The winds outside the temple raged like a beast untamed, mirroring the turbulence within Xion's heart. The once-familiar light of the Ethereal Stream twisted with a darkness that coiled within him. Yet, Xion remained resolute. This was a fight for control, not just of the power, but of himself.
Nyx groaned as he pulled himself from the rubble, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. "You think this is mastery?" he hissed, dark energy radiating from his broken form. "You're nothing more than a pawn to forces beyond your comprehension."
Xion didn't respond. Instead, he surged forward, appearing before Nyx in a flash of light. "Someone controlled me," he said through gritted teeth, his fist colliding with Nyx's face in a burst of raw power. The force sent Nyx reeling, his body skidding across the ground.
Xion raised his hands, and reality itself bent to his will. The earth trembled violently, cracks splitting the floor of the temple as an earthquake rippled outward. Above, thunder roared as storm clouds materialized, lightning illuminating the room in rapid bursts. Twisters of wind tore through the chamber, their chaotic dance trapping Nyx in a storm of devastation.
Nyx staggered under the onslaught, his dark shield barely holding. Before he could recover, Xion summoned twin barriers of radiant light, encasing Nyx. The barriers crackled with electric energy, and arcs of lightning struck Nyx with every slight movement he made.
"That will keep him down," Xion said, his voice cold. He stood tall, his glowing eyes fixed on Nyx as he began to draw in the power of the Ethereal Stream. The energy surged through him, filling him with boundless strength and clarity. But something else entered alongside it—a creeping black aura that slithered through his veins, corrupting the brilliance of his transformation.
Nyx, pinned within the barriers, smirked despite his pain. Black aura... hmph, he thought, his confidence faltering at the sight of Xion's overwhelming might.
Xion's focus sharpened. The dark energy was a test, one more obstacle to conquer. Without hesitation, he moved. In an instant, he struck Nyx with a powerful kick, the impact echoing through the temple like a thunderclap. Nyx flew backward, his body a blur, but Xion intercepted him midair.
Before Nyx could comprehend what was happening, another kick connected, sending him spiraling downward. But Xion was relentless. Catching Nyx mid-flight again, he gripped him by the collar and dragged him forward.
For a brief moment, Nyx's thoughts betrayed him. (He saved me...)
The thought was obliterated by the force of Xion's uppercut. The blow connected with Nyx's chin, shattering his skull with an audible crack. Blood sprayed in an arc as Nyx's head snapped back, a gaping hole now marring his throat.
Nyx crumpled to the ground, his body broken and lifeless. Xion stood over him, his form radiating a mix of ethereal light and dark tendrils. He exhaled deeply, allowing the black aura to fade, his control over the transformation absolute.
"Good. First mission accomplished," Xion muttered to himself, his voice steady and devoid of triumph. He turned his gaze to the horizon beyond the ruined temple, his next goal clear in his mind. "Second mission—find Nexus Riven."
With measured steps, Xion walked away from the chaos, leaving Nyx's shattered form behind. The winds outside the temple began to calm, the earth settling into silence. But within Xion, a storm still brewed, one of infinite power and the balance he now sought to maintain.
The journey ahead would not be easy. But Xion was ready.