The shards of the Abyss rearranged themselves into a narrow bridge, stretching forward into the void. The fragments flickered faintly, their light dim and sporadic, as if reluctant to illuminate the path ahead. Kairos walked with steady steps, his blade slung over his shoulder, the Core thrumming quietly in his chest.
The silence around him was heavy, broken only by the faint sound of his boots on the jagged surface. It wasn't the stillness of calm—it was the tense quiet before a storm.
The Core whispered faintly, its voice sharp and cryptic. "Eyes are upon you."
Kairos snorted. "Good. Let them watch. They're next."
The path led to a massive platform that floated alone in the void, far larger than any Kairos had seen before. Its surface was smooth and reflective, its edges sharp and precise, as though it had been carved with purpose.
Kairos stepped onto the platform, his boots clicking against the polished surface. The air here was different—heavier, charged with an energy that made his skin tingle. The Core reacted instantly, its pulses growing faster, more insistent.
He stopped in the center of the platform, his gaze sweeping across the darkness. There was nothing—no enemies, no creatures, just the void stretching endlessly in all directions.
And then, he felt it.
A presence.
It was vast and suffocating, pressing against him like a mountain. It wasn't just power—it was authority, an overwhelming force that made the Core in his chest feel small.
Kairos clenched his fists, his blade steady in his hand. "Alright, then. Show yourself."
The darkness ahead rippled, and a figure emerged.
It wasn't like the others he had fought. This one didn't wear armor or wield a weapon. It was cloaked in shadows, its form indistinct and shifting, as though it was made of the Abyss itself. Its face was hidden beneath a hood, but its eyes burned with a piercing, golden light that seemed to see through him.
Kairos met its gaze, his smirk unfaltering. "Let me guess. Another servant of the Sovereigns, here to tell me how I'm unworthy?"
The figure tilted its head, its voice echoing in the void. "You misunderstand, fragment. I am no servant."
Its presence grew heavier, the weight of its gaze pressing down on Kairos like an iron shroud. The Core inside him pulsed erratically, reacting to the figure's overwhelming power.
"I am a shadow of what you seek to destroy," it continued. "An echo of the Sovereigns' will, left to guard their dominion."
Kairos' grip on his blade tightened. "An echo, huh? Then breaking you should be easier than I thought."
The shadow chuckled, its voice deep and resonant. "You are bold. But boldness without strength is hollow."
The air around them rippled as the platform beneath their feet began to shift. Fragments floated upward, their sharp edges gleaming as they formed a swirling vortex around the shadow.
"Come, Sovereignbreaker," the shadow said, its voice cold. "Show me if you are worthy of your name."
The fragments struck first, hurtling toward Kairos like a storm of blades.
He moved on instinct, the Core's energy sharpening his reflexes. The fragments around him flared to life, forming a barrier that intercepted the incoming shards. Sparks flew as the blades collided with his shield, but Kairos stood firm.
The shadow moved with fluid grace, its form flickering like a wraith as it closed the distance between them. Its hand lashed out, and a tendril of darkness shot toward Kairos, its edges crackling with Abyssal energy.
Kairos dodged, the tendril missing him by inches. He countered with a slash of his blade, aiming for the shadow's center.
The strike passed through it harmlessly, the shadow reforming instantly.
"You fight as a mortal would," the shadow said, its voice tinged with amusement. "But the Abyss is not bound by such limitations."
Kairos growled, the Core's whispers urging him forward. He raised his hand, the fragments around him responding. They formed into a spear of jagged light, crackling with energy as he hurled it toward the shadow.
The spear struck true, piercing the shadow's form and dispersing it momentarily. But the shadow reformed just as quickly, its laughter echoing in the void.
"You cannot kill what is not alive," it said.
Kairos smirked, his eyes blazing. "Good thing I don't stop trying."
The Core's energy surged, its power flowing through him like a torrent. The fragments around him flared brightly, their light intensifying as they formed into a new weapon—a massive hammer, its surface flickering with Abyssal fire.
Kairos charged, the hammer slamming into the ground with enough force to shatter the platform beneath their feet. The shockwave rippled outward, scattering the fragments and forcing the shadow back.
The shadow retaliated, its form shifting into a towering shape wreathed in crackling tendrils of darkness. The tendrils lashed out in all directions, carving through the air like whips.
Kairos dodged and weaved, the Core guiding his movements. He closed the distance between them, his hammer swinging in a wide arc.
The blow connected, the hammer crashing into the shadow with a burst of energy. The shadow let out a distorted roar, its form flickering as cracks spread across its surface.
For the first time, the shadow seemed to hesitate. Its form shrank slightly, its movements slower and less precise.
"You are more than I expected," it admitted, its voice strained. "But the Abyss demands more than strength."
Kairos raised his hammer, his smirk unwavering. "The Abyss can demand all it wants. I'm the one making the rules now."
The Core pulsed sharply, its whispers rising to a crescendo. The fragments around him surged forward, forming a swirling storm of blades and light that enveloped the shadow completely.
The shadow let out one final roar as the storm consumed it, its form shattering into fragments of light that scattered into the void.
The platform steadied, the fragments around it dimming. Kairos stood amidst the fading light, his chest heaving as the Core's energy settled within him.
The silence returned, heavier than before. But it was a different silence—one filled with the weight of something unseen.
The Core whispered faintly, its tone almost reverent. "The Sovereigns know your name now. Their gaze falls upon you."
Kairos smirked, his blade resting on his shoulder. "Good. Let them watch. It'll be their turn soon enough."
With that, he stepped forward, the fragments forming a new path ahead. The Abyss was watching. The Sovereigns were watching.
But Kairos had never been one to back down.