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Chapter 17 - The Shadow’s Choice

Kaelyn stood in silence, surrounded by an eerie, shifting landscape that seemed to exist outside of time and place. This wasn't the familiar world of Eidolon, nor the cursed Ashen Plains. Here, only shadows moved, reflecting faces and moments from her past. As she gazed into the darkness, scenes flickered—fragments of a life she barely recognized, and others that struck too close.

A voice, ancient and cold, echoed from the shadows. "Kaelyn, why do you follow him? Why do you risk everything for a man cast aside by the world, who wears his bitterness like armor?"

She felt the question's weight press down on her, forcing her to acknowledge the doubts buried deep within. Why indeed? Lucian—no, Mordrek—had become something dark, his light snuffed out by betrayal. She had witnessed firsthand his calculated cruelty and had chosen to follow him anyway.

But why?

One of the shadows shifted, forming a twisted mirror of herself. It looked at her with a hint of pity. "You could have the artifact. It was you who found it, after all. You who led him here. The power to reshape this world could have been yours."

Kaelyn took a sharp breath as the shadow revealed a vision—a future where she wielded the artifact, its energy coursing through her veins. She saw herself walking through the realm as a figure of unstoppable power, no longer in Mordrek's shadow but a force in her own right.

The image flickered, the vision whispering promises of glory and freedom. The artifact's light surrounded her, brighter than she had ever seen it before, tempting her to seize that destiny. To take control. Her hand unconsciously reached out as if to grasp it, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and dread.

"Why not take it?" the voice goaded. "You've spent too long as a follower, as one overlooked. This power could be yours. You know he would do the same if he were in your place."

She hesitated, her fingers curling back. "I know he would," she whispered, her own voice sounding distant. "But I am not him. I'm not… bound by his darkness."

The shadow laughed, mocking her hesitation. "You think yourself noble? No, Kaelyn, you're a coward. You cling to him, hoping to find a sense of purpose. Without him, you're lost."

The words cut deep, echoing a truth she feared but refused to accept. She hadn't followed Mordrek out of blind loyalty, nor out of any need for power. She had chosen him, not because she saw him as a savior, but because she understood his pain. His rage mirrored her own.

The shadows shifted, revealing a memory that had been locked away—the day she had met Lucian Emberthorn. Back then, he wasn't the infamous Mordrek but a celebrated champion, a figure of light and strength. She had watched him from afar, inspired by his resilience, his dedication. Yet even then, she had seen the shadows creeping into his gaze, the weight of expectation pressing him down.

The Lucian she remembered wasn't the one Eidolon now knew as Mordrek. He had been someone who fought for something greater. And despite everything, she believed that part of him was still there, hidden beneath layers of bitterness and vengeance.

The shadows coiled around her, murmuring doubts. "You follow a broken man. What can he offer you but ruin?"

"He offers me a choice," she replied, straightening. "A chance to stand beside someone who doesn't hide his scars. Someone who has faced betrayal and still rises. That's why I follow him—not because he's perfect, but because he's real."

But even as she spoke, another image surfaced—one of Lyra, enigmatic and elusive. She had watched how Lyra moved in Mordrek's orbit, a mystery both alluring and dangerous. Though Kaelyn respected her, an unsettled feeling lingered. Lyra was unreadable, her motives concealed beneath a veil of shadows, and Kaelyn couldn't shake the sense that she, too, was part of a game Kaelyn couldn't fully understand. She felt torn, wary of the role Lyra might play in Mordrek's life—and perhaps in her own.

The darkness seemed to recoil, pulling back like a tide. The vision of her future—one where she stood alone, powerful yet isolated—faded, leaving her in an empty void. Silence reigned, pressing down on her with a suffocating weight.

Another figure appeared, this one unmistakably Mordrek himself, his eyes cold and calculating. He regarded her with a mixture of disdain and curiosity. "So, you believe in me?" he sneered, his voice laced with bitterness. "You think I'm worth following?"

Kaelyn held his gaze, unflinching. "I believe in what you can be. I see both sides of you—the champion you once were and the villain you've become. And I choose to follow you because I believe in both."

Mordrek's expression faltered, a flicker of something vulnerable flashing in his eyes. "And what if I fail you?" he asked, his voice softer now, almost vulnerable. "What if this darkness consumes me?"

"Then I'll be here to pull you out," she replied, her voice steady. "I'll stand by you, not because I owe you loyalty, but because I choose to. You don't have to face this alone."

The shadows began to fade, the trial nearing its end. Kaelyn felt a sense of clarity settle over her, a renewed resolve that burned away her doubts. She wasn't just a follower. She was an ally, a guiding light to someone who had lost his way in the darkness.

As the final traces of shadow vanished, she heard the voice once more, softer this time, almost approving. "Then go, Kaelyn, and remember: loyalty is not born of duty, but choice. Choose wisely, for the path you walk will not be easy."

Kaelyn opened her eyes, finding herself back in the familiar world of Eidolon. She felt different, as though a weight had been lifted. She had faced her fears, her doubts, and emerged stronger, her purpose clear.

Whatever trials awaited, she would be ready—not as a mere follower, but as a partner to the man the world saw as a villain, and the champion she still believed in.

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Words of the Forsaken:

In shadows, we find both refuge and betrayal. Choose wisely whom you trust, for the light you seek may lead you deeper into darkness. ~ Kaelyn