The air grew colder with every step I took, the oppressive silence of the Dungeon of Lost Souls pressing down on me like a heavy shroud. My boots scraped against the uneven stone floor, the sound echoing in the vast emptiness. Shadows flickered on the walls, their movements unnervingly alive, twisting and writhing as if they watched my every move.
I gripped Excalibur tightly, its faint hum of power the only comfort I had in this desolate place. The blade's light was dim, barely enough to cut through the darkness. It felt almost resentful in my hands, as though it disapproved of my unworthy grasp. But I wouldn't let that stop me.
The system's voice still echoed in my mind: *"Find the truth behind your death."*
Death.
The word lingered like a bitter taste on my tongue. I couldn't remember dying. My last memories were hazy, fractured pieces of a life that felt like it belonged to someone else. Who had I been before I woke up here? A name lingered at the edge of my thoughts—my real name—but it slipped away every time I reached for it, like a dream fading with the morning light.
I rounded a corner, my footsteps slowing as I entered a large, circular chamber. The air here was thicker, charged with an energy that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. A faint blue glow illuminated the room, emanating from the runes etched into the walls and floor.
At the center of the chamber stood an altar, its surface carved with intricate patterns that pulsed faintly with the same blue light. The sight of it sent a shiver down my spine, but I couldn't look away. Something about the altar felt... familiar.
I approached cautiously, my hand still gripping Excalibur. The closer I got, the stronger the strange energy in the air became. It was almost suffocating, pressing against my chest like an invisible weight.
As I reached the altar, a voice—not the system's—whispered in the back of my mind.
*"You shouldn't be here."*
I froze, my eyes darting around the room. There was no one else here, only the flickering shadows on the walls. The voice was faint, like a distant echo, but it was enough to set my nerves on edge.
And then I saw it.
On the altar lay a fragment of a shattered mirror, its surface cracked and dull. My reflection stared back at me, distorted by the jagged lines. But it wasn't *my* reflection.
The face in the mirror was younger, sharper, with eyes that burned with anger and desperation. Caelum Von Astralis. The villain whose life I had been thrust into.
"Who are you?" I whispered, though I already knew the answer.
The reflection smirked, its expression unnervingly cold. *"You should know better than anyone. I'm you."*
"No," I said, shaking my head. "I'm not you. I'm... someone else. This isn't my life."
The reflection's smirk faded, replaced by a look of contempt. *"You think you can separate yourself from me? From what you've done? You carry my blood, my sins, my curse. You can't escape that."*
I clenched my fists, my grip on Excalibur tightening. "I didn't ask for this. I don't want to be you."
The reflection's eyes narrowed. *"It doesn't matter what you want. You've been given this life, and you'll live it whether you like it or not. The only question is whether you'll survive it."*
Before I could respond, the mirror fragment began to glow, its light growing brighter and brighter until it was blinding. I stumbled back, shielding my eyes as a surge of energy erupted from the altar, filling the room with an earsplitting roar.
When the light finally faded, I found myself standing in the chamber once more. But something had changed.
The air was colder now, the shadows darker. The runes on the walls no longer glowed, their light extinguished. And in the center of the altar, where the mirror fragment had been, stood a figure cloaked in black.
Its face was hidden beneath a hood, and its presence radiated an overwhelming sense of dread.
"Who are you?" I demanded, raising Excalibur.
The figure didn't respond. Instead, it raised a hand, and I felt a sudden, crushing pressure in my chest. I staggered, gasping for air as the weight threatened to crush me entirely.
"You are unworthy," the figure said, its voice low and echoing. "A pretender, wielding a power you cannot comprehend."
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stand despite the pain. "I don't care what you think. I'm not going to let you stop me."
The figure tilted its head, as if amused. "Then prove it, swordbearer."
With a flick of its hand, the pressure vanished, and the figure stepped back, its form dissolving into the shadows. In its place, a new presence emerged—a beast of shadow and flame, its eyes burning with malice.
The dungeon rumbled as the beast let out a deafening roar, its massive form towering over me.
[Boss Encounter: Warden of the Abyss]
The system's notification flashed before my eyes, but I ignored it. My focus was entirely on the creature before me.
This was my first test.
I raised Excalibur, the blade trembling slightly in my hand. I could feel the Swordmaster Instinct guiding me, pushing me to move, to fight. But the pain was there too, a searing heat that pulsed through my body with every heartbeat.
The beast lunged, and I barely had time to dodge, its claws tearing through the air where I had been standing moments ago. I spun around, slashing at its side, but the blade barely left a mark.
The beast roared again, and I realized this fight wouldn't be as simple as I had hoped.
But I wasn't going to back down.
Not now.
Not ever.
This was my life now, and I was going to fight for it—no matter the cost.
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