The stone walls of the temple felt like they were closing in on Kael as he tried to make sense of the overwhelming power he had just touched. It wasn't like anything he'd ever felt before. The earth, the storm, the gods—everything had converged in that moment, and Kael had been caught in the middle. He could still feel the echo of the earth's pulse in his veins, like a constant reminder of what he had done.
Liora and Merek exchanged wary glances as they waited for Kael to speak. The air between them felt thick, heavy with questions. The vision Kael had just experienced—the land, the power, the cloaked figure—had been a warning, and yet, it had also been an invitation. But Kael wasn't sure he was ready for either.
"I… I felt it," Kael finally said, his voice hoarse. He stood there, staring at the obsidian shard, still lying on the altar. The room seemed to hum with energy, as though the stone itself were waiting for him to make the next move. "It's more than just power. It's… it's like the earth itself is alive."
Liora stepped closer, her eyes softening with understanding. "That's the essence of it," she said, her voice steady. "The earth is not just a resource to be controlled. It is a living, breathing force. And when you tap into it, Kael… you're no longer just a person. You become part of it."
Merek's face darkened. "But you're not ready for that. No one is. The earth's power is… it's not something that can be easily mastered. It has a way of consuming those who try to wield it."
Kael clenched his fists, feeling the weight of Merek's words. "Then what choice do I have? If I don't master it, the gods will come for it, and they'll use it against us. They'll use me."
Liora placed a hand on his shoulder, her grip firm. "You're not alone in this, Kael. You don't have to carry this burden by yourself. We'll help you. We've already seen the consequences of what happens when someone tries to control the earth's power without understanding it. We can learn together."
Kael's eyes flickered toward the stone shard, still glowing faintly in the dim light. "I don't know if we have that much time," he muttered. The weight of the earth's power was a constant pressure in his chest, and he could feel it growing stronger by the minute, pushing him toward something he couldn't yet understand.
The ground beneath their feet trembled, and Kael's heart skipped a beat. For a moment, the room seemed to shake with an intensity that sent them all reeling. The earth was shifting, responding to something deep within the temple—something they had yet to uncover.
A low, ominous hum filled the air, and Kael felt the pulse of power once again, stronger this time, as though the earth itself was calling to him. He reached out instinctively, his hand brushing against the shard once more. The room erupted into blinding light.
Kael's surroundings shifted violently. The familiar stone walls of the temple faded, replaced by a scene that felt both foreign and all too real. He was no longer in the temple. He stood in the midst of a vast, barren landscape, the sky above dark and churning like a storm ready to break. The earth was cracked and dry, and the wind carried a sense of desolation, as if life itself had been drained from this place.
The figure in the cloak appeared again, emerging from the shadows like a specter. The figure's eyes burned with a dark intensity, and Kael could feel its gaze piercing into him.
"You feel it, don't you?" the figure's voice was low, its tone heavy with foreboding. "This is what happens when the earth's power is left unchecked. This is what awaits you."
Kael took a step forward, his breath coming in shallow gasps. The weight of the vision—this wasteland, this dead earth—felt crushing. "What is this? Why are you showing me this?"
"This is the price of power," the figure answered, its voice softening with a hint of something almost like sorrow. "The earth can only give so much before it begins to take. When you reach for more than you can control, this is what remains."
Kael's hands shook as he took in the desolation around him. "This… this isn't real," he whispered, his voice a shaky denial.
"No," the figure replied. "This is your future. If you fail to understand the balance between power and sacrifice, this is what you will bring to the world. You will become the destroyer, not the savior."
Kael's stomach twisted, and a cold sweat broke out across his skin. He wanted to look away, to deny what the figure was showing him, but the vision was too strong. He could feel the earth's heartbeat beneath him, echoing with an undeniable truth.
The figure stepped closer, its voice dropping to a whisper. "The earth does not care for your desires. It only cares for balance. You must choose, Kael. Will you accept the cost of this power, or will you walk away and let the earth reclaim what is hers?"
Before Kael could respond, the ground beneath him shook once more, and the vision dissolved into a violent flash of light.
Kael gasped for breath, his eyes snapping open. He was back in the temple, standing over the obsidian shard. The room was silent, save for the distant echoes of the earth shifting beneath them. Liora and Merek were staring at him, their faces filled with concern.
"Kael?" Liora asked, her voice strained with worry. "What happened? Where did you go?"
Kael couldn't answer immediately. His mind was still reeling from the vision—the barren landscape, the warning of the cost. The weight of it pressed down on him, and he felt his knees weaken beneath him.
"I… I saw it," he whispered, his voice unsteady. "The cost of the power. If I fail to control it, if I reach for more than I can handle… I'll destroy everything. The earth… it's alive, but it's also a force that takes. It doesn't forgive."
Merek's face tightened, and he exchanged a glance with Liora. "This is why you have to be careful, Kael. The earth is not something you can bargain with. It will consume you if you let it."
Kael took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "I don't know what to do anymore," he admitted, his voice raw. "It's too much. The gods are already coming for me, and now the earth itself is… is calling me, claiming me. I don't know how much longer I can resist."
Liora stepped forward, her gaze softening. "You don't have to resist alone. We're here. We'll face this together, no matter what happens."
Kael looked at her, the sincerity in her eyes grounding him for a moment. But the reality of the power he was dealing with, the danger it posed—not just to him, but to everyone—was a burden he wasn't sure he could bear.
The earth's pulse still thudded inside him, relentless and unyielding.
He had no choice but to face it.