CHAPTER 21: Confrontation

"The Dream of Chains and Fire"

"In slumber's grip, the truth revealed,

A war within, a fate unsealed.

When shadow dances with the light,

The soul must rise or lose the fight."

Ashix sat quietly beneath the faint light of dawn, still clutching the necklace that pulsed softly against his palm. Faye had returned to her quiet prayers beside the Moon Tree, while Elira and Marini prepared simple herbs to ease everyone's injuries. The silence after the chaos felt strange — as if something darker still lingered just beyond the veil.

When Ashix finally closed his eyes, letting his mind drift into rest, the world around him melted away… only to be replaced by something far more terrifying.

He stood in a great, endless void. Black as ink, yet strangely lit by swirling crimson embers in the air. A heavy wind howled through the dark, and in the distance, a voice echoed — calm, powerful, and bone-deep chilling.

> "So… you've come this far, little Guardian."

Ashix turned swiftly, drawing his blade, but it felt heavier than usual — slower, as if time resisted him. From the shadows emerged a figure cloaked in layered obsidian armor. A jagged crown of onyx sat upon his brow, and flames whispered at his heels.

Kael Thorne.

His eyes were like molten silver, unblinking and ancient. He wore no expression, but his aura screamed of war and death.

"I've seen you before," Ashix hissed. "In the memories… You're the one who shattered the Circle of Light."

Kael only nodded. "And I will finish what I began."

Without warning, the void exploded into motion.

Ashix charged first, his spirit blade igniting with silver flame. He swung high, then low, each strike aimed to test Kael's defense. But Kael moved like smoke — fluid, untouched. He parried with a blade of darkness, its hilt carved from bone, its edges flickering with screams.

Their weapons clashed, sending waves of shock through the void. Sparks burst around them like dying stars. Ashix ducked under a spinning strike, rolled, and countered — his blade grazing Kael's shoulder. But instead of blood, dark ash spilled out.

Kael smiled. "Good. Better than the last ones."

He stepped forward, a single punch sending Ashix crashing backward into a stone wall that hadn't been there moments ago. Pain exploded through his ribs. Gritting his teeth, Ashix rose again.

"Still standing?" Kael asked, raising his hand.

Chains of fire shot out from the air itself, wrapping around Ashix's limbs, searing his skin. He screamed, the pain too real for a dream. Yet he pulled — pulled with all his strength, channeling the light that had grown within him since the journey began.

The chains shattered.

Ashix leapt, spinning mid-air, and brought down his blade with a war cry that tore through the silence.

Kael blocked — barely.

The force of the blow split the earth beneath them, and the void trembled.

But Kael was done playing.

With a simple wave of his hand, the world twisted. A thousand Kaels appeared around Ashix, each slashing with precision. He blocked one, then two, but couldn't stop the third. Or the fourth. His shoulder was cut. His thigh. A searing slice across his back sent him to his knees.

Then — silence again.

The illusions vanished, and Kael stood directly before him. "I could end this now," he said softly. "But I won't."

Ashix spat blood. "Why? Afraid?"

Kael knelt, gripping Ashix's chin. "You're the key, boy. The light inside you… it can unseal what even I cannot break. I still need you — just a little longer."

Then Kael stood and began to fade into the dark, but his voice lingered.

> "Sleep well, Guardian. For soon, your light will become my greatest weapon."

---

Ashix gasped awake, his body soaked in sweat, and every part of him screamed with pain.

He clutched his ribs — bruised. His arm — bleeding. His back — torn as if the blades had followed him from dream into waking.

"Ashix!" Marini rushed to his side, alarm flashing in her eyes.

Elira followed, kneeling down beside him. "Gods, what happened to you? You were fine just a moment ago!"

"I—" Ashix couldn't speak. The pain was too fresh, too real.

Faye ran over, her eyes widening. "These wounds… They're not natural. Did something happen? Did someone curse him?"

"No," Ashix said through gritted teeth. "I saw him. Kael Thorne. In my dream. He fought me — no, he hunted me.

The fire crackled behind them, throwing long shadows across the walls.

Elira's face darkened. "So, he's watching. Even in your sleep."

Marini gently wrapped his arm. "Then we'll make sure he doesn't get what he wants. You're not alone in this."

Naru curled beside Ashix, placing a paw on his leg. I felt it too, came the quiet voice in his mind. Your pain. The battle. We must prepare… the enemy grows bolder.

Ashix nodded weakly. "We can't stay here long."

"But you must rest," Maelin said, emerging magically with a warm cloth and an herbal bowl. "The soul fights even when the body sleeps. That kind of battle leaves scars in more than one place."

She began tending to his wounds, humming a strange old melody under her breath.

As dawn fully broke, the warmth of the sun crept into the hut. Despite the heavy news, a sense of unity filled the air — and beneath it, the growing certainty that they were inching closer to something world-changing.

Ashix closed his eyes again, not to sleep, but to breathe.

Tomorrow, they would move forward.

But tonight… they would stand watch together.