Darkness swallowed the world as Kai tumbled backward, the force of the explosion throwing him off his feet. His body hit the ground hard, and for a moment, everything went silent. The air, thick with the oppressive weight of the shadows, pressed down on him, and it felt like the world had been pulled apart and sewn back together in an instant.
His ears rang, and the shadows around him pulsed erratically, out of his control. He could barely hear Lysandra's panicked voice calling his name, muffled by the whirlwind of energy spiraling from the shrine.
"Kai!" Lysandra's voice finally cut through the haze, and his vision cleared just in time to see her leaning over him. Her eyes were wide with fear, her face bathed in the eerie glow of the remnants of the explosion.
He groaned, struggling to sit up. His body ached from the impact, but there was no time for pain. "What… happened?" he managed to ask, his voice strained.
"The artifact—" Lysandra's voice trembled. "It… It's gone, but something else was released."
Kai's eyes darted toward the shrine. Where the glowing light had been moments ago, now only a chasm of writhing shadows remained, swirling like a living storm. The shadows, far darker and more malevolent than anything he had encountered before, stretched toward the sky as if they were hungry for something, something dangerous.
"*This wasn't just a weapon…*" Kai muttered, forcing himself to his feet. "*It's something else, something alive.*"
Before Lysandra could respond, the earth trembled again, this time more violently. The shadows, now coiling and writhing faster, began to shift, taking form. Out of the swirling mass, a figure emerged—tall, cloaked in shadow, and with eyes that glowed a deep, unnatural red.
Kai's breath caught in his throat. "*What is that?*"
Lysandra stepped back, her hand instinctively reaching for her dagger. "*I've never seen anything like it before.*"
The figure's red eyes locked onto them, and Kai felt a wave of dread wash over him. Whatever this entity was, it wasn't bound by the same rules as manarites. It exuded an ancient, primal power that made the air thick with malevolence.
The figure raised a hand, and the shadows around it rippled in response. Kai felt a sudden pull—like his own shadows were being drawn toward the entity, answering its silent call. He gritted his teeth, fighting to keep control of his power, but the force was too strong.
"*It's… trying to take my shadows,*" Kai gasped, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. The connection he had forged with the shadows, the very thing that had given him strength, was now being ripped from him.
"*We have to go!*" Lysandra shouted, pulling at his arm. "*We're not ready for this!*"
Kai hesitated, torn between the urge to flee and the desire to fight. He had never backed down before, but the entity before them was something far beyond his abilities. Even his connection to the shadows felt insignificant in the face of its power.
But then the entity spoke, its voice a low, echoing whisper that seemed to reverberate through the very air around them. "*You… bear the mark of the forbidden shadows…*" it said, its red eyes narrowing. "*You… will be mine.*"
Kai's blood ran cold. The mark? How did this thing know about his powers?
Lysandra's grip tightened on his arm. "*We have to go, now!*" she urged again, her voice filled with desperation.
But before they could make a move, the entity raised its hand again, and a surge of dark energy shot toward them. Kai barely had time to react, throwing up a shield of shadows to block the attack. The force of the blast sent them both tumbling backward, the ground beneath them cracking from the impact.
Kai's mind raced. They couldn't fight this thing—not here, not now. They were outmatched.
He scrambled to his feet, grabbing Lysandra's hand. "*We're leaving!*"
With a final glance at the shadowy figure, Kai turned and ran, pulling Lysandra along with him. They sprinted through the forest, their feet pounding against the ground as the trees blurred around them. Behind them, the shadows continued to pulse and shift, as if the entity was watching their every move, waiting for the right moment to strike again.
They didn't stop until they were far from the clearing, the sound of their own breath the only thing they could hear. Kai slowed to a halt, his chest heaving with exhaustion. Lysandra leaned against a tree, her face pale and drawn.
"*What was that thing?*" she asked between ragged breaths.
"*I don't know,*" Kai replied, his voice hoarse. "*But whatever it was, it's after me. After my powers.*"
Lysandra frowned, wiping sweat from her brow. "*If that thing knows about your shadows… then it might know more about the rebellion. Maybe they're working together.*"
Kai shook his head, still trying to process what had just happened. The thought of the rebellion tapping into a power like that was terrifying, but it also didn't make sense. The figure had spoken of him specifically, as if it had been waiting for someone with his abilities.
But why?
"*We need answers,*" Kai muttered, glancing at Lysandra. "*This rebellion is bigger than we thought. If they're summoning things like that, the academy won't stand a chance.*"
Lysandra straightened, her eyes filled with grim determination. "*Then we need to find out where they're getting this power. We need to get ahead of them.*"
Kai nodded. They had to return to the academy, find out what was really going on behind the scenes. But something still nagged at him—the way the shadows had responded to the entity, the way it had spoken about his powers.
The connection between him and the shadows was growing stronger, but with that strength came new dangers. He was no longer just wielding the shadows; he was becoming something more. And if he didn't find a way to control it, he feared what the shadows might turn him into.
But before they could move, a rustling sound came from the bushes nearby. Both of them froze, instincts kicking in. They weren't alone.
Lysandra drew her dagger, her eyes scanning the treeline. "*What now?*"
Kai tensed, readying his shadows. Whoever it was, they weren't here by coincidence.
The rustling grew louder, and suddenly, a figure stepped out from the trees.
It was the assassin.
But something was wrong. His eyes were wide, his face twisted in horror, as if he had seen something unspeakable. His mouth opened, but only a rasping, desperate sound came out.
Before Kai could react, the assassin collapsed to the ground, clutching at his chest. His body convulsed violently, and then his eyes rolled back, and he was still.
Lysandra gasped, her face paling. "*What just happened?*"
Kai took a cautious step forward, but then he saw it a dark, shadowy mark burned into the assassin's skin, spreading across his chest like veins of pure darkness.
"*The mark…*" Kai whispered, horror gripping his heart. "*It's the same as mine.*"