The first step into darkness.

Tom didn't hesitate taking the cleaning job. He even thought they would chase him away at first, but instead they gave him a cleaner job, the knight thought he was being awful to Tom, but what he didn't know was that he has given destruction an helping hands.

The cleaning job was exactly as miserable as Tom had expected. The knights barely acknowledged his presence, treating him as though he were invisible, a ghost drifting through their grand halls. The floors were always awful with mud from their boots, the walls lined with the banners of their victories—reminders of their power and his lack of it.

But none of it mattered.

Tom wasn't there for their approval. He wasn't there for money or pride. He was there to learn. Every corner of the knight's stronghold became familiar to him. He memorized the layout, observed their patrols, overheard their conversations. It was all information, pieces of the puzzle he would one day use to bring them down.

And all the while, the power inside him grew stronger.

Tom even had to take shifts, and sometime he would have to spend the night there, just to stay longer in the building.

At night, when the others were asleep, Tom would practice. He would close his eyes and focus, feeling the strange new energy hum beneath his skin. It was exiting, the raw potential of it. The first time he managed to lift an object with his mind, a rush of excitement shot through him.

Telekinesis. It was just the beginning.

The elder knight's voice, the one from his dreams, had told him that his power was limitless. That he had the potential to surpass the knights of the city, to be greater than any of them could imagine. But the system had also whispered a darker truth, this power came at a cost.

The more Tom used it, the more it consumed him. He could feel it, like an itch at the back of his mind, a hunger that demanded to be fed. And he was starting to realize that revenge wasn't just a desire anymore...., it was a necessity.

But patience, the elder had reminded him. Patience was key.

Few days had passed and Tom was still passing the night in the knights faction mansion, he never one day had the thought of going home

* * *

One night, after the knights had gone to bed, Tom stayed behind in the hall. It was quiet, the only sound the faint crackling of the torches on the walls. He stood before the statue of the elder knight, the same one he had seen in his dreams, the one who had gifted him this power. His gaze lingered on the face of the statue, the seriousness, unyielding expression carved into stone.

He felt a connection to that man. More than just a figure from legend, the elder knight had been real. He had suffered, been betrayed by the very people he sought to protect. And in that suffering, he had grown strong. Strong enough to nearly conquer the world.

Tom reached out, his fingers brushing against the cold stone of the statue. The power thrummed inside him, resonating with the figure in front of him. He closed his eyes, focusing on the image of the elder in his mind.

"You will guide me," Tom whispered. "I will finish what you started."

The response wasn't in words, but in feeling, a surge of energy that flowed through him, filling him with a cold, terrifying certainty. He wasn't just Tom Crowley anymore. He was more. He was the heir to a legacy of power and destruction. And soon, the world would know it.

---

The days passed slowly, each one blending into the next. Tom went about his duties as a cleaner, blending into the background of the knight's fortress. But behind the mask of bondage, he was always watching, always listening.

The knights were arrogant, too confident in their power to notice the cracks in their own walls. They spoke openly, boasting about their exploits, their battles, and the money they made from their victories. They didn't care about the people they hurt, about the lives they destroyed in their quest for glory.

Tom listened to every word, his anger simmering beneath the surface. He could feel the hunger inside him growing, the need to act. But he forced himself to wait. The time would come soon enough.

One evening, as Tom was cleaning the lower levels of the fortress, he overheard a conversation between two knights that caught his attention.

"You hear about the artifact they brought in yesterday from the headquarter?" one of them said, his voice low and conspiratorial. "They say it's from the elder knight's time. Supposed to be very dangerous."

The other knight scoffed. "Dangerous? Please. The elders are just fairy tales to scare kids. That thing's probably just some old junk from a forgotten war."

"Still, they've got it locked up tight. Must be worth something."

Tom's heart skipped a beat. An artifact from the elder knight's time? That couldn't be a coincidence. He knew the power that had been sealed inside him was tied to the elder. This artifact, whatever it was... could be the key to unlocking even more of his potential.

That night, as he lay in bed, Tom's mind raced. He had to get to that artifact. If it was connected to the elder knight, it could give him the edge he needed to take down the knights with no stress, once and for all.

But how? The knights were on high alert, and breaking into their vaults would be nearly impossible without drawing attention.

As Tom mulled over his options, the familiar darkness of the dream world enveloped him once again. The elder knight was there, his presence as commanding as ever.

"You seek the artifact," the elder said, his voice a low growl.

Tom nodded, his fists clenched. "It's connected to you, isn't it? It can make me stronger."

The elder's eyes gleamed with approval. "Indeed. The artifact contains a fragment of my power, a piece of the legacy that was stolen from me in the battle I fought. With it, you will be one step closer to fulfilling your destiny."

Tom swallowed hard. "But how do I get to it? The knights are watching it closely. Not like I can vanish in, and vanish out."

The elder smiled, a cruel, knowing smile. "You have the power to do it, boy. Use it. They will not see you coming if you strike from within. You are already inside, this should be the easiest trial for you."

The words echoed in Tom's mind long after the dream faded. Strike from within. He had already been doing that, gathering information, learning their weaknesses. But now, it was time to take action.

The next day, Tom went about his duties as usual, but his mind was sharp, focused. He began to formulate a plan, using everything he had learned about the fortress and its guards. He would need to move carefully, strike at the right moment.

And then, the opportunity presented itself.

Late one night, after the knights had retired to their quarters, Tom made his move. He slipped through the halls, his footsteps silent as he approached the lower levels where the artifact was kept. The power inside him thrummed with anticipation, urging him forward.

When he reached the vault, he found it guarded by a single knight, dozing off in a chair. Tom's heart pounded in his chest as he reached out with his mind, focusing on the knight's thoughts. It was a skill he had been practicing in secret: telepathy, the ability to manipulate the minds of others.

The knight's mind was weak, unfocused. It didn't take much for Tom to slip inside, planting the suggestion that he was just another servant, there to clean. The knight stirred, glanced at Tom, and then promptly fell back asleep, his mind none the wiser.

Tom suppressed a smile as he approached the vault door. The locks were complicated, but nothing his new abilities couldn't handle. With a flick of his wrist, the mechanisms clicked into place, and the door swung open.

Inside, bathed in the dim light of the room, was the artifact—a small, intricately carved box, pulsing with a faint, eerie glow. Tom could feel its power, calling to him, pulling him closer.

He reached out, his fingers brushing the surface of the box. As soon as he made contact, a surge of energy shot through him, more powerful than anything he had felt before. It was like a part of him that had been missing was finally being restored.

The elder's voice echoed in his mind, a triumphant roar. "Yes… now you are ready."

Tom smiled, his heart racing with exhilaration. The knights had no idea what was coming. With the artifact in his possession, his power would grow even stronger.

And soon, the city would burn.