2025-01-24 08:33:50Chapter 5: Whispers of the Abyss
The Ashen Wilds seemed quiet and very still as if even the woods were holding their breath. Kael stood at the altar, with a faint glow of the sigil appearing on his chest, throwing eerie light across the clearing. His body and brain were battered with the weight of the things he had suffered, but his resolve burned brighter than ever.
Quietly, he stood leaning against his staff as the hermit watched him. The empty gaze from the old hermit was unreadable, save for a tiny trace of interest glinting in his sunken eyes.
"You have taken the first step," said that voice born from time-worn knowledge, "The Abyss knows of your existence, but it doesn't spare you its trials."
He wiped the blood off his lips and gazed at Malek with burning crimson eyes. "How do I control it?"
Malek tipped his head slightly and wore an amused expression. "Control? You misunderstand. The Abyss cannot be controlled, only bargained with. It is a force of chaos, a beast that feeds on ambition. It will give you power, but the cost is never fixed."
Kael's jaw clenched. He despised the thought of being a servant to anything, even the Abyss. But if it meant reclaiming his throne and destroying those who betrayed him, he would endure.
“Then teach me how to bargain with it,” Kael said firmly.
Malek’s lips curved into a thin smile. “Very well. But know this, the Abyss is a cunning predator. If you falter, even for a moment, it will consume everything you are.”
The training began at dawn. Malek led Kael to a clearing deeper within the Wilds, where the air was thick with the energy of the Abyss. The ground here was cracked and blackened, glowing crimson veins snaking through the earth like lifeblood.
“This place is a nexus,” Malek explained. “The Abyss left its mark here long ago. Its presence will amplify your connection to the curse, but it will also test your limits.”
Kael nodded, his gaze scanning the desolate clearing. The sigil on his chest pulsed faintly, as though recognizing the power saturating the area.
Malek then waved Kael over in fron of him. "Shut your eyes, and then concentrate on the sigil. Draw the power through yourself but do not move along with it. The Abyss exists in chaos but you will be their anchor."
Kael followed his instruction and shut his eyes while pressing a hand on the sigil. Within him came the stir of energy, a blazing serpent, coiling itself through his the veins. It was raw and very wild, countering every surge with resistance against his will.
The ground cracked and under him faint red sparks danced around his feet. Kael gritted his teeth to maintain his stability. The power scratched through his mind, planting promises of strength and revenge, but he ignored the voices.
"Good," said Malek, his voice cutting clear of the fog. "You are beginning to channel it. Now shape it."
Kael focused, envisioning the power as a blade in his hand. Slowly, the energy obeyed, coalescing into a crimson sword that flickered with unstable light. He opened his eyes, holding it overhead.
Malek's gaze sharpened. "Impressive. But can you maintain it under pressure?"
Before Kael could reply, Malek raised his staff. The runes on its surface shone brightly, and shadowy energy erupted in a wave towards Kael.
Kael automatically raised the crimson blade for intercept. The shadow then struck the weapon, sending a jolt of energy right through Kael's body, causing him to stagger but hold his place while the blade vibrated on his grasp.
"Do not falter!" barked Malek, sending toward him another surge of energy.
Kael gritted his teeth, putting all his might into stabilizing the blade. It burned hotter still, the pain stabbing deep into his chest, but he stood it. Then, he swung the sword, slicing through the incoming shadow in a burst of light.
Malek’s attacks came faster, each strike more intense than the last. Kael moved with precision, dodging and countering with practiced ease. The clearing became a battlefield, the air thick with crackling energy and the clash of opposing forces.
Finally, Malek lowered his staff, the shadows dissipating around him. Kael stood in the center of the clearing, the crimson blade still flickering in his hand. His breathing was ragged, but his eyes burned with determination.
“You’re learning,” Malek said, his tone laced with approval. “But you have much to master. The Abyss is not a tool—it is a partner. Treat it with respect, or it will destroy you.”
Kael let the blade dissolve, the energy flowing back into the sigil. His chest heaved with exertion, but a faint smirk tugged at his lips. "I'll make it my partner, and when I do, there will be nothing in my path."
With the sun setting in the western sky, casting creeping long shadows on the darkening Wilds, Kael returned, with Malek, to the charred tree. Sitting on a root, the hermit had his staff resting across his lap, while Kael leaned against the altar looking lost as his imagination ran wild.
"You have potential, Kael Ardentis," Malek stated, breaking the silence. "But potential is worthless without determination. There's a long way to go, and it's fraught with the chance for danger. Are you prepared to go all the way, no matter how it costs?"
Without the slightest concession, Kael's blazing red eyes were locked back into Malek's. "I lost everything. The only way ahead is through."
Malek nodded very slowly, his face as expressionless as a wooden mask on the wall. "Then I will teach you as much as I know. But remember this, the Abyss is not the worst enemy; beyond these Wilds the world has not forgotten you, nor have your enemies."
Kael's smile spread wide, the glimmer of a predator now restored to his eyes. "Good. Let them remember. I'll remind them why they feared me."
The sigil gave a brief pulsing glow, and it paced to Kael's heartbeat. The Abyss had tested him, after all, and he had proven worthy. But this was but the beginning.
The Eternal Overlord was arising, and his enemies shall know the true meaning of power.
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