Echoes of the Void

Chapter 48: Echoes of the Void

Kael-X scoffed, crossing his arms. "The void is watching me? Great. Add that to the list of things trying to kill me."

Erevos remained still, his presence unwavering. "You misunderstand, Kael-X. The void does not seek to destroy you. It seeks to claim you."

Veyros shifted uneasily. "That doesn't sound any better."

Kael-X rolled his shoulders, his patience wearing thin. "Look, I've had Zypheron-5 hunting me, Earth's military testing me, and now I have some cosmic abyss paying attention to me. Why should I care?"

Erevos lifted his hand, and the ruins trembled. Shadows coiled around him, forming a swirling mass of black energy. "Because once the void marks something, it does not let go. You are becoming something beyond Zypheronian or human understanding."

Kael-X smirked. "And that's supposed to scare me?"

Erevos exhaled. "Not scare you. Prepare you."

The air around them shifted. The ruins pulsed again, and for a brief moment, Kael-X felt something—an overwhelming presence.

A whisper.

It wasn't a voice. It was something deeper.

It brushed against his mind, weightless yet heavy, like the pull of gravity itself.

It was watching.

Kael-X's smirk faded. His fingers twitched, and Veyros stepped closer, his usual sarcasm replaced with rare concern.

"Kael-X?"

The feeling vanished.

Kael-X clenched his fists. "...What was that?"

Erevos lowered his hand. "The beginning."

The shadows receded, and the ruins fell silent again.

Kael-X exhaled sharply. Whatever had just happened, it wasn't an illusion. It wasn't a trick. It was real.

And for the first time, he wasn't sure if he could fight it.

Erevos turned away. "You will hear the void again, whether you wish to or not. When that time comes, choose wisely, Kael-X."

With that, Erevos vanished into the darkness, leaving only silence behind.

Kael-X stood still, his jaw tightening.

Veyros finally broke the quiet. "...I don't like this."

Kael-X exhaled. "Yeah. Me neither."

For once, they agreed.

---

Chapter 48 (Continued): Echoes of the Void

Kael-X let out a slow breath, shaking off the lingering sensation. He had felt many things before—pain, speed, power—but this was different. This was something… old. Something that didn't belong in his world, or any world he knew.

Veyros stood beside him, unusually quiet. For once, the sarcastic shadow beast didn't have a witty remark. That alone was unsettling.

Kael-X turned to Veyros. "You felt that too, didn't you?"

Veyros hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. And for the record, I hate it."

The ruins remained still, but Kael-X couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. The shadows didn't feel the same anymore. They weren't just darkness—they were watching, waiting.

He turned back to Erevos. "So what now? You tell me I've been 'marked' by the void, drop a cryptic warning, and leave me to figure it out myself?"

Erevos didn't turn around. "Understanding cannot be given. It must be realized."

Kael-X groaned. "Oh great, now you sound like some ancient monk."

"The void has already reached for you once," Erevos continued. "It will reach again. The more you resist, the stronger its pull will become."

Veyros scoffed. "Right. Because ignoring terrifying cosmic forces always works out."

Kael-X ran a hand through his hair, already regretting every choice that led him here. "So what do you suggest? That I just let it take me?"

Erevos finally turned, his golden eyes narrowing. "You are not meant to be taken, Kael-X. You are meant to command."

A silence stretched between them.

Kael-X's brow furrowed. "...What does that mean?"

Erevos didn't answer. Instead, he stepped backward—into the shadows. His body melted into the darkness, vanishing like he had never been there at all.

The ruins fell quiet once more.

Kael-X clenched his fists. He hated this. He hated being led in circles, dealing with powers he didn't understand. He was a fighter, not a philosopher. If something came for him, he'd punch it in the face and move on.

But this time…

This time, he wasn't sure if punching would be enough.

Veyros let out a low growl. "This is bad."

Kael-X smirked, though it didn't reach his eyes. "When is it not?"

Veyros didn't answer.

Because for once, they both knew—this time, it was different.

And whatever was coming next…

It was already watching.

---

Chapter 48 (Continued): Echoes of the Void

A cold breeze swept through the ruins, carrying with it the distant sound of something shifting in the dark. Kael-X remained still, his sharp senses scanning the environment, but there was nothing. No movement. No presence.

And yet, he knew he was not alone.

Veyros sat on his haunches beside him, his glowing eyes locked on the shadows where Erevos had vanished. "He left without answering any of our questions. Typical."

Kael-X exhaled sharply. "Yeah, well, cryptic ancient beings love their riddles."

Veyros flicked his tail. "Maybe if you had asked better questions, we'd have gotten actual answers."

Kael-X shot him a look. "Excuse me? I'm the one who got us this far."

"Oh, my apologies, Lord of Speed and Poor Decision-Making. Next time, I'll let you wander into cosmic horror alone."

Kael-X sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Whatever. The point is, something's coming. Erevos made that clear."

Veyros nodded, but his usual sarcasm was absent. "Yeah. And that means we need to be ready."

Kael-X crossed his arms. "The question is… ready for what?"

As if in response, the shadows around them pulsed. It was faint—barely noticeable—but Kael-X felt it deep in his bones. A whisper. A presence. Something waiting just beyond the veil of reality.

Then, for the first time since Erevos left…

Something answered.

A deep, guttural voice echoed through the chamber—not with words, but with meaning.

"You are seen."

Kael-X's breath hitched. His pulse spiked.

Veyros' fur bristled, his claws scraping against the stone floor. "Nope. Nope. Absolutely not. I refuse."

Kael-X's body tensed as the shadows deepened, swirling around them like ink in water. The voice rumbled again.

"You are marked."

A sudden weight pressed against Kael-X's chest, as if unseen chains were wrapping around him. His vision darkened at the edges.

Something was pulling at him.

He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "Not today."

With sheer will, he forced himself to move—one step forward, then another. The weight resisted, but Kael-X was faster. Stronger.

He took another step—

And the pressure shattered.

The ruins fell silent once more. The air was still.

Kael-X exhaled, shaking his head. "Okay. That was new."

Veyros huffed, shaking out his fur. "I hate everything about this."

Kael-X looked down at his hands. He didn't feel different. But he knew, without a doubt, that something had changed.

Something had seen him.

And whatever it was…

It wasn't done with him yet.