The Awakening Of The Shadows
Chapter 51: I Am You

Chapter 51: I Am You

Silence stretched around Lian like a suffocating mantle.

He was still gripping Oblivion tightly, but something inside him felt... strange. Different.

The battle against those Abyssal Creatures should have given him relief, but instead, he felt like he was merely being led toward something greater. Something inevitable.

And then, he heard it.

A low chuckle, almost imperceptible, echoing around him.

"It’s been a long time since you’ve talked to me, Lian."

His heart stopped for a second.

He knew that voice.

Oblivion.

But there was something different about it. He couldn’t quite understand it, but it felt off, like a completely different being.

Lian narrowed his eyes, his body still on high alert.

"What does that mean?"

The whisper came soft, almost mocking.

"I am you."

Lian clenched his teeth, feeling a shiver crawl up his spine.

"Don’t try to confuse me. You’re just a weapon. Just a materialization of my power, that’s what you told me."

The world around him seemed to react to his denial. The ground beneath his feet trembled. The air around him grew heavy, and the once motionless shadows began writhing as if they were alive.

Then, he felt a presence. Strong and dense. And all too familiar.

Lian turned slowly, feeling his instincts scream inside him.

And then he saw it.

A few meters away, a figure emerged from the shadows.

And it was him.

But at the same time, it wasn’t.

His skin was pale, almost grayish. His eyes glowed with an intense purple hue, and a cold smile curved his lips. His presence was suffocating, a pit of darkness that seemed to pull everything around it inside.

It was him. But distorted.

"Finally, Lian," the figure said, his voice carrying a deep echo. "I’ve been waiting for you."

Lian tightened his fists, stepping back slightly. "Who... or what are you?"

The shadowed version chuckled, closing the distance a little.

"I am you, Lian."

He stopped just a few meters away, analyzing Lian like a predator watching its prey.

"Or at least... the part of you that you pretend doesn’t exist. Your power. You wield me like a weapon, but you refuse to accept who I am. You’re a coward. You fear the curse, even though you don’t know the truth."

Lian felt a cold chill run through his body.

"Lies."

The dark version tilted his head, as if bored.

"Oh, Lian..." He sighed. "Do you really think you can run from me? You have to accept what you are."

Before Lian could respond, he felt the energy around him shift.

The ground beneath his feet trembled.

The darkness around him began to compress.

And then, the shadow lunged.

Lian tried to react, raising Oblivion and swinging the blade in a precise cut. But in the next instant, his own copy vanished before his eyes.

His instincts screamed.

He turned—

Too late.

The impact hit like thunder.

His copy struck him in the stomach, launching him backward with overwhelming force.

Lian felt his body collide with something solid. His chest burned, the air escaping from his lungs.

He dropped to his knees, coughing.

"What was that?" He forced himself to lift his head, panting.

The dark version was still there, smiling.

"You always talk about control," he said, walking slowly. "But let’s see how much control you really have."

Lian stood up with difficulty, his gaze fierce.

"You want to fight?" He gripped Oblivion tightly. "Then let’s fight."

He charged forward.

Oblivion gleamed with its dark energy, cutting through the air in a perfect strike.

But the shadow dodged.

With terrifying ease.

Lian attacked again. Faster. Stronger.

But every strike was avoided with pinpoint precision.

The shadow was toying with him.

"Is this all?" The mocking voice echoed around him. "You call yourself strong... but you’re nothing more than a child playing with powers you don’t understand."

Lian roared, swinging Oblivion in a wider arc, trying to surprise his opponent.

But the moment the attack should have landed, the shadow disappeared.

And reappeared behind him.

The kick came without warning.

A direct hit to his back, sending Lian forward.

He tried to recover, but another strike hit his face, knocking him to the ground.

Pain radiated through his entire body.

The shadow placed a foot on his chest, pinning him down.

And then, Oblivion vanished from his hand.

Lian’s eyes widened as he saw the black blade float into his copy’s grasp.

The shadow held the sword with familiarity. Spun it between his fingers, evaluating it.

"Funny," he said. "You know what’s interesting?"

He looked directly at Lian, his glowing eyes filled with malice.

"I wield it better than you."

Lian felt a chill.

Before he could react, Oblivion shone in the shadow’s hands.

And then, without warning, the black blade slashed through the space between them.

A wave of dark energy swept through the surroundings, throwing Lian back with a force he had never felt before.

He flew, his body spinning through the air, until he violently crashed into an invisible wall.

The impact was brutal.

Lian hit the ground, his vision darkening.

Pain consumed him.

And then, he heard it.

The shadow’s voice, echoing like thunder.

"You were never in control. It was always me."

Lian tried to move, but his body wouldn’t respond.

His blood felt like ice.

His mind was sinking.

And for the first time, he felt true fear.

Not of losing.

But of being consumed.

Of disappearing.

Of no longer being himself.

"What’s the point of this? What do you want from me?" Lian asked, struggling to stand, but the pain kept him down.

"You know what I like about you, Lian?" The copy approached him with an arrogant smile. "Even in life-or-death situations, you always have a sharp tongue. That’s why I enjoy following you."

"Screw you," Lian spat out some blood as he spoke.

"Neither of us wants to die. If you can’t control yourself, we’ll both die. As long as you deny your powers out of fear of being consumed by them, you’ll be the perfect prey for demons."

Lian didn’t want to deal with the curse he had read about in the book. He stopped speaking to Oblivion to avoid thinking about it. He tried to pretend the curse didn’t exist. He didn’t want to accept this reality.

"You want to take over my mind and control me. Don’t lie to me!" Lian was furious, he didn’t trust his powers. He had hurt important people because of them. He couldn’t risk being deceived.

His copy let out a disappointed sigh. "You’re stubborn. But that will change with time. You will learn the truth about our origin. Even if it takes a thousand years in this hell."

The copy placed a hand over Lian’s eyes, shrouding his vision in darkness.

He tried to resist.

But he couldn’t.