Adrian's fingers trembled as he tightened his grip around the Eclipse Blade, the cold metal humming ever so faintly, as if whispering something beyond his comprehension. His body ached from the repeated failures, muscles protesting with each movement. He had spent hours, if not days, attempting to replicate that single perfect cut. Yet, despite his effort, he could barely graze the darkness.
The realm around him was still an endless abyss, shifting and twisting at the edges of his vision. The only thing keeping him anchored was the sword in his hands—a weapon that seemed both an extension of himself and an entity of its own.
His breath came in slow, measured exhales as he settled into his stance.
Flow like the wind. Do not fight the blade. Let it guide you.
Adrian adjusted his footing, feeling the weight of his sword settle in his hands, and took another swing.
Hesitation.
The moment doubt crept into his thoughts, his movements stiffened. The slash was too slow, lacking precision and intent. The darkness before him barely wavered.
Adrian grit his teeth and tried again. Again. Again.
Each time, he could feel himself getting closer to the sensation he had felt before—the perfect clarity, the effortless motion. But something was missing.
His black hair with silver streaks clung to his sweat-drenched forehead, and his deep ocean-blue eyes burned with frustration. His hands stung, his shoulders ached, yet he refused to stop.
There has to be something I'm overlooking.
He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the first time he had cut through the abyss. The memory was vivid—the rush of energy, the weightlessness, the absolute certainty of the strike.
His eyes snapped open.
Intent.
The first time had not been a mere action—it had been a declaration, an assertion of existence against the consuming void. He had wielded the blade not just to cut, but to carve his path forward.
Adrian exhaled, letting his heartbeat slow.
This time, when he swung the Eclipse Blade, he did not think of merely cutting.
He willed it to happen.
And then—
Slash!
The darkness shattered, a fine line of silver light tracing the space before him. The cut was shallow but real. His arms burned from exertion, but a triumphant smile flickered at his lips.
Yet before he could revel in his small victory—
The abyss moved.
A low, guttural noise reverberated through the empty void. Adrian's breath hitched as he turned his gaze toward the shifting darkness.
Something was there.
Something watching.
He took a cautious step back, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. The air had grown heavier, pressing against his skin like an invisible force. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his body refused to obey.
The price of progress.
A voice—no, a presence—whispered within the depths of his mind. It was neither male nor female, yet it carried an ancient weight, a tone laced with unreadable amusement.
And then—
A clawed appendage emerged from the abyss.
Adrian's pupils shrank.
It was massive, its form shifting between solid and liquid, its very existence writhing against the concept of reality. Shadowy tendrils coiled around its clawed fingers, and its crimson eyes—eyes that did not belong to any living creature—locked onto him.
The abyss was alive.
And it was hungry.
A sharp chill crawled down Adrian's spine as the entity moved, its presence warping the space around it. The very air trembled under its weight.
Adrian forced his breath to steady, raising his sword between himself and the entity. His body screamed for rest, but he had no choice.
This was no longer just a test of skill.
This was survival.
The entity lunged.
Adrian's instincts took over, his muscles moving on pure reaction. He twisted his body, narrowly dodging the first strike. The air rippled where the attack passed, the sheer force alone enough to send shockwaves through the abyss.
Too fast!
The creature struck again—this time from the side. Adrian barely managed to raise his sword in time to block.
Clang!
The impact rattled his bones, sending him skidding backward. His feet struggled for traction in the shifting void.
He had no time to recover.
The entity moved like a storm, relentless, untamed, overwhelming. Each strike came heavier than the last, and Adrian's body was already at its limit. His grip on the Eclipse Blade weakened with every block, his arms trembling under the force.
I can't win like this.
His mind raced, searching for a solution. He couldn't overpower it. He couldn't outlast it. But—
He could adapt.
Adrian exhaled sharply, shifting his stance.
If power wasn't enough, then he would have to use precision.
The next time the entity struck, Adrian did not block. Instead, he sidestepped, allowing the attack to pass inches from his face. The void trembled, but he was already moving.
Strike where it is weakest.
Adrian's grip tightened as he swung the Eclipse Blade.
His target—the crimson eyes.
The sword sang through the air, cutting through the abyss itself. For a moment, time seemed to slow. The entity let out a piercing, distorted shriek as the blade met its mark.
Adrian's vision blurred from exhaustion, but he saw it—
A wound.
The first wound.
The abyss recoiled, its massive form twisting in pain. Its very existence seemed to ripple, its form unraveling at the edges.
Adrian took a shaky step back, his chest rising and falling in heavy breaths. His body was battered, his energy drained.
But he had done it.
He had cut through the abyss.
And the abyss had felt it.
As the entity writhed, the oppressive weight around him began to lighten. The darkness no longer suffocated him. The first battle was over.
But this was merely the beginning.
The abyss had acknowledged him.
And it would never let him go.