Sirius came to, for the second time in the Abyssal plane. Pain gripped his body as he tried to move, and he groaned, his eyes tearing up from the sensation. The sharp ache urged him to stay still, granting his body the much-needed rest.
'I survived?' His first thought came as disbelief. He had fought an Abyssal Shade as a mundane human. No modern weapons, firearms, or tech—just rocks, a stick, and his salt weave. That shouldn't have been enough. But here he was, alive. He hadn't escaped the Abyssal plane yet, but…
'Still alive... for now.'
Suddenly, a wave of water washed over him, chilling his bones. Sirius's heart froze as dread seized him.
'The dark river.'
The memory of falling into the abyss with the Shade came back to him. His soaked clothes clung to his skin as he sat up, trying to block out the pain. His hands moved swiftly over his body, searching for any bite marks from the piranha-like Shades lurking in the water. A sigh of relief escaped him when he found no wounds.
It wasn't that they hadn't touched him. They couldn't.
Salt was seeping from his skin. The creatures had been scared off.
'Did I really save myself?* A brief, painful smile touched his lips. *I think I broke a few ribs.'
A low growl pierced the silence, dragging Sirius's attention away from his own thoughts. Familiar, but weak.
His muscles protested, but curiosity—and something deeper—urged him to move. He found himself following a trail of blood leading from the river to a craggy patch of rocks. The wet ground showed signs of something dragging itself out of the river. Sirius followed it, cautiously.
He found it.
The Abyssal Shade that had nearly killed him lay ahead, its body mangled and bleeding. It had lost two arms, and a third hung loosely by its side. Its blinded eyes were hollow, and its half-severed leg left it immobile. Bite marks covered its once intimidating form.
'So pitiful now.'
"The roles have reversed," Sirius muttered, standing over the creature.
The Shade let out a desperate roar, clawing feebly at the dirt as it tried to pull itself toward him.
Sirius watched, unmoved by the sight. His heart still beat faster—fear, maybe—but the urge to end this battle was stronger. He had to awaken.
Kneeling behind the creature, he pressed his hands together as though in prayer. The Shade sensed him and struggled harder, but it was no use. He opened his hands, salt pouring from his palms. The creature felt the salt touch its skin but didn't yet understand the threat.
Sirius stepped back, watching as the salt began to draw the creature's blood. At first, it squirmed with confusion, scratching at itself in vain. But the salt wouldn't stop. It absorbed more and more blood, drying the Shade from the inside out.
With time, its movements grew slower, weaker. Its strength drained until all it could do was lie in place, motionless. Sirius approached again, this time without hesitation. He kicked it, testing for a reaction. When none came, he twisted off its last hanging arm and drove the creature's own claw into its empty eye socket, ending its misery for good.
Sirius slumped onto a nearby rock, his body finally giving in to exhaustion. A faint glow rose from the dead Shade, swirling with ethereal energy. He smiled, sensing the presence of soul shards, moving around him.
He sat cross-legged, focusing his mind. Inside him, he could see it—a vast sea of silver energy, with dark purple strands entwined within it.
'Silver? I thought souls were white…'
The purple disturbed him. 'Am I corrupted?' But he shook off the thought. He wasn't corrupted. He couldn't be.
Shaking his head, he reached out, feeling the soul shards around his body, letting them into his soul. He concentrated, envisioning them breaking apart, dissolving into shimmering fragments. One by one, the shards transformed into soul threads, their essence vibrant and alive.
Now, he began weaving the soul threads, watching as the silver strands intertwined, growing stronger and more luminous with each turn.
'This is it.'
As he worked, he felt the weight of his struggles the battles fought, the pain endured-all coalescing into this single act of creation. The energy around him pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. He felt powerful, focused. Each thread he spun brought clarity, purpose.
Finally, a core began to take shape. He could feel it vibrating with potential, a silver sphere infused with hints of purple. It was beautiful and terrifying, and he knew this was a milestone-a true awakening of his abilities.
As the core solidified, a wave of energy spread through his body. His bones, muscles, and organs all strengthened. Sirius opened his eyes, the world around him sharp and vivid, all his senses heightened. The pain receded, albeit just a bit. They still hurt like hell. And he also felt injuries begin healing faster, though it wasn't visible. His body felt lighter, though not completely free from pain. Just... bearable.
"I've finally awakened," he whispered to himself, letting the realization sink in.
Soon though, his stomach growled, interrupting the glorious moment. Looking around at the desolate landscape, he spotted nothing but dead trees. Sirius exhaled, still grounded in reality. "I need to find Xander... but first, I have to eat something."
He scanned the barren landscape around him. Dead trees and rocks, nothing edible in sight. His gaze eventually fell on the corpse of the Shade.
A grim smile tugged at his lips. This wasn't going to end well.