The chamber was cold, the air thick with an almost palpable tension. Gun's crimson eyes scanned the cavern, his senses heightened. Each breath seemed to stir the walls, and the glowing runes pulsed in time with his heartbeat.
The obelisk stood at the center, ominous and unyielding. Gun could feel its pull—a dark, magnetic force that seemed to hum in the marrow of his bones. Lirien stood beside him, her expression unreadable as she studied the ancient artifact.
"What is this thing supposed to do?" Gun asked, his voice cutting through the silence.
Lirien's gaze didn't waver. "The obelisk is a conduit. It holds the remnants of an ancient power—one that predates the Order of Ash, predates even the kingdoms that now rise and fall. It's said to awaken what lies dormant within those who dare to touch it."
Gun's hand instinctively tightened on his sword. "Awaken? That doesn't sound like a good idea."
"For most, it isn't." Lirien's tone was matter-of-fact. "But you're not like most."
Gun frowned. He wasn't sure if her words were meant to reassure him or to warn him. Either way, the obelisk's presence stirred something within him—a faint echo of a memory long buried.
"And if I don't touch it?" he asked.
"Then you'll never know what truly binds you to your curse," Lirien replied. "Or how to break free from it."
Gun's jaw tightened. He didn't like being backed into a corner, and Lirien's cryptic words only added to his frustration. But the obelisk's pull was undeniable, a siren's call that seemed to whisper his name.
He took a cautious step forward, the runes on the ground glowing brighter with each movement. The closer he got to the obelisk, the heavier the air became, pressing against him like an invisible weight.
As Gun reached out his hand, the whispers grew louder, a cacophony of voices swirling in his mind. He hesitated, his fingers hovering inches from the cold stone surface.
"Whatever happens, stay in control," Lirien said, her voice firm. "The obelisk will test you—it will show you your darkest truths, your deepest fears. But it cannot harm you unless you let it."
Gun glanced back at her, skepticism in his eyes. "You're really selling this."
"Just do it," she replied, her tone sharp.
With a deep breath, Gun steeled himself and placed his hand on the obelisk.
The world around him dissolved in an instant.
Gun found himself standing in a void—endless and black, stretching in all directions. Shadows flickered at the edges of his vision, taking on shapes that felt disturbingly familiar.
"Do you know what you are, Gun?" a voice whispered, cold and mocking.
Gun turned, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword, but it wasn't there. The shadows began to coalesce, forming into a figure—a reflection of himself, but twisted. The doppelgänger's eyes burned brighter than his own, its expression one of cruel amusement.
"You call yourself a villain," the shadow said, its voice a distorted mirror of his own. "But do you even understand what that means? Or is it just easier than facing the truth?"
Gun narrowed his eyes, his fists clenching. "If you've got something to say, just say it."
The shadow chuckled, a low, menacing sound. "You don't remember, do you? The choices that led you here, the lives you destroyed—not because you had to, but because you wanted to."
"That's a lie," Gun snapped, his voice echoing in the void.
"Is it?" The shadow stepped closer, its form shifting and flickering. "You've always claimed to be a victim of circumstance, a pawn in someone else's game. But deep down, you've always known the truth. You chose this path, Gun. You embraced the darkness because it made you feel powerful."
Gun took a step back, his chest tightening. The shadow's words hit harder than he expected, stirring a flicker of doubt he couldn't suppress.
"Shut up," he growled. "You don't know me."
"I am you," the shadow hissed, its crimson eyes glowing brighter. "And no matter how far you run, no matter how many battles you fight, you can never escape me."
Back in the cavern, Lirien watched as the runes around Gun flared with violent intensity. The obelisk's hum grew louder, reverberating through the chamber. Sweat beaded on her brow as she tightened her grip on the crystal.
"Hold on, Gun," she muttered under her breath. "Don't let it break you."
Gun stood his ground, his fists clenched as the shadow loomed before him.
"I don't care what you are," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil in his chest. "I've made mistakes. I've done things I'm not proud of. But I'm not going to let you define me."
The shadow sneered. "Brave words. Let's see if you mean them."
With a deafening roar, the shadow lunged at him, its form unraveling into a torrent of darkness. Gun braced himself, his hand reaching for a sword that wasn't there—until it was.
In the blink of an eye, a blade materialized in his grip, its edge glowing with a faint, silvery light. Gun didn't question it. He swung the sword with all his strength, slicing through the shadow's form.
The darkness shattered like glass, and the void around him began to dissolve.
Gun gasped as he was pulled back into reality, his hand still pressed against the obelisk. The runes on the artifact dimmed, and the hum faded into silence.
He staggered back, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Lirien was at his side in an instant, steadying him with a firm grip.
"What did you see?" she asked.
Gun shook his head, his crimson eyes flickering with a mixture of fear and determination. "A reminder," he said quietly. "Of what I'm fighting against."
Lirien studied him for a moment before nodding. "Then we keep moving. The Order won't wait for us to find our footing."
Gun glanced back at the obelisk one last time before following her. Whatever lay ahead, he knew one thing for certain: the fight wasn't just against the Order of Ash. It was against himself.
OChatGP