The Progenitor
Chapter 6: The Hunter's Snare
The morning sun cast long shadows over the city, but its warmth did little to ease Tae-min's unease. He and Seol moved through the streets in silence, their steps quick and purposeful. The journal pulsed faintly against Tae-min's chest, a constant reminder of the weight he carried.
"What exactly is the Obsidian Key?" Tae-min finally asked, breaking the tense silence.
Seol glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "A relic, one of a kind. It's said to sever any bond—physical, spiritual, or otherwise. If the Gatekeeper's right, it's the only way to free you from that journal's influence."
"And where do we find it?"
"That's the tricky part," Seol muttered. "The last known location of the Obsidian Key was with someone called the Archivist. Problem is, no one's seen him in years."
"Great," Tae-min muttered. "So we're chasing a ghost."
Seol smirked. "Welcome to the game, rookie."
They turned a corner into a crowded marketplace, the air filled with the hum of voices and the scent of street food. Seol scanned the area, his hand never straying far from the hilt of his sword.
"Keep your eyes open," he said. "The Hunters won't stop just because it's daylight."
As if on cue, Tae-min felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. A chill ran through the air, unnatural and sharp.
"Seol," he whispered, his voice tight.
"I know," Seol replied, his eyes narrowing. "We're being watched."
The crowd around them seemed oblivious, but Tae-min could feel it—a presence lurking just beyond his vision. His grip tightened on the dagger at his side as he and Seol moved deeper into the marketplace.
Then, chaos erupted.
A figure in a dark hood lunged from the crowd, a blade gleaming in their hand. Seol reacted instantly, his sword clashing against the attacker's weapon with a shower of sparks.
"Tae-min, move!" Seol barked.
But it was too late. A second attacker grabbed Tae-min from behind, their grip like iron. He struggled, kicking and twisting, but the Hunter's strength was overwhelming.
"Let him go!" Seol shouted, cutting through the first assailant and lunging toward Tae-min.
The Hunter holding Tae-min snarled and dragged him into a nearby alley. Shadows seemed to ripple around them, distorting the air as if reality itself were bending. Tae-min's vision blurred, his breath coming in panicked gasps.
"Let… me… go!" he yelled, slamming his head backward into the Hunter's face.
The move bought him a split second of freedom. He spun around, his dagger flaring to life, and plunged it into the Hunter's chest. The creature let out an inhuman scream before dissolving into black mist.
Tae-min stumbled back, his heart pounding. The alley was empty now, eerily quiet except for the sound of his ragged breathing.
"Not bad, rookie," Seol's voice called out, and Tae-min turned to see him approaching, his sword slick with black ichor. "But don't let your guard down."
"What the hell was that?" Tae-min demanded.
"Advanced Hunters," Seol replied grimly. "Stronger, faster, and smarter than the fodder we faced before. They're getting desperate."
Before Tae-min could respond, the journal began to glow, its pages flipping open on their own. A new message appeared, written in the same eerie script as before:
"The Obsidian Key lies in the Hollowed Library. Seek it before the darkness finds you."
Seol peered over his shoulder, frowning. "The Hollowed Library? That place has been abandoned for decades."
"Then it should be safe," Tae-min said.
Seol shook his head. "Nothing's ever safe in this world, rookie. If the journal's pointing us there, it means someone—or something—wants us to go."
Tae-min stared at the glowing text, his mind racing. He had no choice but to follow the journal's lead.
"Then we go," he said firmly.
Seol smirked, sheathing his sword. "That's the spirit. Let's just hope we're not walking into a trap."
As they left the alley, neither of them noticed the figure watching from the shadows, their crimson eyes gleaming with malice.
The Progenitor's plans were unfolding perfectly.
The Progenitor
Chapter 7: The Hollowed Library
The streets of Seoul grew quieter as they ventured deeper into the city's forgotten districts. Seol led the way, his gaze scanning every corner, every shadow, as though expecting an attack at any moment. Tae-min, though uneasy, kept his focus on the journal, the cryptic message from earlier still fresh in his mind. The Obsidian Key lies in the Hollowed Library. Seek it before the darkness finds you.
The Hollowed Library.
The name itself felt wrong. There was no record of such a place, no mention of it in any public archives. If it existed, it was hidden from the world—its existence erased from memory like a forgotten relic.
As they turned a corner, Tae-min's eyes widened at the sight before him. The Hollowed Library wasn't just a metaphorical name—it was a real place, standing like a forgotten monument in the middle of a rundown alley. The building was massive, towering over them with an aura of ancient mystery. Its stone walls were cracked, covered in vines and moss, and its grand iron doors hung slightly ajar, as if inviting them inside.
"This is it?" Tae-min whispered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Seol didn't answer immediately. He was too busy inspecting the area, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Stay sharp," he said, his voice low. "There's something off about this place."
Tae-min nodded, his heart thudding in his chest. The air was thick with an oppressive sense of dread, and the faint glow of the journal pulsed like a heartbeat. He stepped forward, the cold stone beneath his boots seeming to echo with every movement.
As they approached the doors, a gust of wind blew through the alley, pushing them open with a low creak. The air inside was stale, filled with the scent of aged paper and dust. The library was vast, stretching farther than Tae-min's eyes could see. Rows upon rows of ancient books lined the walls, their spines faded and unreadable. But it wasn't the books that unsettled him—it was the feeling that they were being watched.
"This place gives me the creeps," Tae-min muttered, his hand instinctively reaching for the journal.
Seol glanced at him, his eyes sharp. "Keep it together. We're not alone here."
As they moved deeper into the library, the oppressive silence grew louder. The only sound was the faint rustling of pages, as if the books themselves were whispering secrets to one another. Tae-min's skin crawled, the sensation of being watched intensifying with each step.
Then, without warning, a voice echoed through the library, low and melodic, yet filled with an undeniable menace.
"Welcome, seekers of the Key."
Tae-min spun around, his dagger drawn, but there was no one in sight. The voice came again, this time from above.
"I have been waiting for you, Yun Tae-min. Seol."
A shadow moved across the far wall, and a figure appeared in the center of the room, standing atop a balcony overlooking the vast hall. The figure was cloaked in black, their face hidden by a hood, their presence commanding the room as if they were a god overseeing their domain.
"You're the one," Tae-min said, his voice steady despite the chill creeping up his spine. "You know what we're looking for."
The figure's laugh was soft, almost mocking. "I know far more than you could ever imagine."
With a flick of their wrist, the library seemed to come alive. Books flew off the shelves, their pages flipping rapidly as if they had a mind of their own. The air thickened, charged with a strange energy, and Tae-min felt the weight of something ancient and powerful stirring in the depths of the library.
"The Obsidian Key is here, yes," the figure continued, their voice echoing through the hall. "But it is not so easily claimed. You must prove yourselves worthy, for the Key does not choose its wielder lightly."
Seol's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his sword. "We didn't come here for riddles. We came for the Key."
The figure's laughter echoed again, but this time it was tinged with something darker. "Very well. If you seek the Obsidian Key, you must first face the trials of the Hollowed Library. Only those who survive will be granted access to what lies beyond."
With a wave of their hand, the shadows in the library seemed to shift, coalescing into solid forms. The bookshelves around them began to tremble, and the air grew colder. A low growl reverberated through the walls, followed by the sound of footsteps—heavy, slow, deliberate.
The shadows solidified into monstrous shapes—creatures born of ink and darkness, their bodies shifting and twisting like living nightmares. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural light as they moved toward Tae-min and Seol.
"Get ready," Seol growled, drawing his sword. "This is it."
Tae-min gritted his teeth, his heart pounding in his chest. The journal in his hands began to thrum, its pages turning violently on their own. A new message appeared, the words glowing ominously:
"The trials have begun. Survive the shadows, or perish in their embrace."
Tae-min clenched the journal tightly, his resolve hardening. He wasn't just a pawn in this game. He wasn't just the Progenitor's vessel. He was going to fight—and he was going to win.
The first of the shadow creatures lunged at them, its claws slashing through the air. Seol was faster, parrying the attack with a swift strike from his sword. Tae-min stepped forward, his dagger flashing as he slashed at the second creature. The blade cut through the shadowy form, but it reformed almost immediately, its body twisting and contorting as if it were made of liquid night.
"This is bad," Tae-min muttered, his mind racing. "They won't stay down."
Seol gritted his teeth. "Keep fighting. The library won't let us leave until we've passed the trials. Stay focused."
Tae-min nodded, steeling himself for the battle ahead. The Hollowed Library had become their battleground, and they weren't going to leave until they found the Obsidian Key—no matter the cost.
The Progenitor
Chapter 8: The Keeper of Shadows
The battle inside the Hollowed Library raged on, the sound of steel clashing against shadowy claws reverberating through the air. Tae-min's heart raced as he dodged another strike from the monstrous creature lunging at him. Seol's sword moved with the fluid grace of a seasoned warrior, each slash cutting through the air, but the shadowy beasts they fought were relentless—each time they were wounded, they reformed and attacked again with even greater ferocity.
Tae-min gritted his teeth and darted forward, slashing at one of the creatures with his dagger. His blade passed through its shifting body, but it didn't stay down. It twisted and reformed in the blink of an eye, its claws reaching for him with terrifying speed. He barely managed to jump back, his heart hammering in his chest.
"Seol!" Tae-min shouted. "We can't keep doing this! They don't stay dead!"
Seol's sword whistled through the air, cutting another creature down. "The key isn't just lying around, Tae-min. We have to survive this trial if we want to reach it!"
Tae-min's mind raced, the journal's thrum growing louder in his hands. He glanced down, hoping for some kind of clue—some way to end this madness. The pages flipped open on their own, the words glowing faintly:
"To survive the trial, one must face the Keeper of Shadows. Only by confronting your darkest self will you be granted the Key."
"Confront our darkest selves?" Tae-min muttered.
Seol, back-to-back with him, cut down another creature. "We'll figure it out later. Just focus on staying alive!"
But before Tae-min could respond, the air grew cold, a biting chill that seemed to seep into his very bones. The creatures hesitated, then retreated into the shadows, their growls fading into the distance. For a moment, the library was silent.
Then, a voice echoed throughout the room.
"You've done well to survive this far."
A figure stepped out of the darkness—a tall, imposing figure clad in black armor. His face was hidden behind a silver mask, but his presence was overwhelming, as though the shadows themselves bowed to him. His very being seemed to draw the darkness around him, shaping the air like an ominous storm.
"I am the Keeper of Shadows," the figure said, his voice deep and resonant, filled with ancient authority. "And you, Yun Tae-min, Seol, have entered my domain."
Tae-min's breath caught in his throat. The Keeper's aura was suffocating, his every word resonating deep in Tae-min's chest. The air crackled with an energy Tae-min couldn't fully comprehend, yet something deep inside told him that this was no mere warrior. This was something far darker.
"I've been waiting for you," the Keeper continued, his voice smooth and unnerving. "You seek the Obsidian Key, but first, you must face your own darkness. Only then will you be worthy."
Tae-min's heart thudded in his chest. "What does that mean? I've already fought your monsters!"
The Keeper tilted his head, the silver mask gleaming. "The true trial is not defeating the shadows outside. It is confronting the shadows within. You have carried them with you all your life, Yun Tae-min. They've shaped who you are. To claim the Key, you must first destroy the darkness that haunts you."
Tae-min's eyes narrowed. "You're saying I have to fight myself?"
The Keeper smiled behind his mask. "Not just yourself. The person you will become, and the things you are destined to do. The future, Yun Tae-min, is as much a shadow as the past. It is not a fixed path but a swirling storm of possibilities, each more dangerous than the last."
Tae-min felt a cold sweat on the back of his neck. Something in the Keeper's words resonated deeply with him—he had always known his future was entwined with something darker, something twisted. But hearing it spoken aloud…
"I don't have time for your riddles," Seol growled, his sword raised in defiance. "Give us the Key, or we'll take it."
The Keeper's eyes flashed, the air around him rippling with a sudden surge of power. "You cannot take what is not yours to claim."
With a swift motion, the Keeper extended his hand. The ground beneath them trembled as tendrils of darkness shot up from the floor, wrapping around Seol's legs and arms, restraining him. Seol struggled against the chains of shadow, his sword slashing at the air, but they only tightened with every movement.
"Seol!" Tae-min shouted, rushing forward. He slashed at the shadows with his dagger, but they were relentless—each strike felt like trying to cut through solid stone.
The Keeper's voice echoed around them, a mocking lullaby. "You cannot fight the shadows. They are a part of you. A part of your very soul."
Tae-min's eyes darted to the journal, still clenched tightly in his hand. His mind raced—what did the journal mean by confronting his darkness?
"Face your future, Tae-min," the Keeper said, his voice dripping with malice. "The shadows within you are already awakening. All you must do is accept them."
Tae-min closed his eyes for a moment, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He could feel the weight of the Keeper's words pressing on him, the darkness that had always been with him. But then, something inside of him snapped.
He wasn't going to accept this. He wasn't going to let himself be consumed by the shadows, by the twisted version of himself the Keeper was trying to manipulate.
"No," Tae-min whispered, clenching his fist around the journal. "I choose who I am. I'm not some puppet for you to control."
The journal began to pulse violently in his hands, its pages fluttering as if alive. A new message appeared, glowing brightly on the page:
"Embrace the darkness, or defy it. The choice is yours, Tae-min. But remember—no one can escape their true self."
Tae-min's heart pounded in his chest as he stood tall, staring down the Keeper of Shadows. The weight of the journal pressed against his palm, but now it felt like a tool, not a curse.
"I don't care who I'm supposed to become," Tae-min said, his voice steady. "I'll carve my own path."
With a flash of determination, Tae-min raised his dagger, and as he did, the shadows recoiled. The Keeper's eyes narrowed behind the mask. "So be it."
The battle was far from over. But Tae-min had made his choice. The path he walked was his own, and he would not let the shadows define him.
Not now. Not ever.
The Keeper's laughter echoed through the library, but Tae-min didn't flinch. The storm was just beginning, but he was ready to face it.
The Progenitor
Chapter 9: The Abyss Within
Tae-min stood firm, his dagger raised, eyes locked on the Keeper of Shadows. The air was thick with tension, the battle between them not just one of strength, but of will. His mind raced, searching for a way to overcome the looming darkness that threatened to swallow him whole.
The Keeper of Shadows, still cloaked in a shroud of dark energy, studied him with cold, unblinking eyes. "You truly believe you can defy fate, Tae-min? You think your resolve is enough to escape the abyss within you?"
Tae-min's grip tightened on the journal, its pages now glowing a faint blue, as if alive with power. He could feel the weight of the Keeper's words pressing down on him, the remnants of a future that he wasn't ready to confront. But he couldn't afford to back down now. Not when he had already made the decision to carve his own path.
"I'm not you," Tae-min said, voice steady but laced with the fire of defiance. "I don't need your permission to choose who I am."
The Keeper's lips curled into a smile beneath his silver mask. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong. You already chose, Yun Tae-min. You just didn't realize it. Every action you take, every step you make—it was all written long before you ever took that first breath."
Tae-min felt a chill run through him. The Keeper's words echoed in his mind, reverberating like the tolling of a distant bell. Was this really his fate? Was he truly just a puppet in the hands of some higher force, following a path carved out long before his birth?
No.
He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts away. This was not his truth. He wasn't bound by the strings of destiny.
The shadows around him began to writhe and twist, as though responding to his defiance. Tendrils of darkness shot toward him, aiming to suffocate him in their cold embrace. But Tae-min was ready. He leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the grasping shadows, and rolled to his feet. Seol, still struggling against the bonds of dark energy, caught his gaze and nodded.
Tae-min knew that the only way to escape the Keeper's domain was to face his own inner darkness. To confront the shadow of who he would become. It was the only way to break free.
But how?
He looked down at the journal again, its pages flipping on their own, faster now, as if urging him to take action. A new message appeared, glowing brightly:
"To conquer the darkness, you must first accept it."
"Accept it?" Tae-min whispered, his voice trembling as he felt the weight of the journal's message. What did it mean to accept the darkness within him? Was it enough to acknowledge his fear, his anger, his doubts?
The Keeper laughed, a low, hollow sound. "So you still don't understand. You cannot fight what you are. Your darkness is you. It always has been. The sooner you accept it, the stronger you'll become."
Tae-min's heart pounded in his chest, the thrum of the journal growing louder, like a heartbeat of its own. He glanced at Seol once more, who was still fighting against the encroaching shadows. He couldn't allow his friend to fall victim to this trial. He had to do something.
A realization hit him like a thunderclap. He wasn't alone in this fight. The darkness wasn't just his to face. Seol, too, carried his own burdens, his own fears. Together, they could overcome this.
He took a deep breath and spoke, not to the Keeper, but to Seol. "Seol, listen to me. This isn't just about me. It's about both of us. We're in this together. We face this trial together."
Seol's eyes, full of desperation, met his. For a moment, Tae-min saw the flicker of understanding pass between them. Seol's struggles seemed to lessen slightly as he nodded, and the chains of darkness that bound him loosened.
The Keeper's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "You think you can escape this trial by sharing your burden? Pathetic. You cannot escape what is already written."
Tae-min gripped the journal tightly, his voice rising. "We don't need to escape. We need to defeat it. Together."
The words seemed to resonate with the journal. Its pages fluttered open, and a new message appeared, glowing brighter than ever:
"Together, you are stronger than your shadow. But first, you must confront the truth within."
Tae-min's vision blurred for a moment, and suddenly, he was no longer in the Hollowed Library. Instead, he found himself standing in an endless void, the black expanse stretching out in all directions. His feet hovered above a sea of inky blackness, and he could feel a presence—an oppressive weight—closing in around him.
It was then that he saw it.
A figure stood before him, cloaked in darkness. Its features were obscured, but Tae-min could feel its eyes on him. This was no monster or beast. It was him.
The shadow of his future self.
"You've come to face me, have you?" the figure asked, its voice cold and hollow. "The darkness you fear is you, Tae-min. You cannot escape it."
Tae-min's heart raced as he stepped forward, his legs trembling. "You're not me. You're a lie. A vision of what I could become if I give in to the shadows."
The figure's lips curled into a twisted smile. "I am what you will become if you are weak. I am the part of you that you refuse to acknowledge, the darkness that has always been with you."
Tae-min's pulse quickened as the shadows seemed to close in around him. The dark figure stepped forward, its eyes glowing with an eerie light. "You can't defeat me. You can't defeat yourself."
Tae-min took a deep breath and drew his dagger. "I will defeat you."
The figure laughed. "You can't kill what's already inside you. You can't kill me."
Tae-min's mind flashed to the words of the journal: "You must accept the darkness."
He raised his dagger, his hand steady despite the fear that threatened to overwhelm him. "I don't need to kill you. I just need to stop running."
With a single, fluid motion, Tae-min plunged the dagger into his own chest—into the heart of the darkness within him. The world seemed to shudder, and for a moment, everything went black.
Then, a blinding light exploded around him, and the darkness shattered.
---
Tae-min awoke in the Hollowed Library once more, his body trembling, but the weight of the shadows seemed to lift. The Keeper of Shadows stood before him, watching with a cold, calculating gaze.
"You've done it," the Keeper said, his voice filled with grudging respect. "You've confronted your darkness. But remember, Tae-min… the darkness never truly disappears. It only waits, biding its time."
Tae-min stood, breathing heavily, but now with a sense of clarity he hadn't felt before. The shadows had not defeated him. They never would. And with Seol by his side, he knew they could face whatever came next.
He glanced down at the journal, which had fallen open once more. The last message had changed:
"The first step is taken. The path ahead is fraught with trials. But you are no longer alone in the darkness."
And for the first time, Tae-min believed it. The journey was just beginning.
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