Journal Entry
Day 8 of Exile.
The Voidscar Wastes are relentless. The air grows heavier with every step, the land more twisted. Even the sky feels wrong—gray and unmoving, as if frozen in time. But none of it compares to the whispers. They're not just noise anymore; they're words, faint but clear enough to unsettle me. I can't make them out yet, but I know they're for me.
The Void doesn't give without cost. I've felt the strain: the headaches, the exhaustion. I'm pushing myself harder than ever, but it's worth it. I'm stronger now than I've ever been.
---
Present Action: First-Person Narration
The path ahead was narrow and winding, cutting through a valley littered with jagged black rocks. I moved carefully, my senses on high alert. The Voidscar Wastes weren't a place for the careless—too many things here could kill you without warning.
The whispers had grown louder since the temple. They weren't constant, but they came in waves, sharp and insistent, like a voice just out of earshot.
'Keep moving,' I told myself. The air around me felt thicker, heavier, like walking through water. It wasn't just the land. Something else was here.
---
I wasn't alone for long.
The first sign was faint: a flicker of movement in the corner of my vision. I stopped, one hand instinctively resting on the hilt of my dagger, and scanned the rocky terrain.
For a moment, there was nothing. Then, a voice rang out, cold and sharp.
"Caldrin of the Luminous Forge Sect."
I turned slowly, my eyes narrowing. A figure stood on a ridge above me, her silhouette outlined against the dull sky.
She was tall and armored, her crimson robes unmistakable—the Flame Sect. Her dark hair was tied back tightly, and her hands rested on the hilts of twin blades at her hips.
"Ileira," I said evenly.
Her name felt heavy on my tongue, a reminder of the Flame Sect's obsession with order and their hatred of Void Qi. She was one of their best—a prodigy, they called her, ruthless and unwavering. And she was here for me.
---
Confrontation
"I was sent to bring you back," Ileira said, her voice steady as she descended the ridge. "Alive, if possible."
"And if I don't cooperate?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
She stopped a few paces away, her gaze sharp and unyielding. "Then I'll take you back in pieces."
I couldn't help but smirk. "Always so dramatic. What's the Flame Sect so afraid of that they'd send you after me?"
"You know exactly what they're afraid of," she said, her voice low. "Void Qi isn't power—it's corruption. It's a poison that warps everything it touches. And you've chosen to embrace it."
"Chosen?" I said, my smirk fading. "No, Ileira. The Void chose me. And I'm not about to turn away from the only real power I've ever known."
Her expression hardened. "Then you've left me no choice."
---
The Duel
Ileira moved first, drawing her twin blades in a blur of motion. Flames ignited along the edges, and the air around her seemed to shimmer with heat.
I dodged as she struck, the first blade slicing through the air where I'd just stood. I activated Voidstep, reappearing behind her in a ripple of distorted space, and swung my dagger.
She twisted, her second blade deflecting my strike with ease. The force of the parry sent me stumbling back, the ground beneath me scorched by the heat of her Qi.
"You'll have to do better than that," she said, her voice calm but deadly.
I gritted my teeth, Void Qi surging through me. I extended my hand, channeling the energy outward, and it coalesced into a jagged spear. "Let's see how you handle this," I said, hurling the Void Spear toward her.
Ileira sidestepped, the spear missing her by inches. But as it struck the ground, the impact created a ripple of unstable energy, throwing her off balance.
I took the opening, activating Voidstep again to close the distance. This time, I swung with Spatial Severance, the invisible blade slicing toward her.
She reacted faster than I expected, crossing her blades to block the attack. The force of the clash sent a shockwave through the air, and we both staggered back.
---
A Clash of Ideals
"You don't have to do this, Ileira," I said, my voice steady as I caught my breath. "You're smart enough to see what the Void really is. It's not corruption—it's evolution."
Her expression didn't waver. "And that's why you're dangerous. You don't see the price you're paying, Caldrin. But I do."
"You don't know anything about me," I shot back, Void Qi flaring around me.
"I know enough," she said, flames gathering in her hands. "You're blinded by your ambition. And if no one stops you, you'll destroy everything in your path."
Her flames erupted in a wave of fire, rushing toward me with terrifying speed. I raised my hand instinctively, Void Qi forming into a barrier just in time to absorb the impact. The heat was overwhelming, the force driving me back a step, but the barrier held.
'Void Shield,' I thought, the name coming to me as naturally as breathing.
When the flames subsided, I dropped the shield and surged forward, Voidstep propelling me into striking range. I swung again with Spatial Severance, the blade of energy cutting toward her.
This time, I forced her onto the defensive. Her movements were precise, her blades a blur as she deflected each strike, but I could see the cracks forming in her stance.
---
The Turning Point
Ileira lashed out with a counterstrike, her blade aimed for my side. I dodged, Voidstep carrying me behind her, and retaliated with another Void Spear. It struck her shoulder, the force throwing her to the ground.
I stood over her, my dagger in one hand and Void Qi surging around me. "This is your last chance," I said. "Walk away, Ileira. You don't have to fight me."
She glared up at me, her hand tightening around the hilt of her blade. For a moment, I thought she might strike again. But then she hesitated, her expression shifting.
"You really believe this, don't you?" she said, her voice quieter now. "That the Void is worth the price?"
"I don't believe it," I said firmly. "I know it."
For the first time, I saw doubt in her eyes.
She lowered her blade. "This isn't over, Caldrin. The Flame Sect won't stop hunting you."
"Then they'll find out what happens when they push too far," I said.
---
Aftermath
Ileira disappeared into the rocky terrain, her figure fading into the distance. I watched her go, my body tense, until I was certain she wasn't coming back.
Only then did I let out a breath, the adrenaline fading and the exhaustion hitting me like a wave. My head buzzed faintly, the strain of the fight and Void Qi usage taking its toll.
'She'll be back,' I thought, wiping the blood from my dagger. 'But next time, she might not hesitate.'
---
Journal Entry (That Night)
Ileira was always stronger than the rest of us, and now she's stronger still. But strength alone won't save her if she keeps coming after me. I spared her today, but the Flame Sect won't understand mercy. They'll only see me as a threat—a heretic who needs to be silenced.
Let them come. I'll be ready.