The cave was silent save for the soft drip of water echoing through the dark expanse. Hu Jun stood motionless, his crimson eyes fixed on the obsidian pool before him. The air felt thick, pressing against his skin and filling his lungs with a weight that was both suffocating and strangely intoxicating.
This was the Abyss—the heart of the darkness he had been trying to suppress. The Sanctum had not been a sanctuary but a test, guiding him to confront the thing he feared most: himself.
A faint ripple disturbed the surface of the pool, and Hu Jun instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword. His reflection stared back at him, but it wasn't merely a reflection. The figure in the water began to shift, twisting and morphing until it rose from the pool in an almost liquid form. It was him—yet not. The figure was clad in shadow, its features sharper, its smile cruel.
"You've come far, Hu Jun," the shadow said, its voice a distorted echo of his own. "But not far enough."
Hu Jun's grip tightened. "What are you?"
The shadow chuckled, a sound that reverberated through the cavern. "You already know the answer. I am the part of you that you've buried. The anger, the fear, the hunger for power."
"You're nothing but a phantom," Hu Jun spat. "A remnant of the curse."
The shadow tilted its head, its crimson eyes gleaming. "A phantom? Perhaps. But I am also truth. Tell me, Hu Jun, how many times have you doubted your allies? How often have you questioned their loyalty? And how often have you wanted to do it alone because you couldn't bear the thought of being betrayed again?"
Hu Jun's jaw clenched. The shadow's words cut deeper than he wanted to admit. Reyna's betrayal, the mistrust festering in his heart, the growing distance between him and those he fought alongside—all of it had been eating away at him.
"You're wrong," he said through gritted teeth. "I trust them. I have to."
The shadow laughed, the sound cold and mocking. "Do you? Then why do you hesitate? Why do you carry this blade as if it's your only ally?" It stepped closer, its form shifting like smoke. "You've felt it, haven't you? The darkness creeping into every corner of your soul. It whispers to you in the night, promising strength, promising freedom."
"Shut up!" Hu Jun roared, drawing his sword and pointing it at the shadow. "You don't know me!"
The shadow's smile widened, revealing sharp, gleaming teeth. "Don't I? I am you. The part you've tried to bury, the part you're too afraid to embrace. But I'm not here to fight you, Hu Jun. I'm here to offer you a choice."
The cavern seemed to darken further, the air growing colder. The shadow extended a hand, its fingers curling as if to beckon him. "Embrace me, and you will never be weak again. No one will ever betray you because you'll be strong enough to make them fear even the thought."
Hu Jun's breath quickened. The words were tempting, each one wrapping around his mind like a silken thread. He thought of the times he had been powerless, of the moments when betrayal had left him gasping for air. But then he thought of Reyna, of the others who had stood by him, flawed as they were. Could he forsake them for the promise of strength?
"You're lying," he said, though his voice lacked conviction. "This isn't power. It's a cage."
The shadow's smile faltered for the first time, its form flickering like a flame caught in the wind. "A cage? Or freedom? Think, Hu Jun. What have your so-called allies given you? Pain. Doubt. Betrayal. I am offering you a chance to rise above it all."
Hu Jun lowered his sword slightly, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. The shadow took another step forward, its hand inches from his chest. "You can't escape me, Hu Jun. I'm already inside you. All you have to do is let go of the chains holding you back."
The cavern fell silent as Hu Jun closed his eyes, his breathing steadying. When he opened them, his crimson gaze burned with determination.
"You're right about one thing," he said, his voice steady. "You are a part of me. But you don't control me."
With a swift motion, he plunged his sword into the shadow's chest. The figure let out a guttural scream, its form writhing and breaking apart. Darkness erupted from the wound, swirling around Hu Jun like a storm, but he stood firm, his grip unwavering.
"I won't let you define me," he said, his voice echoing through the cavern. "I am more than my darkness."
The shadow collapsed into the obsidian pool, the surface rippling once more before becoming still. The oppressive weight in the air lifted, and the cavern seemed brighter, less foreboding.
Hu Jun sheathed his sword, his shoulders sagging as the adrenaline drained from his body. The fight wasn't over—not by a long shot. The darkness within him was still there, but he had taken the first step toward mastering it.
As he turned to leave the cavern, a faint whisper followed him, softer than before but no less haunting.
We'll meet again.