Kalem barely had time to catch his breath before the world around him shifted. One moment, he was struggling to stay conscious in the sands, and the next, he found himself standing in a vast, celestial chamber. Stars shimmered in the distance, and silver-blue mist swirled at his feet. In front of him, reclining lazily on a massive throne of moonstone and feathers, was ShuShu.
The bird-headed man exhaled dramatically, stretching his arms behind his head. "You know, Kalem," he mused, peering down at him with a smirk, "I've seen a lot of trials, but yours? That was something special. I don't think I've ever seen someone almost die and *laugh* about it."
Kalem groaned, rubbing his sore ribs. "Yeah, well… call it a coping mechanism. Some people cry, some people pray—I apparently laugh like a lunatic while coughing up blood."
ShuShu let out a snorting laugh. "Oh, I like you, kid. You're definitely more entertaining than the last Umbar."
Kalem raised an eyebrow. "Still don't know who the hell that is, but I'm assuming they weren't as ridiculously good-looking as me."
ShuShu chuckled. "Confidence—I respect it. But let's get down to business. You're probably wondering how much time has passed, huh?"
Kalem nodded. "Yeah… I mean, I just got *yeeted* across a battlefield by a rock monster, so I kinda lost track."
ShuShu waved a hand dismissively. "Pfft, don't worry. In the real world, no time has passed at all."
Kalem blinked. "Wait… what?"
ShuShu grinned. "That's right, champ. You got your ass kicked, but as far as everyone else is concerned, you haven't even started the awakening yet."
Kalem whistled. "Huh. That's… kinda cool. Also, mildly terrifying."
ShuShu ignored him and held out a hand, and the celestial space around them began to glow. "Alright, let's wrap this up. You came with some pretty interesting offerings, so let's see what we can make of them."
The celestial void owl feather, the devourer crystal, and the awakening stone floated into the air, shimmering with divine energy. Threads of golden and silver light weaved between them, pulling them together in a slow, mesmerizing dance. The energy crackled, growing in intensity until a blinding flash erupted, filling the chamber with celestial radiance.
Before Kalem could even react, the energy shot forward, slamming into his chest. His body jolted as the power coursed through him, filling every fiber of his being.
ShuShu watched with interest as Kalem's transformation settled. His golden eyes gleamed as he inspected his work.
"Hmm," he said, rubbing his beak thoughtfully. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Kalem groaned. "Ugh… What *just* happened?"
ShuShu smirked. "Congrats, kid. You're officially awakened. And your eyes are yellow now, by the way."
Kalem froze. "Wait… what?" He rubbed at his face, trying to feel any difference. "I don't feel anything!"
ShuShu cackled. "Oh, trust me. You'll figure it out soon enough."
Kalem scowled. "That's *so* reassuring."
ShuShu leaned back, looking pleased with himself. "Welp, my job here is done. Good luck on your journey, Kalem. Try not to die too quickly—I'm kinda invested now."
### **Chapter 25: The Throne of ShuShu (Extended)**
Kalem barely had time to bask in the newfound power coursing through him when he noticed ShuShu staring at him, his glowing eyes narrowed in thought. The bird-headed avatar tilted his head, clicking his beak in curiosity.
"Huh," ShuShu muttered.
Kalem blinked. "Huh, what?"
Ignoring him, ShuShu stepped closer, scrutinizing Kalem with an intensity that made him shift uncomfortably. "That's strange…" he murmured, raising a clawed finger.
Kalem took a step back. "Hey, I know I'm ridiculously handsome and all, but you're starting to make me nervous."
ShuShu didn't laugh this time. Instead, he reached out, his hand passing *through* Kalem's chest as if he were nothing but mist.
Kalem gasped, freezing in place as an eerie, tingling sensation spread through his body. His instincts screamed at him to move, to do something—but before he could, ShuShu's eyes went wide.
"What the hell?" ShuShu muttered. "Seals? *Multiple* seals?"
Kalem's confusion deepened. "Uh… what?"
ShuShu didn't answer. His fingers moved as if gripping onto something unseen, trying to pry it loose. Then—
**BOOM!**
A massive surge of energy exploded outward, sending ShuShu flying across the celestial throne room. The entire plane *shook* as if the very fabric of reality was trembling. Stars flickered wildly, the ground beneath Kalem's feet quaking as an invisible force surged through the space.
Kalem, who had been happily reveling in his new strength just moments ago, snapped out of his daze. His gaze darted to ShuShu, who was sprawled on the ground, groaning as he sat up.
"What *the fuck* was that?!" Kalem shouted over the chaotic rumbling.
ShuShu coughed, rubbing the side of his head. "Okay… *ow.* That did *not* go as planned."
Kalem rushed over, dodging floating debris as he knelt beside him. "Are you okay? Also, WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?"
ShuShu waved him off. "No time! The plane's unstable—I overstepped." He groaned, then looked at Kalem seriously. "Listen, there's something inside you—*something big.* And whatever it is, it does *not* want to be messed with right now."
Kalem swallowed hard. "That's… *very* reassuring."
The entire space shook again, cracks forming in the starry sky above. ShuShu cursed under his breath, then quickly reached into his robe. He pulled out Kalem's dagger and thrust it into his hands.
"Here. Take this," he said hurriedly. "I've placed a little reward for you inside."
Kalem's grip tightened around the dagger. "What kind of reward?"
ShuShu groaned as another tremor rocked the space. "No time to explain! Just—*trust me!*"
Kalem stared at him, then looked around at the rapidly collapsing plane. "Yeah, okay! Totally not terrifying at all!"
ShuShu chuckled despite the chaos. "You'll be fine, kid. Probably."
Kalem scowled. "*PROBABLY?!*"
Before he could protest further, the space around him *collapsed* into a swirl of light, and he felt himself being pulled away once more. The last thing he saw was ShuShu grinning at him.
"Talk later, Kalem. Try not to die before we meet again."
Then, everything went black.