Read ahead on Patreon.com/heavenlyenel.
Venerable readers, this is a good read.
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The darkness in the tunnel was suffocating, a void that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The faint light ahead, barely more than a glimmer, flickered weakly, growing fainter with every passing moment. Kevin's body ached each movement a struggle as if the weight of the darkness pressed down on him, urging him to give up. The distance to the light seemed insurmountable, and a wave of despair washed over him, whispering that it was futile to continue.
"My king, why do you struggle so much?" A soft, feminine voice echoed in the void, gentle yet filled with concern. Kevin clenched his eyes shut, trying to block out the discouraging scene. Logic told him to stop, to save his strength, but something deeper compelled him to keep going.
"My king, open your eyes." The voice persisted, and Kevin felt a warm hand gently lift his chin. He opened his eyes reluctantly.
"Ashley?"
The tunnel around him was in ruins, the darkness at the edges closing in like a tidal wave. The light he had been striving for was now nothing more than a distant star, almost out of reach. Despite the hand on his chin, there was no one there—just the overwhelming emptiness.
"Ashley?" Kevin called out again, recognising the voice as a glowing figure began to materialise in front of him. The figure took on the form of Ashley, her features bathed in a soft, ethereal light as she gazed at him with a sweet, tender expression.
"Finally, I've been calling out to you," Ashley said, though her voice seemed to waver, growing fainter with each word.
"We don't have much time, but remember who you are, King Kevin. Remember who you were. Remember that…" Her voice trailed off into nothingness as her figure began to fade, leaving Kevin alone once more.
'King Kevin. Who called me that? Whoever referred to me as King?' Kevin thought, confusion swirling in his mind. As the light ahead of him dimmed completely, the tunnel collapsed around him, plunging him into a suffocating darkness.
Kevin looked back at Ashley's glowing figure, but it was becoming blurry, distant as if she was slipping away from him. He glanced down, only to find that his body had begun to disappear as well—nothing remained but his head.
'Ha. What a waste,' Kevin thought, a wry smile playing on his lips.
'Wait. Ashley. Ashley from… King Kevin… King Kevin… I was… a chosen one… I…' His memories began to surface, fragments of a past he had forgotten. As his eyes grew heavy, threatening to close forever, a blinding light enveloped his head, restoring his body in an instant.
The tunnel, Ashley, Fate, Khan, his late master—all of it vanished, leaving him in a vast, endless void of darkness. Yet, within that void, Kevin stood as the only source of light, his very being illuminating the space around him.
Back in the real world,
Kevin's hair turned completely white, the energies that had been leaving his body now rushing back with an intense force as if being pulled by an unseen, powerful vacuum. The sudden surge of power astonished Gwen and Verdona, both of whom watched in awe.
"Kevin!" Gwen cheered, her voice filled with relief and joy.
For a brief moment, energy from every corner of the planet began flowing into Kevin, feeding his transformation. The sheer force of it overwhelmed the surroundings, causing Gwen to revert to her base form as she collapsed, only to be caught by her grandmother's supportive arms. Verdona's eyes were fixed on Kevin, watching as his body rose into the air, glowing with a warm light. His clothing shifted, becoming more regal, his body taller and more imposing.
Eventually, the strain became too much even for Verdona. She knelt, feeling her own energy draining away at an alarming rate. She attempted to raise a hand towards Kevin but faltered, collapsing before him.
'He didn't even look at me. Just who is this kid?' Verdona thought, astonishment and frustration warring within her. Though she managed to maintain her form, she found herself powerless, her very soul trembling at the presence of whatever force had taken control of Kevin moments before.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the storm of energy subsided. Kevin gently floated to the ground, rubbing his temples as his hair returned to its normal black and white, much to Verdona's relief.
She stood, ready to attack again, but Gwen quickly stepped between them, her eyes pleading with her grandmother to stop.
'Damn it. My body is focused on restoring my energy reserves and repairing my nanites. My entire being is in recovery mode—I can't do much here,' Kevin thought, struggling to steady his breathing. He could sense Verdona's sharp gaze on him, probing his energy channels. She realised that his spirit and body had adapted to her previous attack, developing sturdier defences for his spiritual and physical energy.
This meant that the same attack wouldn't work twice, but Verdona wasn't concerned about that. In all her long life, nothing and no one had ever completely overpowered her without even lifting a finger, leaving her unable to retaliate. For the first time, she had encountered something—or someone—that her very soul hesitated to confront.
But now, with Kevin's body occupied with its healing process, a new opportunity presented itself—a chance to strike while he was vulnerable.
"Grandma, please! You once had a thing for Grandpa, just like I… the same thing I have for Kevin," Gwen pleaded, her voice trembling with emotion as she stepped closer to Verdona.
Verdona paused, her granddaughter's words giving her reason to reconsider.
"You have a lot of talent, kid. You transformed without destroying your body… Hmm. Alright." Verdona finally relented, her gaze softening as she acknowledged Gwen's feelings.
Turning her attention to Kevin, Verdona asked, "And you, why did you come here?"
Kevin, still catching his breath, replied honestly,
"Same thing I wanted to ask. I sensed you entering orbit a few days ago and decided to look for you. I wanted that rich, concentrated energy."
"Why?" Verdona pressed.
"You draw mana from life energy. I absorb and draw energy from any form of energy. I grow by taking in as much as I can," Kevin explained, his voice steady despite the tension in the air.
"You're an Osmosian. But wouldn't that lead to instability? Your kind isn't known for being as skilled as you are at containing so much energy," Verdona observed, narrowing her eyes as she studied him closely.
"I see. I understand now. You've apparently developed a way to contain so much energy that I didn't notice until I forced it out of you," Verdona commented.
"Thanks, I was happy to share," Kevin replied sarcastically, feeling his body finally finishing its repairs.
"If you had shown any sign of instability—apart from the time I nearly killed you—I would have made sure you breathed your last. Your kind tends to keep absorbing endlessly until they become a threat to themselves and those around them," Verdona said, her tone stern. Gwen's mind flashed back to when Kevin had absorbed all of Ben's alien forms, resulting in a grotesque, mutated body.
"But it's all fine now," Verdona concluded as the tension in the air dissipated. Gwen exhaled, realising she had been holding her breath, hoping against hope that her grandmother wouldn't attack Kevin again.
"Anyway, you should follow me, Gwen. Trust me, grown-up parties are far more interesting," Verdona said with a sly smile, the tension of the moment melting away as she returned to her usual mischievous self.
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