As Zami steadied himself, his silver eyes locked onto the radiant figure before him, its undefined form radiating an unsettling purity. He didn't charge this time; he stood motionless, his katana lowered but his grip firm.
"Karesh," he muttered under his breath, his voice low but steady. "What is this thing? It feels... wrong. Familiar, yet completely alien."
Karesh's voice echoed in his mind, carrying a weight he hadn't heard before. "I feared you'd ask that, Zami. But now is as good a time as any."
Zami's gaze remained fixed on the creature as Karesh continued.
"This being... it's not a vessel in the way Shattered Dominion or Wailing Dread were. But it's tied to them, and to the Messenger. They're all fragments, Zami. Pieces of the entities' influence manifested in different forms. Where the vessels are creations meant to control and destroy, and the Messenger is their voice, this thing... it's something else."
Zami's grip tightened. "Then what is it?"
Karesh hesitated. "It's a fragment of truth. A piece of the entities' essence stripped of all pretense. It's not bound by the material world like the vessels, nor does it communicate like the Messenger. It exists to test, to strip away the facades we build around ourselves. To stand before it is to face the entities' raw will."
Zami's eyes narrowed. "And why does it look like this? The crown, the light... it's too similar to Shattered Dominion."
Karesh's tone darkened. "Because Shattered Dominion was born of this fragment's energy. That crown, that light—it's a mimicry of the entities' purity, distorted into a weapon. The vessels are not original, Zami. They are imperfect reflections of what the entities represent."
Zami looked back at the creature, his mind racing. It stood silent and unmoving, its presence overwhelming yet eerily calm.
"And the Messenger?" Zami asked, his voice quieter now.
Karesh's pause was longer this time. "The Messenger is their will made flesh. It exists to guide, to manipulate, to ensure their plans unfold as intended. This thing, however... it cares not for plans or guidance. Its sole purpose is to challenge. To see if you are worthy of stepping closer to the entities' truth."
Zami took a deep breath, his thoughts swirling. The pieces were starting to come together, but the picture they painted was far from comforting.
"So this is just another trial," he said, his voice firm. "Another obstacle to overcome."
"Yes," Karesh replied, his tone both solemn and encouraging. "But it's more than that, Zami. This is a confrontation with the entities' essence itself. Survive this, and you'll prove you're capable of facing what lies ahead. Fail, and..."
"I won't fail," Zami interrupted, his voice unwavering.
He raised his katana, its black blade catching the faint glow of the creature's light. His body was battered, his mind frayed, but his resolve burned brighter than ever.
"If this is what they want to throw at me, I'll take it head-on. No matter how many times I fall, I'll rise again. And when I stand before the Eternal Hunger, I'll make them regret ever testing me."
Karesh's voice softened. "Then go, Zami. Show them what you're made of."
The creature raised its radiant form, its energy pulsating in waves that made the void tremble. Zami steadied his stance, his silver eyes gleaming with determination.
The trial continued.