Kaelen sat in the dimly lit corner of his apartment, quietly eating the food he'd bought earlier. His dark, calculated eyes wandered around the room, their intense gaze only softening as he examined the small purple stone he had placed on the table before him. The stone shimmered faintly in the light, casting an eerie glow across the tabletop, and he found himself transfixed by it, almost mesmerized by its quiet power.
As he chewed, the familiar coldness washed over him, and he sensed the Voice manifesting itself once again. It was different this time, more potent, almost like it was wrapping itself around him, binding itself to his mind in a way that felt more physical than before.
"Ah, so you've finally taken it out, Kaelen," the Voice purred, its tone sly and unsettlingly pleased. "This fragment you hold… it's more valuable than you could even begin to understand."
Kaelen narrowed his eyes at the Voice, suspicion creeping into his features. "You've been unusually quiet about this one," he muttered, setting his fork down and folding his arms. "What exactly is this thing?"
The Voice chuckled, the sound rich with secrets, before answering, "It's a piece of the Energy Sphere of Divergence—a relic of unimaginable power. What you hold in your hands is 10% of its total essence. Even in this fragmentary state, it holds the potential to grant you an unfathomable reserve of energy."
Kaelen's gaze sharpened as he held the stone between his fingers, feeling a slight hum of energy pulsing from it. "So if this is just 10%, what would happen if I managed to restore all ten fragments?"
"If you were to reunite all pieces of the Energy Sphere, you would attain access to infinite energy, Kaelen," the Voice explained, an almost reverent tone creeping into its usually sardonic words. "You'd never tire, never weaken… your powers and strength would flow endlessly, uninhibited by any mortal constraints. You'd become a force beyond anything this world has ever known."
Kaelen let the words sink in, his expression thoughtful yet wary. The allure of infinite energy was powerful, but he knew that anything with this much potential would also come with significant risks. "And how would I even go about finding the other fragments? They're not exactly lying around in the open."
The Voice's form seemed to waver, as though it was considering how much more it should reveal. "The fragments are scattered across the world, hidden in places where only the most daring—and foolish—would dare to tread. You'll need cunning, strength, and ruthlessness… everything you've gained and everything you are. But there will be others who seek them too, and they will not yield their pieces willingly."
A dark grin slowly spread across Kaelen's face. The thrill of the hunt, the promise of even more power… it was intoxicating.
"And so it begins," he whispered, the glint in his eyes both dangerous and determined.
The quiet hum of the city's nightlife barely audible through the walls. In his hand, the purple stone gleamed faintly, casting eerie, spectral light across his face. He felt the power pulsating within it, a rhythm that seemed to sync with his own heartbeat. The Voice had been strangely calm, almost reverent, as it instructed him on what to do.
"Now, Kaelen… hold the stone close. Let it connect with your essence. Allow its energy to become a part of you," the Voice murmured, its tone softer than usual, like a mentor guiding a prized student.
Kaelen held the stone to his chest, feeling a surge of warmth radiate through his body, tingling like pins and needles. The sensation was overwhelming yet intoxicating, as though every fiber of his being was awakening. A faint glow began to emanate from him, bathing his scars in a purple hue as the stone's essence seeped into his skin. He shut his eyes, feeling his consciousness expand, his awareness stretching outward, filling every corner of the room as if he could feel the weight of the air, hear the faintest electrical hum from the appliances, and even sense the footsteps of people passing by outside.
With each pulse, he could feel the fragment's energy fusing with his powers. It was like a flame stoked by gasoline, amplifying everything he was capable of, pushing his abilities beyond the limits he had once known.
"Yes… let it flow," the Voice encouraged. "With this, your phasing will be flawless, your strength unmatched, your senses…perfected. You will be a weapon forged by cosmic energies."
Kaelen opened his eyes, and for a moment, everything was clear. The tiniest speck of dust hanging in the air, the distant hum of the city beneath him, the pulsing energy coursing through the very walls of his apartment—all of it was visible to him, tangible. A new layer of perception had been unlocked.
He clenched his fists, feeling the strength surge within him. His skin felt tighter, his muscles more responsive. This power—it was intoxicating, overwhelming, yet grounding. He relished in it, feeling like he had truly ascended to a higher plane, more than just a soldier now, more than a weapon. He was something… other.
But then, a faint nagging thought interrupted the moment. A warning from the Voice, laced with its ever-present sinister undertone: *"Remember, Kaelen, power attracts power. Others will seek you out now. There are eyes upon you already."*
Meanwhile, across the sprawling cityscape, the cloaked man stood atop a building, the night wind tugging at his dark robes. He peered down at the bustling streets below, his face concealed by the shadow of his hood, only his intense, burning eyes visible as they scanned the city. His body still bore faint marks from the fight on the island—the bruises and cuts left behind by Kaelen's fierce attack. But his resolve remained unshaken.
He whispered to himself, an oath and a promise: "You cannot hide from me, thief. That Krystal was not yours to take."
He began to move, his steps silent and swift as he descended into the heart of the city, his senses tuned to the faint cosmic energy trail left by Kaelen. He had tracked him across land and sea, driven by the relentless pull of the Krystal's power, a force that bound them now in a dance of predator and prey.
The hunt had begun anew.