Kai's body still hummed with the aftershocks of the battle. The air around him felt charged, crackling with a strange energy that seemed to pulse in rhythm with his heartbeat. His mind, however, was a whirlwind of confusion. His hands were still glowing faintly with that golden light, though now it seemed to fade, leaving behind a tingling sensation.
Liora stood before him, her gaze contemplative as she surveyed the now-silent clearing where the Wraith Beast had once stood. The forest, which had been suffocating with dark energy moments ago, now seemed eerily calm—too calm, as if the very life of the land had held its breath during the fight.
Kai swallowed hard. "What... What just happened?" His voice was still shaky, as though he could hardly believe his own words. "I—I just... killed it. But how? I don't even know what I did."
Liora was silent for a moment, her eyes locked onto the fading remnants of the Wraith Beast's essence. The smoke was dispersing into the air, but Kai could still sense the lingering shadows, like traces of a nightmare fading but never fully gone.
"You unlocked it," Liora said finally, her tone soft but grave. "That power inside you. It's not just raw energy—it's a part of who you are. A part of your heritage."
"Heritage?" Kai repeated, brow furrowed. He didn't understand. He had never felt anything like that before, and the idea of having some kind of heritage tied to power this great was a lot to process.
Liora turned to face him fully, her golden eyes meeting his with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine. "You're an Awakened One, Kai. A descendant of the ancient beings who once bridged the realms. This power... it's part of you, part of the bloodline that flows in your veins."
Kai's breath caught in his throat. "I'm… what?"
Liora exhaled slowly, as though she were trying to find the right words to explain something that was, to her, already so clear. "You are the last of your line. The key to something far greater than what you can understand now. You weren't just chosen for this—your bloodline is woven into the very fabric of the realms themselves. That's why the Shifting Realm recognizes you. It's why you were able to tap into that power. You've awakened, Kai. You're no longer just a human."
"No longer just a human?" Kai's voice cracked. "This doesn't make any sense. I'm just a regular guy. I go to university, I—"
"And yet," Liora cut him off gently, "you've just killed a guardian of this realm. You've tapped into an ancient energy that should have been dormant for centuries. This isn't a coincidence. Your human side still exists, yes. But your true nature—your Awakened form—is starting to take shape."
Kai shook his head in disbelief, his hands still trembling at his sides. This couldn't be real. This had to be some kind of dream or illusion. There was no way he could suddenly be the key to something so… grand.
"But why me?" he asked, the words falling from his lips without his thinking. "Why now? Why didn't I know about any of this before?"
Liora's expression softened, a touch of sympathy flickering across her face. "Because the world has changed. The realms have begun to merge again, after centuries of separation. Your ancestors were the ones who sealed the realms away to prevent the destruction of the human world. But the seal is weakening, and the Shifting Realm has begun to call upon those like you to restore the balance."
Kai was silent, digesting the weight of her words. The Shifting Realm? A world merging with the human one? And he, some random university student, was supposed to stop it? It was madness.
Before he could voice another question, a low, rumbling sound vibrated through the ground beneath them. Liora's gaze snapped to the horizon, her eyes narrowing as her hand instinctively went to the hilt of her blade.
"What is that?" Kai asked, his heart rate quickening once again.
Liora didn't answer immediately. She was scanning the forest, her senses sharper than Kai's could ever hope to be. "We're not alone," she muttered. "There's something else in this realm, something that doesn't want you to succeed."
Kai's stomach sank. A sudden, cold dread filled him as the ground continued to tremble, and an unearthly screech pierced the air.
"What is that?" he repeated, but this time, the words felt more like an apology. His mind was racing, but there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run.
The trees around them began to bend unnaturally, their trunks twisting and creaking as though they were alive. Something was coming.
Liora took a step forward, her eyes blazing with resolve. "Get ready, Kai. This is only the beginning. We've attracted the attention of the Realm's Keepers."
"Realm's Keepers?" Kai repeated, the name sending a shiver down his spine.
"They're not friendly," Liora said, her voice grim. "They exist to prevent anyone from disrupting the delicate balance between the realms. And now that you've awakened, they'll do whatever it takes to stop you."
As she spoke, a figure emerged from the darkening forest. At first, it was just a shadow, a silhouette moving too swiftly to make out. But as it drew closer, its form became clearer—tall, cloaked in dark robes, and surrounded by an aura of oppressive, cold energy. The figure's face was obscured by a mask of glistening silver, but the glowing blue eyes peering through the eye holes were enough to send a cold shiver down Kai's spine.
Liora drew her sword, holding it in a defensive stance. "Stay behind me," she commanded, her voice firm.
Kai barely had time to react before the figure lifted one hand, and a surge of dark energy shot toward them. Liora immediately intercepted it with a barrier of light, the two forces clashing with a burst of sound that nearly knocked Kai off his feet.
"This is not your fight, Awakened One," the masked figure spoke, its voice distorted by an unnatural echo, as though it were coming from the depths of a cave. "Return to your place in the human world. You are not meant to meddle in the affairs of the realms."
"I'm not going anywhere," Liora snapped, her sword crackling with light. "And neither is he."
The figure tilted its head, its eyes glowing brighter. "Then you will both perish here."
Before Kai could ask what it meant, the masked figure raised both hands, and the air around them thickened, distorting as shadows writhed in the space between them.
Liora's stance hardened, and she shot a glance at Kai. "Remember—don't lose control. You have the power to fight back, but it's not just about strength. Focus. Trust yourself."
Kai could barely nod before the shadow tendrils shot forward, aimed straight for him. His heart raced, his instincts screaming at him to run, but then he remembered the power that had flowed through him before. That connection.
He raised his hands, taking a deep breath, and as the shadow tendrils neared, he closed his eyes and let the energy surge once more. This time, it felt different. It wasn't just light. It wasn't just raw force. It was something deeper, a connection to the realm itself.
As the dark tendrils came crashing toward him, Kai's palms shot forward.
A burst of golden energy exploded from his hands, colliding with the shadows and dissolving them into nothingness. The masked figure staggered back, clearly surprised by the strength of his attack.
"This is just the beginning," the figure snarled, disappearing into the shadows, leaving Kai standing, breathless but more aware than ever that his journey had only just begun.
And as the echoes of the fight faded, Kai couldn't help but feel the weight of what Liora had said. The path ahead was far from clear, but he was no longer just a spectator in his own life. Whatever was awakening inside him, it was only the beginning.