Chapter 4: The Price of Shadows

The morning came shrouded in gray mist, the air heavy with moisture that clung to the skin. Revan sat by the remnants of a small fire Kael had made, his thoughts tangled in the remnants of his dream. The whispers from the abyss lingered in his mind like a phantom, echoing the cryptic warnings of the night.

Kael crouched nearby, sharpening a dagger with deliberate precision. The rhythmic scrape of stone against metal filled the silence between them. His expression was focused, but Revan could see the subtle glances he threw his way, as though gauging his readiness.

"So," Kael began, breaking the quiet, "you're awake. Let's talk about that mark."

Revan frowned, his hand instinctively brushing the faintly glowing seal on his chest. "What about it? You've already told me it's dangerous."

"It's more than dangerous," Kael replied, his tone sharp. "It's volatile. The power you're carrying isn't just some abstract concept—it's alive, and it's hungry. If you don't learn to control it, it'll tear you apart, and likely everything around you with it."

Revan shifted uncomfortably, the weight of Kael's words pressing down on him. "You keep talking like I have a choice in this. I didn't ask for this power. I didn't ask to be marked."

"No one ever does," Kael said, standing and sheathing the dagger. "But the Abyss doesn't care about what you want. It chose you for a reason, and now you have to decide what to do with that."

Revan's jaw tightened. "And what exactly am I supposed to do? I don't even know how to use this power, let alone control it."

Kael smirked, his expression equal parts amused and exasperated. "That's where I come in. You've already tapped into it once, whether you meant to or not. I'm going to teach you how to do it deliberately—how to channel the Abyss without letting it consume you."

---

The first lesson was simple in theory but far from easy in execution. Kael led Revan deeper into the forest, to a clearing where the mist hung thick and still. The air was heavy, almost suffocating, and the faint rustle of leaves created an eerie backdrop.

"Control comes from understanding," Kael explained, pacing in front of Revan. "The Abyss is chaos incarnate, but even chaos has patterns if you know where to look. Your mark connects you to that chaos, but it also acts as a conduit. Think of it like a door you can open and close—but only if you have the key."

"And how do I find the key?" Revan asked, skepticism lacing his tone.

Kael stopped pacing, his gaze sharp. "You already have it. It's your will. The problem is, your will isn't strong enough yet to hold the door open without being pulled through. That's what we're going to work on."

Revan nodded, though uncertainty gnawed at him. The concept sounded straightforward, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Kael was oversimplifying. Still, he had no choice but to trust him—for now.

Kael motioned for Revan to sit on the ground. "Close your eyes," he instructed. "Focus on your breathing. Feel the mark on your chest. Don't fight it—just let it exist."

Revan obeyed, closing his eyes and drawing in slow, deliberate breaths. He could feel the faint warmth of the mark beneath his shirt, a subtle pulsing that seemed to sync with his heartbeat. At first, it was a distant sensation, like a whisper at the edge of his awareness. But as he focused, it grew stronger, louder, until it consumed his thoughts.

The air around him seemed to shift, growing colder and heavier. He felt a faint tugging sensation, as though something unseen was pulling at the edges of his consciousness. Panic surged in his chest, and his breathing quickened.

"Stay calm," Kael's voice cut through the rising fear. "The Abyss will test you. It'll push and pull, trying to break your focus. Don't let it. You're stronger than it is."

Revan clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. The tugging grew stronger, and the whispers returned—soft at first, but steadily rising in intensity. They spoke in a language he couldn't understand, their words twisting and overlapping like a thousand voices speaking at once.

"Focus," Kael urged. "Find the center. Anchor yourself."

Revan struggled to comply, his mind racing. The whispers grew louder, and the mark on his chest burned like fire. He felt as though he were being dragged into a whirlpool, the darkness threatening to consume him entirely.

Then, amidst the chaos, he remembered Kael's words: Your will is the key.

Clenching his teeth, Revan forced himself to push back against the pull. He imagined a barrier around himself, a shield of light that held the darkness at bay. Slowly, the whispers began to fade, and the burning sensation in his chest lessened.

When he finally opened his eyes, the clearing was still and quiet. Kael stood a few feet away, his arms crossed and a faint smile on his face.

"Not bad," he said. "You lasted longer than I expected."

Revan groaned, his body aching from the effort. "That… was harder than I thought it'd be."

Kael chuckled. "Of course it was. The Abyss doesn't play fair. But you held your ground, and that's the first step."

---

The rest of the day was spent repeating the exercise, each attempt pushing Revan closer to his limits. By the time the sun began to set, he was utterly exhausted, his body trembling and his mind frayed. But with each attempt, he felt himself growing stronger, more attuned to the mark and the power it held.

As they returned to the ruined structure, Kael tossed him a waterskin. "You did good today," he said. "Better than I expected, honestly."

Revan took a long drink, his throat parched. "So, what's next?"

Kael leaned against the wall, his expression serious. "Next, we work on control. Today was about resisting the Abyss. Tomorrow, we'll focus on wielding it."

Revan nodded, though the prospect filled him with equal parts excitement and dread. The power of the Abyss was vast and terrifying, but he couldn't deny the allure of mastering it. If he could control it, he might stand a chance against the Eclipse Covenant—and whatever else this world threw at him.

As he lay down that night, his body aching and his mind heavy with exhaustion, he found himself thinking back to the whispers in the darkness. The words were incomprehensible, but the tone was unmistakable: they had been calling to him.

What did the Abyss want from him? And more importantly, what was he willing to give in return?

The questions lingered as he drifted into an uneasy sleep, the faint glow of the mark on his chest casting flickering shadows on the walls.