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Kael awoke in darkness.
His chest burned with a searing pain, and for a moment, he wondered if he had died. His mind was foggy, fragmented—he could feel the pulse of something deep inside him, a cold, unforgiving presence that thrummed beneath his skin.
His hand instinctively reached for his chest, where the shadow spear had pierced him, but his fingers met only smooth, unbroken skin. He frowned, confusion clouding his thoughts.
Where am I?
He tried to sit up, but his limbs felt heavy, as if they were bound to the very earth itself. The air around him was thick, suffocating, and he could barely breathe. The familiar presence of the shadow that had been with him felt distant, like an echo fading in the vastness of an endless cavern.
"Kael," a voice whispered, sharp and fragmented, as though it were coming from miles away.
He blinked, trying to focus. The voice was familiar, though distorted by time and pain.
"Kael, wake up!"
With a jolt, Kael shot up, gasping for air. His surroundings blurred into view, and he realized he was no longer in the forest. The ground beneath him was cold stone, and the air smelled faintly of decay and ancient dust.
A figure stood before him, their face shrouded in a hood, but Kael could sense the presence immediately. It was Caden.
"What—" Kael's voice cracked, hoarse from the darkness that had enveloped him. "What happened? The Warden… it..."
Caden's expression was unreadable as he reached out a hand, helping Kael to his feet. "You were almost lost, Kael. That Warden was meant to test you, to see if you were worthy of carrying the Eclipse Chain's burden. You barely survived."
Kael glanced around, his mind still hazy. "Where are we?"
Caden looked around warily before answering, his voice low. "We're in the Underforge. It's a place between worlds—where time bends and the veil between realities is thin. A sanctuary for those who seek knowledge about the Eclipse Chain."
Kael's heart skipped a beat. "The Underforge…?"
Caden nodded. "It's a place few ever find, and even fewer return from. But you're not here by coincidence, Kael. The Warden wasn't the only thing guarding the Eclipse Chain's secrets. The Underforge holds the key to understanding the true nature of the shadows you've bound yourself to."
The mention of the shadows stirred something deep inside Kael, a gnawing fear that he couldn't escape. The pain in his chest was still there, faint but persistent, as though something was tethering him to the darkness.
"You're telling me this place is… connected to the Eclipse Chain?" Kael asked.
Caden's gaze hardened. "Yes. And it's where the truth about your powers—and the darkness within you—will be revealed."
Kael's mind raced, the weight of Caden's words sinking in. The price of using Umbrael's power, the fragment of crimson light that had fused with him, the unyielding pull of the shadows… It was all leading him to this moment. But what was the truth? And what was the cost of knowing it?
"You're not the first to be chosen," Caden continued, his voice grim. "Many have come before you, all drawn by the power of the Eclipse Chain. But not all of them survived. The shadows… they consume those who are weak. If you're not careful, Kael, you will lose yourself completely."
Kael swallowed, the fear in his chest growing. "I don't want to lose myself. I can't."
Caden turned away, as if avoiding Kael's gaze. "But you already have, Kael. The question is, how much more will you give to keep control? Because every time you use the power of the shadows, you slip further from the man you once were."
The words struck him like a hammer. He felt a surge of emotion—anger, confusion, desperation—all boiling inside him.
"No. I'm not losing myself," Kael said, his voice firm despite the uncertainty gnawing at him. "I'll find a way to control it. I won't give in to the shadows."
Caden's silence was heavy, but he didn't argue. Instead, he turned and walked toward a stone archway that loomed in the distance, half hidden in shadow. "Come with me. The answers you seek are within, but I warn you—once you step inside, there's no turning back. The Underforge doesn't give up its secrets freely. You'll have to face your greatest fears, Kael."
Kael hesitated, his heart pounding. "What kind of tests?"
Caden's expression softened, though not by much. "The ones that will reveal whether you truly have the strength to wield the Eclipse Chain—or if the darkness will consume you."
Kael's gaze shifted to the archway, his fingers twitching at his sides. He had no choice. He couldn't turn back now, not when he was so close to understanding what was happening to him, and what the future held.
"I'm ready," Kael said, swallowing his fear. "I have to know."
Caden nodded, his expression unreadable. "Then follow me."
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As Kael stepped through the archway, a rush of cold air swept over him, and the ground beneath him seemed to shift. The Underforge was not a place of stone and dust, as he had thought, but a vast, infinite expanse. A place that defied all sense of reality, stretching out in all directions with no clear beginning or end.
There were no stars in the sky above, only swirling tendrils of shadow, moving as if alive. The shadows twisted and writhed, forming strange, abstract shapes that seemed to pulsate with dark energy. The very air around him seemed to hum with power, an unsettling and oppressive force.
Kael took a step forward, his feet light against the ground, though it felt as though he were walking on the edge of an abyss. He could feel the presence of something ancient here, something far older than even Umbrael.
Caden's voice broke through the silence. "This is where the first fragment of the Eclipse Chain was forged. It was created long ago, by those who sought to bind the darkness. But the power they unleashed was too much to control. It tore apart the fabric of reality itself, creating the Underforge in the process."
Kael's breath hitched. "So this place was… made by the Eclipse Chain?"
"Yes," Caden replied. "And within it lies the truth of what you've become. But you'll need to pass through the Trials of the Chain to uncover it. Only then can you understand what the shadows truly are—and what price they demand for the power they grant."
Kael's heart pounded in his chest as the ground before him began to tremble. He felt a shift in the air, as though something was awakening—something ancient, something that had been waiting for him.
Before he could react, a series of shadowy figures materialized around him, their faces obscured by the darkness. The figures moved in a slow, deliberate circle, their presence suffocating the very air around him.
Caden stood beside him, his eyes cold. "Welcome to the first Trial."
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To be continued...
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