Chapter 5: The Resurrection of Eilam

It seemed that everything was over, however, for Eilam not, although he lay on the cliff floor, his consciousness fluctuating in the gulf between life and death. The darkness enveloped him, a darkness that now crawled within him, invading every fiber of his being with a vile and corrupting energy. The pain in his chest was a living torture, a grotesque sting that writhed and sank into his flesh with every heartbeat of the Neomorph.

The transformation was an abomination, a perversion of his humanity unfolding in a symphony of agony. He could feel his skin stretching and tearing, giving way to a new, hard, scaly texture, like the creatures he had learned to fear. His bones crunched and reformed, forcing him to adopt a new and horrendous stance.

Eilam wanted to scream, but his throat no longer belonged to him. It emitted guttural and heartbreaking sounds that echoed through the night like the lament of a wounded animal. The humanity that once defined it quickly vanished, replaced by primordial instincts and a thirst for blood that it did not recognize as its own.

In his mind, Vorian's image faded, replaced by visions of destruction and chaos. The kindness and love he had known drowned in a sea of hatred and fury. The very essence of what Eilam was crumbling, leaving behind only the echo of who he once was.

But in that moment of utter despair, the necklace that Vorian had given him began to shine with a dim light, a light that struggled against the darkness that consumed it. Vorian's energy, imbued in the necklace, was a beacon of hope, a reminder of the fraternal ties that still bound him to this world.

Eilam clung to that light, to those memories of his brother, and he fought. He struggled with a ferocity he didn't know he had, resisting transformation, pushing against the tide of darkness that sought to claim him. And in that fight, he found a new purpose, a new determination: he would not become the beast that his enemies wanted him to be.

The internal battle was brutal, but Eilam would not give in. Not today, not when Vorian's memory was still burning inside him. With every memory, with every wave of love and admiration he felt for his brother, Eilam would tear himself from the clutches of death, determined to remain human, to stay alive.

Eilam overcame the transformation by maintaining a human aspect, but something fundamental had changed inside him. The energy that everyone described by wielding a weapon, that supernatural resonance, now flowed through his own body. He stood up, feeling a force and vitality that he had never experienced before a convention between Qi and Neomorphic energy. His physical traits had undergone a metamorphosis: his body had become stronger, his muscles defined by the new power that overwhelmed him.

He looked at his reflection in a puddle formed by the night rain and barely recognized the being who was looking back at him. Her hair, before a dark black hue, now cascaded down a grayish white, almost silvery, shining with a supernatural lustre under the moonlight. His eyes, which once needed glasses to see the world clearly, now flashed with a scarlet red, giving him a vision that surpassed that of an ordinary human. I could see in the dark, capture details at great distances, and perceive movements with breathtaking acuity.

Despite these changes, his mind was still flooded with memories of betrayal and loss. The agony of Darian's betrayal, the death of his brother Vorian, and his own struggle for life. These memories were intertwined with the new energy that consumed it, creating a whirlwind of emotions that I struggled to understand and accept.

Eilam touched his chest, where the Neomorph's heart had found its new home. I felt it beating, not with the rhythm of a human heart, but with the dark power of the creatures that had changed the world forever. It was a constant reminder of what he had lost and what he had gained: a power he did not want, but which was now part of him.

With each beat, Eilam felt hatred and anger intensify within him. But there was also something else, a spark of Vorian energy that persisted, fighting the darkness. The necklace, a simple ornament that he once thought useless, was now the key to his remaining humanity.

He closed his eyes, concentrating on Vorian's energy, allowing him to guide him through the storm that threatened to consume him. With every memory of his brother, he struggled to keep control, not to let the beast inside him take over.

"Vorian," he whispered, "I will not allow your sacrifice to be in vain." With determination, Eilam stood up, his figure now a mixture of human and Neomorph, determined to confront the new world with the strength of his brother and his own.

Transformed by the creature, Eilam now carried a force that made him fearsome, an energy that flowed through him like a river of uncontrollable power. But that same force marked him, made him different, and in a world where standing out meant danger, Eilam had to learn to be invisible until he was able to defeat his enemies.

Darian's words had sown the seed of doubt in his mind. Had his brother really been the victim of the creature, or was there something more sinister behind his death? Uncertainty was gnawing at him, but it was also propelling him forward, towards a revenge that was brewing in the shadows of his being.

There, in the heart of the forest, Eilam promised himself that he would train for three years. Three years to control his powers, to master the energy that flowed within him. The recruitment for the Reign of the New Dawn project's warrior academy was looming, and Eilam would not miss the opportunity to avenge his brother's honor and punish those who had brought him into his current state of existence.

He took the notes his brother had left behind, leaves worn by time and stained with blood. Every word was an echo of his voice, every creature drawing a silent warning. Eilam studied every combat technique, every detail about the creatures that inhabited the world. His knowledge would expand as much as his thirst for justice.

In the twilight of the forest, Eilam forged himself.