Aydens calm demeanor changed in odd unison with the disembodied voice running rampant in his mind, to one of sadness and reflection.
His feet unmoving, arms taking on a similar shape as his very first movement he was ready to proceed. Ready to finish this test of pain brought on by the blood that pumps through his veins.
The blackness having spread throughout his body now visible, the physical pain tiny and insignificant compared to the pain of his own mind. Memories of the past 10 years passed by his eyes, within the span of a single blink.
Without knowing it blood began pouring from his eyes as if they were tears, black as a moonless night. This did not stop the start of the stance of water, the stance of remembrance.
Letting his hand drop quick and sharp, drawing an odd sequence of circles with his palm, never overlapping, ever larger, always connected to the next. His feet changed position sliding across the now stomped ground, both hands now moving rapidly through the air.
The design being made with each movement ever changing with each step, becoming a pair of snakes down the rapids of a river. The song of a whale in the deeper parts of an ocean came next, eventually moving so fast his arms seemed to disappear and reappear seeming larger than normal like the elusiveness of the mighty giant squid at the floor of the world.
Ayden felt his body once radiating a strong heat of the fan'd flames of a blade forged go cold, his body feeling remade. The air once heavy as if he were at the bottom of a lake started to drain away, leaving only the feeling of cleanness and acceptance.
The closer he got to the end of the stance the less the blackness once covering his body could be seen, almost completely gone while only 3/4ths of the way through.
As the last bit disappeared his dark brown eyes sparked in to life from within, a deep golden glow igniting the world around.
The night around Ayden now a vibrant focus, the moon a beacon of life! Yet this wasn't all he could see, as transparent lengths of an endless amount of energy of all colors could be seen flowing around him.
With each breath the energy could be seen absorbing into his skin, suffusing it with its power then collecting on his back forming a weird design; Ayden only feeling a tingling sensation.
As the the energy filled up his body Ayden continued on with this deadly dance, the last few sequences feeling sluggish and ready to burst. He forced his body to finish, failure never presented itself as an option that could occur.
Once a raging tsunami, was not a rippling pound as he slid his feet together while his arms made parallel movements as he drew slow deep breaths, filling his lungs to their limit each time.
Coming to an end Ayden preformed the final movements starting with his full arm, then stoping at the elbow, then the wrist, then he settled his palms facing down at shoulder height in front of his chest.
With the last breath slow and controlled Aydens palms pushed down as he let it out, the energy once overflowing inside him draining into the earth with it.
"Blood of my blood, you have done well but this was only the beginning." The deep almost mesmerizing voice issuing into Aydens mind again " You must watch out for the shadows, for that is the hunters playground. But fear not i will leave you with a gift to help you grow strong,....till next we meet, good luck."
As the voice stopped talking, Ayden felt a strange stab of pain once again across his back accompanied by the smell of burning flesh. If the pain he had felt during the test was compared to this, it would only be a light tap of a finger while this was a bus at full speed.
As the pain intensified Aydens began to scream in agony. This time it sounded different, to feel as if filled with power. His scream changed from that of a man in pain, to that of a blood curdling roar of an Apex predator in the forest.
Then as if he imagined it the pain vanished, leaving Ayden empty and exhausted.
Falling to his knees the world around him spinning, something inside felt the need to get out fast. Ayden was forced forward as he vomited a fountain of black bile, his blood riding itself to some degree of the corruption it was born with.
While he felt better then ever before, the world still spun to his eyes. The dizziness finally getting to him, the physical exhaustion setting back in, the cool air felt across his skin, Ayden slumped over to the side letting sleep take him.
As he closed his eyes another voice could be heard as a screen appeared in front of him.
[ system integration successful ]
[ scanning host potential ]
•••••
[ scan successful ]
[ welcome to the PRIMORDIAL SYSTEM ]
[ quest available ]
Ayden lost consciousness, unable to stay awake.
"Grow strong young one..." the mysterious voice now only a whisper, unheard by Ayden "you are needed in this world, yet they will not want you... for we are different"