Walking into his apartment, Jake tossed himself onto the couch. Setting the bag down on the floor, he quickly got to work, taking out the contents of his trip. 

Pushing the armor to the side, he was left with only a pistol-like device, vials of various colors surrounding it. Grabbing the medical gun, he noticed that it had more heft than he expected. It was as if he was holding an actual gun, rather than a mimicry. 

How strange.

Turning his gaze towards the vials, his eyes landed on one vial in particular. Filled with a shimmering liquid, it seemed to give off a faint glow, like that of a flickering candle. Taking the vial into his hand, he noticed that it felt…cold. It was as if he had a shard of ice in hand. 

Clicking the vial into the empty socket, he watched as the tool came to life, a soft hum filling the air. Bringing up the sleeve of his hoodie, he silently jabbed the needle into his arm.

“Vein located. Administering dosage,” a mechanical voice before the vial began to empty itself. Once the vial was finally empty, he pulled the medical gun out of his forearm, making note of the lack of wounding. In fact, he barely felt the needle pierce his skin. It was as if it simply phased through.

However, he suddenly felt a throbbing pain in his head, vision doubling, then tripling. Leaning back into the couch, he watched as the wood in the ceiling split and came together. As he kept his eyes on the ever-shifting wood, something seemed to appear to him. Small motes of light danced at the edge of his sight, as if they were fireflies. As the lights slowly grew around his sight, he started to feel a numbness on his face. It was like he fell into fresh snow, the chill digging into his skin.

As the lights slowly grew, he noticed something starting to form. A ring of solid white, static amidst the shifting world. As he started to focus on it, he felt…something enter his mind. Images, of sorts. 

A warmth, like that of a candle.

The chill of just before dawn.

The gleam of sharpened steel.

The creaking of a window opened.

Slowly, the ring of light started to fade, the world slowly came back to order. As the world slowly became solid, he felt…different. A power, waiting for a command. However, it wasn’t like before. It didn’t roil under his skin, nor did it nip at something deeper. Instead, it simply sat behind his eyes, still. Waiting for his command. Letting out a small breath, he closed his eyes as he felt words he knew, yet also didn’t know, come to mind.

Peer through the skin, the muscle, the blood, the bone.

Bring to light the flickering depths of both man and beast.

Relentlessly seek the truth, for it will not be denied or hidden.

Observe the path lit by window glass candles and blades of frost.

Opening his eyes, he was met with the world seemingly glowing. Looking down at his body, he was met with a glowing light. Constantly, it shifted, flickering like a torch, instead of staying the same dull gray glow. As he blinked, it suddenly disappeared, showing the regularity of his apartment.

‘Interesting,’ he thought, turning his eyes to the other vials.

Grabbing another one of the vials, he felt a faint heat in his hand. It was similar to that of a recently put out campfire. Remnants of a flame, still carrying the last dregs of warmth. As he looked over the shimmering amber liquid, he noticed what seemed to be small grains of sand floating inside. 

Strange.

Pulling the empty vial out of the medical gun, he swiftly replaced the amber-filled vial into its spot before jabbing the needle back into his arm. As the vial emptied into his arm, he felt a rising warmth in his arm. Pulling the needle out of his skin, he felt the warmth morph into a sharp heat. It was like glowing blades dug into his flesh, searing muscle and boiling blood. As he felt his skin roil and burn, he started to hear something. Words in a language he didn’t understand, but also knew. It sounded like Latin, but much…older.

Shatter bone into dust.

Shatter dust into flame.

Shatter flame into force.

Break the air and the enemy shall shatter.

As the pain in his arm started to subside, he noticed something. A line of black wrapped around his wrists, nearly an inch thick. As his eyes stayed on the tattoo-like sigils, he felt…something start to flare up. A roiling heat, wait to explode and destroy.

‘This’ll be useful,’ he thought as the feeling started to pass, wisps of steam leaving his arm.

Halfway done now.

Taking out the empty vial, he tossed it to the side before grabbing another. As he wrapped his fingers around the bright vial, he felt a sudden heat travel through him. It was different from the heat before, more…passive. Unlike the feeling of heated knives, this was more like he was holding a freshly cooled ingot. The heat has died, yes, but it was still there.

'Must be pyromancy,' he thought as he placed the vial in the empty spot, clicking it in. Jabbing the needle into his arm, he watched as the magma colored liquid emptied into his skin, he felt a wave of…something enter his mind.

The smell of ash.

The feeling of fire licking his skin.

The sound of ringing steel in his ears.

Once the vial was empty, he pulled the med-gun out of his arm, only to be met with a rapid change. Underneath the black line on his wrist, the image of an anvil started to appear, the same onyx black. As it formed on his arm, it felt…familiar, somehow. Like he had it before.

"A Craftsman's Mark," he muttered, the words hanging in the air. The proof of an adept of metals and flames.

Pushing the stray thoughts aside, he removed the empty vial and tossed it aside before grabbing the final vial. Clicking it into place, he jabbed the needle into skin, causing the dull green liquid to empty into his skin. Once the vial was empty, he pulled the needle out of his arm, only to feel a sudden sharp feeling in his head. Images started to flash in his mind.

Blades digging into skin.

Bones breaking into pieces.

Sharpened edges coated in crimson.

As the images started to fade away, he felt…different. Combing through his mind, he found something odd. A new node floated around in his mind, glowing like sharpened steel. Looking closer, he was met with a new way to fight. Brutal, efficient, and powerful.

Might as well go out and test it.