The sunless sky above the World Between stretched on forever, its lightless expanse marked only by faint ripples of energy drifting like silent storms. Garen stood at the edge of the Ashen Plateau, where the echoes of his past defeat still whispered in the howling winds. He tightened his grip on the Eclipse Edge, its blade pulsing faintly with the glow of the Aetherstone.
Kael would return here—Garen knew it as surely as he knew the cycle itself. The demigod's pride and sense of dominance demanded it. This plateau was where Kael had triumphed, where he had broken Garen, only for Garen to regress and remember everything.
But this time, Garen had come prepared.
He felt the power of the Aetherstone coursing through him, steady and controlled. His training had honed his skill, transforming the once-chaotic force into something malleable, precise, and devastating.
The winds stilled. The air grew heavy.
Then he appeared.
Kael stepped out of the shadows, his form cloaked in the faint, flickering light of the Aetherstone's energy. His twin daggers hummed with the same power, their edges shimmering like molten steel. His golden eyes fixed on Garen, a flicker of amusement dancing in their depths.
"You again," Kael said, his voice a low rumble. "You don't know when to quit, do you?"
Garen didn't respond. He simply raised his blade, its edge glowing brighter with each passing moment.
Kael smirked. "Ah, but this time… something's different. I can feel it." He twirled his daggers, the air around him distorting with raw energy. "No matter. The result will be the same."
The Clash
Kael moved first, his form blurring as he lunged forward, his daggers carving arcs of searing energy through the air. Garen sidestepped the strike, his movements impossibly fluid. He parried Kael's second attack with ease, the clash of their weapons sending sparks of Aetherstone power rippling outward.
Kael's smirk faltered.
Garen pressed the advantage, swinging the Eclipse Edge in a precise, deliberate arc. The blade shimmered with raw magic, and when it met Kael's guard, the force sent the demigod skidding back across the plateau.
"What?" Kael muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. "How…?"
Garen didn't answer. Instead, he unleashed his first spell.
"Aetherblade."
The energy-infused slash erupted from the Eclipse Edge, a crescent of glowing power that tore through the air with unrelenting force. Kael leaped back, his daggers crossed defensively, but the impact sent him crashing to the ground, his footing unsteady.
"You've learned magic?" Kael spat, his tone incredulous. "Impossible! You couldn't even control the Aetherstone's power last time we fought!"
Garen advanced, calm and unyielding. The battle was different now—not a desperate struggle, but a methodical dismantling of his opponent. Kael fought with fury and speed, his daggers a blur of motion, but Garen countered every strike with precision.
When Kael summoned a whirlwind of Aetherstone energy, Garen met it with his Aegis of Aether, the shimmering shield absorbing the blast and redirecting it back toward Kael. When Kael lunged with a killing strike, Garen conjured his Spectral Vanguard, the phantom blades intercepting the attack and forcing Kael back yet again.
The once-dominant demigod now fought to survive.
"How?" Kael growled, his voice breaking with frustration. "How did you—"
"Control," Garen interrupted, his voice steady. "You wield the Aetherstone's power as a weapon. I've forged it into something more."
Kael's fury ignited, and he launched one final, desperate assault. His daggers glowed blindingly bright as he poured every ounce of his power into the attack.
Garen met him head-on, their blades clashing in an explosion of light and sound. But this time, Garen didn't yield. He pushed forward, the power of the Aetherstone flowing through him like a tidal wave. With a final, decisive strike, he shattered Kael's defenses, sending the demigod sprawling across the plateau.
Kael coughed, his daggers falling from his hands. He looked up at Garen, his expression a mixture of rage and disbelief.
"This… isn't possible," Kael muttered. "You were nothing. How did you—"
Garen sheathed the Eclipse Edge, his eyes cold and unwavering. "Learn from this defeat, Kael. Next time, it won't end as mercifully."
He turned and walked away, leaving the broken demigod behind.
The Mysterious Woman
As Garen descended the plateau, the winds shifted. The air grew colder, and a soft, melodic voice broke the silence.
"You've come far, Aetherborn."
Garen stopped, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his blade. He turned to see a woman standing in the shadows, her figure partially obscured by the flickering light of the Aetherstone's power.
She stepped closer, revealing herself. Her long, flowing cloak shimmered like liquid starlight, and her eyes glowed faintly, their gaze piercing yet calm. She carried an air of quiet confidence, her presence commanding yet not imposing.
"Who are you?" Garen asked, his voice steady but cautious.
The woman smiled, a faint, enigmatic curve of her lips. "Someone who has walked the paths you now tread. Someone who understands the power you wield—and the burden it carries."
Garen studied her, his instincts on edge. "Why are you here?"
"To help," she said simply. Her tone was matter-of-fact, as if the answer were obvious. "Your journey is far from over, Garen. You've mastered the beginnings of your power, but there is much more to learn. And many dangers ahead."
He frowned. "Why would you help me?"
Her smile deepened, though her eyes remained unreadable. "Because the cycle has taken much from me as well. And if anyone has a chance of breaking it, it's you."
She extended a hand toward him, her gaze unwavering.
"Come with me, Garen. I think I can help you on your journey."