Andre sat cross-legged, leaning on Revenant's hilt for support, feeling the sword's weight holding him down. With closed eyes, he took a deep, refreshing breath. Time to reap.
His attention was on the moving shadows surrounding him, feeling the Shadow Sovereign's power flowing through him. The ancient symbols inscribed on his body started to illuminate, a pattern of negative energy engraved into his essence. He activated the Grimoire's imprint in his chest using his mental power.
Dark energy filled the air as the book suddenly appeared out of nowhere, floating open in front of him. He felt a wave of nausea overcome him, a well-known feeling from the Reaping procedure. He clenched his teeth and pushed past the pain.
Dark spheres filled with evil energy appeared around him as a sinister vortex developed above him. That was the end. The point of no return.
He closed his eyes tightly, concentrating on directing the powerful magic flowing within him. As he reaped, time appeared to elongate and twist, with the lines between him and the magic becoming fuzzy.
After that, it ended with a stabbing pain that tore through his body. He gasped for breath as he opened his eyes. The dark spheres and the swirling mass were gone, and now only a subtle, otherworldly blue light was coming from his eyes.
He felt a surge of relief come over him. He had accomplished it. He was at level 2 as an Arcanist. Power, primal and exhilarating, vibrated beneath his flesh. He experienced a sense of distinctiveness. More powerful, quicker, better at manipulating the shadows that now envelop him like another layer of skin.
A rustle drew his attention. Res, her face etched with a mix of concern and disappointment, stood before him. "Andre?" she asked, her voice tentative. "How are you doing?"
He shrugged, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips. "Good," he said, his voice distorted by the shadows clinging to him. "Just… Reaped."
Res's frown deepened. "Why, Andre? Why did you choose this path? Why change your race, your whole self?"
He met her gaze, a cold glint in his eyes. "Personal decision," he said simply, his voice devoid of the warmth it once held.
Res's eyes narrowed. "This… this isn't you, Andre," she insisted, her voice filled with a desperate plea.
But Andre was lost in the shadows, intoxicated by the power coursing through him. He didn't care about who she thought he was anymore. He was the Shadow Sovereign, and he was just getting started.
He sat in his tent and continued to Reap. Then a raspy voice echoed across the tent, pulling Andre from his self-absorption. "Andre! We need to talk."
He recognized the voice – Corvus. A flicker of irritation sparked within him. What did the guy want now? Sighing, he followed the sound to Corvus' war tent, a makeshift structure.
Inside, Corvus hunched over a tiny table, puffing heavily on a lengthy pipe. The scent of something bitter and acrid filled the air heavily. Corvus gazed up when Andre walked in, his expression showing a blend of exhaustion from the war and another unidentified emotion. Andre couldn't quite identify it.
"Sit," Corvus rasped, gesturing to a stool opposite him.
Andre did so, his hand resting casually on Revenant's hilt. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he wasn't letting his guard down.
Corvus pulled deeply from his pipe, exhaling a swirl of smoke that encircled his face briefly.
"Gotta hand it to you," he muttered, his voice laced with a grudging respect. "Taking down a damn Vor'talon. You've earned yourself a place in Decaoria's history books for that one."
Andre raised an eyebrow, unfazed by the praise. "Just doing what needed to be done."
Corvus forcefully dropped his pipe onto the table, causing a loud crack to resonate in the anxious quietness. However, instead of coming to rest on the wooden surface, it burst into a cascade of sparks and smoke. Andre, with his sharpened reflexes from his newfound ability, had quickly put up a force field spell. The mystical energy was crackling around him as it redirected the attack.
The smoke cleared, revealing Corvus' face, his eyes blazing with a newfound fury. "You've changed, Andre," he roared, his voice raw with emotion. "You've embraced that darkness, become the very monster we were fighting!"
Andre stood up, a cold smile twisting his lips. "Monster?" he echoed, his voice distorted by the shadows that clung to him. "Maybe. But a monster who just saved your sorry ass"
Corvus lunged forward, his hand outstretched. But before he could touch Andre, a dark orb materialized in Andre's hand, crackling with malevolent energy.
"Don't even think about it," Andre growled, his voice laced with a dangerous edge.
Corvus froze, his face a mask of conflicting emotions. "I have no choice," he rasped, his voice heavy with despair. "You're a danger to yourself and everyone around you. I have to… I have to kill you, Andre."
Andre's smile stretched into a feral grin. "Try it," he taunted, the black orb in his hand pulsing with a malevolent light.
Corvus acted without delay. He thrust forward in a flash of rage and urgency, directing a strong punch towards Andre's face. However, Andre, powered by the darkness, moved incredibly fast. Dodging to the side, he felt the strike barely touch his cheek before launching a counterattack with a kick directed towards Corvus's knee.
The kick's power made Corvus stumble backwards, a grunt coming from his mouth. However, he was an experienced warrior. He quickly bounced back, initiating a rapid series of strikes targeting vulnerabilities in Andre's defense.
Andre, a dark wraith powered by his twisted body, moved swiftly and evaded with incredible speed, his dark orbs aiming at Corvus like guided missiles. Utilizing years of battle knowledge, Corvus defended with skill and determination, his expression serious.
Revenant glowed with a white light, indicating the intensity of the battle. However, Andre restrained the sword, feeling intoxicated by his newfound power. He desired to savor the sensation of sheer strength, to push the boundaries of his sinister change.
Andre struck a few hits powered by darkness, while Corvus used his greater expertise to efficiently counter them. Andre was hit hard with a brutal punch on his jaw, causing him to crash into the wall of the war tent.
The metallic tang of blood surprised him as he tasted it. In his transformed state, he had never experienced pain like this before.
Corvus took advantage of his brief vulnerability without delay. He ran forward with a desperate look in his eyes. With his vision spinning, Andre fought to stand up.
He lifted his hand and released one last dark sphere as Corvus charged forward.
However, Corvus used his remaining strength to raise his knee, causing an audible pop as it hit the orb. The dark energy exploded, causing a blinding flash. Andre struggled as he stumbled back, feeling blinded and disoriented, while Corvus quickly closed the distance.
Corvus quickly closed the distance.
With all the strength he had left, he forcefully punched Andre in the chest. Andre was propelled through the air by the impact, smashed through the rear wall of the tent, and tumbled onto the unforgiving ground outside.
He was lying there, a shadowy figure spread out among the debris, letting out a gasp. The battle had come to an end. Corvus, breathing heavily, stood over him, his face showing a combination of sorrow and determination.
"I… I'm sorry, Andre," he rasped, his voice thick with emotion. "But this had to be done."
Andre, his blue eyes burning with a flicker of defiance, looked up at Corvus.
Corvus lifted his sword, the moonlight reflecting on the icy metal. He couldn't muster the courage to meet Andre's gaze, yet the task had to be completed. Andre, with his chest rising and falling, also avoided meeting his eyes. Merely a glimpse of the familiar friend he once knew, consumed by darkness
As the sword descended, a flash of white cut through the air. A sharp, intense pain shot through his back, causing him to lose his breath. Crying out, he fell to his knees as the world around him became blurred.
Glancing downwards, Corvus noticed the handle of Revenant sticking out from his back, the conscious sword glowing with an evil light. A sinister chuckle reverberated from the darkness. With a frightening intensity in his glowing blue eyes, Andre stood over him.
"You didn't expect that, did you, Corvus?" he teased, with a sinister amusement in his voice.
Corvus was filled with anger, temporarily ignoring the pain. He leaped towards Andre with a loud noise, trying to take away his weapon. However, Andre, powered by the darkness, glided like a ghost. Dodging Corvus's strike, he tripped him by sweeping his leg, causing the elder to fall hard onto the ground.
Andre loomed above Corvus, his expression contorted into a malicious grin. He lifted his foot with the intention of smashing Corvus's face. Corvus briefly glimpsed the finality in Andre's eyes, the total disappearance of the boy he once recognized.
Corvus prepared for the collision, but it never happened. Andre was temporarily blinded by a blinding white light that suddenly erupted. After his sight returned, he noticed Corvus on the ground, unconscious, while Revenant floated above him with its white light flickering rhythmically.
Revenant, it seemed, wasn't quite finished with Corvus. But it served Andre's purpose just the same. He knelt beside the unconscious Corvus, a dark resolve hardening his features. He wouldn't kill Corvus – not yet. He had a better use for him.
He opened the Grimoire of Shadows, hearing the pages crackle with dark energy. He directed his dark energy into the book by reciting a passage in a low, guttural voice. Black chains, formed from dark magic, emerged and coiled around Corvus's head firmly.
Andre grinned slyly. This enchantment would not only hold back Corvus, but also erase his memories of tonight. Upon waking up, he would have no recollection of the altercation or Andre's change. He wouldn't know any better.