Kael Draven's form reassembled slowly in the heart of the Void, his body a shifting amalgam of darkness and shattered power. The toll of his battle with Midas lingered in every fiber of his being—his movements sluggish, his dark magic flickering weakly as it worked to restore him.
He floated amidst the swirling chaos of the Void, his silver eyes dim as he reflected on his narrow defeat.
"Midas," Kael muttered, his voice low and bitter. His fists clenched as the name left his lips. He could still feel the golden energy of the god's scepter searing through him, its purity a stark contrast to the consuming darkness of the Void.
Though the Golden Sovereign had left him weakened and humiliated, Kael's smirk slowly returned, curling across his lips like a blade.
"That pompous fool thinks he's won," Kael growled, his voice laced with venom. "But this isn't over. Not by a long shot."
---
The Void churned around him, its infinite expanse reacting to his renewed determination. It fed him fragments of energy, weaving his fractured form back together. The essence of the Void coursed through his veins, its whispers calling to him like an unrelenting tide.
Kael closed his eyes, allowing the Void's power to seep into his core. His silver eyes flared to life, the dim glow reigniting into a blazing inferno.
"More," he demanded, his voice reverberating through the abyss. "If I am to destroy Midas, if I am to break the gods and bend the realms to my will, I need more."
The Void seemed to hesitate, its swirling shadows recoiling as though uncertain.
"You doubt me?" Kael snarled, his silver eyes narrowing. "I am the one who conquered you. I am your king. Obey me!"
---
The Void surged in response, enveloping Kael in a storm of darkness. Its essence flowed into him like a raging river, pushing his limits and threatening to overwhelm him. Kael grit his teeth, his body trembling as the sheer magnitude of the power threatened to tear him apart.
But he refused to yield.
"This is nothing," Kael growled, his voice defiant. "I've faced worse. I've endured more."
With a roar, he channeled the energy into his core, his dark magic flaring with newfound intensity. The shadows around him solidified, coiling like living armor that radiated an oppressive aura.
Kael opened his silver eyes, their glow piercing the darkness as his strength returned.
---
"Stronger," Kael murmured, flexing his hands as his dark magic crackled with renewed vigor. "But it's still not enough."
He turned his gaze outward, toward the faint glimmers of light that marked the remaining realms. Though diminished, the gods continued to cling to their fractured dominions, their light defying the inevitable tide of shadow.
Kael smirked, his silver eyes gleaming with malice. "They'll regret not finishing me when they had the chance," he said. "Midas will regret thinking he could stop me."
The Void around him shifted, its essence whispering of a path forward—a way to ascend beyond even his current power. Kael's smirk widened as he listened, his mind racing with possibilities.
"So," he said softly. "There's more to take, is there?"
---
The Void guided Kael to a hidden nexus, a convergence point where the energies of creation and destruction intertwined. It was a place of immense power, its existence known only to those who had mastered the Void's secrets.
Kael approached the nexus, his silver eyes narrowing as he studied its swirling energy. It shimmered with a chaotic brilliance, its light and darkness locked in an eternal struggle.
"This is what I need," Kael said, his voice filled with quiet resolve. "This is how I'll surpass Midas."
But as he reached out to claim the nexus, a voice rang out, sharp and mocking.
"Still grasping at straws, Kael?"
---
Kael froze, his silver eyes narrowing as the voice echoed through the Void.
"Lysara," he growled, his tone dripping with irritation. "I thought I got rid of you."
The shadows around him twisted, forming a faint, flickering image of Lysara's face. Her silver-tinted eyes glinted with defiance, her smirk as sharp as ever.
"You tried," she said, her tone laced with mockery. "But you can't erase me, Kael. I'm the part of you that won't go away. The part you're too afraid to face."
Kael's smirk twisted into a snarl. "Afraid?" he said. "Of you? Don't make me laugh."
Lysara laughed, the sound cold and mocking. "You can keep telling yourself that," she said. "But deep down, you know the truth. You're running, Kael. Running from yourself."
---
Kael thrust his hand forward, his dark magic lashing out at the flickering image. The attack passed through it harmlessly, scattering the shadows before they reassembled.
"Still as impulsive as ever," Lysara said, her tone dripping with disdain.
Kael clenched his fists, his silver eyes blazing. "I don't have time for your games," he said. "You're nothing but a memory. A ghost."
"Maybe," Lysara said, her smirk fading as her tone grew serious. "But even a ghost can tell when someone is losing their way."
Kael laughed, the sound low and menacing. "Losing my way?" he repeated. "I've never been more certain."
Lysara's gaze hardened. "Then why are you still fighting shadows, Kael?" she asked.
---
Kael's smirk faltered, his silver eyes narrowing. "Enough," he growled. "I have power to claim. And you can't stop me."
Lysara's image flickered, her expression unreadable. "I'm not here to stop you," she said softly. "I'm here to remind you that all this power comes at a cost."
Kael sneered, his dark magic flaring. "The cost is irrelevant," he said. "I'll pay whatever it takes to win."
Lysara sighed, her silver-tinted eyes filled with something that almost resembled pity. "Then you're already lost," she said.
With that, her image dissolved into the shadows, leaving Kael alone once more.
---
Kael turned back to the nexus, his silver eyes blazing with determination.
"Lost?" he muttered. "Not even close."
He reached out, his hand piercing the nexus as its energy surged into him. The power was overwhelming, a chaotic torrent of creation and destruction that threatened to tear him apart.
Kael gritted his teeth, his body trembling as he fought to contain the energy. The Void's power coiled around him, shielding him from the worst of its effects as he absorbed the nexus's essence.
When the process was complete, Kael stood taller, his dark magic burning brighter than ever. His silver eyes gleamed with an intensity that seemed to pierce through the Void itself.
---
Kael clenched his fists, his power crackling around him like a storm.
"Midas," he said softly, his voice filled with unrelenting malice. "You won't escape me next time."
He turned his gaze outward, toward the remaining realms. They shimmered faintly in the distance, their light defying the encroaching darkness.
Kael smirked, his silver eyes narrowing. "Your time is running out," he said. "And when I return, I'll bring an end to everything you hold dear."
The Void trembled as Kael stepped forward, his dark magic surging with unrelenting hunger.
The realms would fall.
Midas would kneel.
And Kael Draven would reign supreme.