Heir of the Dragon’s Blood

17 : Eyes Behind the Shadows

They stood amidst the ruins of the cave, remnants of battle scattered around them. Elden’s breathing was still heavy, but his eyes had returned to normal, bright blue, no longer the deep purple darkness that had nearly consumed him. Kaelar, Renard, and Vaelis watched him cautiously, ensuring he was truly back to himself.

Across from them, Malagar stood with a calm expression, though it was clear he was slightly surprised by what had just transpired.

"Interesting," Malagar murmured, a thin smirk forming. "I thought you would succumb to the darkness, Elden. But it seems you're more stubborn than I expected."

Elden clenched his fists. He could still feel the remnants of the dark energy swirling inside him, but now he was more prepared to control it. "I won’t let myself fall into your game."

Malagar chuckled softly. "Oh, Elden… this is not my game. This is fate, one that was decided the moment you were born."

Kaelar stepped closer to Elden, his stance wary. "We need to leave. We've fought enough for now."

Renard grinned as he crouched on a fallen rock. "Yeah, this cave is about to collapse, and I'd rather not die under a pile of rubble just because we talked too long."

Before they could move, footsteps echoed through the cave.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

They all turned toward the sound. From the shadows at the far end of the cave, a hooded figure slowly emerged.

A shiver ran down Elden’s spine.

The figure wore a long cloak with a hood that concealed most of their face, but something about them was different from Malagar. Their presence felt… cold, almost like an absence of existence.

Malagar smirked upon seeing the figure. "Finally, you show yourself."

Kaelar immediately drew his sword. "Who is he?"

Malagar cast a brief glance at Kaelar before returning his gaze to the cloaked figure. "He’s not my ally, if that’s what you're thinking. But he’s not my enemy either."

The figure stopped a few meters away from them, remaining silent. Yet Elden could feel the sharp gaze piercing straight into his soul.

Then, a low but cutting voice emerged from beneath the hood.

"You have awakened, Heir."

Elden frowned. "Who are you?"

The figure did not answer immediately. Instead, they raised a hand, and suddenly, the air around them shifted drastically.

Vaelis, who had been silent until now, suddenly gasped. "This… this is high level magic."

Renard took a step back. "I don’t like this."

The figure finally spoke again. "The dragon blood within you is not just a blessing, Elden. It is also a curse. And I have come to see if you are strong enough to bear it."

Malagar smirked. "Oh, I’m going to enjoy this."

Elden tensed. "What do you mean?"

Before he could get an answer, the figure suddenly vanished from their spot. In an instant, they were right in front of Elden.

Elden reflexively raised his sword to strike, but something stopped him.

He couldn’t move.

His body was frozen in place, not by magic, but by the overwhelming pressure radiating from the figure.

Then, a deep voice echoed in his mind.

Your trial begins now.

And then, everything went dark.

Elden found himself standing in an empty wasteland he did not recognize. The sky above was pitch black, without stars or a moon. In front of him, the hooded figure stood, their face now fully visible.

It was the face of an old man with silver eyes that glowed like stars trapped in darkness.

"We are inside your consciousness, Heir," the man said. "I am one of the guardians of the dragon’s legacy."

Elden narrowed his eyes. "Guardian of the dragon’s legacy?"

The man nodded. "It is time for you to be tested. If you fail… then you will never be able to control the power within you."

Elden gritted his teeth. "I’ve been tested enough."

The man raised one hand, and suddenly, shadows emerged around them. The figures resembled Elden himself, but their eyes were filled with hatred, their bodies ablaze with purple fire.

"Prove it," the man said. "Fight yourself. Only the strongest will survive."

Elden took a deep breath.

His real battle had just begun.

....

 

Elden stood in the middle of a desolate plain, surrounded by shadows of himself. They looked identical to him, but their eyes burned with a shimmering purple fire, filled with hatred. Every movement they made mirrored his, like a reflection displaying the darkest corners of his soul.

An old man with silver eyes stood in the distance, observing without expression. "Fight yourself, Heir," he said. "If you cannot defeat your shadows, you will never be able to control the dragon blood flowing through your veins."

Elden gripped his sword tighter. He knew this was a test, but the pressure he felt was all too real. Without warning, one of the shadows lunged at him.

CLANG!

Elden blocked the attack with his sword. The force of the clash was strong enough to push him back several steps. The shadow was just as fast as him, just as strong, and even used the same combat techniques.

Two more shadows attacked from the sides, forcing Elden to spin around to parry their strikes.

Elden kept defending, but every time he dodged one strike, another followed relentlessly.

"These shadows are not mere illusions," the old man said. "They are the manifestations of your doubts, fears, and anger buried deep within your heart."

Elden bit his lip. He could feel the truth in those words. Every attack from these shadows felt like the burdens he had carried all this time, the doubt about who he was, the fear of his future, and the anger that had festered since he learned about the dragon blood inside him.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind him, slashing toward his back. Elden had no time to evade.

SLASH!

The blade struck his shoulder, leaving a wound that felt more real than he had expected. Elden fell to the ground, blood dripping from his wound.

"If you cannot face yourself," the old man's voice echoed, "then you will forever be a slave to this power."

Elden gritted his teeth. He would not allow himself to be defeated by his own fears.

With a surge of determination, he rose to his feet.

Another shadow attacked, but this time, Elden did not just block, it countered with an even stronger strike. His sword clashed against the shadow’s, sending sparks flying.

The shadow staggered back for a moment, but the others quickly attacked together. Elden was no longer just defending. He started fighting back with courage.

One shadow fell to his blade, then another. Even though they rose again, Elden could feel that the more he accepted himself, the weaker they became.

He was beginning to understand his trial. These shadows only held power as long as he kept denying who he was.

Elden took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt the energy within him, the dragon blood burning inside his body. But this time, he did not resist it. He embraced it.

When he opened his eyes again, the purple flames surrounding the shadows began to dim.

The shadows hesitated, as if they were losing their strength.

Elden stepped forward. "I am not afraid anymore."

With one final swing, he struck down the shadow before him. Instead of reviving, it vanished in a burst of light.

One by one, the remaining shadows faded until none were left. The barren plain was now silent, leaving only Elden and the silver-eyed old man.

The man nodded in satisfaction. "You finally understand."

Elden looked at him, breathing heavily. "I still don’t know everything… but I know that I can’t keep rejecting who I am."

The old man gave a faint smile. "And that is the first step to mastering your power."

The world around Elden began to tremble. He realized his consciousness was returning to reality.

"There is still much for you to face, Heir," the old man's voice echoed one last time. "But now, you have proven that you are worthy of continuing your journey."

Elden awoke with a gasp.

He was back in the cave where the battle had taken place. Around him, Kaelar, Renard, and Vaelis stood with worried expressions.

"Elden!" Kaelar rushed to his side. "Are you alright?"

Elden slowly nodded. "I… I did it."

Malagar, standing on the other side of the cave, observed with an unreadable expression.

"Interesting," he murmured. "I thought you would fail."

Elden met his gaze with determination. "I will not fall into darkness."

Malagar smirked. "Let’s see how long you can last."

Before anyone could react, Malagar's body began to dissolve into black mist.

"We will meet again, Elden," he said before vanishing completely.

Silence filled the cave.

Renard finally spoke. "I guess that’s a victory?"

Vaelis sighed. "For now."

Kaelar placed a hand on Elden’s shoulder. "You’ve changed a lot in this battle. Are you ready to take the next step?"

Elden looked at his hand, no longer trembling. He felt stronger, more certain of himself. He looked at his friends and nodded.

"I’m ready."