The miniature sun felt unexpectedly cold to the touch, and after just a moment of being in contact with it, Havon felt his mind unravel, and the world around him disappeared.

Only a moment later, he was in a dark room, with a pathway lit up by glowing orbs revealed in front of him.

"What's with this world and the crimson lighting?" he thought to himself as he looked towards the sides of the pathway.

It seemed that this area was a complete void, as everything beyond the edges of the pathway was a pitch-black abyss, even under the gaze of his 'chosen' eyes.

"Then does this lead to the soulflame?" he asked out loud, however, he got no reply.

Though he understood that this was a fantasy world much different from his own, he couldn't get over how dangerous simply gaining magic seemed to be. And after almost dying in his previous test, he was a bit hesitant to advance.

However, after surveying his surroundings, he realized that walking forward was the only option available to him.

As he advanced, he began to hear wails in the far distance. The further he tread, the louder the wails became. At first, he had thought them to be human, but after walking for a bit, he concluded that whatever was making these vile sounds had long lost whatever any of humanity they had.

After walking for a little longer, he spotted a figure sprawled against the distant wall. It seemed to have something impaled in its chest, nailing it to the wall that marked the end of the pathway.

[Curse of Deluded Fantasia ignited,] a voice whispered within Havon's ear, and right then, the world came alive, as a gust of strange wind suddenly blew against his face.

An uncomfortable warmth began to emanate from his eyes, before turning into an agonizing burn. Tears of crimson tint began to roll down his face, and for a moment, his vision was completely lost...

Just as fast as these ailments came, they left him, and once his vision came back he found himself in some sort of Victorian-style manor with gothic undertones.

He was currently in a large hall, and a crimson carpet in front of him led to a throne, where a figure was impaled to the seat with a massive wooden stake, strange thorn-like protrusions covering its entire length.

"A human? It has been long since I've seen a human," the figure whispered, its voice hoarse and ancient.

As eager as Havon was to claim his powers, he was wary of the space he now found himself in. For some reason, he doubted that this was where he was supposed to be.

"You fear me?... I suppose you would; humans were always so frail," the figure continued.

From where Havon was standing, it looked to be a human, however, the shadowy mist that bled from its injury made him think otherwise.

It was adorned in obsidian regal armor, with gold and crimson undertones that lined the various inscriptions etched into it.

If he had to use a single word to describe the creature before him, it would be... royalty. In fact, if not for the stake in its chest, Havon would've thought it to be a powerful king of some sort.

"A vampire?" Havon asked out loud, not daring to move forward.

The creature remained silent for a while, its brows furrowed in deep thought.

"I have been called many things over the centuries, but never once a... vampire," the creature mumbled, before gasping for air.

"We haven't much time, come closer," it said hurriedly.

Havon remained still, staring at the creature with a skeptical gaze.

"You have one of the curses of fantasia... a child of my kingdom. Human or not, you bear my gifts... now come closer if you wish to gain what is your bloodright," the creature said, its voice now assertive.

Havon moved forward, half out of curiosity, and half because of a strange pull he felt coming from the creature.

Once he was before it, he saw it for what it really was... a formless entity that did not maintain a single shape for too long. Instead, it shifted between equally elegant and shadowy shapes every second.

It was a creature beyond the realms of human understanding, beyond what even Havon's new eyes could allow him to see. It was something similar to Zelxay, yet far beneath him at the same time.

If Havon had to guess, it was a creature that had come close to achieving godhood. Though it was clear that it had failed in its endeavour.

"Grasp the shard, child of delusion," the creature commanded.

Havon took one glance at the thorns that covered the stake, and realized that it was not something he could touch without getting injured. However, his body was not his to control. And unlike before, this was not a fight he could hope to struggle or bargain his way through.

He grasped onto the stake with both hands. And its thorns dug deep into his hands, drawing blood from the multiple cavities they had gored open.

Havon winced in pain, though this was nothing compared to what came next.

He could feel a searing hot substance being pumped into his body; his veins felt like they had hot metal running through them, and his muscles as if they were being liquefied.

He screamed and thrashed; however, his hands would not break contact with the stake.

All the while, the creature watched on in interest, staring deeply into Havon's eyes.

[Soulflame has been sparked!] a voice whispered into Havon's ears. However, he paid little attention to it as his mind was currently consumed by the intense pain that radiated through his body.

[Quests of Deluded Fantasia have been branded into the Soulflame!]

[New Quest!]

[Summon Soulblade!]

The whispers sounded eerily similar to that of the woman he had met in the bathroom, which only added to the mental turmoil he was currently going through.

For a moment he could feel his mind fracturing once more, but with a nod from the strange creature on the throne, his pain subsided, and he collapsed to the ground.

"When next you see me, I hope for your sake that you have awakened that little flame," the creature whispered, as the castle around him faded.

Once he awoke, he found himself in the middle of a sort of courtroom, with various prestigious-looking figures seated at the stands looking over him.

"Where were you?" a voice boomed from the front of the courtroom.