Kael’s shadow writhed uncontrollably, tendrils stretching and twisting as they pulled him closer to the Monolith. The air around him buzzed with energy, each pulse from the towering structure pounding in his chest like a second heartbeat.

“Kael!” Elira’s voice cut through the oppressive hum. She lunged toward him, her hand outstretched, but the tendrils surged forward, yanking Kael out of reach.

Torran slammed his shield into the ground, activating a defensive skill. The glowing barrier held back the corrupted energy swirling around the group, but even his strength was faltering. “We can’t let it take him!” he growled, his teeth clenched against the strain.

Kael stumbled, his feet barely finding purchase on the ground as the Monolith’s pull grew stronger. His shadow twisted beneath him, no longer entirely under his control. “I can’t stop it!” he shouted, his voice filled with desperation.

Before anyone could react, the tendrils of energy coiled tightly around Kael and dragged him forward. The Monolith’s surface rippled as it absorbed him, the jagged black and crimson veins closing behind him like a living gate.

“Kael!” Elira’s scream echoed as she sprinted toward the Monolith, but the corrupted energy surged outward, forcing her and Torran to retreat.

Kael was gone.

Inside the Monolith, the world shifted into surreal chaos. Kael gasped as he stumbled onto a smooth, obsidian-like surface that stretched endlessly into darkness. The walls around him pulsed faintly, their surfaces alive with shifting patterns of light. The air was thick and heavy, saturated with the same oppressive energy that had pulled him inside.

Each step echoed unnaturally, the sound stretching longer than it should. The Monolith felt alive, its deep, rhythmic pulsing filling the space like a heartbeat. Kael’s shadow flickered erratically at his feet, stretching and recoiling as if confused by its surroundings.

“What is this place?” Kael whispered, his voice barely audible over the low hum.

A faint whisper reached him, barely discernible but unmistakable. “Edgeweaver...”

Kael froze, his heart pounding. The voice was neither hostile nor welcoming. It was cold, detached, and vast, as though it came from the Monolith itself.

The walls around him shifted, panels of light sliding into place to form a corridor. The Monolith was guiding him deeper, and the pull in his chest left him no choice but to follow.

Outside, Elira and Torran faced a growing horde of corrupted creatures emerging from the shadows near the Monolith’s base.

“They just keep coming!” Elira shouted, loosing arrow after arrow into the advancing swarm.

Torran’s shield glowed faintly as he slammed it into the ground, activating another skill. “We hold them back,” he said firmly, his voice steady despite the chaos. “We hold them back until we can figure out how to get him out.”

Elira glanced at the towering Monolith, its crimson veins pulsing ominously. “Let’s hope we’re not too late.”

The corridor stretched endlessly before Kael, the shifting walls and glowing conduits of the Monolith surrounding him on all sides. Each step felt heavier than the last, the pull in his chest intensifying as though the structure itself was dragging him deeper.

The faint whisper returned, clearer now but no less chilling. “You have come far, Edgeweaver. Yet, you still struggle to understand.”

Kael stopped, his fists clenched. “Who are you? What is this place?”

The walls around him rippled, their shifting patterns forming vague, flickering images—glimpses of fractured memories and distorted visions of the Nodes he’d encountered.

“I am the Monolith,” the voice replied, cold and resonant. “The system’s heart and its last hope. You are its chosen key.”

Kael’s shadow twisted violently beneath him, reacting to the voice. “Chosen for what? The Reset? Is that what this is all about?”

The corridor ahead shifted, the glowing patterns coalescing into a scene that felt impossibly real. Kael saw the System as it once was—a vast, harmonious network of glowing Nodes, their energy flowing freely and uncorrupted.

“Before the corruption,” Kael murmured, his voice low.

The image fractured, replaced by another—dark tendrils of corruption spreading through the Nodes, severing their connections and consuming their light. The Monolith loomed at the center of it all, its veins glowing with the absorbed energy of the corrupted Nodes.

“The Reset is a necessity,” the Monolith said. “The corruption has destabilized the System. Without rebirth, all will fall into chaos.”

Kael shook his head, the weight of the Monolith’s words pressing down on him. “You’re feeding on the corruption,” he said, his voice trembling. “You’re using it to fuel the Reset.”

The Monolith’s voice remained cold, unyielding. “To destroy what is broken and rebuild anew requires energy. Sacrifices must be made.”

Kael staggered as another vision overtook him. He saw himself standing at the center of a fractured Node, his shadow coiling around its core. The corrupted energy surged into him, the Node collapsing in his wake.

“No,” Kael whispered, his voice shaking. “I’m not your tool.”

The Monolith’s voice deepened, its tone almost mocking. “You are more than a tool, Edgeweaver. You are the interface. Through you, the Reset will succeed.”

Kael’s shadow lashed out, striking the walls of the corridor, but the Monolith remained unshaken.

“Why me?” Kael demanded, his voice echoing in the vast chamber.

The corridor shifted again, the glowing patterns forming a jagged, spiraling path that led deeper into the Monolith’s core.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“You will understand,” the voice said, its tone final. “If you survive.”

The corridor ahead opened into a massive chamber, its center dominated by a swirling vortex of energy. Tendrils of corrupted light reached toward Kael, and the whispers grew louder, urging him forward.

Kael’s fists clenched as he took a shaky step forward. “I won’t let you control me,” he said, his voice resolute.

The Monolith’s response was a faint, cruel laugh that echoed endlessly in the chamber.

Kael stepped into the vast chamber, the swirling vortex of energy at its center casting shifting shadows across the walls. The hum of the Monolith intensified, its rhythmic pulses matching the pounding in his chest. The air was thick with tension, and Kael could feel his shadow responding erratically, flickering and twisting as if it had a will of its own.

“You must prove your worth, Edgeweaver,” the Monolith’s voice boomed, cold and commanding. “The path to understanding lies in your ability to face yourself.”

Kael tensed, scanning the chamber. “Face myself? What are you—”

The shadows around the vortex began to coalesce, dark tendrils swirling together until they took on a humanoid form. The figure stepped forward, emerging fully from the darkness.

It was Kael.

Or rather, it was a distorted version of him. The shadowy doppelgänger had the same features but was consumed by darkness, its glowing crimson eyes staring back at him with cold intensity. Its shadow writhed like a living thing, extending far beyond its feet and reaching for the edges of the chamber.

Kael’s breath caught. “What... is this?”

“Your reflection,” the Monolith said, its voice reverberating. “The you that will be, should you surrender.”

The shadow-avatar tilted its head, its lips curling into a mocking smirk. “You fight so hard to resist,” it said, its voice a distorted echo of Kael’s own. “But deep down, you know the truth. The Reset isn’t something you can stop. It’s something you were made to bring.”

Kael’s shadow flared violently, reacting to the figure’s presence. “You’re not me,” Kael said, his voice steady despite the unease crawling through him.

The shadow-avatar laughed, the sound cold and hollow. “Aren’t I? I know your doubts, your fears. You wonder if you’re already corrupted. If every Node you touch pulls you closer to the Monolith’s will.”

Kael gritted his teeth, his hands clenching into fists. “I’m nothing like you.”

“Then prove it,” the avatar said, its shadow lashing out like a whip.

Kael barely dodged in time, rolling to the side as the tendril struck the ground where he had stood. He activated Shadow Bind, sending his own tendrils of darkness to restrain the figure, but it reacted instantly, severing them with a flick of its hand.

[Skill Activated: Shadow Bind – Failed.]

The doppelgänger advanced, its movements smooth and deliberate. “You can’t defeat me with borrowed power,” it said, its voice calm. “You can’t win because you’re too afraid of what you might become.”

Kael lashed out again, this time activating Shadow Lance, hurling a spear of dark energy toward the avatar. The attack struck its chest, but the figure absorbed the impact, its body rippling before reforming.

“You’re fighting yourself, Kael,” the avatar said, its mocking tone sharpening. “And you’re losing.”

Kael staggered back, the weight of the words pressing down on him. His shadow thrashed around him, chaotic and unstable, as if it, too, were questioning his resolve.

The avatar struck again, its tendrils lashing out in a flurry of attacks. Kael dodged and parried, but the figure was relentless, each strike forcing him to retreat further.

“You claim you won’t serve the Monolith,” the avatar said, stepping closer. “But without its power, you’re nothing. You can’t save them. You can’t save yourself.”

Kael’s breathing was ragged, his body trembling from the strain. He glanced at his shadow, which twisted beneath him, dark and unstable. The Monolith’s whispers pressed against his mind, urging him to submit.

But then he thought of Torran and Elira—of their trust, their determination to fight alongside him despite everything. He thought of the countless people trapped in the System, bound by its corruption and the looming threat of the Reset.

“I’m not nothing,” Kael said, his voice low but filled with resolve. He straightened, his shadow stilling as he forced it under his control. “I don’t need the Monolith’s power to fight. I need my own.”

The avatar hesitated, its glowing eyes narrowing.

Kael surged forward, his shadow lashing out not in chaos, but with precision. The tendrils struck the avatar’s core, piercing its form and binding it in place. For the first time, the figure faltered, its body flickering like a dying flame.

“You don’t define me,” Kael said, his voice steady. “And neither does the Monolith.”

The avatar let out a distorted roar as it collapsed into a swirl of shadows, the energy dispersing into the air.

The Monolith’s voice returned, its tone colder than ever. “You have passed this trial, but your path is not yet complete. Your choices will bind you, Edgeweaver.”

Kael stood alone in the chamber, his shadow calm at his feet. The vortex ahead pulsed with renewed energy, its pull growing stronger. Kael took a deep breath and stepped forward.

The vortex swirled violently, its tendrils of energy lashing out like living things. Kael stood before it, his shadow calm yet taut, ready to strike. The Monolith’s presence pressed heavily against him, its whispers growing louder, more insistent.

“Submit, Edgeweaver. Embrace the Reset, or be consumed by it.”

Kael ignored the voice, focusing on the swirling energy ahead. Each pulse of the vortex felt like a wave crashing against his chest, but he refused to falter. “I’m not here to serve you,” he muttered.

The Monolith’s voice deepened, its tone laced with disdain. “You think you have a choice?”

Kael raised his hand, summoning his shadow. The dark tendrils coiled tightly around him, responding not to the Monolith’s pull but to his own will. With a sharp motion, he hurled the shadow forward, striking the vortex with all his strength.

The reaction was immediate. The vortex flared brightly, its tendrils snapping and writhing as the energy destabilized. The Monolith trembled, the chamber shaking violently as cracks began to spiderweb across its walls.

Outside the Monolith, Elira and Torran fought desperately against the swarm of corrupted creatures. Torran slammed his shield into the ground, activating a defensive skill that created a glowing barrier around them.

“This isn’t going to hold much longer!” Torran shouted, his voice strained.

Elira loosed another arrow, her quiver nearly empty. “We just need to get through that door!” she said, her eyes darting toward the Monolith’s base.

As the Monolith trembled, the corruption around its base faltered, the energy pulsing erratically.

“What’s happening in there?” Torran muttered, glancing toward the towering structure.

Inside, Kael staggered as the vortex surged, its energy spiraling out of control. The Monolith’s voice roared, no longer calm and commanding but furious. “You defy the Reset? You defy your purpose?”

Kael’s shadow lashed out again, piercing the vortex’s core. The swirling energy exploded outward, sending a shockwave through the chamber. Kael was thrown back, hitting the ground hard as the vortex collapsed into a singular point of light.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then the Monolith shuddered, its energy destabilizing further. The walls of the chamber began to crack and shift, pieces of the ceiling falling around Kael.

The base of the Monolith opened suddenly, a jagged fissure forming in its structure. Torran and Elira burst through, weapons drawn and faces grim.

“Kael!” Elira called, running toward him.

Kael struggled to his feet, his body trembling. “I disrupted the core,” he said, his voice weak. “The Monolith’s energy is collapsing.”

“And we need to get out of here before it takes us with it,” Torran said, his shield at the ready as the ground beneath them trembled.

The Monolith’s voice boomed one final time, filled with rage and desperation. “You will not escape. You are bound to this.”

A massive tendril of corrupted energy surged toward them, aiming directly at Kael. He braced himself, but Torran intercepted the strike, his shield glowing brightly as he deflected the attack.

“Move!” Torran shouted, pushing Kael toward the fissure.

The group sprinted toward the exit, the Monolith’s structure collapsing around them. As they passed through the fissure, a System Notification appeared in Kael’s vision, its jagged text glowing ominously.

[System Core Override Imminent. Synchronization Failure Detected.]

The group emerged from the Monolith just as the structure erupted in a blinding surge of light and energy.