A Familiar voice

The room was filled with chaos—shadows everywhere, flickering light from Kareal's sword flashing as it cut through the darkness. Avon's heart raced, his body trembling as he tried to fight off the ever-growing number of shades attacking.

But then, something cut through the madness. A voice. A familiar voice that froze Kareal in his tracks.

"I told you I'd find you."

Avon's eyes widened as a figure stepped through the doorway, a dark silhouette against the chaos. Zarek.

Zarek's cold eyes gleamed with malice as he surveyed the room. "You thought your silly barrier would keep me away forever? Well, guess again."

Avon's breath caught in his throat. He had heard tales of Zarek—of the darkness he spread, of the devastation he left in his wake. And now, here he was, standing in their home.

In a single, fluid motion, Zarek raised his hand, and Kareal was sent flying across the room. The older man crashed against the wall, his body crumpling as he collapsed to the ground.

"No!" Avon screamed, his voice raw with panic. He struggled against the grip of the shade pinning him down, trying desperately to break free.

But Zarek was faster.

A blade formed from his shadowed arm, an eerie, liquid blackness twisting into the shape of a sword. Before Avon could react, Zarek plunged the shadow blade into Kareal's chest.

The sound of the strike was like thunder in Avon's ears.

Kareal gasped, his body shuddering in pain as the blade sank deep into his heart. Blood stained his robes, and he fell back against the floor with a look of shock and sorrow etched across his face.

"Master!" Avon cried, his voice cracking as he struggled harder to escape the shade's suffocating hold.

Kareal's eyes, wide with disbelief, flickered with confusion. He stared down at the sword embedded in his chest, his breath ragged. The world seemed to slow around him as the weight of the strike settled into his body.

Zarek, satisfied with his kill, withdrew his arm from the shadowy blade. The darkness retracted with a slow, deliberate movement, and Zarek took a step back, as if he had just completed some minor task.

"Goodbye, old man," Zarek muttered under his breath, his tone dripping with disdain.

Then, with a final, lingering look at Kareal's fading form, Zarek exited the house. He didn't leave in a rush, as he had when he entered. No, this time, he walked out, his every step a silent affirmation of his victory. The storm outside raged, but inside, the room was still, silent, and heavy with the weight of Kareal's dying breath.

As Zarek vanished into the night, Avon managed to break free. His muscles screamed in protest from the long day of training, but adrenaline pushed him forward as he slid across the floor to Kareal's side.

"Master… Master!" Avon gasped, his voice trembling as he knelt beside Kareal's lifeless body.

Kareal's chest rose and fell weakly, but the life was fading from him. His hand reached out, weakly gripping Avon's. Blood seeped from his mouth as he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Listen to me, Avon… I don't have much time."

Avon's heart clenched in his chest. He could feel the life draining from his master with every passing second. His hand trembled as he tried to stop the bleeding, but the wound was too grave.

"The evil once banished long ago… has returned," Kareal whispered, his words labored. His eyes, though dim, locked with Avon's. "It is your duty, Avon. You must use your newfound strength. Lead the new generation of the Blazers… and defeat this evil. Only then can peace be restored."

Avon's mind raced, trying to make sense of what Kareal was saying. Newfound strength? What did he mean? He didn't understand. He had only been learning, training alongside Kareal. He wasn't ready for something like this. How could he defeat Zarek, someone who had just killed Kareal with such ease?

Kareal's hand tightened around Avon's for a moment, and then his grip slackened. "It is not an easy task," Kareal continued, his voice growing weaker with every breath. "But I believe in you. I know you can do it. You… will bring peace."

With those final words, Kareal's body relaxed, and the light in his eyes faded away. Avon was left alone, staring at his master's lifeless form.

"No… Master! No!" Avon cried, his voice breaking. He shook Kareal's body, but there was no response. Kareal was gone.

Avon collapsed beside him, his entire body trembling as grief and confusion overtook him. "Newfound strength…" Avon repeated the words softly to himself. What strength? How could he face this evil alone? He wasn't ready for this.

His body ached from the long day of training, the fatigue that had built up over hours now feeling like an impossible weight. And now, his master, the person who had guided him, who had protected him, was gone. Killed by the very force they had been preparing to fight.

Avon's world felt like it was crashing down around him.

He could hear the storm outside, the wind howling with an unnatural fury, as if the very heavens were mourning with him.

Kareal was gone. And Avon was alone.

His hands clenched into fists, his nails biting into his palms as tears blurred his vision. The rage inside him bubbled up, threatening to consume him. He couldn't let this be the end. He couldn't let it end like this.

As he knelt there, beside Kareal's lifeless body, something inside Avon stirred. A flicker, a spark. It started small, a tiny surge of energy, but it grew. His chest tightened, and he felt something unfamiliar—a power, raw and untapped, rising within him. It was his newfound strength, the one Kareal had spoken of.

The light inside him surged, filling his chest with warmth and light. It radiated outward, pulsing with an energy Avon had never known.

The room around him seemed to change, the shadows retreating as the light inside him grew stronger. He didn't know how he could control it yet, but he felt it. And for the first time, Avon knew that he wasn't alone. Not anymore.

"I will finish this," he whispered, his voice steady despite the pain and grief. "I will stop Zarek."

The storm outside raged with even greater fury, but inside Avon, a storm of his own was brewing. A storm of power. A storm of vengeance. A storm of light