The air had become heavy now, laden with something not right. Liam was in the same alleyway, distant sounds of traffic surrounding his ears, his pulse racing. Up there, all the darkness made its anticipation in it was all around from the world that he once knew.
Liam's hands were still shaking. His fists clenched, shivering with the sharp, biting ache of raw power bristling beneath his skin. It was as if the blood in his blood turned into fire, filling every corner of his being with a power he could not comprehend.
"Wh-what did you do to me?" Liam gasped, his voice little more than a whisper as if he'd need to compose himself.
He heard Noctis's voice echo in his mind, deep and demanding. "I have granted you power, as you requested. But, remember, every gift comes with a price."
Liam gulped, attempting to process what he had just seen. Power — it was crackling through him, garlic on his gaunt form. But with it came a darkness. He felt as if something inside him was… off. The kind that was somehow both a curse and a blessing — or something askew, something wrong that clawed at the back of his mind, something he could never quite catch.
"No," Liam whispered, shaking his head, attempting to banish the thoughts scratching away at the recesses of his mind. "I wanted to be different… I wanted to be strong. But this — this is not what I pictured."
Noctis went quiet for a long moment. The shadow appeared to change, its shape wavering like a flame considering the boy's argument. Then it spoke again in a voice as cold as the night air.
"And strength is a double-edged sword, Liam Vale. It will provide you with all your heart desires and all that you hold dear.
The words sliced through him like ice. Hold everything you love — Liam's chest hardens. The thought of losing it all, of having everything he bled to protect would vanish, made the power that flowed through him feel heavier than he ever could remember.
Turning away from the shadow, his mind raced. "I didn't ask for this," Liam murmured, his voice hoarse. "I just wanted to quit being weak, quit getting pushed around. I didn't ask for—"
"For this?" But Noctis interjected, its voice steady. "Your wish for strength is not simply a desire, boy. You wanted more. And now you have it."
Liam bared his teeth, his fists still tight. He took a deep breath, desperate to calm his trembling fingers, but the energy inside him was relentless; a flood crashing through a dam. He could feel it. And that darkness growing, pressing on the walls of his mind.
"Noctis," he said, the name feeling like salt in his mouth, "What now?"
The shadow took no immediate action, and for a moment, Liam wondered whether it might ever have the courtesy to acknowledge him. But then, as if picking up on the swelling tension, Noctis's voice came on again, calm and even.
"Now you have to learn to master it. You have this power I have given you, but not all of it. There are forces in this world that will try to take that from you. And when they arrive, you need to be prepared. You are not the weak little boy anymore. But you are also not a fully human anymore."
Liam's heart fluttered at the words. Not entirely human. What did that mean? He stepped back again, thoughts racing as he looked at the shadow that had tied him to its will.
"Noctis…" Liam's voice broke, but he pressed on, a desperate thirst for answers driving him. "What exactly am I now? What do you expect me to do with this power?"
In his head, a low, near-dull laugh rippled.
"You will do what I say, for the time being. We are fated, you and I. Our fates have merged." You will become stronger, and I will become whole."
Liam frowned, confused. "Whole?" He echoed. "What do you mean by that?"
Noctis's shape wavered, like it was weighing how much of itself it wanted to show. The shadow loomed near, denser by the second.
"I used to be a creature of immense power, and now I am shattered. And my true form is not whole, is not one. The bond that binds us will lend me strength, yet in doing so you will have no choice but to confront the powers that would see us both perish. The power you crave … comes with great risk."
Liam swallowed hard. You always expect some kind of cost, but this?" This was beyond anything he had ever imagined. Noctis at full power? It was a scary thought.
"You mean," Liam said slowly, "there are more people like you? Shadows that … want to use me?"
Noctis's voice went low, dangerous. "Indeed. There are others who will covet your power.' "And there are those who will track you to take it for themselves."
A chill passed through Liam as he turned back to the shadow, suddenly feeling how little he truly understood of the situation he'd gotten himself into. It was a blessing as well as a curse, the power he had gained now.
"How do I control it?" Liam, the desperation in his voice obvious.
Noctis paused, as though considering his question. The next time it spoke, its tone was somber but didactic.
"Control will come in time. But first, you need to know what you carry now. You are the binding force of shadows bound to the Abyss from which all darkness draws its drew. This bond gives you power beyond mortal understanding; it will also corrupt you." It will change you."
A little heart flutter came, but Liam turned his attention again. He couldn't risk losing his hold on this newfound strength.
"I'm not going to let this change me," he said, his voice strong but tinged with uncertainty. "I won't become a monster."
Noctis's voice echoed again, dark and hollow. "You think you have a choice? We are long past the point of return, Liam Vale. You have entered a realm where fortune does not favor the frail. And you are anything but weak now. But bear in mind: strength has a cost. And you will be responsible for the choices you make."
The shadow spoke ice-cold words, freezing chains around his heart, tightening with every single second.
Aysan lingered in the shadows as Liam remained oblivious. What was this power really? What monster would he turn into in achieving it? Could he still keep the people he loved safe? Or would they also end up as just collateral damage of his lust for power?
Noctis didn't allow him to think of it more. A new command sliced across his mind, sharp and insistent.
"You need to start your training, Liam. There is no time for foot-dragging now."
Liam took a deep breath. He had already decided (his decision). And now, there was no going back. He would master the power surging within him, whatever the cost.
But as Noctis's words echoed in the back of his mind, and as he took his first step into the unknown, he couldn't escape the sense that something was coming. Something that would challenge him like he never dreamed it could.