Chapter 8 – The Trial of Shadows
The rift spat Kael into a world that did not obey the rules of his own. The sky shifted endlessly—first crimson, then violet, then a shimmering silver that looked like shattered glass. Ruins of colossal statues littered the horizon, their faces eroded, their hands reaching toward a heaven that no longer existed. The air was thick, heavy with whispers that tangled together, each voice repeating his name.
Kael… Kael… Kael…
He staggered forward, his body trembling with the raw surge of energy still coursing through him. Every step echoed as if the ground itself remembered his presence.
Then a deeper voice rose above the murmurs, vast and ancient.
"You seek dominion over power not meant for mortal hands. Then prove you are not bound by weakness."
Kael froze, scanning the broken horizon. "Who are you?" he called, his voice defiant though his heart raced.
The sky itself rumbled in reply. "I am the Forgotten Realm. I am the echo of all who failed before you."
The ground trembled, and the ruins shifted into shapes Kael recognized—not of kings or gods, but of himself. Dozens of stone Kaels rose from the ground, each one bearing an expression twisted by fear, doubt, or anger.
His chest tightened. Memories flickered across his mind: a boy mocked for being powerless, a son who couldn't protect his family, a warrior who always stood in someone else's shadow.
The voices pressed harder. Weak. Pretender. Unworthy.
Kael clenched his fists, fire burning in his veins. "I'm not that boy anymore."
But the Realm answered by breathing life into one of the statues. Its stone body cracked, revealing a creature born from Kael's darkest fear. A hulking figure, armored in shadows, its face identical to his own—but with eyes burning red and a grin twisted with malice.
The Shadow Guardian raised a blade of obsidian, its voice mocking. "You are me. And you will never escape."
Kael drew in a sharp breath, summoning his power. Energy flared from his hands in arcs of silver lightning. The ground split as he launched forward, striking with all his strength.
Steel met lightning, and the battlefield erupted.
The guardian moved like a reflection, matching his every strike. Kael blasted it with torrents of flame, but it responded with greater fire. He hurled shards of ice, but it answered with storms of frozen spears. Every element he commanded, it wielded more fiercely.
Sweat ran down his face as his strength waned. "Damn it… why can't I—"
Then he realized the truth. This guardian was not stronger. It was his doubt, his fear, his refusal to trust himself. Every time he hesitated, the shadow gained ground.
Closing his eyes, Kael steadied his breath. "You're not me," he whispered. "You're everything I've left behind."
The shadow lunged, blade descending—only for Kael to open his eyes, resolve blazing. He didn't meet the strike with power. He met it with will. His energy flared brighter than ever before, overwhelming the shadow's strength.
With a roar, he struck the guardian down, shattering it into fragments of light that dissolved into the air.
For a moment, silence returned. Kael dropped to his knees, panting, but triumphant.
Then the deeper voice echoed again.
"You have faced your shadow. But strength alone does not crown a ruler. The final trial awaits—a choice that no blade, no spell, can overcome. Sacrifice, Kael. Only through loss will you gain what you seek."
The ruins around him shifted once more, reshaping into a great obsidian gate. Upon it burned symbols older than time, glowing with fiery runes. Beyond the gate, he felt a presence watching—immense, suffocating, ancient.
Kael rose slowly, his heart heavy. The battle was won, but something far greater waited ahead.
And for the first time, he wondered if even infinite power would be worth the price.