The Awakening Of The Shadows
Chapter 56: Mental Test

Chapter 56: Mental Test

The silence hung heavy in the dense air of that dark battlefield. Lian was still trying to process everything he had just discovered.

The man before him, who introduced himself as Kael, watched him with piercing eyes, evaluating his posture, his physical state, and, most importantly, his determination.

"If you want to survive, you will need to defeat yourself."

Lian lifted his gaze, confused.

"Defeat myself?" His voice carried disbelief. "What does that even mean?"

Kael crossed his arms and gave a small smile, as if he had already anticipated this question.

"Exactly what I said. The greatest obstacle you will face here isn’t the monsters, nor the darkness itself. It’s you."

Lian felt a shiver run down his spine. Since arriving in that dimension, he had felt as if he were being watched. As if something... or someone... was waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.

"You’ve already seen what’s inside you, haven’t you?" Kael continued. "When you lost control, when you felt the true weight of Oblivion’s power... you felt the presence inside your mind. You know there is something more."

Lian clenched his fists.

"I saw him... but that’s not me."

Kael chuckled softly.

"You want to believe that." He leaned slightly forward. "But what if I told you that thing... has always been there?"

Lian blinked, his heart beating faster.

"You’re saying that I’ve always been... that?"

Kael shook his head.

"Not exactly. But that version of you, that force residing within you, didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It grew, feeding on your pain, your anger, your thirst for revenge. Every time you thought about killing your enemies, every time you gave in to fury in battle... he got stronger."

Lian looked at his hands. He remembered what he felt when he lost control. The power, the clarity. The hunger for destruction.

"If he’s so powerful..." Lian muttered, frowning. "How the hell am I supposed to defeat him?"

Kael smiled again, as if expecting that question.

"Don’t worry. You’ll have time to prepare."

Lian narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Kael sighed and stepped away, transporting them back to the castle and walking to one of the great windows of the chamber. The world outside was an endless ocean of pulsating shadows, as alive as it was menacing.

"This place does not follow the rules of your world," Kael explained, gesturing beyond the window. "Here, time moves differently. A day out there can be weeks or even months in here. You will have time to train, to strengthen your body, your mind, and your soul."

Lian felt a knot in his stomach.

"So... if I stay here too long..."

Kael nodded.

"When you return, only a few days may have passed out there. You can focus entirely on what you need, if you truly want this."

Lian clenched his fists. He couldn’t afford to lose himself. He had to be stronger.

He had already tasted defeat. The bitter taste of helplessness. He would never let that happen again.

"So, what’s the next step?" Lian asked.

Kael turned to him and smiled.

"Now, you must face your first trial."

He stepped closer, and in the next instant, the environment around them shifted.

The stone walls of the castle vanished, replaced by a dark and silent field. The ground was a dense black mist, and above them, the sky was an endless void speckled with deep darkness.

Lian felt an invisible weight on his chest. Something about this place made him feel... exposed. As if he were being analyzed by something he couldn’t see.

Kael took a few steps back.

"This is a test for your mind, Lian," he explained. "You can be strong, you can learn to fight better. But if your mind is weak, none of it matters. If you break here... there is no return."

Lian swallowed hard.

"Great... and what do I have to do?"

Kael pointed toward the horizon.

"Discover who you truly are. And then, return."

Before Lian could question him, the ground disappeared.

He was swallowed by the darkness.

For a moment, there was only silence.

And then, the pain began.

Memories flooded his mind.

His home in flames. The smell of blood. The sound of his family’s screams.

Lian gasped, feeling paralyzed as he watched the scene unfold once again. The day his life changed. The day everything was taken from him.

He saw himself, a boy kneeling on the ground, holding what remained of his sister’s bracelet, now completely destroyed by the fire.

"No... not again..."

The younger version of him lifted his head, eyes wide and filled with tears.

"Lian... why didn’t you do anything?"

Lian felt a chill run down his spine.

He tried to answer, tried to say that he was weak, that he had no power back then...

But the words wouldn’t come out.

His mother’s voice echoed from afar.

"You promised... that you would protect us..."

Lian felt his mind spinning. He couldn’t do this again.

He couldn’t relive this.

"Stop!" he shouted, clutching his head.

But the pain didn’t stop.

The scene before him distorted, and then, he saw another version of himself.

It wasn’t him crying.

It was an older Lian. Dressed in black armor, his eyes glowing with the purple energy of Oblivion.

The other Lian smiled at him.

"So... we finally meet."

Lian felt his body tremble.

This wasn’t a memory.

This was a vision of what he could become.

The other Lian tilted his head.

"You think you can fight against this?"

Lian gritted his teeth.

"I am not you."

The other laughed.

"Not yet. But you will be. Do you think you can resist forever? You feel it, don’t you? The power calling to you."

Lian felt the shadows around his body stir.

"I am not you," he repeated.

The other Lian took a step forward.

"Then prove it."

The scene exploded into light, and Lian felt his body being pulled back.

He opened his eyes with a gasp, breathing heavily.

He was back in the dark field, with Kael standing before him.

The man watched him with a serious expression.

"So, you saw it?"

Lian swallowed hard.

"Yes..."

Kael nodded.

"Now you know what’s at stake."

Lian clenched his fists.

"Yes."

Kael smiled slightly.

"Then, let’s begin your true training. And never forget... there are fates worse than death."