'Pak...Pak...Pak...Pak', I heard footsteps while the familiar figures of my loved ones disappeared. What appeared in front of my eyes, was a hooded figure. 'The Dark Traveller?', I asked in disbelief.
'Rei Lak Khire Eres Fer?'.
(Can you finally hear me?)
'Fer… Jer Fhin? Jer Kiq Lak Deros Tarvus?'
(I… Why now? Why didn't you appear before?)
'Lak Lans Neres Bahr Lak Ga, Devorak. Fer Lei Derin, Arevas Lak Setres Pram. Lak Meras Jar Laphas Rani Furaqi Gak. Sehros Lak Rithes Kroh Lak Eratos, Fer Jar Sarovas Nroh Khire Lak Gen'.
(You were blinded by your life, disciple. I'm here, because you stopped worrying. Your mind was clouded with unnecessary things. Since you let go of your past, I was able to finally wake you up)
'Jiq Ak Norph? Fer Raveh Anaras Fal Tekhjar... '
(Isn't it too late? I already lost the fight)
'Ak Jiq Seran Norph. Lak Lan Therak Devorak Sarvus. Lak Lan Fal Deriun Gor Trevak. Lak Sathov Tratis Lak Lakdar Bahtis. Eravas, Lehis Lak Lan Deriun'.
(It isn't too late. You are my inheritor after all. You are the next Dark Traveller. You will tread on your own path. Stand up, for you are the next in line)
The Dark Traveller raised his hand, and I stood up. I could feel the energy filling my body, but that wasn't all. The knowledge, an inheritance passed from one Dark Traveller to another. All of that was passed to me.
'Thekos, Gor Trevak'.
(Go, Dark Traveller)
I opened my eyes, and the world changed. It was dark, but I could see everything. All objects were grey, while grey ash fell from the sky seemingly without an end. 'So that is what you meant by "Rin Therak Grantis, Ak Neras Hephes. Fal For Gophas Tar Nroh Fal Bah, Aroh Deros Saphes…". In my world, it always rains. The grey ash falls to the ground, as if snow… Now I see the world with your eyes', I thought. "Fer Lei Gor Trevak…", I said picking myself up.
"Impossible! That language! That energy! You can't be! I won't allow that!", Aranak screamed as if he saw the death itself. "Sekar Sak! Peris Ji Merah!", he added in the High Language. There was only one thing I could use, one thing I was able to produce. "Sethis Goris", I said as my life energy began draining. A domain or barrier appeared, enveloping all living beings. It wasn't a simple barrier or domain, this was something called Eternal Darkness, and I wasn't sure I could call that a skill.
Besides me, no one else would be able to perceive anything inside that domain. Nothing could pierce it, not even light. But, there was a price to pay for such power. The longer I kept it going, the quicker I would die. I saw Aranak trying to locate me, how others stood in shock. How Fox tried breaking away from Crow's grasp, and run towards me. I extended my hand, and the Moon Blade appeared in it. '... Reaper Form', I thought and the weapon changed its form.
"It seems I was not destined to die just yet", I said towards Aranak, but my voice came from everywhere. "You bastard! If I knew you were his inheritor, I would have killed you much sooner. This was supposed to be my power! I was supposed to be the next in line!", he screamed. "Life is weird, isn't it?", I said, and swung the scythe. There were no flashy skills, mysterious methods or hidden powers. I simply swung the scythe, which released the Void Element energy.
The barrier of darkness disappeared shortly after. My vision returned back to normal, and silence filled the air. Aranak, a being at the Primal Limits stage got cut in half, while the Void Element slowly ate away his body. He made no sounds, there were no screams, no cursing. Only a sound of "Thud!" filled the area, once his lifeless corpse fell from the sky.
"Clang!", I dropped the scythe onto the ground. That was it, no more energy. I sacrificed a few good years just to execute that one attack. I looked at my hands, they were completely dry, with bones visible to the naked eye. 'I probably look much worse than I did in the past… Well, I overused my energy a few hundred times... I suppose I can't complain', I thought. My hands wouldn't move, my legs only kept me standing, but as soon as I took a step… I would fall and perhaps crumble to dust.
"Finish it off", I said with a raspy voice. Even though I became the next Dark Traveller, I was too weak to hold such power. 'Dark Traveller, you must've been an existence, even beyond your own race's belief', I thought. One of the hooded figures slowly descended, while my friends tried rushing towards me. He swiped his hand, locking them all in place.
He landed gently a few metres away from me, and slowly walked forwards. "Well, at least I killed one of you. I'm a corpse anyway, so let's get this over with", I said. Just as he stopped in front of me, he bowed. "Merak Ataris Lak Bhros, Ovarak", he said using the High Language. I looked at him shocked, "Ovarak?". He straightened himself, and replied "Yes, you are the next Dark Traveller, who was my master. You are the next inheritor in line".
I was confused, Aranak clearly wanted to kill me when he found out, but that guy welcomed me back. "Alicia told me about you a long time ago. She wasn't certain, but when I saw you, I knew. Did you think that was his name? This is a title, not a name. Even I don't know his real name, and yours will probably perish with time", he said.
I smiled, "Were you testing me? If you knew, why did you allow him to beat me up like that?". He replied, "I wouldn't let him kill you, but it's true. I wanted to witness my master's powers once more. Even if you didn't display them, I was ready to make it look like you died. Aranak was jealous of the Dark Traveller, he wanted his power. Master knew that very well, hence he set out to find an inheritor. Only the one he chose, would become the next Dark Traveller".
"I didn't meet your master, I only found a…", he stopped me. "The previous Dark Traveller was the real master of Formations. You didn't have to meet him, you only had to meet his will. That is what you did, and that is how you became next in line". I smiled again, "Does it matter? My body is about to crumble to pieces anyway. Do you want me to pass this inheritance to someone else? Is that your purpose?". He shook his head, "It's not that easy to die for the Dark Traveller, master even referred to that as a sort of curse. You will live, there is much in front of you".
He placed his hand on my shoulder, and used his energy. I quickly realised what he was doing, he was transferring his own Void Element to rebuild my body. "You will learn to do this by yourself. After all, we are only disciples and have limited access to the Void Element", he said and stopped shortly after. I could move a bit, but my body wasn't in great shape. "So what now?", I asked. "Now? You tread your own path, young Dark Traveller".