The Weight of a Choice

The tunnel's blue runes cast a cold glow on the stone walls, their faint hum filling the air with a steady buzz that seemed to press against Liam's skull. Varik's blood pooled on the floor, the red stark against the gray stone, the metallic scent mixing with the oil-heavy air. He groaned, clutching his leg, his face pale and sweaty, his breaths coming in shallow gasps. Mara knelt beside him, pressing her hands against the wound to stop the bleeding, her cracked armor creaking with every movement. "Hold on," she said, her voice tight. "We'll get you out."

Elise stood near the tunnel wall, her dagger ready, her eyes darting between the open panels where more Dominion blades could strike. The runes flickered, casting jagged shadows that danced across her bruised face. "We need to move," she said, her tone sharp. "This place isn't safe."

Liam gripped Shadowfang, his heart pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat. The Echo inside him burned hotter, its wrongness growing with every second, a searing heat that clawed at his chest. The alert still lingered in his mind: [Warning: Echo Sync Rising – 56%. Unknown Energy Source Detected.] Something was close—something dangerous. He could feel it in the air, a weight that made the tunnel feel smaller, more suffocating.

He stepped toward Varik, ready to help, when a new sound filled the tunnel. A low, steady hum, different from the runes, deeper, more resonant. It came from further down the tunnel, growing louder, closer, vibrating through the stone floor. The air shifted, heavy with a familiar power that made the hairs on Liam's neck stand up.

Violet light.

"Kael," Liam whispered, his voice low, barely audible over the hum.

The hum turned into a pulse, and Kael Varik stepped into view at the tunnel's end. His armor glowed with violet runes, matching Shadowfang's, the light casting eerie reflections on the walls. His blade was in hand, its edge crackling with energy, the violet glow illuminating his sharp, cold features. His violet eyes locked onto Liam, piercing through the dimness, but a faint smirk played on his lips, as if he already knew how this would end.

"You're still alive," Kael said, his voice calm but heavy, each word carrying a weight that pressed against Liam's resolve. "Good."

Mara stood, her fists glowing with a faint, desperate light, ready to fight despite the blood dripping from her shoulder. "Stay back!" she shouted, stepping in front of Varik, her stance protective but unsteady.

Kael's gaze flicked to her, then to Varik on the ground. His smirk faded, replaced by something darker—something almost regretful, but not quite. "Brother," he said, his tone cold, devoid of warmth. "You look worse than I remember."

Varik coughed, blood staining his lips, but his eyes burned with defiance, a fire that refused to die even as his body failed him. "Go to hell, Kael," he spat, his voice weak but sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade.

Kael's expression didn't change. He raised his blade, pointing it at Liam, the violet energy crackling louder, casting sparks that hissed against the stone floor. "You've learned something," he said, his voice low, almost approving. "I felt it. The Echo—it's starting to obey you. But you're still holding back."

Liam tightened his grip on Shadowfang, his knuckles white, his voice steady despite the fear clawing at his chest. "I'm not like you," he said, meeting Kael's gaze. "I won't be."

Kael laughed, a low, chilling sound that echoed off the tunnel walls, making the runes flicker as if in response. "You don't have a choice, Inheritor. The Echo demands more. It always does."

Before Liam could answer, Kael moved—faster than before, a blur of violet light that seemed to bend the air around him. He reappeared behind Mara, his blade already slashing down. She turned, swinging her fist, but Kael dodged with ease, his movements fluid, almost effortless. His blade struck her arm, her armor taking the hit with a loud crack, but the force sent her crashing into the wall, the impact shaking loose dust from the ceiling. Her body slumped to the ground, a groan escaping her lips.

"Mara!" Elise shouted, rushing at Kael with her dagger, her movements quick but desperate. He sidestepped, grabbing her wrist and twisting with a brutal efficiency. She gasped, her dagger clattering to the floor, and Kael kicked her hard in the stomach, sending her sliding across the stone, her body skidding to a stop near the wall.

Liam charged, Shadowfang glowing bright, its purple light flaring as he let the Echo guide him like he had with the drones. The blade blurred, aiming for Kael's side, a strike fueled by desperation and rage. Kael met it with his own sword, the clash sending sparks flying, the sound ringing in Liam's ears like a bell. The impact shook Liam's arms, his muscles screaming, but he held his ground, his teeth gritted.

Kael's smirk returned, his violet eyes glinting with something dangerous. "Better," he said, his voice a low growl. "But not enough."

He pushed back, his blade moving like a storm, each strike faster, stronger, a relentless assault that forced Liam to block again and again. Kael's movements were precise, calculated, every swing a test, every parry a lesson. Liam's arms burned, his breaths coming in ragged gasps, the Echo burning hotter in his chest. [Warning: Echo Sync Rising – 59%. Point of No Return Approaching.] The alert flashed, and Liam's vision blurred for a moment, a sharp pain stabbing through his head like a knife. His knees buckled slightly, but he forced himself to stay upright, his grip on Shadowfang tightening. The Echo wasn't just pushing him—it was tearing at him, its heat spreading through his veins, its whispers growing louder, urging him to let go, to give in.

Kael wasn't just fighting him—he was breaking him. Every move, every word, was calculated to push Liam to his limit. To make him choose.

Kael stepped back, lowering his blade for a moment, his smirk fading into a cold, unreadable expression. "You're still weak," he said, his voice cutting through the haze in Liam's mind. "You care too much."

He turned, faster than Liam could react, and grabbed Varik by the collar, pulling him up with a brutal yank. Varik groaned, his injured leg dragging, blood dripping onto the stone in a steady, sickening drip. Kael held his blade to Varik's throat, the violet glow reflecting in Varik's wide, pain-filled eyes, the light casting harsh shadows across his pale face.

"Stop!" Liam shouted, stepping forward, Shadowfang raised, his voice raw with desperation.

Kael's eyes locked onto him, cold and unyielding, a predator staring down its prey. "The Echo demands sacrifice," he said, his voice a low growl that seemed to resonate with the tunnel's hum. "You can't save them all. You'll never ascend if you try."

Mara pushed herself up, her face bruised, her voice rough as she clutched her arm. "Don't listen to him, Liam!"

Elise stood too, clutching her side, her eyes on Varik, her voice shaking but firm. "We're not leaving him," she said, her dagger back in her hand, her stance defiant despite the pain.

Varik looked at Liam, his face pale, his breathing shallow, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and resolve. "Don't… do it," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "If you do this, you're already dead."

Kael pressed the blade closer, a thin line of blood appearing on Varik's neck, the red stark against his pale skin. "Choose, Liam," he said, his voice sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. "His life—or your ascension."

Liam's heart raced, the Echo screaming in his chest, its heat now a fire that threatened to consume him. The sync was climbing—59%, so close to 60%. The point of no return. He could feel its power, stronger now, pushing him to act, to make a choice he didn't want to make. But what did that mean? Let Varik die? Become like Kael? The whispers in his mind grew louder, a cacophony of voices he couldn't understand, urging him to let go, to embrace the power, to ascend.

He remembered the flash—Kael standing over a fallen friend, blade raised, the ground stained with blood. Was that what Kael had done? Sacrificed someone to ascend? Was that the price of the Echo?

"I won't," Liam said, his voice low but firm, his resolve hardening despite the chaos in his mind. "I won't be you."

Kael's smirk faded, his violet eyes narrowing, a flicker of something—disappointment, perhaps—crossing his face. "Then you'll die with them."

The tunnel shook, the runes on the walls flaring brighter, their blue light pulsing in time with the hum. A new sound filled the air, deeper, stronger, a mechanical roar echoing from the shadows. Dominion constructs—more were coming, their steps reverberating through the stone.

Kael dragged Varik into the shadows, his violet blade still at his throat, his voice a whisper that echoed in the tunnel, cold and unyielding. "One dies so the other can rise, Liam. That's the law of the Echo."