"This light…" thought Ares, when he finally glimpsed a glow in the distance. "Is it an exit or another trap?"
He continued to drag himself forward, his breathing uneven, his broken left foot throbbing with pain with every step. His heart beat furiously, driven by a force he couldn't explain.
With each step, he was pulled closer to the light, as if hypnotized. Finally, he reached the end of the tunnel and, when he emerged, found himself in a room lit by burning torches. The air was thick and heavy, filled with an energy that made his skin crawl. His eyes widened in awe when he saw, in the center of the room, an altar with a single drop of blood floating above it, suspended in the air like a ruby jewel.
"Where the hell am I?" he whispered, his breath catching in unease.
He climbed the two steps to the altar with difficulty. Each movement brought a sharp pain to his broken foot, but he ignored it, focusing only on the floating drop. He reached out toward it, drawn by an uncontrollable impulse.
BOOM!
An invisible force struck him with devastating power, throwing him backward. Ares flew like a lifeless puppet, crashing against the wall of the room. Pain exploded through every fiber of his body. He coughed violently, spitting blood, while his broken foot protested with another wave of agony.
He lifted his gaze weakly, and what he saw made him shiver. In front of him, surrounded by black mist that seemed alive, stood a shadowy figure. Only two red eyes glowed in the fog, piercing him like blades. Ares felt a chill run down his spine.
"Finally… a successor has arrived," the figure's voice was deep, filled with a power that seemed to resonate in the very air. "And, surprisingly, someone like me. This is a sign of fate… ahahaha!"
Ares tried to get up, but his body refused to obey. "What… have you done to me?" he stammered, terror painted on his face.
"Don't be afraid, boy. After all this time, I've found a successor, and I won't let you die so easily," the figure said calmly, almost amused.
"Y-you… who are you?" Ares managed to ask, his voice trembling.
"Me? I don't think you're ready to know my name. Your soul is too fragile to bear its weight. Just call me… Master."
"Master? What do you mean by 'successor'? What do you want from me?" Ares tried to keep his composure, but the fear grew like a shadow in his heart.
The figure laughed, a low, unsettling sound. "What do you think someone as powerful as me could teach you?"
The words echoed in Ares's mind, and suddenly, his eyes lit up with a sudden understanding. "You can…"
"Exactly," the figure interrupted with a smile Ares couldn't see. "I can teach you to cultivate."
Ares's mouth fell open. "How did you know I was going to say that?" he asked, incredulous.
"Reading the memories of a weak being like you is trivial for an… existence like mine. I know everything about you, boy. Your mother's death, your desire for power, for freedom… and the resentment you felt toward her, feeling limited after the duke took your friend Leophold."
Ares shuddered. Those words felt like a blade piercing his soul. "I didn't think such powerful beings existed," he thought. "Yet… the duke who took Leophold seemed stronger."
"Hey, hey! Are you comparing me to a mortal?" the figure snapped, almost offended. "You don't feel my power because I'm suppressing it, and even if I released it, you'd be too weak to perceive it."
"Alright, you're the strongest," Ares replied, half-smiling, strangely feeling at ease talking to the shadowy figure. "But can you release me now?"
A tense silence hung before the answer came. "Fine, I'll release you," the figure said, with a smile Ares couldn't see.
"Master, when will you start teaching me cultivation?" Ares asked, excitement showing in his voice.
"Ah, impatient, are we? First, you must swallow this drop of blood. It will make your body suitable to receive my inheritance without risk."
The drop floated toward him, stopping just in front of his mouth.
"Go ahead, swallow it," ordered the figure.
Ares hesitated for a moment, but then he trusted it. He opened his mouth and let the drop slide inside.
"AAAAAH!"
An unbearable pain overwhelmed him. It felt as though his body and soul were being shattered. Tears streamed down his face as he screamed, regretting trusting the dark figure.
"It's not my fault, at least not entirely," the figure said, almost embarrassed. "I didn't realize you possessed something so… powerful."
This time, the figure's voice seemed filled with strange admiration. Ares couldn't tell if it was a blessing or a curse.