The battlefield was drenched in chaos, yet for Sid, time slowed. His heart was no longer weighed by fear or shock, but by a cold, focused rage. The voice returned, cutting through the storm of his emotions like a blade through fog.
"You have unlocked the Awakening System... The Ascendant Path."
The words reverberated in his mind, their meaning sinking deeper with each beat of his heart. His body felt lighter, sharper—like a bowstring pulled taut, ready to release its fury.
"You are receiving the Initial Awakening."
A surge of power coursed through Sid’s veins, an unstoppable tide. He felt his muscles coil with newfound strength, his limbs becoming an extension of his will. His mind cleared, honed by a singular purpose. Speed, agility, strength—it all intensified within him, fusing with his raw, untamed anger.
The voice returned one last time, colder now, almost commanding: "You have gained a new ability: The Ascendant Wrath."
Sid didn’t need to be told what it meant. He could feel it, simmering just beneath the surface—an uncontrollable force waiting to be unleashed. There was no thought, no hesitation. His body moved on instinct.
In an instant, Sid launched himself toward Karna.
The battlefield around them blurred as he closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Karna’s eyes widened, completely caught off-guard by the speed of his assault. She barely managed to raise her blade before Sid's first strike came down with brutal force, knocking her off balance.
Sid didn’t stop. His sword moved with terrifying precision, each slash faster and more violent than the last. Karna grunted, blocking as best as she could, but Sid’s relentless barrage left her no room to counter. Every strike brought him closer—every swing of his blade more vicious.
A dark smoke began to rise from his sword, swirling ominously around them both. It coiled through the air like a living entity, growing thicker and darker with each of Sid’s movements.
Karna stumbled back, her defenses crumbling. Panic began to flicker in her eyes as the smoke continued to rise, enveloping the two of them in a pitch-black cloud. The battlefield outside vanished, swallowed by the shadow.
Inside the darkened cocoon, Karna’s breath came in ragged gasps. "What... is this?" Her voice shook with fear, her bravado long gone.
Sid said nothing. His silence was more terrifying than any battle cry. He could hear nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat, pounding in his ears like war drums. His eyes closed for a moment, focusing on the sound of the voice still echoing within him, guiding him.
The darkness swirled tighter around them, suffocating any light that dared to creep in. Karna, once so fierce and determined, was now trembling under the weight of the unknown power Sid wielded.
Without warning, Sid moved again.
Karna barely saw it coming—only a blur of motion. In the blink of an eye, Sid was upon her. His sword gleamed once in the dark smoke, a flash of silver that cut through the air with deadly precision.
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Her eyes widened in horror as Sid’s blade sliced through her neck in one clean stroke.
There was no scream. No final words. Just silence as Karna’s head fell, her body collapsing lifelessly to the ground, swallowed by the darkness. The smoke lingered for a moment longer, thick and heavy, before slowly dissipating, revealing Sid standing alone amidst the carnage.
His chest heaved, but he made no sound. His grip on the sword tightened, the blade dripping with Karna’s blood. The battlefield stretched out around him, but all he could feel was the void left behind. Talia was gone, and no amount of vengeance could bring her back.
The rage that had fueled him began to wane, replaced by a hollow emptiness. His body, still coursing with power, felt colder now. The dark smoke lingered at his feet, like a shadow refusing to leave.
And then, as if summoned by his sorrow, the voice spoke once more.
"The Ascendant Path is only beginning."
Sid didn’t respond. There were no words, no declarations of triumph. There was only the silent understanding that nothing would ever be the same.
He had unlocked something far darker than power alone—he had unlocked the path of vengeance, and with it, a burden he was only beginning to comprehend.
Sid stood over Karna’s lifeless body, his sword still dripping with the blood of his fallen foe. The dark smoke that had swallowed them moments ago dissipated, leaving behind only the silence of the battlefield and the weight of his guilt. His chest heaved with each breath, but he remained still, as though frozen by the reality of what had just happened.
He wasn’t victorious. He wasn’t triumphant.
All he felt was regret.
It was his fault. He hadn’t been ready, hadn’t been strong enough. If only he had acted sooner—Talia might still be alive.
Sid’s gaze turned toward the distant place where her body lay, a cold, hollow ache tightening in his chest. His legs moved slowly, almost unwillingly, carrying him back to her. Each step was heavier than the last, exhaustion setting in not just from the fight, but from the crushing weight of what he had lost.
The sight of her lifeless body seemed farther away than it should have been, as if the distance between them stretched endlessly. He could barely breathe, each breath laced with the bitterness of failure.
But before he could reach her, his vision blurred. The world tilted, and his legs gave out beneath him. Sid collapsed to the ground, his body finally giving in to the exhaustion and the overwhelming flood of emotions. He reached out, but his hand never touched Talia. Darkness swallowed him before he could get any closer.
---
Meanwhile, the battle between Darron, Kael, and Ravyn raged on in the distance. Bloodied and battered, Darron fought with every ounce of strength he had left. Kael, half-blinded, struggled to keep up, his movements slower, his reactions dulled by the searing pain in his injured eye.
Ravyn, sensing their growing weakness, found an opening. With a sharp, sudden move, she broke away, her figure vanishing into the chaos of the battlefield.
Darron’s eyes widened as he realized her intent. “No!” he shouted, pushing forward, but he was too late. Ravyn had already slipped into the shadows, disappearing before he could give chase.
Kael, staggering beside him, placed a hand on Darron’s arm. “Let her go,” Kael rasped, struggling to stay upright. Blood trickled down from the bandage over his injured eye, and his body shook from the strain. “She’ll come back... but we’re in no shape to fight.”
Darron clenched his fists, the frustration boiling beneath his skin. But Kael was right—they were both too injured, too drained. All around them, the battlefield was littered with the dead. Warriors from both sides lay scattered, their bodies twisted and broken. The stench of death and blood filled the air, a grim reminder of the cost of the battle.
Both sides had lost.
“We have to retreat,” Darron said, his voice strained. He glanced at Kael, seeing the pain in his friend’s expression, but also the silent agreement. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but the battle was over—for now.
Supporting Kael as best he could, Darron helped him limp through the field of corpses. Their bodies ached, and every step was agony, but they pressed on, their destination already clear in their minds.
When they arrived, the sight that greeted them was worse than either of them had imagined.
Sid lay unconscious, collapsed mere feet from Talia’s body. Her headless form lay motionless, the once-vibrant life now gone. Blood stained the ground around her, and the reality of what had happened hit Darron like a hammer to the chest.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Darron fell to his knees, his eyes wide with disbelief. He reached out, but his hands trembled too much to touch her. His breath came in ragged gasps, and the lump in his throat made it impossible to speak. His vision blurred with unshed tears as the weight of grief bore down on him.
Kael, standing beside him, gently placed a hand on Darron’s shoulder. He didn’t say a word—he didn’t need to. The sorrow and empathy in his gaze spoke louder than any words could.
Darron’s shoulders shook, and he fought to keep his emotions in check. But the sight of Talia’s lifeless body, the stark finality of her death, was too much. His head lowered, and he buried his face in his hands.
Kael closed his eyes, letting the silence settle between them. The battle was over, but the cost had been too high. Far too high.
---
The sun had begun to set by the time they retreated fully, their forces scattered and broken. There was no victor here, only survivors. The battlefield, now quiet, was a graveyard of fallen warriors, each one a testament to the blood that had been spilled that day.
As Darron and Kael carried Sid back, they left behind the shattered remains of what had once been hope. The war wasn’t over, but today had been a loss for both sides.