The first strike came without warning, a surge of energy that slammed into me like a tidal wave. My body was thrown backward, the force of it rattling my bones, but I didn't fall. I didn't even flinch. Instead, I stood, rooted in place, my heart racing as the power coursed through me. The world around me seemed to shatter and reform, like shards of glass in the wind, bending to the figure's will.
I clenched my fists, feeling the energy swirling inside me. It was a hunger, a raw, uncontrollable force that demanded to be unleashed. The figure before me was powerful, yes, but they were just a stepping stone, another obstacle to overcome. I could feel their presence like a weight pressing down on me, but it wasn't enough to stop me. Nothing could stop me now.
"Is that all you have?" I taunted, my voice steady, though my insides burned with the need for more. "You'll have to do better than that."
The figure's eyes narrowed, their lips curling into a smile that held no warmth. "You think you are ready for this?" Their voice was low, like a whisper in the storm. "You are a child playing with fire. And you don't understand the consequences of what you're trying to do."
I felt the shift in the air, the charge of energy gathering around them. This time, the attack was faster, sharper. A jagged line of force sliced through the air toward me, and I barely had time to react. I raised my arm instinctively, and the blast hit me with a force that sent me skidding backward. The ground beneath my feet cracked and splintered, but I kept my footing.
"I don't need to understand," I gritted through clenched teeth, the taste of blood in my mouth. "I just need to win."
The figure took a step closer, their presence intensifying, the air growing colder with each movement. "Then you will learn the hard way," they said, their voice a chilling promise.
I could feel it—the power growing inside me, pushing against the constraints I had placed on it. My hunger was no longer just a feeling; it was a living thing, a force that demanded to be fed. The more I fought, the stronger it became, until I could no longer tell where my power ended and the hunger began.
With a roar, I thrust my hands forward, releasing a wave of energy so intense it split the air like thunder. The figure didn't move; they didn't even flinch. Instead, they raised a single hand, and the energy I had unleashed slammed into an invisible barrier, rippling around them like water.
"You are strong," they said, their voice tinged with something like respect. "But strength alone is not enough. Power is not about how much you can take; it's about how much you can control."
I gritted my teeth, frustration rising. "I don't need control," I snarled, feeling my energy surge again, this time more wildly, more recklessly. "I just need to break you."
But the figure was ready. They moved with a fluidity that seemed unnatural, a perfect counter to every attack I made. Every blast of energy, every strike, was met with a response that left me reeling, unable to land a blow. The more I fought, the more I realized—this was no ordinary opponent. They were an embodiment of everything I had been striving to become, an apex of control and power.
I could feel my energy waning, the hunger within me gnawing harder, but I refused to back down. The hunger was mine. I had claimed it, and I would not let it consume me.
"You think this is power?" the figure said, their tone amused. "This is chaos. And chaos will tear you apart."
I took a deep breath, my mind racing. I had to stop thinking of this as a battle of strength. The figure had shown me that raw power was not enough. It was control—balance. I had to find my own center, to control the hunger before it consumed me.
With a deep, steadying breath, I closed my eyes. The chaos around me seemed to settle, the roiling storm of energy calming, if only for a moment. I focused on the hunger within me, not as an unstoppable force, but as a part of me—a part I could control.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw the figure watching me, their expression unreadable. "What are you doing?" they asked, a hint of curiosity in their voice.
I didn't answer. Instead, I reached deep inside myself, pushing back against the hunger, forcing it into submission. The power that had been spiraling out of control now pulsed through me like a steady rhythm, a pulse that I could feel in every fiber of my being.
For the first time, I felt the power within me not as a storm, but as a force I could wield.
"This is control," I said quietly, feeling the surge of power at my fingertips. "This is what it means to truly control it."
The figure's eyes flickered with something akin to surprise, but they didn't move. Instead, they waited, as if testing me, measuring the weight of my newfound resolve.
"You are not yet finished," they said, their voice carrying the weight of an unspoken challenge. "But you are closer than you have ever been."
I clenched my fists, feeling the surge of energy around me—still wild, still untamed, but now contained.
I wasn't finished. Not by a long shot.
This was just the beginning.
________
Jabrane
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