The mountain trail loomed before Kael, twisting like a serpent under the cloak of night.
He clenched his jaw, fighting against a rising tide of frustration.
Why am I back here?
All he remembered was him giving in and now he was here.
This place, shrouded in darkness and echoing with distant memories, felt like a haunting. The trail had been a pathway to nightmares, and now it seemed to stretch infinitely, taunting him.
The cold air pierced his skin, sharp and unyielding, making him feel alive in a way he didn't want. Shadows danced around him, whispering secrets he was too weary to hear. The dark trees, twisted and gnarled, loomed over him like silent sentinels, their skeletal branches clawing at the moonlit sky.
Then, as if conjured from the very fabric of his despair, the voice returned, resonant and clear. "I need to mark you in order to become your system."
Kael's heart raced, an erratic drumbeat echoing in the silence. "My system?"" The intrigue crept in, a flicker of something long buried.
He had always wondered what it felt like to be born with a system, the absence of it in his family a constant reminder of their alienation.
How would it feel to possess power? The thought had always hung in the air.
"You are a mortal, Kael. And I am a deity. I cannot reside in you in my divine form. So you will have my system. I have powers that will help you," the voice continued, smooth yet commanding, like a current of energy threading through the darkness. "Powers that are unmatched, but you will have to prove yourself worthy of it. If you do, I will be able to help you with my powers, even grant you it if need arises. But if you don't, then until five parikrama of Altara, you cannot fight for it again."
"Parikrama?" Kael echoed. The word hung in the air, dense with meaning, and he felt a twinge of irritation bubble within him.
"Five rounds of Altara. Do they not teach you history in your university?"
Annoyance flickered in Kael's chest. "They teach us what has been approved by the Vyrimka."
"And who elected the Vyrimka?" the voice challenged, its curiosity palpable.
Kael hesitated, wrestling with the weight of truth. "The houses decide the members of the education council. Everything that happens here is the decision of House Valeran."
"And you never questioned it?"
Kael clenched his fists. "You deities made my life too difficult to actually see anything else."
The voice was silent for a moment, the air thick with tension. Then came a low growl from the shadows.
Kael whipped around, his senses heightened, scanning the dark void for any sign of movement, but the shadows were unyielding, offering nothing but dread.
"You have a lot to learn," the voice warned, deepening like thunder rumbling in the distance.
"You too," Kael shot back, the words sharp and unfiltered. A flicker of amusement sparked within him — an emotion that wasn't his because he was only irritated.
"Why do I feel your emotions?" he asked, a hint of disbelief coloring his tone.
"I am in your mind, Kael. It's a given."
"It's weird. Stop that."
"I cannot."
"Control your emotions and keep them away from me while at it. That's simple," Kael muttered, his pace quickening as he continued his cautious stride toward the city.
"It is not," the voice countered, its tone laced with an ancient wisdom. "I have been on Earth since time immemorial. My powers cannot be suppressed. Even if I did, you would still feel my emotions coursing through you. And once I mark you, I will be woven into the very fabric of your soul. You'll feel my essence magnified within you."
"My soul?" Kael echoed, his voice dropping to a whisper as he halted mid-step. A wave of uncertainty washed over him, and he pressed his palm against his chest, feeling the frantic thud of his heart.
What does that mean?
The implications bore down on him like an insurmountable weight.
"That's what it means to accept a deity," the voice explained, its inflection softening. "We do not see the vessel; we see the soul. It is the essence of who you are that draws us in."
Kael swallowed hard, the vulnerability in his voice creeping in despite his best efforts to maintain composure. "And what do you see in my soul?"
A thick silence enveloped them, pressing in like the dark, oppressive air of the forest around him. Finally, the voice responded, almost tenderly, "You're not ready for that answer yet, Kael. But I promise you, when the time comes, I will reveal only the truth."
Kael nodded slowly, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Could he handle the truth? Perhaps knowing too much while grappling with his own present turmoil would only serve to deepen his burden. Better to cling to the flickering ember of hope that dared to rise within him.
"So how do you mark me?" Kael resumed walking when the air around him thickened, a heavy blanket of tension that clung to his skin, stopping him.
An all-too-familiar sensation prickled up his spine — the same haunting gaze he had felt two nights ago, those eyes glimmering like silver embers piercing the darkness.
"Do not fear me, Kael," the voice soothed. The figure in the shadows began to materialize, approaching him with a fluid grace that spoke of power. "You accepted me. I will not hurt you."
"You've hurt me enough," Kael shot back, his voice taut with frustration, instinctively taking a step back. The figure stopped its movement, shadows entwining around them like dancers caught in an unbreakable waltz.
"It was inevitable, Kael. But you have a chance — an opportunity. You chose to accept me," the voice lowered. "Do not walk away from me."
He closed his eyes briefly, drawing in the night air, feeling it fill his lungs like a lifeline. "Is that you?" he asked, his voice trembling with uncertainty as he opened his eyes to meet the silver of the figure.
"That is my Vashira," the voice replied, pride lacing its tone.
"What is a Vashira?"
"They are the mighty beings who fought alongside their deities in ancient wars, their spirits intertwined, bound by fate."
"Did he fight with you?" Kael inquired, struggling to grasp the weight of this revelation, as if understanding the bond would somehow anchor him.
"Yes,"
"Will he hurt me?" Kael's heart raced, dread coiling in his stomach.
"Never. You will likely never see him again after this moment. He comes only when your life is in danger. But only if you let him mark you."
"He will mark me?" Panic surged within him. "No!"
"It is what it is, Kael. It is only a small bite — merely a scratch, perhaps. The moment your blood touches his teeth, it will be done."
"What kind of deity requires blood? What kind of deity are you?" Kael demanded, an icy shiver threaded through him.
"An ancient one," the voice replied, the conviction in its tone sending a chill deep into his bones, as if he were standing on the precipice of a storm.
"Are there more deities out there?" Kael's voice wavered.
"There are, but none like me. I can channel my powers into you in a way that is considered indestructible. Once you accept me, I will make you indestructible with time. Inevitable."
Kael's thoughts spiraled, the enormity of what was being asked of him suffocating. He felt like a marionette, strings pulled taut, teetering on the edge of an abyss that beckoned him closer.
"And my Vashira knows you are a mortal. He will never hurt you," the voice assured him, a soothing balm against his rising fears.
"Okay," he finally managed to whisper, the word escaping like a prayer barely formed. As soon as he spoke, the figure in the shadows surged forward.
In a surge of instinct, Kael closed his eyes, turning his back to the figure, bracing himself for the inevitable.
A roar shattered the silence, a raw, primal sound that reverberated through his very bones. It felt as though the night itself had been torn asunder, releasing a tempest that whirled around him, a whirlwind of sound and fury.
When he finally dared to open his eyes, the shadows began to shift, receding like the tide, unveiling a magnificent silhouette illuminated by the moonlight's ethereal glow.
The Vashira's shadow loomed before him, grand and imposing, a reflection of the divine entity that had chosen him. It towered over him, an enormous silhouette that seemed to stretch into eternity, its flowing fur shimmering with the wind.
"Are you rejecting him, Kael?" the voice inquired, slicing through the reverie that had ensnared him.
"No," Kael whispered, a swell of awe washing over him. Fear intermingled with reverence, coiling tightly around his heart. This was not just a creature of legend; it was a divine being, and that thought alone sent shivers cascading down his spine.
"But he can mark me like this too. I meant it when I said I accepted you. I accept your Vashira as well," he whispered.
He peeled his shirt over his head, the cold air biting against his bare skin, awakening every nerve ending. He shivered, anticipation and dread merging into a chaotic storm within him. "You can mark me."
A low growl rumbled from behind him, primal and resonant, sending tremors of fear through his entire being. Yet, he did not pull away.
Instead, he closed his eyes tightly, surrendering to the moment.
As thunder rolled overhead, a storm brewed on the horizon, and rain began to pour down in torrents, he felt it — fur brushing against his bare skin, warm and electric, sending a rush of sensation through him. His body stiffened, instinct screaming at him to flee, but he stayed rooted to the spot. The growl resonated once more, echoing through the storm.
And then, like a flash of lightning igniting the night, Kael felt the sharp sting of teeth sinking into his shoulder, a brief yet powerful surge of pain that ripped through him.
He gasped, the world blurring around the edges as memories flooded his mind — laughter, warmth, love, and loss. Time folded in on itself, sweeping him into a tempest of emotion: the warmth of his father's embrace, the joy of dancing with his mother during festivals, the steadfast support of his grandmother echoing in his ears.
Each image struck him like a bolt of electricity, vivid and raw, carving into his very essence. The power surged through him, an overwhelming force that filled every fiber of his being, igniting a fire that raced through his veins.
He gasped, the intensity threatening to consume him whole, and suddenly, his knees buckled, crashing to the earth.
Just as his knees met the cold ground, a deafening roar erupted behind him, shaking the very foundations of his reality. Kael's eyes snapped open, catching a glimpse of the magnificent shadow retreating, its form slowly dissipating into the encroaching dawn, now gilded with hues of orange and gold.
"You bear the deity inside you now, Kael," the voice declared, resonating deep within the core of his being as the sky cracked open with another thunderous roar.
"The Pantheon resides in you, the chosen one."