The Awakening Of The Shadows
Chapter 55: More Than A Sword

Chapter 55: More Than A Sword

The surroundings trembled as if the castle itself reacted to the man’s words. The flames on the candles flickered violently, shadows wavering on the walls, while Lian kept his gaze fixed on the mysterious figure before him.

"I will tell you everything," the man repeated, his voice echoing in the heavy air of the chamber.

Lian did not relax. He knew he couldn’t trust someone who claimed to have been a wielder of Oblivion. But at the same time, he couldn’t ignore the truth in his words. Ever since he wielded the sword, he had felt the weight of something far greater than himself. Something alive. Something hungry.

"Start by telling me your name," Lian demanded, his eyes shining with determination.

The man smiled slightly.

"I have had many names," he said, resting his elbows on the stone table. "But the one you would recognize... is Kael."

The name meant nothing to Lian. He frowned.

"Kael?"

The man, Kael, nodded slowly.

"My name was erased from history," he continued. "But long ago, I too was chosen by Oblivion. And, just like you, I thought I could control it."

Lian crossed his arms, still analyzing every word.

"You want me to believe that you were a former wielder? And you expect me to accept the excuse that your name was erased from history? How do you expect me to believe you truly wielded Oblivion? You’re probably just like those other voices."

"You are so stubborn. So many things point to the truth, yet you still deny it. Tell me, Lian, what is it that you fear?" Kael’s gaze was serious, as if he were trying to see straight into Lian’s mind.

Lian couldn’t deny it. The writings on the prison walls, the echoes in his mind, even the voices that had haunted him since he arrived in this place, all pointed to the fact that Oblivion was far older than he had imagined. But he was afraid of believing the wrong person. Either he trusted the book given to him by Lena, which had already predestined his fate, or he trusted Kael, who claimed there was a way to avoid being consumed, but at the risk of being manipulated.

Kael raised a hand and made a subtle movement. The candles around them flickered, and then, at the back of the room, a massive stone wall shifted. Lian immediately turned, muscles tensed, ready to react in case it was a trap.

But what emerged was unexpected.

The wall opened, revealing a vast underground hall, illuminated only by rows of spectral torches burning with purple flames. At its center stood an immense mural carved into the rock.

Lian approached slowly.

The mural depicted a colossal battle. Human figures wielding weapons of darkness and light clashed against monstrous creatures, shapeless beings that seemed to be made of pure shadow. At the heart of the mural, a lone figure held a black sword, from which shadows emanated, consuming everything around it.

Lian shivered.

He recognized the sword.

It was Oblivion.

Kael walked up beside him, observing the mural with a distant look.

"Oblivion was not forged by humans," he said, his voice carrying the weight of ancient memories. "It was born from the very balance between light and darkness, before the concept of the universe itself. It was never created, it has always existed. Its purpose is to be the balance of the universe."

Lian frowned.

"Balance?"

"It belongs to no one," Kael continued. "Those who wield it are merely manifestations of its will. And sooner or later, its will is always fulfilled."

Lian clenched his fists.

"Then why did it choose me?"

Kael smiled slightly.

"That is the wrong question," he replied. "You should be asking: why have you not fallen yet?"

Silence filled the chamber.

Lian felt a wave of chills run down his spine.

He had known something was wrong from the beginning. But he had never stopped to think about it. If all the others had fallen... why was he still resisting?

"That is why I am here," Kael said. "To show you the truth. To show you the path I took... and where it led me."

Before Lian could respond, Kael extended his hand.

The ground beneath them trembled.

The purple flames flared, and the entire hall seemed to fold in on itself.

Lian felt a sharp pain in his head, as if something were being torn from within him. He staggered, gripping his temple, trying to suppress the sensation that his mind was being pulled into another reality.

And then, the world shattered.

Lian was no longer in the castle.

He found himself standing on a battlefield, surrounded by corpses and ashes. The sky was blood-red, and a storm of shadows roared around him. At the center of the field stood a lone figure, wielding Oblivion.

But it was not Kael.

It was him.

Or rather... a distorted version of him.

The other Lian looked directly at him, a dark smile on his face. His eyes glowed an intense purple, and his skin was covered in black markings that pulsed as if they were alive.

"So, you finally found me," the other version of him said, effortlessly spinning Oblivion in the air.

Lian felt his heart race.

He recognized that voice.

It was the same voice that whispered in his mind whenever he was about to lose control.

The voice that urged him toward violence.

The voice that laughed when he fought.

The voice that wanted him to surrender completely to destruction.

Kael appeared at his side, his expression serious.

"This," he said, "is your true enemy."

Lian swallowed hard.

"This... is me?"

Kael nodded slowly.

"This is what you could become... if you follow the same path I did."

The other Lian chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"I am what you truly are, Lian," he said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Everything you repress. Everything you fear. Everything that, deep down, you know you desire."

Lian felt a knot form in his throat.

He wanted to deny it. Wanted to say that it was a lie.

But part of him knew it wasn’t.

Kael placed a hand on Lian’s shoulder.

"If you want to master Oblivion," he said, "then first, you must face yourself."

The other Lian raised Oblivion, his dark aura surging around him like an uncontrollable wildfire.

"Let’s see how long you can resist... before you become me."

Lian steadied his stance.

He knew he couldn’t run from this fight.

Because this wasn’t just any battle.

This was a battle for his soul.