The chains coiled tighter, their weight pressing into Kael's bones.
They weren't just physical.
They were conceptual.
A force woven into his very being, trying to claim him.
The abyss wanted him to submit.
"Don't fight it," his golden-eyed counterpart whispered. "You were made for this."
Kael's breath came in slow, controlled inhales.
He could feel it—the throne's power pressing down on him.
Testing him.
Would he be its master?
Or would he be consumed?
His counterpart's blade hovered just above his chest.
"Accept it," he said. "And you will become something more."
Kael's eyes flickered toward him.
Then—he moved.
---
A pulse of raw willpower erupted from his body.
The chains cracked.
His counterpart's smirk faltered.
Kael's entire being roared in defiance.
"I will not kneel."
The chains shattered.
And Kael exploded forward.
His sword flashed upward—aiming straight for his counterpart's throat.
But—
CLANG!
Their blades met, sparks flying.
For the first time, the golden-eyed Kael's expression hardened.
"So, you choose to fight?" he muttered.
Kael pushed forward. "I choose to win."
BOOM!
The shockwave of their clash tore through the battlefield.
A storm of power erupted between them.
Their battle had truly begun.