CHAPTER FORTY TWO: BAPTISM BY DARKNESS

A heavy stillness settled over the astral plane, an eerie calm before the impending storm. The world around Selena pulsed, shifting like a living entity, responding to the raw power emanating from the figure before her. Henri stood relaxed, yet there was something different about him now. The warmth he had shown moments ago had been stripped away, replaced by an intensity that pressed down on her like an unshakable weight.

This was no ordinary fight.

This was a battle to determine her worth.

Selena clenched her fists, her pulse thrumming in her ears. She had faced countless battles, endured grueling training under her father, fought alongside warriors of the Shadow Realm—but this was different. Henri wasn't just strong; he was a legend, a Sage whose abilities defied reason, a man who had trained the best, including her father.

And now, he stood against her.

"You feel it, don't you?" Henri's voice cut through the silence, smooth yet edged with something sinister. "The pressure. The fear." He took a step forward, and the air itself trembled. "This isn't just a fight, Selena. This is your trial. Show me what you are. Show me what you can be."

Selena inhaled deeply, steadying herself. This was no time for hesitation. The moment had come. She wasn't just fighting for herself—she was fighting for everything her father had left behind.

The astral plane crackled with anticipation as Henri raised his hand, his shadow stretching unnaturally, writhing like a beast ready to devour. The ground beneath Selena quivered, the very essence of the realm reacting to the power about to be unleashed.

She exhaled, her eyes gleaming.

"I hope you're ready, old man."

The moment the first blow was exchanged, the entire astral plane seemed to shudder. Selena lunged, her shadow bursting from beneath her feet like a tidal wave, twisting and curling toward Henri with deadly intent.

But he didn't move.

At the last second, his form flickered—gone. The instant her shadow struck the spot where he had been standing, a sharp force crashed into her side. Selena barely had time to raise her arms in defense before she was flung backward, skidding across the ethereal ground.

The impact rattled her bones.

She pushed herself up, glaring at the man now standing where she had just been. Henri hadn't even drawn a weapon. He had countered her effortlessly with speed alone.

"Tch," she spat, shaking off the sting in her ribs. "So that's how it is?"

Henri smirked. "Come now, Selena. Did you think a simple shadow attack would be enough to touch me?" His posture remained relaxed, but his eyes gleamed with something dangerous. "You'll have to do much better."

Selena didn't hesitate.

Her hands flashed through a series of gestures, and her shadow responded instantly, surging upward in jagged tendrils. This time, they didn't aim directly for Henri but instead curved behind him, striking at his back like whips.

Henri sighed, then moved.

A blur—no, a flicker.

One moment he was there, the next he wasn't.

Selena's eyes widened as a heavy force smashed into her shoulder. Henri had reappeared behind her, striking without a single wasted motion. She stumbled forward but twisted mid-step, swinging her leg in a counter-kick.

Henri caught it with one hand.

Before she could react, his grip tightened, and with a swift motion, he hurled her straight into the air.

Selena flipped, reorienting herself, and lashed out with her shadows mid-air, using them to pull herself back toward the ground. As soon as her feet touched down, she clenched her fists.

Enough of this.

She inhaled, her chest rising and falling steadily. A faint tremor coursed through the air around her as she called forth her true strength. The edges of her body blurred, shadows coiling around her form like living armor.

Henri's smirk faded slightly.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's more like it."

Selena's lips curled. "I'm just getting started."

With that, she vanished—moving faster than before, her form a streak of darkness rushing toward the Sage.

This time, she wouldn't be the only one taking hits.

Selena wasted no time. The moment her feet touched the ground, she launched a Shadow Blast—a dense, swirling orb of darkness crackling in her palm before she hurled it straight at Henri.

The energy warped the air around it, a surge of compressed shadow that could rip through solid stone.

Henri smirked.

Just as the blast reached him, his body shimmered—split—as if he were peeling himself away from reality. The Shadow Blast passed through the afterimage, detonating against the ground behind him with a deep, guttural boom that sent cracks spider-webbing outward.

Selena's eyes darted around. Where did he—

A flicker.

She barely twisted to the side as Henri's fist came crashing toward her, the wind pressure alone enough to rattle her senses. She staggered back, but her reaction wasn't just defensive—her shadow spikes had already been set.

Dark tendrils erupted from the ground, jagged and deadly, aiming to pierce Henri's feet.

But he was gone.

He reappeared mid-air above her, flipping effortlessly, his coat billowing.

"You're thinking too much," Henri called, his voice calm but laced with amusement. "Shadows bend to your will, Selena. But do you know what happens when your opponent refuses to follow the rules?"

Selena's eyes narrowed. She didn't hesitate.

With a flick of her wrist, a new set of shadow spikes erupted from above—a trap aimed to impale him the moment he landed.

Henri's grin widened.

Rather than dodge, he stepped—vanishing into his own shadow.

Selena's stomach dropped. No way.

Before she could react, something cold touched her throat.

Henri stood behind her, his palm resting just under her chin like a teacher correcting a student's stance. His voice dropped to a whisper.

"Too slow."

Selena exploded into motion.

A shadow pulse surged from her body in all directions, knocking Henri's hand away as she twisted, aiming a sweeping kick. Shadows clung to her leg, amplifying the force behind it.

Henri raised an arm, blocking it effortlessly, but the shadow blast she had prepared in her other hand detonated point-blank.

The shockwave sent them both skidding back.

Selena landed in a crouch, breathing heavily, but a victorious smirk played on her lips. I finally hit him.

Henri chuckled, rolling his shoulder. "Not bad." His coat was slightly singed, a rare sight. His eyes gleamed with something close to pride. "You're learning."

Selena wiped her mouth. "That wasn't even my best."

Henri's grin stretched. "Then show me."

She did.

This time, she didn't think.

Selena moved like a storm, her shadows shifting between offense and defense in perfect harmony. Spikes, blasts, snares, and feints—she threw everything at Henri, forcing him to move, forcing him to react.

And for the first time, she felt it—He wasn't just testing her anymore. Henri was fighting her for real.

Selena's breath came ragged, sweat dripping from her brow. She had been holding her own—until now.

Henri suddenly shifted, his posture changing. The amusement in his eyes dimmed, replaced by something far more terrifying.

He disappeared.

Not flickering, not phasing, not stepping.

One moment he was there, the next—gone.

Selena's instincts screamed. She spun around, shadows curling around her hands, ready to lash out—

Too slow.

A hand slammed into her stomach.

The world twisted as her body was lifted off the ground, her ribs caving under the force. The air was ripped from her lungs. Before she could process the pain, a knee crashed into her back, sending her hurtling forward.

She gasped, barely catching herself before she hit the ground.

He's—

A dark blur.

Another impact. A fist cracked against her ribs, sending her skidding across the battlefield.

Selena barely managed to lift her head before something gripped her shadow.

Her body locked up.

Henri stood over her, holding nothing but air—but her shadow twisted beneath her like it was writhing in pain.

"You rely too much on what you see," Henri's voice was calm, almost disappointed. "Shadows aren't just tricks, Selena. They're an extension of you."

Selena couldn't move.

Henri dragged his hand to the side, and her entire body lurched, thrown through the air like a ragdoll. She barely flipped in time to land on her feet, knees buckling beneath her weight.

Her ribs burned.

Her mind screamed.

Henri exhaled slowly. The shadows beneath him rippled unnaturally.

"You only use shadows to attack." He stepped forward. "But shadows have history. They remember."

Selena flinched.

The ground cracked open.

Dark tendrils erupted from beneath her feet—not normal shadows, but echoes of past battles. They moved like specters, wielding weapons forged from memories.

She barely dodged the first slash.

The second cut her shoulder.

The third slammed into her side, sending her sprawling.

Her body screamed in protest.

She couldn't keep up.

Henri watched her struggle, unimpressed.

"Stand up, Selena," he said simply. "Or this lesson ends now."

Selena coughed, blood dripping down her lip. Her vision blurred—but she still forced herself to stand.

Henri sighed. "That's what I wanted to see."

Before she could react, dark chains shot up from her own shadow—coiling around her wrists, her ankles, her neck.

And then Henri pulled.

The world snapped—her body jerked—and she was sent crashing into the ground, her back slamming against cold stone.

Everything went black for a moment.

Pain roared through her body.

She barely registered Henri kneeling beside her, his voice quiet, but firm:

"You're still too weak."

Then the chains vanished, and Selena collapsed, barely conscious, barely breathing.

Henri stood, looking down at her.

"Lesson's over."

A dense silence settled over the chamber. The only sound was the ragged rise and fall of Selena's breath.

Then—

A dark mist began seeping from her skin, curling like smoke, thick and heavy.

The air shifted.

The mist twisted, coiling violently around her battered form. Then it burst.

A violent wave of black energy erupted from her body, shaking the chamber's very foundation. The shadows trembled, reacting to her pain, her refusal to stay down.

Sage Henri's lips curled into a grin.

"She's still standing."

Selena's arms trembled as she pushed herself up, her body screaming in agony. Blood dripped from her wounds, her vision blurred, but her will burned hotter than the pain.

She refused to fall.

Her fingers dug into the stone beneath her as she forced herself onto her knees, then her feet.

Outside the chamber—

Sophia stood frozen, her hands clasped tightly together, knuckles turning white. Anxiety twisted in her chest, her heart hammering against her ribs.

"She's still fighting," she whispered, half in fear, half in awe.

The King narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable. But even he felt it—the weight of the energy bleeding from the chamber, thick and suffocating.

A few of the elders shifted uncomfortably. The aura rolling off Selena's body wasn't just strong—it was uncontrolled.

It made their skin crawl.

One elder swallowed hard. "That girl…" His voice was hushed, almost wary. "She's pushing herself beyond her limit."

Inside the chamber, Henri tilted his head, amusement flickering in his sharp eyes.

"You're full of surprises, Selena."

Selena's breathing was ragged, her body battered—but her eyes gleamed with unwavering resolve.

The fight wasn't over.

Not yet.

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