The Northern Mountains were quieter than usual. The wind still howled, but it carried an uneasy weight now, a tension that twisted the air and tugged at the shadows themselves. Eryndor followed Mei Lin along the jagged cliffs toward the heart of the fallen star's crater. The ground beneath them pulsed faintly with residual energy, almost like a heartbeat, and the Starved God inside him stirred eagerly, coiling and stretching against the void, whispering: "Another approaches… another to feed."
Mei Lin paused, crouching to touch the frozen stone. Her fingers traced the fractured patterns in the rock, where the star's energy had struck. "Do you feel that?" she asked, eyes narrowed, scanning the mountains. "It's not just the star. There's… something else here. Something ancient."
Eryndor felt it immediately—a subtle distortion in the Qi of the world, like a ripple in a pond that extended far beyond the mountains themselves. His shadowed veins tingled, the Starved God whispering louder, hungrier. "Yes… another. A worthy presence."
Before Eryndor could respond, the air thickened. A faint silhouette appeared on the ridge above, almost blending with the clouds, yet impossibly distinct. It moved with a grace that was not human. Eryndor's muscles tensed. Something in the presence pressed against him, probing like a predator testing prey.
Mei Lin's lips pressed into a thin line. "That's no ordinary cultivator. Do not be deceived by the form." Her voice was calm, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. "This entity… it radiates power similar to yours. Void-like energy. Dangerous."
Eryndor swallowed. The Starved God hummed beneath his skin. "Finally… company. Let's see if it tastes as promising as it feels."
The figure descended in a fluid motion, landing on the rocks below. It was humanoid, tall, cloaked in black robes that rippled unnaturally, as if the shadows themselves clung to it. Eyes that shimmered like molten silver scanned Eryndor and Mei Lin, unblinking and cold. Every breath it took seemed to bend the air, twisting the Qi around it into jagged arcs.
Mei Lin stepped protectively in front of Eryndor. "Stay back," she commanded. "Do not engage unless I give the signal." Her hands began to weave subtle seals, preparing a barrier, though she did not attack. Her eyes remained locked on the newcomer.
The stranger's voice was low, resonant, almost more felt than heard. "You… who carry the void. I have sensed you from beyond the peaks." Its gaze swept over Eryndor, lingering on the shadows beneath his skin. "I did not expect to find you so… alive."
Eryndor felt the Starved God stir, pleased. "Alive? Yes… stronger than you know. And hungrier." He clenched his fists, feeling the void twist, curl, and stretch, eager to taste.
"Who are you?" he demanded, trying to keep his voice steady despite the dark pulse thrumming beneath his skin.
The stranger's lips curved faintly. "Names are insignificant. But know this… you are not alone. Not anymore. Others like you awaken. Others like you will come." The figure extended a hand slightly, and the air around it quivered, energy bending unnaturally toward Eryndor.
Mei Lin's fingers twitched, ready to react, but she stayed her hand. Her eyes flickered to Eryndor. "Do you feel it? Control it… or we will all die."
Eryndor's body trembled. The Starved God inside him hummed, a low, predatory vibration. He felt the void pull toward the figure, sensing a kindred hunger, a rival, and a promise of power. His shadowed veins expanded slightly as the entity's energy coiled against him, testing him, trying to probe him.
"Do you intend to feed or resist?" the stranger asked. Its voice was calm, measured, but each word carried weight that pressed against Eryndor's mind.
Feed, whispered the Starved God. Feed, and show your strength.
Eryndor's jaw tightened. "No," he said aloud. "I… control it. I do not feed." His voice wavered, but determination grounded him. The Starred energy from the crater and the stranger's presence began to swirl, colliding in the air, and the Starved God groaned in protest. "Foolish restraint… you could consume it!"
A flicker of movement—fast, predatory—came from the stranger. Energy coalesced around its hands, jagged arcs of void-like Qi snapping violently. Eryndor felt the pull against his body, the hunger, the urge to strike, to consume, to devour. Mei Lin's barrier flared, cutting off some of the force but not all.
Eryndor braced himself. "I am not yours to test," he whispered to the Starved God. The shadows beneath his skin writhed, a silent storm waiting to break, yet he held firm. Slowly, he extended a hand, channeling the chaotic energy of the fallen star into a controlled spiral around him, letting it merge with his void without letting it devour him completely.
The stranger's eyes narrowed. "Interesting," it said. "Few can control the hunger… few can survive it."
Eryndor's chest rose and fell. "And you? What are you?"
The figure did not answer immediately. Instead, it tilted its head, as if studying him, measuring him. Then: "Like you… a vessel. But incomplete. Hungry… always hungry." Its gaze sharpened. "If you do not learn quickly, the world will consume you before you awaken fully. And others like me… will hunt you."
Mei Lin's eyes flicked between them, analyzing, calculating. "He will not be hunted without warning," she muttered, almost to herself. "But the mountains… these peaks are changing. Something ancient stirs."
Eryndor felt it, too—a ripple across the world, subtle but undeniable. The Starred energy pulsed once, then again, almost like a heartbeat, as if reacting to the stranger. And the Starved God inside him hummed with excitement, sensing a challenge worth anticipating.
The stranger lifted a hand slowly, energy condensing into a sharp, black shard. "We will meet again," it said softly. "And when we do, the world will know the hunger you carry. Control it… or be devoured by it."
With that, it vanished, melting into the shadows of the peaks, leaving a faint distortion in the air as if the mountains themselves had exhaled.
Eryndor lowered his hand, trembling slightly, both from exertion and the awareness of what had just occurred. Mei Lin stepped closer, her expression unreadable, though her eyes glimmered with something he could not name—curiosity, caution, maybe even respect.
"You felt that, didn't you?" she asked softly. "A being like you… a rival, perhaps, or worse."
Eryndor nodded, feeling the Starved God stir again, eager, impatient. "Yes," he admitted quietly. "And it… tempted me."
Mei Lin's gaze sharpened. "Tempted you?" She took a slow step closer, studying him carefully. "Then you are stronger than I thought… and more dangerous. You will need control, Eryndor. If you fail… this mountain, this world, may not survive you."
Eryndor exhaled slowly, feeling the shadows coiling beneath his skin. "I know," he said quietly, almost to himself. "And I will not fail."
The wind carried a sharp chill, the stars overhead flickered faintly, and deep within the mountains, a faint pulse responded—a signal that others were stirring, waiting, watching.
The Northern Mountains had shifted. The world was awake.
And the shadows had begun to move .