"Me? How?" Kael's voice shook with disbelief as his emotions spiraled.
Now it made sense, at least in part. The destruction of the fortress hadn't been caused by the dark forces or some external catastrophe. It was tied to the very being who had once threatened the world. The ancient dragon, Noctharis. His death, his fading power, had set the gears of destruction in motion. In the original timeline, when Noctharis died, the dungeon—sealed by his very existence—was destroyed along with it, taking everything else in its wake. But there was one lingering question that gnawed at Kael's mind. How had the original Kael survived that explosion? And how had the Dark Forces found him in the first place?
That question would have to wait, Kael thought, pushing the troubling thoughts aside. He turned his focus back on the unseen dragon, desperate for answers.
The darkness around him seemed to pulse with an unnatural energy, and the voice of Noctharis rumbled from the depths, guiding Kael's thoughts, pulling him toward something he could not yet fully understand.
"Because of your soul," Noctharis replied, his voice heavy with ancient wisdom.
Kael furrowed his brow, confusion swirling in his mind. "My soul? What do you mean? My soul…?"
The dragon's tone was filled with a strange sense of intrigue. "Your soul is unlike anything I've encountered. It is… deep. Very deep. And more than that, it is… double."
Kael's heart skipped a beat. "Double? What are you talking about?"
"Your soul is not singular," the dragon continued, "It is a fusion of two parts. One is pure darkness, deep and consuming, as if it is darkness itself incarnate. The other is pure white, filled with vitality, light, and life. You carry both within you, Kael. Two souls, opposite to each other."
Kael's mind raced. Two souls? He remembered the words of the Void Sovereign, the Dark Forces' leader. Was this the true reason his soul was so potent? He had always felt different, like there was something else inside him. But now, hearing Noctharis's words, everything seemed to click into place. The darkness had always been there, inside him, but now there was light, too—his own soul, the one that had taken over the original Kael's body after his reincarnation.
"What's most interesting," Noctharis's voice cut through Kael's spiraling thoughts, "is that these two souls, despite being so opposite, do not destroy each other. Normally, such a conflict would tear the being apart, but yours... they coexist."
"What the hell…" Kael thought, the weight of the revelation crashing down on him. He had always suspected something was wrong with him, that his existence felt fractured. But to hear that he was carrying two souls—one dark, one light—made everything feel even more chaotic.
"Yes," the dragon's voice rumbled with quiet amusement, "you are a bomb, Kael. A ticking time bomb. The two souls inside you, they should have destroyed you long ago, but somehow, they've remained in balance. It's as though your soul itself has learned to adapt."
Kael's chest tightened as he digested the dragon's words. His confusion and fear swirled together into a knot of panic. A bomb… That's what I am? He could barely think, let alone grasp the full implications of what the dragon had said. He was living in a body that was not his, with a soul that was half dark and half light. The original Kael had used dark powers, but now... he was something else entirely.
But there was no time to dwell on that. He had more pressing concerns.
"How can I stop this? How can I stop the fortress from being destroyed, and all those people from dying?" Kael demanded, his voice filled with urgency. He needed to act. The ticking clock of Noctharis's demise was already counting down.
"It's simple," Noctharis responded, his tone heavy with ancient knowledge. "You must absorb the Dungeon Core."
Kael blinked in shock. "Absorb the Dungeon Core? But the core is made from your power! It's a vast amount of energy... If even a dragon can die trying to absorb that kind of power, how can I?"
"You're not mistaken," the dragon interrupted, a low laugh vibrating through the darkness. "Even a normal dragon would perish trying to take in that power, but you... You are not like them."
Kael's mind buzzed with confusion. "What do you mean? I'm nothing special. I'm just some low-ranked B+ human with no notable talents."
"Oh, but you do have great potential," Noctharis said, as if amused by Kael's self-doubt. "I first thought a dragon had come here to face me. When I saw you—human, frail—I was surprised. But now I understand. You are not a lowly being. Your potential is far greater than that."
Kael's heart raced. "Then why haven't I tapped into it? Why am I still so weak?"
"It's simple," Noctharis explained. "You have not yet come into contact with your true element—the darkness. You have not opened the full potential of your soul. And now, you are awakening the light side of your soul, which complicates things further."
Kael was struggling to keep up. "So you're saying my potential is dormant, because I haven't fully embraced the darkness inside me?"
"Yes," Noctharis replied. "Your soul is incomplete. Your darkness and light are at war with each other. Until you understand both parts of your soul, your true potential will remain untapped."
Kael clenched his fists, his frustration mounting. "What the hell is all of this? First, you tell me I'm some kind of ticking time bomb, and now I'm supposed to embrace the darkness inside me?!"
Noctharis's voice was calm, yet filled with a powerful, ancient authority. "You must. The darkness is your true calling. It is not something to fear. If you want to stop the destruction of this place—and save the lives tied to it—you must take control of both your souls. Embrace the darkness and the light equally. Only then will you be able to absorb the Dungeon Core without destroying yourself."
Kael's mind reeled. The darkness within him, the very thing he had feared and distanced himself from, was the key to saving everything. It was insane, but perhaps there was no other choice.
"It's time, Kael," Noctharis's voice echoed in the darkness. "Embrace what you are, and stop what's coming. Only you have the power to save this place—or to doom it."
Kael stood in silence, the weight of his choices pressing down on him. Could he truly accept both halves of himself? Could he unlock his full potential and stop the destruction of the fortress?