Kranus 2

Karsu froze, his eyes widening slightly before he whispered:

"W-what? I felt time passing recklessly, as if it were eternity... but three years?!" He swallowed hard. "I fear my body may have completely decayed by now."

Kranos looked at him with calm confidence, trying to ease his concerns:

"Don't worry... to the outside world, your body has been in a state of hibernation, and only a few weeks have passed. The scientists studying your aura... they won't let your body deteriorate so easily, right?"

Karsu nodded slowly, but the worry still crept into his expression:

"Still, I can't take the risk. I don't know how long it'll take before they consider my body a burden. A week? A month? A year? I can't wait. I need to get out now, it's the safest choice."

Kranos closed his eyes for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully, before responding slowly:

"I know... but it's not that simple for you to leave."

Karsu glared at him intensely, his brow furrowing with tension:

"What do you mean? Can't you just... get me out?"

A look of exhaustion appeared on Kranos' face, something he hadn't shown before. His voice deepened and became more serious, as if opening an old wound:

"Of course I can... but when I saved you from death and transferred your consciousness here, I took severe damage. Trying to extract you now would be like a continuous hemorrhage for me. It's like... I would need thousands of years to recover. And you, as a human, don't have the time to see that happen, do you?"

Karsu remained silent, his expression darkening before he spoke in a low voice:

"I understand... well, thank you for everything you've done for me. You're the only one who hasn't betrayed me from the start. I don't want to burden you any further, so I'll find my own way out. But the most important question remains..."

Both Karsu and Kranos looked at each other simultaneously, their thoughts seemingly synchronized as they spoke in unison:

"How?"

Kranos smiled a faint smile, but this time it was mixed with a chilling seriousness:

"Death. Death is the only way out of here."

Karsu froze for a moment, staring at Kranos as though he were joking again, but Kranos continued with a darker tone:

"Don't worry... your death here doesn't mean your annihilation. But it will make you feel like you're dying. And I won't lie to you... it won't be easy. This barrier is of a sixth-level aura. And not just any sixth level."

Karsu narrowed his eyes, speaking sarcastically:

"Are you praising yourself now?"

Kranos lifted his head proudly, a mocking tone creeping in despite the tense atmosphere:

"What do you expect? I bet you'll die dozens of times before getting past the barrier."

Karsu's lips curled into a cold smile despite the situation:

"Is this how you challenge me, old aura?"

"Of course, who else could match me?" Kranos said with a side smirk before adding more seriously: "But there's no room for arrogance here, Karsu. The only way out... is to break your consciousness completely. You have to face yourself, literally."

Karsu's face stiffened, his brow furrowing intensely: "Face myself?... Explain more?"

Kranos nodded slowly, then raised his hand, gesturing in front of Karsu. Suddenly, the white space in front of them split open, revealing a precise reflection of Karsu, but this version was slightly different. His features were darker, his eyes glowing with a faint red light, and his aura was suffocating and terrifying.

"This... is you, Karsu. But it's the you that you haven't accepted yet. All your fears, all your weaknesses, everything you try to forget or deny. This manifestation is the key to leaving. You must defeat it... or accept it."

Karsu took a step back, his eyes narrowing with suspicion: "Is it strong?"

Kranos smiled a mocking smile: "It's you. What do you think?"

Karsu looked at the other version, which was staring at him with a chilling calmness, before he closed his eyes and whispered: "Well... let's see what I can do." He suddenly opened his eyes, shining with unshakable determination, preparing for the battle that would decide his fate.