Kael stood at the edge of the precipice, the dark figure of the woman before him a haunting reminder of the fate that awaited him if he faltered. The Oathbreaker Blade still hummed in his grip, the dark power coursing through him like an unrelenting tide, whispering promises of vengeance, of strength, of control. But beneath it all, a flicker of fear remained, gnawing at his insides.
Can I really resist?
He had already faced the manifestation of his future self—the hollow man consumed by the blade's power. He had heard the words of the Keeper, warnings of the blade's dark influence. And yet, here he was, holding the blade with the weight of the world pressing down on him. The woman—her name lost to time—stood before him, a living testament to what he could become if he lost himself to the blade.
Her smile was cold, almost pitying, as she took a step closer. The shadows swirled around her, growing thicker with every movement she made. Kael could feel the pressure of her presence, the weight of her words seeping into his mind.
"You think you can resist," she said softly, her voice carrying the weight of a thousand regrets. "But in the end, the blade always wins. You are not the first to wield it, and you will not be the last. Each one of us thinks we are different, that we can control it. But the blade only has one purpose—to consume."
Kael gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on the Oathbreaker Blade. He refused to listen to her. He had come too far to turn back now. His thoughts went to Sylara—she was counting on him, relying on him to protect her, to save their world. If he let the blade control him, everything he had fought for would be lost.
"I will not be like you," Kael said, his voice firm, though the doubt still clawed at him. "I will not fall."
The woman laughed, a low, hollow sound that echoed through the darkness. "You have already fallen, Kael. The moment you took up the blade, you lost. It was only a matter of time."
She raised her hand, and the shadows around them seemed to come alive, swirling and twisting in a frenzy. The temperature dropped, and Kael could feel the cold seep into his bones. He was no longer in control of his surroundings—the trial had begun, and he was once again thrust into the heart of darkness.
"You cannot escape what is already inside you," she whispered, her voice a venomous hiss. "The blade feeds on your fear, your rage, your desire for power. It grows stronger with every passing moment. You think you can fight it, but you will soon realize that the blade has already claimed you."
Kael's vision blurred, the world around him distorting as if the very fabric of reality was unraveling. The blade's power surged within him, its dark energy pushing against his thoughts, urging him to give in, to embrace the darkness. He could feel the edges of his control slipping, and for a brief moment, he feared that she was right. Perhaps he had already fallen, perhaps the blade had already claimed him.
No.
The thought was a whisper in his mind, but it was enough to spark something deep inside him. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to focus. He would not become what she had become. He would not be a hollow, lifeless shell of a person. He had a purpose, a reason to keep going.
He wasn't alone in this.
Kael's thoughts turned to Sylara once again. Her face, her voice, the warmth of her presence—they anchored him, pulling him back from the abyss. He could not afford to fail her, not now. The blade's whispers grew louder, but the image of Sylara's smile burned bright in his mind, a light that pierced the darkness.
For her, Kael thought. I will resist.
He took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest. The shadows around him swirled, becoming more oppressive, but Kael stood tall. He raised the Oathbreaker Blade, its dark energy still pulsing in his hand, but this time, he felt a flicker of something different. Something that wasn't fear or doubt. Something that burned brighter than the blade's pull.
I will not be consumed.
The woman's eyes narrowed, sensing the shift in Kael's resolve. She took a step forward, her dark presence filling the air around him. "You still believe you can fight it?" she asked, her voice a low growl. "You still think you can resist?"
Kael's grip tightened on the blade, his stance firm. "I don't have to resist it," he said, his voice steady, his words carrying the weight of a man who had already made up his mind. "I'll use it."
The woman's eyes flashed with surprise, but she quickly masked it with a smirk. "So you've decided. You will wield it, but you will never control it. The blade will always win."
"We'll see about that," Kael replied.
In that instant, the shadows around them erupted, a wave of darkness crashing toward Kael. The woman's form melded with the darkness, becoming one with it, her presence overwhelming. But Kael was ready. He didn't fight the wave; he embraced it. With a roar, he swung the Oathbreaker Blade, its edge cutting through the shadows like a storm of steel.
The blade's power surged through him, not in an overwhelming wave of destruction, but as a focused, controlled force. For the first time since he had taken the blade, Kael felt in control. The dark energy didn't feel like a weight anymore. It was a tool, a weapon to be used in pursuit of his goals. He could still feel its whispers, its seduction, but they no longer controlled him. He could wield it without losing himself.
The wave of shadows shattered as the blade tore through it, and the woman's form dissipated like smoke in the wind. Her laugh echoed one last time, but it was hollow, distant. Kael stood, the Oathbreaker Blade still humming in his grasp, his chest rising and falling with the exertion of the battle.
For a moment, everything was still. The shadows faded, the oppressive darkness lifting, leaving Kael alone in the corridor once again. But this time, he didn't feel the weight of defeat. He had passed the trial. He had won.
But the victory was fleeting.
The blade hummed again, its power surging within him, and Kael knew that this was only the beginning. He had taken the first step toward understanding the blade's true power, but there would be more trials ahead. The Keeper's words had warned him: the blade would test him, twist him, push him to the very limits of his resolve.
But Kael was no longer afraid.
He would wield the blade.
And he would control it.
End of Chapter 14