Chapter Nine: Depths of the Void
The Sanctum grew darker as they moved deeper, the faint glow of the runes on the walls struggling to hold back the encroaching black. Kael walked behind Ciaran, his boots scuffing against the cold stone. His body still ached from the trial, but his mind was sharper now, focused.
The shadows around him felt different—less wild. They no longer clawed at him with reckless hunger. Instead, they hovered just out of reach, waiting.
"What was that thing back there?" Kael asked, breaking the silence.
"One of the Voidborn," Ciaran replied without looking back. "A fragment of the Void given flesh. They're what happens when Wielders push too far and lose themselves. This place is crawling with them."
Kael swallowed hard, his grip tightening on the satchel. "You could've mentioned that earlier."
Ciaran glanced over his shoulder, his smirk faint. "Would it have made a difference?"
Kael scowled but said nothing.
The corridor opened into another vast chamber, but this one was unlike the others they had passed. The air felt thicker here, like walking through unseen currents. Massive stone pillars rose into the gloom above, their surfaces carved with runes that pulsed faintly like the beating of a giant heart.
At the center of the room stood a pedestal, its surface flat and smooth, as if waiting for something to be placed upon it.
"The crystal," Ciaran said, nodding toward the pedestal.
Kael hesitated. "What happens if I put it there?"
Ciaran shrugged. "No idea. That's why you're doing it."
Kael let out a frustrated sigh, but he approached the pedestal anyway. The closer he got, the more the whispers returned, faint but persistent, like the hum of distant voices carried on the wind.
Kael…
He froze, his heart skipping. The voice wasn't just a whisper this time—it was clear, sharp, and familiar.
"Did you hear that?" he asked, glancing at Ciaran.
"Hear what?"
Kael's gaze darted back to the pedestal. The shadows around it seemed denser, writhing faintly like living things. He reached into the satchel, his fingers brushing the crystal's smooth surface.
The moment he touched it, the runes on the pedestal flared with blinding light.
Kael shielded his eyes as the chamber trembled, the light carving through the shadows like a blade. The crystal burned against his skin, pulsing wildly as though it were alive.
"Kael, move!" Ciaran shouted.
Kael spun, but it was too late. The shadows surged upward, swallowing the light and forming into something monstrous.
The Guardian Emerges
The creature that stepped from the void dwarfed the one Kael had faced in the trial. It stood over ten feet tall, its body twisted and grotesque. Its skin rippled with black veins that glowed faintly red, and its limbs were unnaturally long, ending in claws that glinted like obsidian.
But it was the eyes that froze Kael in place. Twin orbs of crimson light burned in its hollow sockets, locking onto him with unrelenting focus.
The creature roared, a sound so deep it rattled Kael's ribs, and then it moved.
Kael barely had time to react. The thing shot toward him at a speed far beyond anything he'd seen before—easily supersonic speeds, its movement so fast it left ripples in the air.
"Kael!" Ciaran's voice was distant, drowned out by the roar of wind and the pounding of Kael's heartbeat.
Kael threw himself to the side, the creature's claw grazing his shoulder. Even the near miss sent him spinning, the force slamming him into the ground. The stone beneath him cracked on impact, and pain flared through his side.
The creature didn't pause. It pivoted with inhuman precision, its claws slashing downward.
Kael rolled, the strike missing him by inches and shattering the floor where he had just been. He scrambled to his feet, the shadows around him rippling in response to his fear.
"You're going to have to fight it!" Ciaran shouted, his blade already in hand as he circled the creature.
Kael gritted his teeth. "No kidding!"
The creature lunged again, its claws cutting through the air with a deafening shriek. This time, Kael didn't dodge. He threw his hands forward, and the shadows obeyed.
They surged out in a torrent, meeting the creature head-on. The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, the force shaking the pillars and sending loose rubble crashing to the ground. The creature roared, its movements slowing as the shadows coiled around its limbs like chains.
Kael pushed harder, sweat dripping down his face as he willed the shadows to tighten. But the creature fought back, its veins glowing brighter as it pulled against the restraints.
"It's too strong," Kael muttered, his arms trembling.
"Then make it weaker," Ciaran called, darting forward. His blade flashed as he struck at the creature's side, dark mist trailing from the wound.
The creature howled, swiping at Ciaran with enough force to send him skidding back across the floor.
Kael clenched his fists tighter, his breath ragged as the shadows hissed and writhed around him. The creature tore at its bindings, each movement sending cracks rippling through the stone floor beneath its clawed feet.
"Hold it!" Ciaran shouted, recovering from the creature's blow. He dashed to the side, his blackened blade slashing through the air like liquid midnight.
The strike landed deep, carving into the creature's torso, and for the first time, Kael saw it falter. It roared in agony, the glowing veins across its body flickering like a faltering flame.
Kael seized the opportunity. He pushed the shadows harder, sending them streaking up the creature's limbs, wrapping around its torso and neck. They pulled tighter and tighter, anchoring it to the ground.
The creature thrashed, its claws swiping wildly, but its movements were slower now, more desperate.
"You've got it!" Ciaran shouted, his tone sharp with urgency. "Don't stop!"
Kael gritted his teeth, his arms shaking as the power coursed through him. The shadows felt alive, a storm of writhing darkness that obeyed his every command—but they were draining him. Each second felt heavier, his breaths shorter, his vision swimming.
The creature let out one final, ear-piercing roar, and then it collapsed. The runes across its body dimmed, its massive frame slumping forward and crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact. Dust and debris erupted into the air, shrouding the chamber in a choking cloud.
Kael fell to his knees, gasping for air as the shadows retreated back into the void. His muscles ached, his body trembling from the strain. He felt like he'd just run for miles, every part of him drained and raw.
"Not bad," Ciaran said, approaching with a faint smirk. He nudged the creature's still form with the tip of his blade. "You might actually survive this after all."
Kael glared at him, his chest heaving. "Glad you're impressed."
Ciaran offered a hand, pulling Kael to his feet. "Don't get cocky. That was nothing compared to what's waiting further in."
Kael's stomach twisted at the thought. "How many more of these things are there?"
"As many as the Void sees fit to throw at you," Ciaran replied, his tone far too casual for Kael's liking.
Kael ran a hand through his hair, his fingers shaking. He glanced back at the pedestal. The crystal was still in his satchel, but the runes on the pedestal had dimmed, their light barely visible now.
"What was the point of all this?" he asked, his voice low.
Ciaran shrugged. "The Sanctum's testing you. Every step deeper, the Void will push harder. It wants to see if you're worthy."
"Worthy of what?"
Ciaran's smirk faded, replaced by a faint grimness. "Control."
Kael frowned, his gaze dropping to the ground. The shadows at his feet rippled faintly, as though sensing his doubt.
"You should rest while you can," Ciaran said, already turning toward the next passage. "The next trial won't give you the luxury."
Kael didn't move immediately. He stared at the fallen creature, its massive body still and lifeless. For a brief moment, he felt a pang of something—pity, perhaps.
"What happened to them?" he asked quietly.
Ciaran stopped but didn't turn around. "What?"
"These… Voidborn. They were Wielders once, right? People like me?"
Ciaran hesitated, his voice softer when he spoke. "Yes. People who let the Void take too much. They gave themselves over to it, thinking they could control it. They couldn't."
Kael's hands curled into fists. "And you think I won't end up like them?"
Ciaran turned to face him, his golden eyes piercing. "That's up to you, Stormcloak. The Void will always ask for more. You just have to decide how much you're willing to give."
The words hung in the air like a challenge. Kael let them sink in, his chest tight as he turned away from the creature. The passage ahead loomed dark and endless, its runes faintly glowing with the same sickly light as before.
The Void waited, patient and unrelenting.
Kael followed Ciaran into the darkness.