My fingers twitched at the memory of the ink sliding down my arm, cold and alive, forming into a blade sharper and deadlier than anything I’d held before. It was a weapon that didn’t belong in this world, a power I didn’t understand. But it was mine now, whether I wanted it or not.

I stayed like that for hours, my mind spiraling into endless questions, my body heavy with exhaustion but too restless to sleep. The ceiling above me stayed the same, unmoving, unchanging, as the night dragged on.

Eventually, I stopped asking questions. Not because I had answers, but because I didn’t know if I could handle them. Instead, I let the silence settle over me, the weight of it pressing against my chest like a heavy blanket.

For now, all I could do was wait. Wait and see if Sid was right. If the portal being closed had truly severed me from the Darkness. If this world would let me stay in it, or if it would spit me back out as something it couldn’t accept.

And if I couldn’t stop being corrupted…

I didn’t let myself finish the thought. I just closed my eyes and let the ceiling fade away.