The artifact was heavier than it looked. Tom carried it in both hands, its eerie glow casting long shadows on the walls as he crept back to his quarters. Every step he took felt like a tremor beneath his feet, the energy radiating from the box vibrating through his bones. He was sweating, but it wasn't from fear. It was excitement, anticipation. This was what he had been waiting for.
Once inside his small, dimly lit room, he shut the door and placed the artifact on the floor in front of him. His heart was pounding. The elder knight's voice had gone quiet for the time being, but Tom could feel his presence, lurking just behind the veil of his consciousness, watching, waiting.
Tom knelt before the box, his hands trembling as he reached out. With a single, deliberate motion, he opened it.
The light that poured from the artifact was blinding. Tom shielded his eyes with his arm, but he could feel the power wash over him like a wave, enveloping him, pulling him under. The room seemed to spin, the walls bending and warping around him as the energy consumed everything.
And then, just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.
Tom blinked, his vision slowly returning. The light had dimmed, reduced now to a soft glow that pulsed faintly from within the box. He leaned closer, peering inside. What he saw took his breath away.
Lying in the center of the artifact was a small, jagged crystal, dark as night, its surface shimmering with a strange, otherworldly energy. Tom reached for it, his fingers brushing the cold surface of the crystal. A jolt of energy shot through him, and for a moment, he thought he might black out. But then the power settled, like a storm passing, leaving behind a strange calm.
The elder knight's voice returned, a whisper in his ear. "You've taken the first step, boy. But be warned—the power comes at a cost."
Tom's heart raced. "What cost?"
The elder's voice was cold, calculating. "Power is never free. The more you use it, the more it will demand. Your mind, your body, your soul, it will consume you if you're not careful, taking out your humanity. But in return, you will have the strength to crush your enemies, to reshape the world in your image."
Tom swallowed hard, his fingers tightening around the crystal. The weight of the elder's words hung heavy in the air, but he didn't care. He was beyond caring. All that mattered now was the power, the revenge that was finally within his grasp.
"I accept," Tom whispered, his voice barely audible in the stillness of the room. "I'll pay the price."
"I might be scared a bit, but on things is for sure, I can never let the death of my mother be in vein, I will make sure they all pay for what they did to her. And let me correct you about something! the day my mother died was the day I also died, so now am just a tool for her revenge.!" Tom pointed out.
The elder's laughter echoed in his mind, a low, guttural sound that sent chills down Tom's spine. "Good. Now, take the crystal. Absorb it. Let it become a part of you."
Without hesitation, Tom did as the elder commanded. He brought the crystal to his chest, pressing it against his skin. The moment the crystal touched him, it dissolved, sinking into his flesh like water. A burning sensation spread through his body, but Tom gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out.
The pain was unbearable, but at the same time, it was exhilarating. He could feel the power surging through his veins, stronger than ever before. His mind expanded, his senses sharpening to an almost painful degree. He could hear the faintest sounds—the crackling of the torches in the hallway outside, the distant murmurs of the knights as they slept, the rhythmic beating of his own heart.
And then, something shifted.
It was subtle at first, a small tug at the back of his mind. But as the seconds passed, the sensation grew stronger, more insistent. Tom frowned, his head throbbing as he tried to focus. The tug became a pull, a force drawing him in, deeper and deeper into his own consciousness.
He fought against it, but it was too strong. The world around him began to fade, the walls of his room melting away as he was pulled into the darkness, into the depths of his own mind.
---
Tom stood in the middle of a vast, empty wasteland. The sky above him was a sickly shade of red, the ground cracked and dry beneath his feet. There was no wind, no sound, just an oppressive silence that pressed down on him from all sides.
He took a step forward, his boots crunching against the brittle earth. As he moved, he saw something in the distance, a figure, standing alone in the middle of the wasteland, shrouded in shadow.
Tom's heart pounded in his chest as he approached the figure, his body moving almost against his will. The closer he got, the clearer the figure became, until finally, he saw him.
It was the elder knight.
But this wasn't the proud, powerful figure Tom had seen in his dreams. This version of the elder knight was gaunt, his skin stretched tight over his bones. His eyes were hollow, his face twisted in a grimace of pain. He looked… broken.
"Is this my future?" Tom asked, his voice trembling. "Will the power do this to me?"
The elder knight turned to face him, his hollow eyes locking onto Tom's. "This is the price," he rasped. "This is what awaits those who walk the path of power."
Tom felt a surge of fear, but he forced it down. "I don't care. I'll control it. I won't end up like you. And besides, power outcomes never ends like this, I don't know what game you are trying to play, but it will never work on me. If this is the outcome of power then are you trying to say all the knights are still under these repercussion?"
The elder knight smiled, a sad, knowing smile. "That's what I thought too."
The elder looked at constantly as he said, "if your mother was still alive, and you were not born to inherit this powers... If given the chance would you choose immortality~the root of this power? a life without end, where time loses its purpose. Many dream of it, but don't understand the price. Although I had a rival who was able to seal my body, but my soul was never sealed, my soul has been rooming around for generations feeding on others souls to keep my balance until I met you... For those generation I have been feeding on first born of my generation to keep my self balance. But now look at me without feeding on your soul because of what I saw in you. Immortality is not freedom, it's a cage.
Before Tom could respond, the ground beneath his feet began to crumble, the cracks widening into a deep chasm that swallowed the elder knight whole. Tom stumbled back, watching in horror as the figure disappeared into the darkness, his final words echoing in Tom's mind.
"Remember, boy. Power comes at a cost."
---
Tom woke with a start, gasping for breath. He was back in his room, the walls solid and real around him. His heart was racing, his body drenched in sweat. For a moment, he sat there, his mind reeling from the vision he had just experienced.
But as the seconds passed, the fear faded, replaced by something else—something darker. He could still feel the power coursing through his veins, stronger than ever before. The crystal had fused with him, become a part of him. And now, he was ready.
The knights had no idea what was coming. They had no idea the storm that was about to descend on them.
All they have done In the city was to chase after thief's and outlaw awakened who do not want to join the knight faction, and lock them up. They became knights to protect, but it seems they have no one worthy of against them. Now things are about to change for them.
* * *
Tom stood, his hands clenched into fists. He could feel the power humming beneath his skin, eager to be unleashed.
It was time.
It was time to cast a new shadow in the city's streets, a new beacon of hope to those who still want revenge for their family, and a rogue to those who think of the knights as hero.
Tom might have seen a lot of awful hardship in life, but at least he has home to live in, food to eat and they are those who have non of that and they still struggle in the streets. Affected by the ruling class and powerful personnel of the city.
There is something about human that can never be understood, in same place you see many agree they are still some that never agree even though they never say it out, the choice always remain in their mind.