Darkness. Absolute and all-consuming. It seemed that even thoughts could not penetrate this void. But in the very center of the darkness, like a beacon, Kaine’s eyes shone with a white light. His heart beat loudly in his chest, like a drum setting the rhythm for everything around him. He couldn’t see Dorian, couldn’t hear him, but he felt that he was nearby.

Suddenly, there was a flash. The darkness dissolved, and Kaine found himself on a vast stone arena, surrounded by columns that stretched to the heavens. A soft moonlight fell from above, casting long shadows on the cracked stone slabs beneath his feet.

"This is your trial," Dorian’s voice echoed off the stone walls. "Here you will face your true 'self'."

Kaine looked around, but saw no one. Then, he felt a cold wind sweep across the arena and heard footsteps. The steps were light, almost inaudible, but like ghosts, they approached him from all sides.

"Who’s there?!" he shouted, but only silence answered him.

Then, from the shadow of one of the columns, a figure emerged. Tall, lean, dressed in black armor. Its eyes—just as white as Kaine’s. But this wasn’t just anyone. It was him. His reflection, his dark embodiment, stood before him, holding a black blade.

"What kind of joke is this?" Kaine whispered, gripping the hilt of his weapon.

"This is no joke," Dorian suddenly appeared on a stone arch above the arena. "This is who you will become if you allow yourself to succumb to your fears and doubts."

Kaine clenched his teeth, feeling his heart tighten with anger.

"And what should I do?" he shouted, not taking his eyes off his doppelgänger.

Stolen story; please report.

"Accept him," Dorian calmly replied. "Or defeat him. The choice is yours."

Kaine didn’t even have time to blink before his doppelgänger lunged at him like a storm. The blade in his hands flashed in the moonlight, and Kaine barely managed to raise his weapon to deflect the blow. The sound of steel grinding against steel filled the air. Kaine stepped back, trying to regain his balance, but his double gave him no respite. He attacked again and again, as if knowing every step, every movement Kaine made.

"Why is he so strong?!" Kaine thought, trying to dodge another strike. His blade trembled in his hands, and he felt fatigue starting to overtake him. But his double showed no signs of weariness. On the contrary, with each attack, he became faster, stronger.

"You must be stronger. You must fight!" Dorian’s words echoed in Kaine’s mind. But he already knew: his opponent wasn’t just a reflection. It was his fears, his weaknesses, his doubts. Everything he had tried to suppress now stood before him, sword drawn.

"Enough!" he mentally shouted and rushed forward, pouring all his strength into the blow. His blade collided with his doppelgänger’s, and for a moment, time froze. They stood, locked in place, their eyes meeting.

"You won’t defeat me," the double whispered through clenched teeth, pressing down on Kaine with such force that he nearly dropped to his knees.

"We’ll see about that," Kaine growled in response.

Gathering the last of his strength, he made a sudden move and struck with his blade. Caught off guard, the doppelgänger stumbled, and that moment was enough for Kaine to deliver the decisive blow. The blade pierced his opponent’s chest, and the double froze, like a statue, before slowly fading away, dissolving into the air.

"You’ve won," Dorian’s voice came, now much closer. "But this is only the beginning."

Kaine breathed heavily, feeling all the strength leave his body. He dropped to his knees, still clutching his sword.

"What was that?" he asked, raising his head. Dorian stood before him, looking down.

"That was merely a shadow," Dorian replied, extending a hand to help Kaine up. "But to truly grow stronger, you will have to defeat the real enemy."

"And who is that?" Kaine got to his feet, and despite his exhaustion, his gaze remained firm.

"The one hiding within you," Dorian whispered. "The one who seeks to steal your power."

"I... I don’t understand," Kaine frowned, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter.

"You will," Dorian assured him. "When the time comes."