The Trial of Shadows
The temple air was colder now, sharp and biting. It wasn't just the temperature; it was the pressure—the weight of the place pressing in from all sides. Kael felt it in his bones, in the steady pulse of the crystal against his chest. The whispers at the edges of his mind grew louder with every step deeper into the ruin.
Ciaran moved ahead with purpose, his boots silent against the smooth stone floor. Kael followed close behind, every instinct screaming at him to turn back. The chamber they entered was massive—an ancient hall lined with decayed banners that hung like ghosts from towering pillars. At its center lay a circular platform, carved with intricate runes and surrounded by shadows so dense they looked solid.
Ciaran stopped at the edge of the platform and turned to Kael. "This is as far as I go."
Kael frowned. "What?"
"The Sanctum tests its own," Ciaran said, his voice low and serious. "If you're going to master the Void, it starts here." He gestured toward the platform. "Step in."
Kael stared at him, incredulous. "What happens if I fail?"
Ciaran's golden eyes met his. "Then you don't leave."
Kael swallowed hard. His heart thudded painfully, but he knew there was no other choice. He stepped onto the platform. The moment his boots touched the runes, the shadows surged upward like a tidal wave, encasing him in a dome of pure black.
Inside the dome, the world fell silent. Kael's breathing echoed loudly in the void around him. He turned slowly, but there was nothing—no walls, no light, just endless darkness.
Then came the first sound: a low hum, growing louder.
Kael spun toward it, and the shadows rippled. A shape began to form, stepping out of the void with movements so smooth they seemed unnatural. It was another lost, like the creature they'd fought earlier, but this one was different—faster, sharper. Its blackened body shimmered faintly as though it absorbed light itself.
The thing's hollow eyes snapped to Kael, and in an instant, it moved.
Kael barely had time to react. The creature streaked toward him, its clawed hand cutting through the air at a supersonic speed—a crack like thunder following its movements as it broke the sound barrier. Kael's instincts screamed, and he threw himself to the side, the wind pressure from the strike tearing at his cloak.
"Supersonic…" Kael breathed, his heart pounding.
The creature didn't stop. It pivoted midair, its gaunt body blurring as it launched another attack. This time, Kael reacted faster. His body moved on reflex, the shadows coiling around his feet and pushing him backward in a burst of speed that matched the creature's.
He was fast. Not as fast as it—but close.
The creature's clawed strike tore through the stone where Kael had stood, sending cracks splintering across the platform. Kael skidded to a stop, his boots scraping against the smooth stone. He could feel the shadows beneath him shifting, waiting.
"You're faster than this," Kael muttered to himself. "Focus."
The creature lunged again, its body vibrating from the force of its movement of Mach speed —twice the speed of sound. He couldn't keep dodging forever.
Let us help, the voice whispered.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Not this time."
Instead of retreating, he dove forward. The shadows coiled around him like armor, clinging to his limbs as he propelled himself at the creature. It was waiting for him, claws raised, but Kael's mind had sharpened. He could see its movement now—every slight twitch, every shift in weight.
The moment the creature struck, Kael twisted to the side, the claw grazing his shoulder with a screech of tearing fabric. He gritted his teeth against the pain and slammed his fist forward, driving a shadow-covered punch into the creature's chest.
The impact reverberated through the void like a shockwave.
The creature staggered back, its hollow scream shaking the air. Black veins rippled across its body, and Kael saw his opening.
"Faster."
He pushed the shadows further. They surged through his legs, wrapping around his feet and propelling him forward at his own supersonic speed. The air screamed as he moved, and in the blink of an eye, he was behind the creature. Before it could react, Kael spun and lashed out with a shadow-forged kick that sent it hurtling across the platform.
It struck the far edge with a deafening boom, cracks spidering out from the point of impact. Kael stood still, his chest heaving, the shadows crackling faintly around him. The creature's body twitched once, then went still.
The void around him shifted, the endless darkness growing calmer, quieter. For the first time, Kael didn't feel like he was drowning in it.
The dome of shadows shattered.
Kael dropped to one knee, sweat dripping down his face as the sudden return of light stabbed at his eyes. The temple hall reappeared around him, and Ciaran was standing at the edge of the platform, his golden gaze fixed on him.
"You're alive," Ciaran said flatly, though there was a flicker of something—approval?—in his voice.
Kael looked up at him, his breathing still ragged. "I saw it. The speed. I matched it."
Ciaran raised an eyebrow. "And?"
Kael hesitated, flexing his fingers. The shadows were still there, swirling faintly at his feet like loyal dogs. "It wasn't enough. I need to be faster."
Ciaran smirked. "Good. Because this was just the beginning."
He turned and gestured for Kael to follow. "There's more waiting for us deeper in the Sanctum. If you survive that, maybe you'll be ready."
Kael rose shakily to his feet, the weight of the crystal a constant presence against his chest. His limbs ached, but for the first time, he felt something else alongside the exhaustion—potential.
The shadows hadn't consumed him. They had obeyed.
And now, he would push them further.