Deep within a dark cave where even light dared not touch, Zephyr sat quietly, contemplative, his eyes wrapped in thick bandages, his long, disheveled black hair cascading over his face, hiding the bandages like a buried secret. His muscular upper body was exposed, yet he had no hands, as if they had melted into unseen voids. A faint beard framed his jaw, adding a touch of fragility and strength all at once. Scattered candles cast a faint glow, their flickering shadows dancing along the silent walls of the cave.
Amidst this stillness, his consciousness flowed like a deep stream, nourished by thoughts emerging from the depths of his silence:
"I have severed all my worldly senses… my sight, my hearing, my touch, even my very self… so that my energy may transcend the limits of the body, to find solace in the depths known only to the Non-Body. I have freed myself from the chains of matter, and grasped a fragment of the secret of immortality… Yet, why do I feel as if all this is merely illusion, unbearable nonsense?"
His inner voice whispered, echoing within him, as if convincing himself of something far beyond reach.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching, echoing through the cave's stillness. A shadow emerged, and a voice pierced the heated air:
"Zephyr, look at yourself… Ha! How far into madness you've gone, severing your own senses?"
The voice was harsh, laced with mockery and astonishment, cutting through Zephyr's wall of isolation.
Then another voice came—not from a mouth, but from Zephyr's mind, a silent telepathy:
"Sword Palace? Damn it… it seems those insects have discovered my location again…"
The shadow froze for a moment, before laughing sarcastically:
"What a strange way to speak… telepathy! Was it really too much to at least keep your mouth intact to speak?"
Silence returned, pressing like a dagger against throats.
The man rubbed his head wearily, his voice twisted in cold sarcasm:
"Oh, I forgot… you cannot hear."
Then he continued, smiling with lethal mockery:"Well, well… but how did you know I am from Sword Palace?"
This time, the voice penetrated Zephyr's mind through subtle telepathy, like a sharp needle.
Zephyr exhaled deeply, his telepathy crawling confidently into the man's mind:
"Every being has an energy, and you, people of Sword Palace, carry an energy that cannot be hidden…"
Zephyr's voice was heavy, loaded with latent rage.
"Dirty energy… rotting, contaminating every step you take."
His telepathy pressed like a trigger of internal fire.
The man's eyes narrowed, focusing sharply on Zephyr, whispering softly, brushing against the cave's silence:
"Energy… dirty, you say?"
Then, with a roar of fury, he broke the silence:
"Kill this mad blind man!"
The cave trembled with the echo of his shout, and immediately, shadows of several men emerged behind him, like hunters poised to strike. They advanced at terrifying speed, their steps almost piercing the silence, their eyes burning with the flame of battle.
The echo of their footsteps mingled with Zephyr's racing heartbeat.
"Damn it… Sword Palace's venom flows again!" his consciousness rang like a warning.
The men approached Zephyr, their swords gleaming in the candlelight, eyes ablaze with intent to kill. But as they neared, the atmosphere shifted.
Dark shadows began to coil around Zephyr, twisting and stretching like living creatures, separating from his body without him moving. They moved with terrifying silence, covering the space between the fighters.
One man shouted:"What the hell is this?! Moving… shadows!"
"Avoid the shadows! Do not touch them!" another commanded, his face clearly anxious.
The first man lunged with his sword, but a shadow struck him like a serpent, wrapping around him and choking him with terrifying force. The sword moved in his hand in vain; the clash of steel against shadow produced only faint tremors. The man began to gasp, eyes flashing with fear, struggling to free himself from the shadow, but to no avail. The shadow infiltrated his body, sending waves of pain mingled with horrifying screams.
He screamed from afar:"Damn it, he's intangible! Retreat!"
But the shadows left no room for escape, splitting and attacking from all sides, striking relentlessly, wounding, choking, cutting. One fell to his knees, writhing, his scream shattering the silence:
"I… cannot resist!"
Zephyr stood unmoving, calm as stone, breathing deeply as if drawing strength from the darkness itself. He needed no senses; the shadows were his eyes and hands, his manifested attack.
Another man attempted to strike from behind, but a shadow emerged suddenly, striking him hard across the back. He collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Fall back! Do not lose your nerve!" their leader shouted, though his voice trembled.
"Sir, please! Aid us against this cursed beast! If he dies, the shadows will vanish!" the leader telepathed to the mysterious man, while the latter fought for his life against a shadow, wielding his sword with skill and force.
Suddenly, Zephyr's telepathic voice cut through the cave, cold and calm, shaking its foundations:
"And you? Have you not realized he sacrifices you to measure my limits? You are mere scapegoats, pathetic."
The warriors were stunned by his harsh words; their resolve trembled and faltered. Yet the cries of their exhausted, shaken leader tried to rally them:
"Do not listen to his lies! He only seeks to sow discord and despair!"
In an instant, a blinding light burst from the leader's sword, emitting a powerful gleam that cut a shadow in half, which vanished into the air as if it had never existed.
"See? He merely deceives us with illusions to distract, isn't that right, Wing Chief?" the leader said confidently, turning toward the mysterious man, who addressed him as "Wing Chief."
For the first time, his features became clear: long brown hair tied back, a deep scar across his left eye, sharp and stern features, yet his smile was sly, brimming with cunning and malice.
"You have played your role perfectly, my servant… depart now in peace," the Wing Chief whispered in front of the bewildered leader, his malicious smile devouring the candlelight.
"W-Wing Chief?" the leader stammered, eyes betraying undeniable fear.
Before he could act, a dark shadow surged from behind, slashing his neck in a swift strike. The leader fell dead to the ground.