The world narrowed to a single word, echoing from the shadowed tear—
"Vessel…"
Kai froze. The sound wasn't just heard—it vibrated inside his bones, inside his teeth, inside his pulse. Each syllable dragged at something deep within him, like hooks catching threads of his soul.
Lira pulled at his arm desperately. "Kai, move! We have to run!"
But his legs wouldn't respond.
Around them the forest whipped in a frenzy—branches bending, leaves spiraling, animals shrieking as they fled. The Elders threw up hasty Path barriers: Fire shields flickering, Water barriers flowing like thin walls of liquid steel, Nature vines rising to bind the clearing.
But none of it mattered.
The creature—no… the remnant inside the temple—slid further from the darkness. Its form bent and unbent like liquid shadow, never holding one shape for longer than a heartbeat.
Seran's voice cracked in fear. "All defensive formations—now!"
Dozens of villagers poured their Path energy into the barrier surrounding the ruin. Rings of glowing symbols rose from the dirt, humming with power.
For a moment, it held.
The shadow stopped, tendrils flickering against the invisible shield.
Then it spoke again.
Its voice crawled across the ground.
"You cannot cage me… not again."
The barrier shattered like glass.
A shockwave blasted outward. Villagers were thrown like ragdolls. Trees snapped in half. Kai and Lira were hurled backward—Kai landed hard, slamming against a fallen log.
His vision blurred.
Ringing filled his ears.
But even through the pain, he felt it—
A pulse.
From his chest. From his blood. From the foreign presence leaking into his consciousness.
The seal is breaking, the voice inside him murmured. Let me rise.
"No," Kai whispered through clenched teeth. "No. Stay away from me."
You were born for this, vessel.
"KAI!" Lira screamed.
He blinked, head snapping toward her—
The shadow entity was almost on her, tendrils coiling like serpents. Her legs were trapped under debris; she couldn't move.
Without thinking—
Without understanding—
Kai ran.
A surge of heat tore through his veins, so intense he cried out. The world tilted, colors sharpening, sound warping. Lightning crackled along his fingertips.
He didn't stop.
Didn't think.
He threw himself between Lira and the creature—
Just like the man had done in his mother's memory.
The moment the shadow touched him, everything detonated.
A burst of white-blue lightning exploded outward from Kai's body, scorching the earth in a perfect circle. The shockwave blasted the entity backward, tearing it apart in a distorted howl.
Silence swallowed the clearing.
Kai stood shaking, eyes glowing white, arcs of lightning dancing violently across his arms. His breath came in ragged gasps.
Lira stared up at him, eyes wide with fear and awe. "Kai… your eyes…"
He looked down at his hands—
They weren't hands anymore.
They were claws of light—flickering, unstable, humming with a power that felt entirely alien.
The voice inside him swelled, triumphant.
Yes… awaken. The Seventh Path answers your call.
Kai staggered back, horrified. "No—this isn't me. This isn't me!"
Behind him, the entity reformed slowly, its voice splintered.
"Vessel… you… awakened…"
The ground shook violently beneath Kai's feet.
Cracks spread through the earth, glowing with pure white energy—lightning veins that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat.
Elder Seran rose shakily, staring at Kai not with confusion—
But recognition.
"Dear gods… the Seventh Path lives."
The villagers backed away in fear.
Some whispered prayers.
Some screamed.
Some stared at Kai like he was a monster.
Lira reached for him, her voice barely a whisper. "Kai… what are you?"
Kai didn't know.
He only knew one thing:
Whatever was awakening inside him…
It wasn't human.
And the world wasn't ready for it.