Chapter 21: The Echo of Power

A stillness settled over the battlefield, the last embers of destruction flickering against the shattered remains of the once-proud fortress. My pulse thrummed in my ears, steady and slow, as I observed the aftermath of my actions. A storm had passed, but in its wake, something far more dangerous had begun to stir.

The power within me—it had awakened in full. No longer just a whisper in my veins, it was now a force demanding to be recognized.

I flexed my fingers, watching as tendrils of dark energy curled around them like living things. The sight sent a shiver down my spine, not from fear, but from the undeniable truth: I had changed.

And the world had taken notice.

A murmur ran through the crowd of spectators, their hushed voices laced with awe and trepidation. Even those who had once stood as my enemies hesitated now, their eyes flickering between the ruin I had left in my wake and the power still pulsing around me.

But one figure did not waver.

He stepped forward with slow, deliberate movements, his presence alone enough to command the attention of all who remained. Draped in obsidian robes embroidered with silver, his face concealed behind a mask of cold authority, he exuded the quiet confidence of someone who had seen the rise and fall of countless warriors.

"You held back," he said, his tone neutral, but laced with something akin to intrigue.

I met his gaze, my own expression unreadable. "Did I?"

A ghost of a smile played at the corner of his lips. "Yes. But not for much longer."

The weight of his words pressed against me, unspoken meaning lingering between us. He understood what had happened—what I had become. And for the first time, I wondered if he had been waiting for this moment all along.

The silence between us stretched, broken only by the distant crackle of flames licking at the remnants of the stronghold. But before another word could be exchanged, a sudden movement shattered the fragile stillness.

From the shadows, a figure lunged.

Steel flashed in the dim light, the blade aimed directly at my throat.

I did not flinch.

The world slowed as instinct took over. A shift of my weight, a calculated tilt of my head—the weapon sliced past, grazing my skin but finding no purchase. My attacker barely had time to react before my hand snapped forward, fingers wrapping around his wrist with precise force.

A choked gasp escaped him as I twisted, forcing the blade from his grasp. It clattered against the cracked stone below, the sound sharp against the quiet.

He struggled, panic flickering across his face.

"You hesitate," I murmured, my grip tightening. "A mistake you won't have the luxury of making twice."

Dark energy coiled around my hand, crackling with barely restrained force. With a single motion, I drove him back, his body colliding with the ground in a violent impact. Dust and debris swirled around him as he groaned in pain, his limbs trembling from the shock of the blow.

The gathered onlookers took a collective step back, the weight of my power pressing against them like an unseen force.

But the man in obsidian robes remained where he stood, watching.

"Impressive," he finally said.

I exhaled slowly, willing the remnants of my energy to settle. "Is that why you're here? To test me?"

His smirk deepened, but his gaze sharpened. "Not quite. I'm here because you've reached the point of no return."

Something in his voice sent a chill through me.

He continued, his words slow and deliberate. "There is no turning back from what you've become. You've set things into motion that cannot be undone."

I already knew that.

The power that had surfaced—the cursed mark that entwined itself with my very existence—was no longer something I could suppress. It had tasted freedom, and now, it refused to be caged.

But with that realization came another.

If I had crossed the threshold, then so had the world.

They would never look at me the same way again.

"Come," the man said, turning on his heel. "It's time you see what lies ahead."

For a moment, I hesitated. Not out of doubt, but out of the weight of what his words implied.

Then, without another word, I followed.

The abyss had opened its arms.

And I was walking straight into it.

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Author's Note

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