Chapter 43: The Trial of the Shadowborn

The Veiled Expanse pulsed with an eerie, shifting energy, distorting reality with every step Aric and Kaelith took. Shadows flickered unnaturally, twisting into shapes that defied logic. The towering form before them, a Shadowborn, loomed with shifting limbs and hollow, glowing eyes.

Aric tightened his grip on his sword. His Absolute Insight revealed fragmented glimpses of the creature's existence—each flicker showing it existing across multiple points in time at once.

"Kaelith, be careful," he warned. "These things don't follow normal rules."

She twirled her dagger, the silver flames along its edge flaring. "When do they ever?"

The Shadowborn let out a distorted howl, its form unraveling and reforming in an instant. Then, it struck.

A Battle Against the Unknown

The creature lunged, its form splitting into multiple versions of itself, each attacking from different angles.

CLANG!

Aric barely parried a shadowy claw, but the impact sent him skidding backward. He felt no physical force—only an overwhelming pull on his existence, as though reality itself was trying to unmake him.

Kaelith dodged a strike that phased through space itself. Her blade slashed through one of the creature's forms, but it only flickered, reforming a moment later.

System Alert:

[Warning! Shadowborn entities are not bound by physical damage. Energy-based attacks recommended.]

Aric's eyes narrowed. "Physical strikes don't work? Then let's try something else."

He extended his hand.

Skill Activated: Voidfire Lance

A spear of crackling black and violet energy materialized in his grip. Unlike normal flames, Voidfire devoured concepts, unraveling even ethereal beings.

The Shadowborn reacted instantly, its distorted limbs shifting away, sensing the danger.

"Too late," Aric muttered.

He hurled the lance forward.

The moment the Voidfire Lance struck, the creature let out an inhuman shriek. Its form froze, unable to shift or phase out of reality. The consuming flames spread through its body, reducing it to ash-like mist.

Kaelith exhaled. "Well, that worked."

Aric nodded, scanning the foggy expanse. "For now. But there are more of them."

The mist around them shuddered, revealing more flickering entities lurking in the distance. Their hollow eyes locked onto the duo, their distorted forms pulsing with malicious intent.

System Alert:

[Trial of the Shadowborn Initiated.]

[Survive for 15 minutes.]

Aric smirked. "A survival trial, huh? Fine. Let's play."

Holding the Line

The shadows surged forward, their forms weaving between past and present. They didn't move like normal creatures—one moment they were in front of him, the next they had already attacked from behind.

But Aric was ready.

Skill Activated: Temporal Awareness

His perception sharpened, allowing him to anticipate not just their movements, but their potential futures.

A Shadowborn lunged—Aric sidestepped before it even finished its attack. Another slashed at his back—his sword was already waiting for it.

Kaelith fought beside him, her daggers glowing with Runic Silver, an enchantment that disrupted ethereal entities. Each strike landed true, forcing the creatures back.

Seconds turned into minutes, the battle raging through shifting landscapes. One moment they were fighting in a ruined temple, the next on a bridge suspended over a void of stars.

Then—

System Alert:

[Trial Completed.]

[Path to the Second Pillar Unlocked.]

The remaining Shadowborn let out hollow wails before dissolving into the mist.

A new path materialized before them—an ancient stone bridge leading into the unknown. At its end, shrouded in shadows, was the silhouette of the Second Pillar of Truth.

Kaelith dusted herself off. "Well, that was a warm-up."

Aric smirked. "Then let's finish this."

Together, they stepped forward.

To Be Continued…