SHADOWS OF THE PAST

The next day after the trial went by uneventfully. Ryuu awoke to the still hum of the temple's ancient magic lingering in the air. He could feel it echoing within him, as if the stones of the temple were alive.

The shadows at the edges of the room had a subtle motion, and the scent of earth and age filled the air. Aeris had given him a few hours' rest after the initial test, but it was time for more again.

The Heartstone had given him no immediate payoff, no rush of powers or deluge of abilities, only a sense of new knowings—weak though they might be—that he was starting to tap into something far greater than he comprehended.

His muscles still hurt from the fight against the shadow beasts. Although they were illusions, their attacks had been real. His arms and legs hurt, his head throbbed with fatigue. But he could not rest for long. Aeris would never let him.

As he came out of the room, the light of the morning sun had only begun to seep through the cracks in the mountain, pouring light into the lengthening shadows on the ground.

Outside, Aeris waited, her black shape silhouetted against the sun. She did not say anything at first, simply regarding him with those piercing green eyes as if to gauge him.

"You've done a good job," she finally said, breaking the silence. "But that was just the beginning. Now begins the real challenge."

Ryuu nodded but remained silent. The solemnity of her words lingered in the air. What was she referring to by "the real challenge", then? He had already fought creatures born of darkness. What more could there be?

Aeris could feel like she knew that he was uncomfortable. She pivoted and began to walk toward the center of the temple, her voice authoritative as she stated,.

"Your gifts are tied to more than your ancestry. They are tied to an old power that has slumbered for centuries. You are not alone who can tap into such power. There are others—others who have sought out the Heartstone, who would trade their lives for dominion over its strength."

Ryuu's vertebrae trembled. "Others? Who are they?"

Aeris backed away to view him, her expression unreadable. "They are members of an old order, Ryuu. An order that desired to command the power of the Heartstone for themselves. And now they're looking for you."

Ryuu's gut was tied up in knots. He had only just figured out what was occurring to him, and now they were on their way, people who would steal his power for themselves. He couldn't help but speculate what other things Aeris had not revealed to him.

Before he could object, a sound came from far inside the temple—a low, mournful growl that seemed to reverberate off the stone walls. Ryuu instinctively reached for his dagger, but Aeris caught his arm.

"They are here," she breathed, a shadow falling over her face. "The first of many tests."

Ryuu's heart was racing. What did she mean by "trials"? Was he to battle again? Or was there something else at play?

Aeris turned to enter the temple deeper, her pace swift and certain. Ryuu lagged behind for a moment, but then followed after, his instincts kicking in. Whatever was happening, he needed to be prepared.

The further they traveled, the thicker the air was. Walls seemed to encroach on them, carvings on the stone going more intricate, more lifelike. Ryuu's senses grew sharp, a crying power seeping beneath his skin.

As they drew near the end of the hallway, Ryuu saw it: a colossal, dark shape in the center of the room. Its shape was a roiling mass of darkness, its red eyes burning with an unnatural ferocity into Ryuu.

It was enormous—at least ten feet tall—and pulsed with malevolent energy.

"This is your second test," Aeris told him, her voice gentle and low. "Defeat this beast, and you will have proven yourself worthy. Lose, and you will be among its casualties."

The beast snarled, advancing at unnatural speed, its claws scraping against the stone ground. Ryuu's heart pounded in his chest as he prepared for another fight.

The beast immediately attacked him, moving a lot faster than anything Ryuu had ever seen. His head went blank as he simply dodged its first strike. The beast's claws ripped across the rocks, sending sparks flying as they scraped along the earth.

Ryuu wasn't able to do more than respond before the creature struck him again, this time its colossal tail. He dodged out of the way just in time, but he could feel the pressure of the air as the tail whizzed past his body.

"Focus Ryuu!" Aeris shouted behind him. "You can take more than that. Strike the power within you!"

Ryuu clenched his fists, his chest heaving with rapid bursts of air. He could sense the power burning inside him, a tormented, restless energy that he couldn't quite hold onto. He had to focus. He had to control it.

The monster struck him once more, opening wide its jaw full of sharp teeth. It continued moving in spurts of blackness, twisting in on him, never staying still long enough for him to deliver a solid strike.

Ryuu's head spun as he struggled to sense its motion. He couldn't keep running from it forever. The energy inside him—it was present, on the verge, ready to be unlocked. He had to do this.

He closed his eyes for an instant, calming his mind. The energy reacted, and his senses grew keener. He sensed the currents of the creature's motion, the rhythm of its strike.

With a sudden surge of adrenaline, Ryuu lunged forward, his hand out. He concentrated all of his will into the power accumulating within him, channeling it into a dense wave of energy. The energy in the palm exploded outward and struck the creature in the chest.

The dark beast let out a revolting scream when it was sent flying backward, its body shattering into a cloud of night and smoke.

Ryuu stood there, panting, his body trembling with the exertion.

Aeris approached him, her face set in an expression of approval and something else—concern, perhaps.

"Good job, Ryuu," she answered. "But this was just the start. The true enemy isn't the monster, but that which works in the background, waiting for you to get too big-headed."

Ryuu panted, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "What are you saying?"

Aeris's eyes grew narrow. "The greatest test comes next. We've just begun to learn the truth of your heritage and the enemies you'll be facing. This test was to show you that your power can grow, but only if you learn to control it—always."

Ryuu nodded, his mind racing with fresh questions. Who were these enemies? And what did they seek from him?

But one thing was sure: his journey was only just beginning.