"These cores..." Kal murmured, still in a state of wonder. "They seem so powerful, but they don't hurt. They don't burn...but what really are they?"
Before he could finish his thoughts, a soft, sweet voice arose behind him, making him startle slightly. "These aren't suns, they're just cores!" The voice belonged to a child, but carried an authority and wisdom that did not match its appearance.
Kal quickly turned around and, to his surprise, saw a child with silvery hair, as bright as the cores, and golden eyes that seemed to pierce his soul. The child had a majestic posture, dressed in bright clothes that matched its imposing aura.
"Who are you?" asked Kal, still bewildered by the unexpected appearance.
The child rolled its eyes and answered with a slight touch of impatience: "Don't be dumb, Kal. You may not know my name, but you know who I am."
Kal smiled a little embarrassed, trying to lighten the mood. "Easy, easy...it's not nice for a little one like you to get angry. That can give you a tummy ache, you know!" he said while running his hand through the child's silvery hair.
The boy frowned, gently but firmly removing Kal's hand from his head. "How I'd like to kill you!" exclaimed the child, keeping its voice sweet but with a slight hint of irritation.
Kal gave an embarrassed smile, withdrawing his hand. "Okay, sorry. Let's start over."
The child took a deep breath, as if trying to hold back a laugh, and said: "My name is Yofiryn. And yes, I'm Domeh and Daat too."
Kal widened his eyes briefly but soon smiled relieved. "I was just kidding around. At this point, I can sense a friend's presence when they're near. I missed you, my friend."
Yofiryn gave a slight smile, nodding in agreement. "It seems it's my turn to guide you now. Come on, I have some things to tell you." He began walking ahead of the gigantic cores, with Kal following closely, intrigued by what was to come.
As they walked, the immensity of that empty space, except for the cores, made Kal feel uncomfortable. He looked around and saw only darkness and vastness. "Where are we?" he asked, breaking the silence.
Yofiryn stopped for a moment and looked at Kal. "This place is very different from the others you've been to before, isn't it? The others were nicer, more welcoming, with a sense of tranquility. But here...if it weren't for these cores, you'd probably feel like you're at the brink of death."
Kal nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's like this darkness wants to swallow me up—it's a good thing these suns are here."
Yofiryn rolled his eyes again. "I've already told you these aren't suns, they're mana cores. There is a difference."
Kal gave a half smile. "Right, cores. But what exactly are they? Why am I here?"
Yofiryn sighed and stopped walking, turning to Kal. "I'll explain it to you, but for you to understand, I have to tell you everything from the beginning."
Kal crossed his arms, ready to listen, and Yofiryn began to speak.
"The last times you spoke with Domeh and Daat, they probably told you that place, the sanctuary where you conversed, was your inner sanctuary. A space that exists within your spirit, something that reflects your inner state. That wasn't a lie, but it also isn't the whole truth. What you saw before was just a small fraction of something much greater."
Kal raised his eyebrows, surprised. "So...there's more?"
Yofiryn nodded. "Much more. Do you think your spirit is limited only to your consciousness? No, Kal. What you have within you is far more complex and vast than you can imagine. That place you visited before is just the surface, an initial layer of a power much older and deeper."
Kal tried to process what he heard, but it seemed difficult to believe. "So what are these cores?"
Yofiryn pointed to the immense shining spheres. "They are vestiges of ancient energies, remnants of a primordial force that existed long before you or any other mortal being. These cores are a source of power...and in a way, you are connected to them."
Kal looked at the cores with a mixture of admiration and fear. "Connected? But how? I've never seen this before."
Yofiryn shook his head. "This is part of what you need to discover. These cores are within you, in a way, but your consciousness has not yet fully reached them. You have much to learn, Kal, and this is only the beginning. Each of these cores, despite being part of the same being, are unique and sentient consciousnesses - it's difficult to explain!"
Kal was silent for a few moments, contemplating the grandness of it all. He felt he was on the verge of a monumental discovery, but at the same time, a sense of responsibility began to weigh on his shoulders. What Yofiryn was revealing was more than he could ever have imagined.
"So...what do I do now?" he asked, with a mix of determination and uncertainty.
Yofiryn smiled. "You'll do what you've always done, Kal. You'll keep going. You'll learn. And you'll grow. But this time, with one more step taken in discovering that there is something much greater within you, something that can change everything."
Kal looked at the vast darkness around him, where light seemed to exist only to highlight his insignificance. "You said this place is also part of me," he began, his voice calm but laden with a curiosity he could barely hide. "If that's true, all this darkness...is also inside me?"
Yofiryn, with a serene expression, responded, "Yes, Kal. Everything here belongs to you. The beautiful, peaceful sanctuaries where you met with Domeh and Daat, these bright cores, and this vast darkness surrounding you. It's all within you. And in the same way, it's all you."
Kal absorbed the words in silence, trying to understand what it really meant. He remembered the tranquil places where he had met with Domeh and Daat before, where peace dominated his senses. Now, confronting this oppressive darkness, he wondered what it represented in his being.
"So...does this mean I have an evil part inside me?" he hesitated to say, doubt and fear beginning to appear in his voice.
Yofiryn smiled calmly, but the sweetness of his words was as sharp as a blade. "Evil? Why do you think so? This place...all this darkness you see, transcends any concept of good or evil. You are not a hero, Kal, nor a villain. Your existence is something beyond human understanding."
Kal furrowed his brow, confused. "But then...what is all this darkness?"
Yofiryn gave a slight sigh, like someone explaining something complex to a child for the first time. "In all realities of existence, for a new life to be created, it requires the genetic material from both father and mother, which synchronizes. However, even before the new being takes its first breath, it receives the 'breath of existence'. This breath is a small part of the primordial essence, something that gives life to the immaterial, to the spirit, where all its information is engraved."
"Yes, I understand that. All living beings are created this way," interrupted Kal, seeking to understand faster. "But what does this have to do with me?"
Yofiryn looked directly into Kal's eyes, his words now taking on an almost supernatural weight. "You are different, Kal. The breath of the primordial essence never reached you. You have the genetic material of those you call father and mother, but the essence that creates the immaterial, the spirit...never touched you. In nature's eyes, Kal, you are dead."
Kal widened his eyes, his heart racing. Yofiryn's words echoed like thunder in his mind. "What do you mean, I'm dead?" His voice was a mixture of confusion and desperation as he tried to process what it really meant.
Yofiryn, however, did not seem perturbed. "Perhaps it will be easier to show you than just explain."
With two soft palms, the vast darkness around them began to transform. The black void slowly gave way to a starry sky, with thousands of light points twinkling like small diamonds against the backdrop of the universe. Kal and Yofiryn were now floating over an earth enveloped by the darkness of night. In the distance, Kal spotted a small, almost imperceptible light.
"What is that?" asked Kal, more to himself. "A lantern? Someone cooking something?"
Yofiryn brought Kal closer, slowly descending toward the source of light. As they approached, the small flame revealed a clearing in the middle of a dark forest. Nocturnal sounds filled the air: distant wolves howling, owls singing in a melancholy manner. In the center of that clearing, a weak campfire cast trembling lights over the figure of a woman holding a baby in her arms.
Kal stopped, his eyes widening as he recognized the woman. "Ella...my adoptive mother." He saw the wounds on her body, the cuts and scratches, the dried blood on her torn clothes, the mud and blood on her bare feet. She was exhausted, her body fighting fatigue, but still holding the baby with a fierce care.
Yofiryn observed Kal attentively. "Look at the baby," he said, with a serious tone. "He is dead."
Kal moved closer, observing the small being in Ella's arms. The baby was pale, motionless. Not breathing. There was no life in its body. Kal swallowed hard, his mind beginning to crumble as he saw this. "Why does she still struggle? Why doesn't she leave him? This baby is clearly dead. Why doesn't she abandon it?"
Tears began streaming down Kal's cheeks as he watched the scene. He knew how much he loved Ella and how much she loved him, but this made no sense. Yofiryn placed a hand on Kal's shoulder, bringing him back to reality. "You're not seeing things as they truly are, Kal. Open your eyes and you'll see why she never abandoned this baby."
Kal blinked and, as if scales fell from his eyes, he saw. He saw the small strands of silver hair on the baby's head. Kal's heart nearly stopped. The baby...was him.
"She never gave up on you," said Yofiryn, in a soft voice. "She did not give birth to you, but she was the first to love you. Do you want to know why she never abandoned you?"
Kal, still sobbing, nodded his head, unable to speak.
And with a simple gesture, Yofiryn caused a great flash of light to pass before Kal's eyes, revealing a new vision. Kal saw his biological mother, Illia, laughing and talking happily with Ella in the queen's chambers. The two played with Illia's pregnant belly, laughing and talking about the baby growing inside. They had been friends since childhood, united by a deep bond that neither time nor royalty could undo.
Ella and Illia shared more than a simple friendship; they had a connection that transcended the difficult circumstances of their lives, their names were variations of the same word 'Smile'. When Illia was forced to marry her brother by order of the king, her father, Ella instead of following the path of a traditional noble, abandoned everything to become her best friend's lady-in-waiting. She would not allow Illia to face that alone.
Kal saw the moments when the two women laughed and smiled, imagining what the baby would be like, rehearsing names, trying to guess if it would be a boy or a girl. Illia's smiles were a pure reflection of the love and hope she placed in her child.
Then Kal saw the most difficult moment: the birth. When Illia was dying, Ella, her lifelong friend, had to cut open her belly with a dirty, blunt dagger to remove the baby. The desperation and pain in that moment were crushing, but still Ella did not abandon Illia. Until her friend's last breath, Ella remained by her side, holding the newborn baby so Illia could see him and smile one last time.
Kal felt a weight on his chest that seemed to crush him. "She never gave up on me," he murmured, as the tears continued to fall.
Kal watched the scene before him with a mixture of sadness and fascination. His adoptive mother Ella held a lifeless baby in her arms, mumbling weak words, as the cold wind enveloped the small clearing. "Do you understand now, Kal?" asked Yofiryn, still observing beside him. "You did not die along the way here. You were born dead. The primordial essence that descends upon all creatures had no reason to descend upon one that was not alive." Yofiryn's words echoed in Kal's mind, filling him with a somber understanding.
Kal wiped away his tears with his sleeve and stood up, with determination in his gaze. "Then how am I here? How is it possible that I have a spirit?" he questioned, unsure if he was ready for the answer.
Yofiryn pointed to Ella, lying exhausted under the tree. "Go, get closer to her," said Yofiryn calmly.
Kal took hesitant steps toward his adoptive mother, trying to understand what was really happening. As he approached, he began to hear the words she was mumbling in her trembling voice, almost without strength. "Remember my voice, little one?" She whispered, tears streaming down her face as she clutched the lifeless baby to her body. "I am Ella...we would talk every day, me, you and your mommy. I...I couldn't save your mommy...but I got you. I got you, child, and I'm not letting you go."
Ella's simple, desperate words pierced Kal's heart. He watched his mother's tears flowing, the love and pain in every word she spoke. She clutched the baby against herself, somehow trying to give it warmth, as if there was still a chance to save that tiny life.
"You know," Ella continued, her voice faltering, "your mommy and I thought of many names for you... What do you think of Oberon? He was your grandfather...he was a good king...no, maybe Yorion...the ancestor who unified the kingdom of Tenai." She let out a tired sigh, still mumbling, as her consciousness began to fade. "We can think of another name, one you'd like...just please...stay here with me."
Kal could no longer hold back his tears. To see his adoptive mother suffering this way, clinging to the life of a baby that was no longer there, caused him intense pain. Ella, exhausted and on the verge of losing consciousness, forcefully struck a thorny weed next to her, injuring her hand, but the shock kept her awake.
"We imagined all kinds of clothes for you...we imagined what your favorite foods would be, what your first love would be like..." She continued, her voice almost fading. "We imagined when you'd ascend the throne...your mommy really wanted to hold you close, and now...I'll have the privilege of seeing all of it. But I promise, child...when I reach paradise, I'll tell her everything, I'm sure she'll be happy and we'll smile together again seeing how much you've grown."
Kal could no longer bear to watch that scene. He tried desperately to hold Ella, touch her, comfort her somehow. But his hands passed through her, as if she were just a shadow. "Please, mother...abandon this baby," he pleaded. "This damn baby will be responsible for your death!"
As Kal made desperate movements, a small spark from Ella's campfire flew with the wind, delicately landing on the baby's forehead. The brief, small light captured Ella's attention, and seeing it made her smile for the first time that night. "It's a good omen," she murmured, clutching the baby tighter. "You know, baby...your Aunt Ella can't be a mother. I...I wasn't born with that ability. Maybe that's why...I became so attached to you. Come back to me, please. I know I'm not your real mother...but I'll love you as if I was."
Kal fell to his knees upon hearing those words, feeling a knot tighten in his throat. He moved closer once more and gently placed his forehead against Ella's. "You are my mother," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "I love you, mother..."
Strangely, Ella looked up, as if she had felt Kal's touch. She couldn't see him, but something made her sense a presence there. Yofiryn, observing this, was surprised for a moment but then smiled again. "So this is it..." he murmured.
Ella looked up at the starry sky, her eyes full of hope. Even without knowing who she was directing her words to, she spoke with unshakable faith: "I don't know any gods or goddesses...actually, I don't know if I'm talking to nothing. But if someone is listening...save this baby. He cannot carry all the sins of his parents."
Suddenly, a small, pale glow descended from the sky and landed on the baby. The profound silence was broken by a single, powerful breath. The baby began to cry loudly, the sound echoing through the forest like a miracle, breaking the darkness and despair that enveloped that night.
At the same time, Ella felt a strange burning in her belly. Instinctively, she placed her hand on her stomach, feeling an unusual energy, as if her own ability to bear life had been restored. Tears of joy streamed from her eyes as she raised the baby to the sky, a radiant smile on her face. "His name will be Kal," she declared, her voice full of emotion. "He who has returned from the dead!"
Kal, observing everything, smiled at Yofiryn. "Miracle...it's a beautiful name, don't you think?"
Yofiryn returned the smile. "Yes, Kal. Now you understand the true meaning of your name. You are the miracle who returned from the dead."
Kal fell silent for a moment, absorbing the meaning of his existence. He was far more than he had thought, more than the simple warrior he believed himself to be. Now, he knew his name carried the weight of a miracle, and his life was a gift of his adoptive mother's unconditional love.
Kal and Yofiryn returned to the vast, somber scene from before. The darkness stretched endlessly, a deep abyss that seemed to call Kal back. Yofiryn pointed to that darkness with a calm gesture and said, "Now you understand, Kal. This place should be where your primordial essence would reside, the same essence that gives life to all creatures. But in your case, this darkness within you represents death, always trying to pull you back. It, like us, is part of who you are."
Kal, absorbing this revelation, finally understood something that had always bothered him. "I've always felt different from others. Empathy, mercy, joy...I feel all these emotions, but in a weak, distant way, almost as if they belonged to someone else. All this is caused by this darkness, isn't it?"
Yofiryn nodded in agreement. "Exactly. This darkness is part of you, Kal. It will be here forever, fighting against the light you also carry."
Kal gazed into the abyss, pondering the weight of this truth. "So you're saying I'm sort of an avatar of the gods?" He wanted to know the true extent of his existence.
Yofiryn let out a slight sigh, as if Kal was still far from understanding the full magnitude of what he was. "What is within you goes far beyond the gods, Kal. You are not yet ready to comprehend who we really are. And, more importantly, what you are."
"Then what am I?" Kal insisted, seeking meaning for the power he felt. "Why do I have so much power? Am I some kind of being that will save or destroy the world?"
Yofiryn smiled lightly, a smile that carried more knowledge than Kal could imagine. "No, the world must be saved or destroyed by someone of the world, not by someone from outside of it. But you, Kal, you are the bearer of light. This certainly means something... the true meaning is for you to find. We are neither good nor evil. In the end, as Daat told you, it is up to you to choose your path. Be a king or a commoner, just or unjust, light or darkness, hero or villain. In the end, the choice will be yours."
Kal fell silent for a moment, Yofiryn's words echoing in his mind. The vastness of the options before him seemed almost oppressive, but he already felt that his journey had only just begun. "Now tell me, Yofiryn... what do I need to do to leave here and return to my physical body?"
The boy pointed once more to the darkness surrounding the light. "To leave here, Kal, you must repress this darkness alone. Do not worry about your physical body, I am taking care of it."
Yofiryn disappeared, and the seven suns that shone behind Kal began to merge, becoming a single, bright and powerful sphere. Yofiryn's voice echoed, distant but clear. "The darkness desperately wants to reach this light, and it is up to you to hold it back."
Suddenly, Kal saw shapes emerging from the shadows. Black bodies, like shadows of himself, began to emerge from the darkness, forming an army. They had his form, his strength and, most alarming of all, the same abilities as him. Kal looked on, impressed by the gigantic number of shadows, a legion of versions of himself, all slowly advancing towards the light.
He immediately understood what he must do. His function there was to prevent those shadows from reaching the light. But their number was overwhelming, and they all seemed as powerful as he. It was a battle against himself, a fight not just of strength, but of will.
The shadows began to advance, running towards the light, and Kal felt the weight of responsibility. "I cannot let this darkness reach the light," he murmured, feeling the pressure grow in his chest.
With an explosion of determination, Kal launched himself against the shadows, using his abilities to cut down the first ones to come near the light. The shadows moved in almost synchronized fashion with him, making the battle even more difficult. Every blow, every move he made, they replicated. Fatigue began to settle into Kal, but he knew he could not stop. The light had to be protected.
However, the shadows were tireless. For each one Kal felled, five more would emerge from the darkness, all thirsting to reach the bright core. Kal fought ferociously, but more and more he realized he was being slowly pushed back. The darkness seemed infinite, and he but one against all.
"I cannot fail," he shouted, as a shadow advanced and he felled it with a precise blow. But the fight was beginning to take its toll on him. His blows were becoming slower, and the shadows were getting closer and closer to the light.
Already in the dark and turbulent night in Zoarlath, Catoni's house was a fragile refuge against the tide of revolt advancing towards it. The sound of the gates shuddering and the immense blows echoing throughout the house filled the air with a sense of impending despair. With each moment, the thunder of the revolutionaries' attacks made the walls vibrate and the floor tremble. Arphaxad, with his eyes fixed through a small crack, watched the growing mass of people outside the house, their expressions of terror and determination.
"They seem strange, many men, women and even children," said Arphaxad with a tense voice. "They have... red eyes. They are salivating. They really seem to be under the control of something sinister!" His words carried an urgency that made clear how grave the situation was.
Aura, immersed in the ancient book Catoni had found, looked on restlessly. Beside her, Adonis and Meglin still tried to piece together the chaotic situation they had encountered, seeking any clues as to how the city had been consumed by an evil ritual.
"Do you have any idea how we can reverse this?" Adonis asked, unable to hide the frustration in his voice.
Aura, absorbed in her reading, suddenly had an idea that could be the key to solving the situation. "I've got it!" she exclaimed, calling everyone's attention around her. "We all know that all magic requires three components to be conjured: the necessary mana, the innate ability of the conjurer, and an understanding of the magic. If we understand how the ancient magic works and find the source," she continued. Everyone was focused on Aura's explanation, "What do you mean?" Asked Adonis.
"Meglin said the magic that enchanted all of Zoarlath is impregnated everywhere, that means there is a piece of the caster's spirit surrounding us at this very moment, if you could use your 'Spiritbender' maybe you can find the source of the magic or even learn more about your roots!" Completed Aura leaving everyone perplexed by this possibility "This is brilliant Aura, if we can understand this ancient magic, maybe we can find a way to interrupt it!" Said Meglin.
Adonis' eyes lit up with possibility, but he was visibly hesitant. "I've never used my 'Spiritbender' in this way before. I don't know if it will work, and if this magic is truly from the shadows, how will we understand something we've never seen before?"
"We don't have any other way to know without trying," said Markel, approaching Adonis with an encouraging tone. "We need to do something, and if this is our only chance, we must seize it."
Yorin, who was equally worried, turned and said urgently: "If you're going to try something, you better start soon. They're almost breaking in!"
Catoni, in a display of courage and determination, took Adonis, Aura, Meglin, Pudim, the puppy Nia and his granddaughters into his workshop. "This book may contain more information," said Catoni, about the book he had given Aura. Then he moved away to pick up an ancient sword, his expression grave but resolute. "Lock this door. Put the table, chairs and everything you can to barricade it completely. If we can't hold the enemies outside, at least this will buy you a little more time."
Catoni's granddaughters, Hilda and the younger one, started crying and screaming for the old man not to leave. "You're too old Grandpa, stay!" begged Hilda, tears streaming down her face.
Catoni smiled at his beloved granddaughter, his eyes full of a sad serenity and firm resolution. "The former captain of the Royal Palace Guard must brandish his sword one last time to save my brothers..." He finished, trying to comfort the girls, "And thus once and for all restore his honor."
Despite the comforting words, anxiety and fear were great. Catoni walked away to leave and Adonis quickly began locking the last door, chairs and tables being used as makeshift barricades.
The sound of the gates banging and the shouting voices of the revolutionaries continued, but the focus now was on Adonis and the others' task of reversing the situation. The golden book in Aura's hands seemed to carry a symbolic weight, a last hope amid the darkness threatening to consume them. They prepared to face the impossible, with each fighting against the tide of despair that seemed unsurpassable.
Meanwhile, outside, the revolutionaries continued trying to break into the house, their red eyes glowing with a sinister intensity, a terrifying representation of the sinister influence dominating the city. Time was running out, and every second that passed seemed to increase the pressure and tension of the group inside Catoni's house. The battle between hope and despair was about to reach its climax, and the fate of all hung on the ability to face the darkness threatening to consume the city.