The air in the Shadow Realm shuddered.
Quinn barely had time to breathe before the darkness rippled again, this time forming a ring—ancient, obsidian, pulsing with a faint red glow. Strange runes circled its band, shifting like living ink.
The Ring of Velux.
"It's calling you," the boy's voice echoed. "But to claim it, you must survive the Echo Trial."
The shadows parted, revealing not one opponent… but three. Each was a distorted reflection of Quinn—same height, same face, same stance—but each wielded a different power.
The first raised a palm, summoning a swarm of jagged shadow spears.
The second's veins glowed crimson—blood qi radiating from him like a furnace.
The third's fingers traced glowing runes, summoning magic circles of pale blue light.
"They're me…" Quinn muttered.
"They're what you could become," the boy replied. "Kill them… or they kill you."
---
The first doppelgänger attacked without warning. Shadow spears hissed through the air, forcing Quinn to dive sideways. He slammed his palm into the ground, commanding the darkness to rise into a Wall of Night. Spears shattered against it, sending black shards spinning through the void.
The second one blurred forward—blood qi igniting in its limbs. It struck, a crimson fist crashing into Quinn's ribs. The impact sent him skidding back, blood on his lips.
Quinn snarled, eyes flashing. "You hit hard. I hit harder."
He willed the shadows into Chains of Gloom, snaring the blood qi clone's arm, then yanked it forward and slammed a Shadow Burst point-blank into its chest. The explosion ripped it apart into mist.
One down.
---
The magic-wielding clone stepped forward. The runes spun faster, weaving into a massive arcane seal above its head. Lightning erupted from it, striking Quinn's position.
Quinn wrapped himself in Shadow Cloak, vanishing into the void just before the strike hit. He reappeared behind the caster, daggers forming in his hands.
"Wrong move," he whispered, slashing across its neck. The magic clone's form bled into smoke and vanished.
Two down.
---
The last clone—the pure shadow wielder—stood waiting. It tilted its head, then melted into the ground, disappearing entirely.
Quinn narrowed his eyes. "Oh, you want to play hide and seek?"
Closing his own eyes, he let qi flow into his shadow sense. The darkness around him pulsed—then he felt it. A faint movement under his feet.
Quinn struck first, slamming his fist into the void. Shadow Quake erupted, sending waves of black energy outward. The hidden doppelgänger was thrown into the air, flailing.
Quinn didn't hesitate. He unleashed Blood Fang Strike—his claws lengthened, dripping crimson qi—and ripped through the clone's chest.
The figure dissipated into dust.
---
The Ring of Velux floated toward him, humming.
As it neared, Quinn felt it—the surge of qi, the taste of iron, the burn of magic threading through his veins. The boy's voice was faint now.
"With the ring, you bind the first true shadow to your soul. But remember—every gift has a price."
Quinn reached out, slipping it onto his finger.
The world detonated in black light. Shadows screamed. Blood magic flared. His veins lit like molten steel.
When it cleared, he stood alone… but he wasn't alone inside. Velux whispered in his mind, its voice like a blade on stone:
We are one now, Quinn Talen.