"Enough of this charade!" Kael screamed, his tone frigid and poisonous. With a sweep of his palm, the illusion vanished, leaving me standing in the cold, merciless landscape of Kaeloria's actual form. The colours were drab, the air was biting, and magic hung heavy over everything.
I blinked, and the swirling cloud surrounding me dissipated, leaving behind a harsher, grittier reality. Kael's piercing eyes blazed at me, his fury setting the air ablaze like literally. My mind raced as whatever it was I was experiencing—centaurs, psychic creatures, and recognisable Earth-like oddities—collapsed like a dream dissolving at morning.
I was in some sort of mediaeval era dungeon or something of that nature. Surprisingly I wasn't chained down at all.
I swallowed hard, attempting to maintain my composure. My thoughts raced. So, it wasn't real. Is it all simply a test? Was this some sort of illusion, some psychic attack?
But I couldn't tell Kael I was upset. I couldn't lose my cool. Not now. I needed to maintain control. If I show weakness, he will crush me. But within, I was shivering.
"You thought you could deceive me, didn't you?" Kael's lips curved into a sneer as he approached, his eyes surveying me like a predator assessing wounded prey. "Looking like Ash, sounding like him, and even having his signature magic class, the blood mage class." He spat the words, as if they revolted him.
I feigned a smirk. "The fantasy quests and all need more work, Kael. Honestly, I could have put in a few dragons, like Smaug. Would have made it much more interesting at least."
Kael's eyes flared dangerously. "Are you still playing games? Tell me: where is the real Ash?"
His comments landed like a sledgehammer in the gut. The "real" Ash? What exactly did he mean by that? I was Ash Blackwood. I had been since I discovered myself in this strange universe. Kael looked at me as if I were a phoney. Did he know anything? Or was this another form of manipulation? I know that I am one, but still, what?!
I couldn't allow him see me hesitate. "I am Ash," I said, my voice firm despite my erratic thoughts. Keep calm. Don't overplay it. He's bluffing and testing you.
Kael's eyes narrowed, and for a few while, neither of us spoke. He observed me as if weighing my words and counting every breath I took.
I could feel the air tightening, coiling like a snake about to strike. My palms were sweaty, but my expression remained neutral. Cool and confident. Or at least that is what I imagined it would look like.
"You're not the Ash I remember." His voice was low and more threatening than before. He was no longer angry; he was sceptical. That was awful. "Your power and mannerisms. They are all wrong. There's some overlap, but you're definitely not him."
I battled the impulse to swallow and wipe away the worried sweat on my brow. "I have gone through a lot since you last saw me, Kael. Perhaps you should keep up.
His lips twitched in an unfunny smirk. "You're okay, I'll grant you that. But you belittle me if you believe I can't see the reality. The mind can be transformed, and consciousness reshaped. What are you? Some kind of spell? "Or perhaps a puppet."
I recoiled inside at the word *puppet*. My stomach churned at the thought of not having complete control over my fate. But I couldn't let the fear show. I needed to keep him guessing. "Do you think I'd let someone control me? I am not a pawn in someone else's game."
Kael's look was cold and calculating. "Then prove it.If you truly are Ash, prove it."
For a little minute, I faltered. Prove it? How? What did he want? What are Ash's actual memories? What are his thoughts? I had parts of them, yes, but they were scattered and jumbled, and I'd never had complete control over them. Kael needed something I couldn't give him, which worried me.
"Prove it?" I repeated, stalling for time. "You are the one making accusations. Why don't you prove that I'm not Ash?
His eyes blazed. "You can't dodge this forever." His voice was like steel now, and his patience was growing thin. "Where. Is. Ash?"
Every muscle in my body contracted. My mind raced for a response that would buy me time and keep me from being killed. *Why is he so convinced? *What is the angle here?
"You want Ash?" I exclaimed, my voice stronger and more defiant. "Here I am." You can either accept this or continue chasing ghosts. Either way, I'm not going to play this game anymore."
I hadn't realised how hard I was breathing until the words left my mouth. I couldn't backtrack now. I had thrown down the challenge. But had I overdone it? Was this overly bold?
Kael's pupils darkened as the muscles in his jaw tightened. He took a step forward, and for a brief moment, I believed he was going to strike me. I could see the rage rising just beneath the surface. But then he paused.
"You've become quite bold, haven't you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His tone lacked mirth, instead being chilly and calculated. "Perhaps I was wrong about you."
I breathed slowly, trying not to indicate how relieved I was. Perhaps I had thrown him off balance just enough.
Kael's visage tightened again, and his eyes narrowed. "Maybe it's all part of the game." Perhaps the real Ash is hiding beneath this façade. Perhaps someone else is pulling your strings.
I felt my throat tightening. Is someone else pulling my strings? Was that it? Is this why he didn't believe I was Ash? Did he assume I was a puppet? Who is in control, though? A higher power? A different mage?
Before I could react, Kael raised his hand, sending a flash of energy across the air. My muscles tightened as I braced for the magic he was casting, but nothing happened. Nothing is visible, at least.
"Tell me this," Kael asked softly, almost in a whisper. "If you're really Ash, then where did you learn to control your magic?"
The question was straightforward, but it caught me completely off guard. Where did I learn? The memories of blood magic were now part of me, but I had no idea how I got them. Not without revealing that I am not originating from this earth.
I paused. "I…"
Kael's eyes glittered as he sensed my uncertainty. "Go on. Answer."
I clenched my fist. "I do not owe you an explanation, Kael. I am not here to justify myself to you."
His lips twitched again, but this time with frigid satisfaction rather than amusement. "Of course not. But that won't stop me from discovering the truth."
The air around us seemed to darken, and Kael's patience faded. His look was like a dagger, cutting through my every word and motion. "You've made your choice, Ash." He pronounced my name with a sneer, as if it were a falsehood or something untrue.
The hand twitched almost subtly. I hardly
I saw it, but as soon as it happened, the world around me changed. The air swelled with power, and I could feel the raw energy crackle against my skin.
Before I could reply, Kael began, his voice low and menacing. "You'll give me the answers I seek… one way or another."
The ground underneath me rocked as the atmosphere became dense with Kael's magic. Shadows twisted at the corners of my vision, and I sensed the pull of something ancient and horrible. My thoughts raced. *Damn it, he is going to force this. I'm not prepared for another argument like this.*
"Kael, this is pointless," I said as calmly as I could. "What do you even think you'll find?"
Kael didn't respond. Instead, his eyes glinted with sinister enjoyment. "You tell me," he said softly, and the enchantment around us burst, rushing into me like a tidal wave.
I fell back, barely able to keep my thoughts together as the might of Kael's magic gripped me. My eyesight dimmed, and the world around me turned into a dizzying haze. I could feel him probing, digging deep, attempting to peel back the layers of my thoughts to reveal whatever truth he imagined was hidden behind.
*Focus, damn it! I squeezed my fists, hoping my blood magic would respond. I could feel it bubbling below the surface, but it was slow and recalcitrant. *Not now…come on...*
Kael moved closer, his voice echoing in my ears. "I'll peel away every layer of your mind if I have to."
I could hardly think, let alone respond. It was like drowning; every attempt to surface was greeted by Kael's crushing magic, which pulled me deeper and suffocated me. Panic ripped at my insides.
*He is going to find out. *He is going to know everything.
But then something changed inside me. A dim, almost forgotten memory resurfaced. A flash of blood, a sigil etched into the air, and the sensation of power surging through me. My breath caught. *Wait. *I have done this before.
I clinched my teeth as my ideas began to solidify. With a wave of desperation, I yanked at the blood magic within me, forcing it to the surface. Red tendrils of energy surged into place around me, building a protective barrier just as Kael's power attempted to enter my consciousness.
The pressure eased slightly, allowing me to draw in a breath. "Get out of my head," I growled, hoarse.
Kael's eyes widened for a split second, surprise spreading across his face. He had not expected me to resist. Good.
I pushed harder, causing the blood magic to grow and push Kael's influence back. The cloud around me gradually cleared, and I could see Kael again, just a few steps away, his look a mix of wrath and wonder.
"You're stronger than I thought," he said, almost to himself.
I sighed, attempting to calm my breathing. "I've told you. "I'm Ash."
Kael did not answer immediately. His stare remained fixed on me, his eyes shimmering with something I couldn't quite identify. After a lengthy, tense time, he took a step back and dropped his hand. The crushing weight of his magic vanished, leaving just a faint hum of power in the air.
"I'm not convinced," he finally answered, his tone less firm than before.
"Then stop playing games," I responded, adrenaline still running through my veins. "If you want something from me, say so. Otherwise, leave me alone.
Kael's gaze narrowed, and I wondered if he would pursue the matter again. But then he smirked with a cold, calculated expression. "You're correct. This is meaningless. You're no good to me like this."
The tension in the air changed, and I could sense the menace fading. Kael took another step back, his gaze never leaving mine. "But make no mistake, Adrian," he continued softly. "I will find out what you are hiding. And when I do, you'll wish you'd been open with me."
With that, Kael turned and stormed away, his robe billowing behind him as the dark enchantment that surrounded him faded. I watched him leave, my body still stiff and my mind racing.
As soon as he was out of sight, I sighed, exhausted all at once. My knees weakened and I fell to the ground, my hands trembling. *Damn it, that was too near. *
I remained there for a few moments, attempting to compose myself. Kael was far more deadly than I had realised. If I didn't learn how to harness my magic and navigate this weird world, he'd tear me up.
But at the very least, I had survived. For the time being, the game continued. And I wasn't going to let him win.