The shadows moved.
Kael barely had time to react before the first figure lunged at him.
It came from the darkness—a twisted thing, its form flickering like an unfinished thought. It had no face, no solid shape, only hunger.
Kael raised his arms instinctively. The Mark pulsed—heat surged beneath his skin—
And the creature stopped.
Mid-air, frozen inches from his throat.
Kael’s pulse pounded in his ears. He could feel it, the invisible force wrapped around the creature, holding it in place.
But he hadn’t done it on purpose.
"It reacts to your will," the figure before him murmured. His reflection.
Kael clenched his jaw. Not me. The Mark.
The thought unsettled him.
The Mark did not wait for his command. It did not ask.
It acted.
Kael exhaled sharply and flicked his wrist—the frozen creature was thrown backward, its body twisting violently before dissolving into nothing.
Another shape rushed forward. Then another.
They did not hesitate.
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Kael moved.
His body twisted, ducking beneath one shadow’s clawed strike while his hand lashed out on reflex. The Mark answered.
A shockwave pulsed from his fingertips—three creatures disintegrated on impact.
The power felt different now. Stronger. Clearer.
And Kael wasn’t sure if it was because he was controlling it—
Or because it was controlling him.
The figure—the other Kael—watched in silence.
"Good," it finally spoke. "But not enough."
Kael barely had time to register the words before the next attack came.
The entire void shifted.
A soundless force slammed into him, sending him skidding across the black ground.
Kael gritted his teeth, pushing himself up—
But something grabbed his throat.
Cold. Heavy. Overpowering.
A hand.
Not from the creatures.
From the figure.
His own face stared back at him, its expression blank, its eyes burning silver.
"You think you are the first?" it whispered.
Kael gasped, struggling against the grip—his Mark pulsed, trying to react—
"You think you can change your fate?"
The pressure around his throat tightened.
"You are nothing but the next piece in the cycle."
Kael’s vision blurred. His lungs burned.
No.
NO.
His body reacted.
The Mark detonated.
A pulse of energy erupted from him—his reflection staggered back, its grip breaking. The moment Kael’s feet touched the ground, he struck.
His fist slammed forward, faster than he thought possible—the air cracked with the force.
It connected.
The figure reeled. Stumbled. The silver in its eyes flickered.
Kael did not stop.
The Mark surged again, his body moved before his mind could keep up—
Strike.
Strike.
STRIKE.
With every blow, the void rippled.
The figure laughed.
Not in amusement. Not in mockery.
But in acknowledgment.
"That’s it."
Kael froze, breath ragged.
The figure stood, unfazed, despite the force of his attacks.
"Now… you are ready."
The ground vanished beneath Kael’s feet.
A pull. A whirlwind of darkness.
The void collapsed—
And he fell.