Silas' expression didn't falter, but a faint, hidden grin spread across his face, a shadow of amusement dancing behind his eyes. He chuckled softly, the sound low and dangerous, like the distant rumble of thunder before a storm. "Ah, an inquisitive mind. Good. Curiosity is the first step toward true power."
He turned away from the boy, his fingers idly tracing along the edge of a crumbling bookshelf. The dim light flickered, casting long shadows over the room as Silas began to speak again, his voice quieter now, but rich with dark memories. "Like you, I come from a noble lineage. However, my family lived on a different continent, far from the reaches of this kingdom." His hand paused on one of the worn, dust-covered books, his teal eyes narrowing as if he were looking into a distant past. "In my family, there is a… tradition. When you reach the age of thirteen, you are sent out into the world. Alone."
The boy's brow furrowed in confusion, his fear momentarily replaced by intrigue. "Alone? Why?"
"To prove yourself," Silas answered coldly, glancing over his shoulder at the boy. "You are given five years. Five years to survive, to learn, to grow. Only then can you return to the family—if you manage to survive." He turned fully, facing the boy now, his sharp gaze locking onto his. "The survival rate among my family members was never very high. That was the way our bloodline separated the strong from the weak. Those who returned were worthy. Those who didn't… were forgotten."
A heavy silence filled the room, the boy hanging onto every word. He could feel the weight of the truth in Silas' words—the cold, merciless nature of his family's tradition. He shuddered, but before he could speak, Silas continued.
"I was different from my kin," Silas said, his tone softening into something almost reflective, but still laced with a dangerous edge. "I was never particularly skilled in magic or combat—both of which were the preferred tools of survival in my family's eyes. But I had something else. Something far more valuable. A mind capable of grasping concepts that others would shy away from. I chose to become a scholar instead of a warrior, seeking out ancient and forbidden knowledge far beyond the reach of mortal minds."
The boy's eyes widened, his curiosity piqued. "Forbidden knowledge…?"
Silas nodded slowly, his expression darkening as he spoke. "During my travels, I came across the ruins of a lost civilization, buried deep beneath the sands of time. There, hidden in the crumbling remains of their once-great libraries, I discovered a tome. An ancient, forgotten text that no living soul should have ever laid eyes upon. Its pages were filled with secrets that twisted my perception of the world, secrets that no human mind should ever possess. And yet…"
He let the words hang in the air, the boy's breath hitching in anticipation.
"…I couldn't resist," Silas finished, a sinister grin forming on his lips. His voice had grown darker, more sinister, as though the memories themselves held a corrupting influence over him. "The knowledge contained within that book changed everything I once knew. It shattered the boundaries of what I thought was possible and opened my eyes to truths that most would find… maddening."
The boy's heart raced, a mixture of fear and fascination flooding his mind. "And… and that's how you learned about the void?"
"Yes," Silas replied with a slight nod. "Through years of study, rituals, and sacrifices, I unlocked the secrets held within that tome. The void and its power became mine to command, not as a servant groveling for favor, but as a master wielding forbidden knowledge. What you've summoned, boy, is just a fragment of the void's vast and infinite power."
Silas' eyes glinted with a dangerous, almost fanatical light as he spoke. "You've only begun to scratch the surface of what the void can offer you. Through discipline and mastery, you too can wield its power—not as a mere summoner of beasts, but as a true master of the void's darkest secrets."
The boy felt a shiver run down his spine, the weight of Silas' words settling like a heavy stone in his chest. He looked up, for the first time meeting Silas' gaze directly, and saw in those cold, teal eyes the depths of the abyss he had begun to delve into. A chill crept over him, but alongside it was a growing hunger—a desire for the power Silas spoke of.