Kaelin leaned against a twisted tree on the edge of the clearing, his chest heaving as he tried to steady his breath. The crystal shard still pulsed faintly in the center of the clearing, its light bathing the forest in an eerie glow. The faint whisper of energy lingered in the air, a quiet reminder of the confrontation that had just unfolded.
The figures—those shadowy, crystalline creatures—were unlike anything he had faced before. Their movements, their coordinated attacks, and the strange resonance they carried were unsettling. And the way they had called him "Eternal," as if they understood his curse, left a sour taste in his mouth. Whatever they were, they weren't just mindless attackers.
Kaelin's hand rested on the hilt of his sword. The shard's power hummed faintly in his chest, resonating with the blade as though it were part of him. The memory of the vision flashed in his mind again—fractured images of a forge, a sky torn asunder, and battles waged in worlds he didn't recognize.
"Why me?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.
The shard's glow flickered in response, almost as if it had heard him. Kaelin shook his head, forcing himself to focus. The crystal in the clearing was clearly connected to the shard now bound to his sword, but how or why remained a mystery. The symbols etched across its surface shifted and writhed as though alive, defying any attempt to understand them.
Kaelin approached cautiously, his boots crunching softly on the damp ground. The energy around the shard was stronger now, its pull unmistakable. He stopped a few paces away, his gaze fixed on the glowing structure. His instincts told him to be wary, but something deeper—something primal—drew him closer.
He reached out a hand, his fingers brushing the surface of the shard. The moment he made contact, the world around him dissolved.
Kaelin found himself standing in an endless void, the ground beneath him solid but invisible, the space around him filled with swirling light and shadow. He turned slowly, his sword at the ready, but there was nothing to fight. No enemies. No threats. Just silence.
And then, a voice.
"You have stepped onto the path, Eternal."
The voice was deep and resonant, carrying a weight that made Kaelin's chest tighten. It wasn't coming from any one direction—it was everywhere, echoing through the void and vibrating in his very bones.
"Who are you?" Kaelin demanded, his voice steady despite the unease creeping through him. "What is this place?"
"This is no place," the voice replied. "It is the in-between. The threads that bind the multiverse together."
Kaelin frowned, his grip on his sword tightening. "And what are you? Another fragment of the Forge?"
The voice chuckled, a sound that was both soothing and unsettling. "I am but a whisper of what once was. A remnant of the Forge's will, scattered with its shards. And you, Kaelin Veynar, are bound to its fate."
Kaelin stiffened at the mention of his name. "How do you know who I am?"
"The Forge knows all who carry its fragments. You are one of the Eternal, cursed to walk the multiverse, gathering the pieces of what was broken. Your path was chosen long before you took your first breath."
Kaelin's jaw clenched. "Chosen by who? The Forge? The multiverse? Or some gods I've never heard of?"
The voice didn't answer immediately. When it spoke again, its tone was softer, almost sorrowful. "The Forge is no god. It is creation itself, the source of all worlds. And now it is fractured, scattered across the multiverse, its power fading. You, Eternal, are one of the few who can restore it—or destroy it."
Kaelin exhaled sharply, his frustration boiling to the surface. "Why me? I didn't ask for this. I didn't choose to be… whatever I am."
"No one chooses the burden of the Eternal," the voice said. "And yet, you carry it. With each shard you claim, your connection to the Forge grows stronger. But be warned—the multiverse is vast, and its threads are fragile. The shadows you faced are but the beginning."
Kaelin's mind raced, the weight of the revelation pressing down on him. The Forge, the shards, the multiverse—it was all connected, a web of power and fate that he barely understood. And yet, he couldn't deny the truth of it. The shard bound to his sword, the visions he had seen, the creatures drawn to its light—they were all part of something far greater than himself.
"What happens if I fail?" he asked quietly.
The voice hesitated, and for a moment, the void seemed to ripple with uncertainty. "If the shards remain scattered, the multiverse will continue to fracture. Worlds will collapse, their threads severed, until only the void remains."
Kaelin stared into the swirling light, his grip on his sword tightening. The weight of the Forge's burden was suffocating, but he had no choice but to bear it. If failure meant the destruction of all worlds, then he couldn't afford to falter.
"I won't fail," he said, his voice firm. "But I need answers. How do I find the shards? How do I stop the shadows?"
"The shards call to one another," the voice said. "They will guide you, as the first has already done. But beware—the shadows are drawn to the light of the Forge. With each shard you claim, their hunger will grow."
The void began to shift, the swirling light and shadow dissolving into darkness. The voice grew fainter, its final words echoing through Kaelin's mind.
"Walk the path, Eternal. Restore what was lost… or let the multiverse fall to ruin."
Kaelin gasped as he staggered back, his hand pulling away from the shard. The clearing snapped back into focus, the cold air biting at his skin. His sword pulsed faintly at his side, its resonance quieter now, as though it had absorbed the shard's message.
He stood there for a long moment, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. The Forge, the multiverse, the shadows—it was all connected, a puzzle with pieces scattered across countless worlds. And he was the one cursed to put it all together.
Kaelin exhaled sharply, his breath visible in the cold air. "Walk the path," he muttered. "Easier said than done."
The shard's glow began to fade, its energy dissipating as the symbols across its surface stilled. Kaelin turned away, his gaze drifting to the darkened forest beyond the clearing. The shadows were still out there, waiting, watching. He could feel their presence, a faint whisper at the edge of his senses.
With a final glance at the now-dormant shard, Kaelin tightened his grip on his sword and stepped into the darkness. The path ahead was uncertain, but he would walk it—because if he didn't, no one else would.