The morning came with a biting chill, the kind that settled deep in the bones and refused to leave. Revan stood on the outskirts of Kaldora, his breath visible in the cold air. Training with Kael had become his daily routine, but today something felt off. The village was unusually quiet, and the birds that normally filled the skies were absent.
Kael, leaning against a tree, was sharpening his blade. He seemed as calm as ever, but his sharp eyes kept scanning the horizon. "Feel it, don't you?" he said without looking at Revan.
Revan nodded. The atmosphere was heavy, almost oppressive. "Something's coming."
Kael sheathed his blade and stood. "Not just something. Someone."
---
By midday, the unease had grown unbearable. The villagers avoided the main roads, and an unnatural stillness hung in the air. Revan and Kael patrolled the village's perimeter, their senses on high alert.
"How many people know about the shard?" Revan asked.
Kael shrugged. "Too many. Word travels fast in this world, especially when it involves Abyssal power. If the Eclipse Covenant knows you have it, they'll come for you. And trust me, they won't ask nicely."
Revan clenched his fists. He had no love for the villagers, but he couldn't let them be slaughtered because of him.
A sudden scream shattered the silence. Revan and Kael exchanged a glance before sprinting toward the sound.
---
They found the source near the village square. A man lay on the ground, his body twisted at unnatural angles. His face was frozen in an expression of pure terror.
Standing over him were three figures, cloaked in black and adorned with silver masks. Their presence radiated menace, and their shadows seemed to ripple unnaturally, as if alive.
"The Covenant," Kael muttered, his hand moving to his sword.
The figure in the center stepped forward, their voice cold and commanding. "Revan, bearer of the Shadow Seal and the Fragment of the Abyss, surrender yourself, and we may spare this pitiful village."
Revan stepped forward, his heart pounding but his resolve firm. "And if I refuse?"
The figure tilted their head. "Then we take you by force. And this village… will burn."
Revan's anger flared. He could feel the shard in his pocket pulsing, feeding off his emotions. "Try it," he said, summoning his Shadow Wreath. The tendrils of darkness coiled around him like a living shield.
The leader of the Covenant laughed, a chilling sound. "So be it."
---
The battle erupted with sudden ferocity. The Covenant agents moved with inhuman speed, their attacks precise and brutal. The air was filled with the clash of steel, the crackle of energy, and the screams of villagers caught in the crossfire.
Kael engaged one of the agents, his sword flashing in the sunlight as he parried a series of strikes. Despite his roguish demeanor, his skill was undeniable, and he held his ground with ease.
Revan faced the leader, their movements a blur as they exchanged blows. The leader wielded a glaive wreathed in shadow, its strikes sending shockwaves through the air.
"You don't understand the power you wield," the leader said, their voice calm despite the intensity of the fight. "The Abyss does not grant gifts freely. It will consume you, just as it has consumed countless others."
Revan gritted his teeth, summoning a surge of energy. "Then I'll make it regret choosing me."
He unleashed a wave of shadows, forcing the leader to retreat. But the leader countered with a blast of Abyssal energy, the impact sending Revan skidding across the ground.
---
Meanwhile, Kael had managed to disarm his opponent, his blade slicing through their mask to reveal a face twisted by corruption. The agent let out a guttural scream before collapsing into a pool of darkness.
Kael turned his attention to Revan, who was struggling against the leader's relentless assault. "Revan, focus! Use the shard!"
Revan hesitated, the shard's hum growing louder in his mind. The whispers returned, urging him to give in, to embrace the Abyss fully.
"Do it," the leader said, their tone mocking. "Show me the depths of your power. Or are you afraid of what you'll become?"
Revan's anger boiled over. He reached into his pocket, clutching the shard tightly. The moment he did, the world around him seemed to slow, and his vision darkened.
The power surged through him like a tidal wave, overwhelming and intoxicating. The mark on his arm flared to life, and his Shadow Wreath transformed, its tendrils becoming sharper and more aggressive.
---
With a roar, Revan unleashed his new power. The shadows around him expanded, forming a dome that engulfed the battlefield. Inside the dome, the air was thick with darkness, and the Covenant agents found themselves blinded and disoriented.
The leader's composure finally cracked. "What is this?"
Revan didn't answer. He moved like a phantom, striking from the shadows with ruthless precision. Each attack left the leader weaker, their glaive unable to pierce the impenetrable darkness.
Outside the dome, Kael watched in awe and horror. The power Revan was wielding was unlike anything he had ever seen, but it was also terrifying.
"Revan!" Kael shouted. "Don't lose yourself!"
---
Inside the dome, Revan could hear Kael's voice faintly, but it was drowned out by the whispers. They urged him to go further, to finish the fight and claim his place as the Shadowborne.
The leader fell to one knee, their glaive slipping from their grasp. "You're a fool," they spat. "The Abyss will devour you, just as it devoured me."
Revan stepped forward, his hand raised to deliver the final blow. But something stopped him—a flicker of doubt, a memory of who he used to be.
He hesitated, and the dome began to waver. The leader seized the opportunity, summoning a burst of energy that sent Revan flying.
The dome shattered, and the remaining Covenant agents retreated, dragging their wounded leader with them. "This isn't over," the leader said, their voice echoing as they disappeared into the shadows.
---
Revan collapsed to his knees, the shard slipping from his hand. He felt drained, both physically and mentally, and the whispers had finally fallen silent.
Kael approached cautiously, his expression unreadable. "You won, but at what cost?"
Revan looked at his hands, still trembling from the power he had unleashed. "I don't know," he admitted.
Kael sighed, helping Revan to his feet. "The Covenant will be back, and they'll be stronger next time. If you're serious about surviving this, you need to learn control. Otherwise, the Abyss will consume you, just like they said."
Revan nodded, his resolve hardening. He didn't fully understand the power he wielded, but he knew one thing for certain: he couldn't afford to lose control again.
As they walked back to the village, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the ground. Revan glanced at the shard in his hand, its faint glow a reminder of the path he had chosen.
The fight was far from over, but he was determined to face whatever came next.