Knowledge 2

The shade beneath the gnarled tree became Zale's sanctuary. Away from the relentless blaze of the sun, he found the coolness almost refreshing, a gentle balm against the exhaustion that clung to his bones.

He sank to the ground, his back pressed against the tree's rough bark as he drew in a slow, steady breath. The air was thick, tainted by the scent of decaying leaves and damp soil. But he didn't mind. It was better than the overwhelming brightness outside.

His fingers traced the dirt idly, carving patterns into the soil as he prepared himself. The tendrils of darkness he had summoned before… it had been done on instinct. Desperation. But now, he needed to approach it differently. To fully understand what had been given to him.

Zale closed his eyes, letting his breathing steady. Then he focused. Not on his physical form, but the strange, unsettling sensation lurking just beneath his skin. The feeling of darkness coiling in his chest, waiting to be called forth.

"Alright… show me what you can do," he whispered.

At first, nothing happened. Only the usual weight of fatigue pressing down on him, urging him to surrender to sleep. But he pushed past it, his mind diving deeper into the shadows that seemed to pulse within him.

The air grew colder. His skin prickled as if the darkness was responding to his call.

Then, he felt it. A subtle pull, like grasping at a loose thread.

His right hand trembled as black tendrils seeped from his fingertips, coiling around his palm before stretching outward. They slithered across the ground, fluid and restless, until they grasped at a nearby branch.

The effort was immense, sweat beading along his forehead, but the tendrils obeyed. They lifted the branch, holding it steady in the air.

Zale stared at the sight, his eyes wide. It was more than before. More controlled.

A faint grin crept onto his lips. "I can do this… I can control it."

He focused harder, his thoughts sharpening as he willed the tendrils to move the branch. They complied, clumsy at first, but gradually becoming more precise. The branch danced through the air, twisting and turning as Zale guided it.

His excitement grew, dulling the ache in his limbs. The darkness was more than just some abstract force. It was tangible, malleable. And it was his.

But even as he pushed his limits, exhaustion clawed at him. The more he manipulated the shadows, the more his vision blurred. His arms trembled, his chest heaving with every strained breath.

It was a constant battle—power against fatigue. And the fatigue was winning.

With a grunt of frustration, Zale let the tendrils dissolve. The branch fell to the ground with a muted thud, its weight insignificant compared to the crushing tiredness that now wrapped around him.

"Damn it…" he muttered, rubbing at his eyes. "Why does it drain me so much?"

But even as his body cried out for rest, his mind continued to churn. If this power was connected to The Sin of Sloth, then there had to be more to it than just conjuring shadows. And more importantly, there had to be a way to wield it without nearly collapsing from exhaustion each time.

He pushed himself to his feet, his legs trembling but holding steady. The sensation of darkness was still there, coiled around his chest like a second heartbeat.

It wasn't just about summoning the tendrils. The power felt… adaptable. Moldable.

"Alright," he whispered. "Let's see what else you can do."

This time, Zale extended his awareness beyond his hands. His whole body throbbed with the effort, but slowly, carefully, he let the darkness spread. His shadow expanded, thickening unnaturally as it stretched outward.

It crept across the ground, slithering up the tree trunks and clinging to their bark like living tar. The air grew colder, his breaths puffing out in shallow gasps.

But it was working. The darkness responded to his will, spreading and shifting as he desired. It was like a sixth sense, a part of him that transcended his physical body.

He could feel the contours of the world around him, the textures of the earth and trees carried through the shadows like ripples on the surface of a lake. It was intoxicating.

But the deeper he pushed, the more the fatigue roared back, demanding surrender. His knees buckled, his vision swimming as he teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.

"No… not yet…"

His voice was little more than a raspy breath, but his will held firm. He needed to keep going. To learn more. To understand.

He let the darkness retreat, condensing back into his body like a tide receding from the shore. The relief was immediate, the heaviness easing slightly.

But even as he panted, catching his breath, he knew he had only scratched the surface. This power was far more complex than he had first thought.

He spent hours repeating the process, delving deeper into his abilities and testing the boundaries of what the darkness could do. The tendrils were only the beginning. The shadow itself was malleable, able to harden or soften at his command. It could stretch outward to gather information or coil around him like a protective shield.

But the more he pushed himself, the more the drowsiness grew. Like a toxin seeping into his veins. And then he felt it—an obstruction.

Like slamming into an invisible wall, something blocked him from going further. It was sudden, jarring, and absolute.

His chest tightened, a growl of frustration rising from his throat. "What the hell…?"

He tried again, reaching out with the darkness only for the same barrier to shove him back. No matter how much effort he poured into it, the result was always the same.

"Why can't I…" Zale's voice cracked, his vision blurring from exhaustion. "Why can't I go further?"

His fingers dug into the earth, his breath ragged. The answer hovered at the edge of his thoughts, just out of reach.

There was something blocking him. Something stopping him from truly mastering this power. And if it was a barrier, then there had to be a way past it.

But first, he needed to understand what it was. And why it existed.

His fists clenched, determination hardening in his chest. The Sin of Sloth had given him this power for a reason. And he was going to find out why.

No matter how much it demanded from him.