The cavern was still. The carcass of the type-4 lion beast lay in silence, and Kael's ragged breaths echoed faintly off the stone. Jorin had just settled him down against the wall when Kael's body arched suddenly.
A surge of lightning crackled across his skin.
"Kael!" Jorin shouted, stumbling back, eyes widening as arcs of white fire streaked across the boy's arms and chest. The air vibrated with static, the smell of ozone sharp enough to sting.
Kael's scream tore through the cave as his whole body convulsed.
Jorin's instinct was to rush forward—but when he tried, a wave of raw energy flared outward, forcing him to shield himself. "Damn it! What's happening to you!?"
Kael's vision blurred into white light. Then, all at once, the world around him snapped away.
---
He stood in the shadows again. A void of mist and darkness. But this time, he wasn't alone. He saw his own body lying in the cavern—jerking violently under the lightning—while Jorin shouted his name from a distance.
Kael's voice cracked. "Nathan… what's happening to me?!"
A figure emerged from the haze. Nathan—his half-human, half-shadow form—calm and collected, as though none of this chaos touched him.
"Reward granted," Nathan said simply. His voice was smooth, steady, unshaken by Kael's pain. "You've earned this."
Kael staggered, clutching his chest. "Earned what?!"
Nathan's eyes glowed faintly as he approached. "I held you back, Kael. Do you understand? From the moment you inherited the Code, I placed restraints on you. Limits. Chains to slow your growth. If I hadn't, your body would've torn itself apart long before this day."
Kael's throat tightened. "Then why now?"
"Because you survived a type-4," Nathan said. His tone was heavier now. "Because you didn't just survive—you killed it. You proved that your body, your will, and your fire are ready for more."
The shadows around Nathan shifted, curling into jagged arcs of silver-white. Lightning.
Kael froze. His heart skipped. "…You're giving me—"
"Not me." Nathan's voice dropped into a whisper. "Him."
The darkness pulsed, and suddenly Kael realized what Nathan meant. This wasn't ordinary lightning. It was familiar—intense, sharp, destructive. Jorin's lightning.
Kael's eyes widened. "But—how? That's his power!"
Nathan smiled faintly, his teeth glinting in the gloom. "Your Code adapts. It listens. You've trained at Jorin's side, felt his strikes, seen his rhythm. The Code mirrors what you've been closest to. And now, I am unlocking it. A second mimicry."
Kael stumbled back, shaking his head. "I can't control fire yet! And now lightning? You'll kill me—"
Nathan's hand shot forward, grabbing Kael by the collar. His shadowy grip was cold, unyielding. "Listen. This isn't choice, Kael. This is survival. You've seen what waits beyond the walls—families, beasts, war. You need power or you die. And now…"
Lightning surged from Nathan's form into Kael, crawling across his body in jagged arcs. The boy screamed, falling to his knees as sparks shot from his fingertips.
"Now, you have it."
---
In the cavern, Jorin staggered back as Kael's body erupted in a storm of sparks. Bolts lashed against the walls, leaving black scars in the rock. The boy's voice rose in another raw scream before cutting short.
Then, silence.
Kael's body slumped. Smoke curled from his skin. His tattoo glowed faintly beneath his sleeve, black etchings pulsing with fire and now lined with veins of faint silver.
"Kael…" Jorin whispered, staring wide-eyed. He had no explanation. No frame of reference. But what he saw terrified him.
---
Back in the shadows, Kael gasped as the storm inside him slowly dimmed. His body ached as though every nerve had been burned raw. He looked down at his trembling hands. Sparks still danced between his fingers.
Nathan crouched before him, expression unreadable. "Congratulations. You now hold two echoes—fire and lightning."
Kael's voice was barely a whisper. "Why does it feel… heavier?"
"Because this is Jorin's lightning," Nathan said. "Not some weak spark. His power is deep, refined, battle-hardened. You carry only the echo of it, but even that will strain you until you master it."
Kael swallowed hard, staring at the sparks fading into his palms. "Then why give it to me?"
Nathan leaned closer, his eyes sharp and merciless. "Because, Kael, war is coming. And you will need every shadow, every flame, and every bolt of lightning I can give you."
---
📜 [System Update]
– Restraint Seal: Partially Lifted
– Second Mimicry Unlocked: Lightning (Echo – Tier 1)
– Warning: Excessive use may cause severe body strain.
– Current Level: 13
---
Kael stared at the glowing text, his chest still heaving. His body felt broken—but alive.
Nathan's voice softened, just slightly. "Rest, boy. Tomorrow, you learn to wield storms."