Ethan slowly opened his eyes, feeling as if a heavy curtain had been lifted within him. Around him, the cave remained silent, but all eyes were on him. To the others, he appeared normal at first glance, yet something had changed within him. He felt an overwhelming calm, as if the chaos that had always accompanied his growth and thirst for power had finally found balance. But the most significant change was the connection he now had with the shadows.
Before, the shadows had been an extension of his will, tools he could manipulate at will, but always from a position of external control. If before the shadows felt like an arm, now, that sensation had changed. He not only felt them as part of himself, but he could perceive their deepest essence. It was as if the shadows didn't just obey him, but were an indivisible part of his very existence. The shadows no longer accompanied him—they were him. Every wisp of darkness seemed to pulse in tune with his own being.
