the flower of power

Darius followed Lotfi in silence, his feet sinking into the damp soil as the trees around them seemed to watch with unseen eyes hidden within their twisted bark. This place wasn't unfamiliar to him, yet he had never felt more uneasy. On the contrary, the air felt heavier, as if something unseen was staring directly into his soul.

When they arrived, the ancient tree stood tall as ever, its blackened trunk pulsing slowly as if it were breathing. Beneath its shadow sat that strange entity he had met before, unmoving, as if it hadn't shifted an inch since their last encounter.

It slowly lifted its head, its glowing yellow eyes observing them with an amused indifference. Then, tilting its head slightly, it spoke in a hoarse yet mocking tone:

"Oh? Unexpected visitors… What brings you to my esteemed lair this time?"

Darius remained silent, but he could feel the creature's gaze digging into him, as if examining something beyond his flesh.

Lotfi said nothing either, merely turning his back to the creature deliberately. It was his way of showing disinterest. He placed the flower before it, though he didn't need to— the entity chuckled briefly, as if it had read his thoughts entirely.

"Haha… It seems fate still wavers for you, poor boy. That mischievous little thing called luck hasn't abandoned you yet, but… how long will that last?"

It then smirked sideways, as if this was all just a game to it.

Lotfi, still facing away, spoke in a firm voice:

"Can you save him now?"

The creature raised an eyebrow in feigned surprise, then murmured,

"Hmm? Save him?"

It stood up slowly, making an exaggerated gesture as it placed a hand on its chest.

"Am I… the great healer? The magnificent savior? I don't recall ever introducing myself as such."

Then, it turned to Darius, staring at him for a long moment, as if studying something invisible to the human eye. Eventually, it plucked one of the three leaves from the flower— a dark yellow leaf that shimmered faintly, as if made of moonlight itself.

"But… let's say this is to settle an old debt."

It crushed the leaf between its long fingers, reducing it to fine dust. Then, from nowhere, it produced a small glass vial filled with a mysterious liquid. Mixing the dust into it, it murmured unintelligible words before sealing the vial and handing it to Darius.

"Drink this. It won't solve your problem, but it will suppress that stubborn heart of yours… and prevent the entity chasing it from tracking you."

Darius stared at the vial. He had no reason to trust this being, yet he had no other choice. Without further hesitation, he uncorked the vial and drank its contents in one gulp.

Immediately, warmth spread through his body, like molten lava flowing through his veins. Then, moments later, he felt something else— a strange heaviness, as if something floating inside him had been forced back into the depths.

As the potion took effect, the entity wasn't finished yet. Standing firm, its glowing yellow eyes scrutinized Darius before lifting the remaining two leaves between its fingers.

"Oh, don't think I'm handing you everything on a silver platter, boy. If you truly wish to control your heart, not just suppress it, you'll need these two… along with two other ingredients. And they're not just any ingredients."

Darius wasn't surprised. Of course, there had to be more obstacles. He asked in a steady voice, "What are they?"

The entity smirked, as if it had been waiting for this question. Then, in a deep voice, it said:

"First, you'll need a druid's heart. Fortunately for you, druids aren't like humans; they have more than one heart. So if you go after one, it won't fight to the death… but it won't stand idly by either."

Darius didn't react, but Lotfi raised an eyebrow.

"And second…" The entity waved its hand, summoning a small bottle filled with a dark liquid that shifted between green and black. "You'll need a venom composed of four deadly types. You already have one, but you'll need to gather the rest from the serpent nests in the Great Serpent's territory."

Lotfi muttered, "As lovely as ever…"

The entity burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Of course! Power never comes easily, does it? But don't worry, I see that you two enjoy challenges."

Darius didn't respond, but he knew this task would be far from easy. Still, he had no choice. If he wanted to understand what was happening to him, he had to walk this path to the end.

From nowhere, the entity produced a crystal orb— perfectly transparent yet shifting in color with every angle it was viewed from.

"And now, a small test… Drop your blood here."

Darius hesitated for a moment but obeyed. He took a small knife, nicked his finger, and let a single drop of blood fall onto the orb.

The moment the blood touched it, the orb erupted with a dazzling light, its colors shifting wildly as if reflecting something beyond mortal comprehension.

The entity stared at it for a long time, then laughed— but this time, the laughter was different. It wasn't playful. It had meaning, as if it had just confirmed something it suspected.

"Hahaha… No wonder he resembles him."

Lotfi, who had remained silent the whole time, clenched his fist and asked in a low, tense voice:

"What do you see?"

The entity didn't answer immediately. Instead, it turned the orb in its hand before finally gazing at Darius with a different look in its eyes.

"His fate… is greater than we imagined."

Lotfi scoffed. "Heh. Who would've thought?"

Darius, growing impatient, looked between Lotfi and the entity, then demanded in a sharp tone:

"Enough riddles. What's happening to me?"

The entity smirked widely, stepping closer to whisper in a deep yet quiet voice:

"Power is not a gift, boy… It's a responsibility. And when you understand its true nature, you'll realize it for yourself."

Then, it stepped back, flipping the orb in its hand once more.

"But if you truly seek an answer… you must earn it."

Darius felt frustration rise within him, but he knew arguing was pointless. This creature only revealed what it wished, and only granted what it deemed necessary.

Yet, the question lingered in his mind…

What had it seen in his blood?

And who was this person he supposedly resembled?

From that moment on, this question never left him.

Before he could leave, Darious felt something strange—like the air around him had grown heavier, as if the darkness itself had deepened. The mysterious figure was still watching him, but this time… there was something different in his eyes.

"Wait, boy…" he said, his voice calm yet carrying something that couldn't be ignored.

Darious stopped, waiting.

"There is a name… one that is never spoken aloud. Not because people fear it, but because they don't want to draw his attention."

Darious didn't speak, but a strange unease tightened in his chest.

The figure continued, as if speaking of something that haunted even his dreams.

"If you ever encounter him… don't say yes. Don't try to resist. Just remember this…"

His voice grew softer, yet clearer than ever.

"When he smiles at you… it's already too late."

Darious didn't ask questions. He didn't need to. Some warnings are given to explain something… and some are given when there's no hope of explaining at all.

He left, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the darkness around him… had become less safe.