Chapter 17: A Path Unveiled
The laughter of the abyss echoed long after the voice had faded.
Kael stood motionless, his breathing even but his mind churning.
What had he just seen?
A vision? A memory? A future that had yet to unfold?
The golden-eyed warrior had been him. There was no mistaking it. The armor, the blade—it all felt too familiar.
But the destruction... the chaos...
Kael clenched his jaw.
"That will not be me."
The abyss pulsed, its presence looming around him. It did not argue.
It didn't need to.
Kael exhaled and turned his focus back to the throne.
It had shown him something for a reason.
And now, it was waiting.
"You have seen a glimpse of the path."
The voice rumbled through the air, ancient and knowing.
"Now, you must decide."
The words were simple, but Kael knew the weight they carried.
The throne's power had already begun to awaken. But it was not yet whole.
And if that vision was any indication, neither was he.
His fingers curled at his side. "What do I need to do?"
The silence stretched for a moment, and then—
The chamber shifted.
The walls rippled like water, and the very air around him distorted.
Then, in the space before him, a path formed.
A bridge of black stone, stretching forward into an endless void.
At the end of the path—a door.
A towering, ancient structure of obsidian and silver.
Something about it called to him.
"Walk the path. Face what lies beyond."
Kael didn't hesitate.
He took the first step.
---
The air was thick with tension as Kael moved forward.
Each step he took felt heavy.
Not physically—but as if the very weight of existence pressed against him.
Shadows twisted at the edges of the path, forming shapes—whispers of figures long forgotten.
They reached for him, murmuring in a language he did not understand.
Kael ignored them.
His eyes remained fixed on the door ahead.
As he neared, a sudden pressure gripped his chest.
Something was waiting.
The air pulsed.
And then—the door opened.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
---
Kael found himself standing in the ruins of a battlefield.
The sky was ashen. The air thick with the scent of blood and fire.
Scattered across the ground were bodies.
Some human. Some... something else.
Kael exhaled slowly.
This place.
It was the same as the vision.
And in the distance—the tower stood.
The place where his other self had watched the world burn.
Kael's gaze darkened.
If this was a memory, then somewhere in this battlefield… he was here.
He began to move.
His footsteps were soundless against the scorched earth. The silence was unnatural—as if the entire world held its breath.
Then—
"You came after all."
Kael froze.
The voice had come from behind him.
He turned slowly.
And standing there, just a few paces away—was himself.
But not quite.
This version of him was different.
His posture was relaxed, but his golden eyes burned. His armor was cracked, his blade coated in blood.
And yet, he smiled.
A slow, knowing smile.
"Took you long enough."
Kael's fingers curled. "Who are you?"
The golden-eyed version of him tilted his head. "Isn't it obvious?"
His eyes glowed brighter.
"I'm you."