This chapter is meant to help readers understand the story a little more without revealing too much. Although, this is definitely not all and more will be explored within the story itself. Thank you for reading!

**Eshe

Eshe is the silent thread that binds existence — the invisible force that shapes both the seen and unseen. It is not a god, nor a wilful entity. It does not create, nor does it destroy.

It simply is.

All that exists — the flicker of fire, the passage of time, the weight of judgment — stems from Aspects of Eshe. These Aspects are fragments of existence itself, concepts made manifest.

**Revenants

A Revenant is a survivor.

Not just of battle — but of existence itself.

They are those who have escaped the horrors of Abyssal Zones — places where reality fractures, and Eshe, the force that binds existence, unravels. Within these chaotic voids, concepts twist, time collapses, and death is not always the end.

But those who emerge are not the same.

When a person survives an Abyssal Zone, they are forever marked — not just by trauma, but by Eshe itself. They awaken to an Aspect — a fragment of existence tied to a fundamental force or concept.

This connection leaves its mark — literally.

The Mark of the Damned etches itself into their skin, a glowing sigil that grows more intricate as their authority over their Aspect deepens. It is both a gift and a curse — a sign of power and a chain of responsibility.

To be a Revenant is to be bound to Eshe — to wield a piece of existence while bearing the weight of its consequences.

A Revenant's power is not a blessing — it is proof that they have stood at the edge of nothingness… and survived.

**The Aspects of Eshe

Eshe is vast and unyielding, broken into countless Aspects — each a fundamental concept of reality.

These Aspects fall into four known categories:

Physical Aspects — governing the elements and material forces: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Lightning, Ice, Gravity.

Abstract Aspects — tied to emotions and ideas: Fear, Will, Hope, and Despair.

Existential Aspects — concerning life, death, and the nature of being: Life, Death, Oblivion, Time, and Space.

Metaphysical Aspects — bending the rules of reality itself: Fate, Judgment, Paradox, Potential, Chaos, Order.

Each Aspect is a reflection of Eshe — not bound by morality or purpose — but simply existing as part of the world's fabric.

**Tiers of Mastery (Eshe User Progression)

An Eshe User starts at Awakening and progresses through deeper levels of understanding until they reach Enlightenment.

Awakening (Basic Control) — The Eshe User first connects with their assigned aspect and gains rudimentary control over it.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Resonance (Intermediate Mastery) — The User's understanding deepens, allowing more refined and powerful applications.

Manifestation (Advanced Mastery) — The User internalizes their aspect, allowing them to embody it on a fundamental level.

Transcendence (Near-Absolute Mastery) — The User's authority expands beyond natural laws, allowing them to apply their aspect to unconventional things.

Enlightenment (Ultimate Mastery) — The User achieves a complete, fundamental understanding of their aspect, making them a living embodiment of it.

**How an Eshe User/Revenant Progresses

Harsh Experience: Users grow by enduring extreme experiences related to their aspect. A fire User might have to burn endlessly. A time User might be trapped in torturous time loops.

Philosophical Growth: The deeper their understanding, the stronger their control. Understanding "what it means to destroy" could make a destruction User transcend mere physical obliteration.

Mastery over Laws: At higher levels, Users don't just control aspects—they rewrite their fundamental rules in existence.

**Categories of Authority (Types of Aspects and Concepts)

Each Eshe User's power fits into a Category of Authority, determining the fundamental nature of their abilities.

Physical Aspects (Control Over Material Forces)

These aspects govern tangible, natural elements and forces of existence.

Elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Lightning, Ice, MetalForces: Gravity, Inertia, Motion, VibrationSubstances: Poison, Corrosion, Radiation

Abstract Aspects (Control Over Intangible Concepts)

These aspects allow manipulation of non-physical ideas and principles.

Fear – Manifest fears as reality, cause overwhelming dread.

Sacrifice – Exchange things of equal or greater value for power.

Existential Aspects (Control Over Life, Death, and Being)

These aspects govern what it means to exist or cease to exist.

Life – Enhance, restore, or manipulate life force.

Death – Decay, erasure, and entropy.

Time – Accelerate, slow, or rewind time.

Oblivion – True destruction that leaves no trace.

Rebirth – Regeneration, reincarnation, revival.

Metaphysical Aspects (Control Over Reality's Structure)

These aspects allow Users to redefine fundamental truths.

Judgment – Determine consequences and enforce laws of cause and effect.

Potential – Manifest possibilities into reality.

Paradox – Break and rewrite the logic of existence.Influence – Control thoughts, emotions, and destiny.

**Marauders

Ordinary humans who succumb to a mysterius madness that causes them to transform into monstrous creatures. They vary in power level but all types of Marauders are deadly to ordinary humans and humans almost never survive any encounter with them.

Eshe charged attacks are most effective against Marauders. Purely physical attacks need to reach a certain threshold of force before inflicting any damage. They are ranked based on how high that threshold is.

⭑ Tier 1: Thralls (Common Marauders)

Build: Gaunt, disfigured humanoids with elongated limbs, sunken eyes, and pallid skin.

Power Level: Low. Primarily rely on enhanced speed, minor strength, and pack tactics.

Cognitive Function: Minimal. Driven by primal hunger and aggression, but capable of basic ambush strategies.

⭑⭑ Tier 2: Reapers

Build: Lithe and sinewy, with elongated fingers that end in razor-like claws. Skin is stretched tight over their bones, and their mouths split open wider than humanly possible.

Power Level: Moderate. Increased agility, wall-climbing abilities, and stealth.

Cognitive Function: Moderate. Capable of hunting prey with some level of strategy; they recognize weapons and attempt to disarm targets.

⭑⭑⭑ Tier 3: Brutes

Build: Hulking, grotesquely muscular creatures with thick, armoured skin. Their bodies are riddled with bony protrusions that act as natural armour.

Power Level: High. Immense strength, capable of tearing through metal and smashing through walls.

Cognitive Function: Low. Purely rage-driven with no higher thought, attacking anything in their path.

⭑⭑⭑⭑ Tier 4: Wraiths

Build: Gaunt but eerily graceful, moving with unnatural fluidity. Their faces lack distinct features, except for hollow, glowing eyes.

Power Level: Very High. Capable of limited teleportation, phasing through walls, and emitting a disorienting psychic pulse.

Cognitive Function: High. They retain some intelligence and can manipulate their environment to trap prey.

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ Tier 5: Aberrations (Apostles of the Ruin)

Build: Ever-changing. Their forms shift unpredictably, sometimes appearing as twisted amalgamations of human and monster.

Power Level: Extreme. Each Aberration possesses a corrupted aspect—reality distortion, mind control, or biological mutation etc.

Cognitive Function: Highly intelligent and malevolent. They are the closest thing to a ‘leader’ among Marauders.