Fast Death

We continued deeper into the ruin.

At one point there was light and at one point it was complete darkness, one thing is that it was as silent as an assassin.

The man broke the silence saying "where are you from", "not sure" I answered, "I'm not even sure that my parents are actually my parents, but I grew up in a small village in the Blacklands."

Another shadow appeared, I quickly exterminated it.

"Can you explain more about the power of Sefor?" I said, "If I want to see my village again I need to be stronger, and part of being stronger is understanding my power, so please"

"Lesson two", The man glanced at me, his expression unreadable in the dim light. He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"Sefor… it's not just power," he said, his voice low but steady. "It's a force tied to something beyond us, something ancient. Those who wield it rarely understand its full potential, but one thing is certain—Sefor is as much a curse as it is a gift."

I clenched my fists. "Then tell me how to control it."

He sighed, stepping over the crumbling remains of what looked like an old pillar. "Control? That's the wrong word. You don't control Sefor. You channel it. The more you try to dominate it, the more it pushes back. You have to let it flow, guide it like a river instead of trying to force it like a blade."

I frowned. "That doesn't help much."

A low growl echoed from the darkness ahead. We both froze.

"More of them," I muttered.

The man nodded. "Get ready."

From the shadows, creatures emerged—twisted, shifting figures, their eyes glowing faintly. I tightened my grip on my weapon, feeling the raw energy of Sefor pulsing in my veins.

This time, I wasn't just going to fight.

This time, I was going to channel it.

I freed the light so that it may flow without difficulty, it did not work, not one single bit.

The thing is I let it free without making a road for it to flow in, I quickly realized my mistake and made a ravine.

This time, the light automatically flowed unto my Cultro and surrounded it.

And the light's color changed to a very light shade of blue.

But it didn't surround just my blade, but my legs too.

Wherever I needed the light to be at a certain moment, it was.

And within a fraction of a second I had already killed two shadows, I was growing.

"Woah, you're a prodigy." he said, "It took me three years to master that..., nice"

I barely heard his words. The rush of Sefor flowing through me was overwhelming—powerful, yet strangely natural. It was like my body had been waiting for this moment, for the light to finally move as it was meant to.

The man stepped closer, watching me carefully. "But don't let it get to your head," he continued. "Power comes fast, but control takes time. Keep pushing too hard, and Sefor will push back."

I exhaled, trying to steady my breathing. The last shadow dissolved into nothing, leaving behind the unsettling silence of the ruin. My hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the lingering energy of the battle.

"How do I push without breaking?" I asked, my voice quieter now.

The man smirked. "That's lesson three."

Before I could press him for answers, the ruin trembled slightly, dust trickling from the cracked stone above us. A deep, resonant sound echoed from beyond the corridor ahead—a slow, deliberate thudding, like something massive was moving.

My grip on Cultro tightened. "What was that?"

The man's expression darkened. He looked ahead, eyes narrowing as he listened. "Something worse than shadows."

Then, from the darkness ahead, a single glowing eye flickered to life—massive, unblinking, staring directly at us.

A chill ran down my spine as the eye remained fixed on us, its eerie glow cutting through the thick darkness. Then came the sound—slow, deliberate movements, stone grinding against stone, like something ancient was waking from its slumber.

The man cursed under his breath. "Stay close. This isn't like the others."

I swallowed hard but nodded. My grip on Cultro tightened as I felt the Sefor inside me stir, reacting to the presence ahead. The air felt heavier, charged with something unnatural.

The creature stepped forward, revealing its towering form. Unlike the shifting shadows we had fought before, this thing was solid—its body an amalgamation of stone and flesh, covered in deep cracks that pulsed faintly with the same eerie glow as its eye. Its arms were long, ending in jagged, claw-like fingers, and its head was grotesquely misshapen, as if it had been crudely sculpted from the ruin itself.

It exhaled, a deep, rumbling sound that shook the air.

Then, it lunged.

I barely had time to react. The ground cracked beneath its weight as it swung one of its massive arms toward me. I jumped back, the enhanced speed from Sefor saving me from being crushed instantly. The shockwave from its impact sent dust and debris flying.

The man was already moving, dodging around the creature with practiced agility. "Don't waste time! Strike where it's weakest!"

I scanned its body, my mind racing. The cracks—those glowing fissures along its stone-like skin. That had to be it.

I let Sefor flow, directing the energy toward my legs. In an instant, I surged forward, moving faster than I ever had before. My blade struck one of the glowing cracks on its arm.

A sharp, inhuman roar erupted from the creature as my Cultro sank deep into the fissure, sending blue light searing through its form. The energy reacted violently, causing part of its arm to shatter.

It stumbled back, the ruined limb twitching.

I grinned. I can do this.

But the man didn't look relieved. He was already preparing another strike, his expression grim.

"That won't be enough," he warned.

The creature roared again—this time, its body surged with energy, and the ruins around us shifted. Walls cracked, the ceiling trembled.

And then I realized the horrifying truth.

The ruins weren't just its home.

They were part of it.

The ground beneath us trembled violently as the creature roared, its remaining arm digging into the ancient stone. Cracks spread across the walls like veins, glowing with the same eerie light that pulsed from its wounds.

The man cursed. "It's merging with the ruins. We have to kill it now."

I barely had time to nod before the beast lashed out. Its jagged fingers scraped across the ground, tearing through stone like paper. I leapt back, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the man—he moved differently. He didn't retreat.

He charged.

With a flash of silver, his blade carved into another glowing fissure, sending shards of rock and burning energy flying. The creature howled in pain, stumbling as more of its body cracked apart.

But it wasn't enough.

The ruins groaned, and suddenly, massive chunks of the ceiling came crashing down. One of them—a huge slab of stone—broke off right above him.

"No—!" I surged forward, but I wasn't fast enough.

The stone struck him.

The impact sent him to the ground, his body pinned beneath the weight. Dust and debris exploded around him, obscuring him from view.

"No, no, no—" I rushed over, my heart hammering. I dropped to my knees and started pushing at the stone, but it wouldn't budge. It was too heavy, too solid.

The dust cleared, and I finally saw his face. Blood trickled from his mouth, his breaths shallow. His arms, once strong, lay limp at his sides.

He smiled weakly. "You're… still standing. That's good."

I shook my head. "Don't talk like that. I—I can get you out."

He coughed, and more blood came up. "Kid… stop." His eyes, dim but still sharp, met mine. "Listen to me. That thing—it's not done. You have to finish it."

I clenched my fists. "Not without you."

He gave a strained chuckle. "That's not… how this works." His expression softened. "I told you. Sefor isn't just power. It's a force beyond us. And right now… it's calling you. Not me."

Tears blurred my vision. I refused to accept it. "You can still fight."

He exhaled, slow and tired. "No. My fight's over." His gaze flickered toward the beast. It was already stirring again, its body knitting itself back together. "Yours isn't."

I shook my head violently. "I don't care. I—"

His hand shot out and grabbed mine, his grip surprisingly strong. "Live." His voice, though weak, carried an undeniable force. "Live and get stronger. Not for me. Not for revenge. For yourself."

The ruins rumbled again. The creature was rising.

The man's grip loosened. His eyes fluttered.

I could feel it—his life slipping away, like a flame flickering in the wind.

My whole body trembled.

Then, something inside me snapped.

Sefor roared to life within me, a burning storm of energy. It flooded my veins, my vision, my very soul. My Cultro pulsed, the blue light around it flaring brighter than ever before.

I stood.

The creature fully turned toward me, its massive form looming.

I wasn't afraid anymore.

I was ready.

I would finish what he started.