Sorrow, momentarily receding in surprise at Kal's unexpected attack, didn't take long to demonstrate the extent of his sinister powers. With an impressive gesture, he stretched the remaining part of his arm, and, as if by magic, the severed member regenerated completely. "Well, well, well, you scared me this time, with each of our fights you manage to entertain me more!" His voice, laden with a biting sarcasm, reflected not only his ability to recover, but also a perverse pleasure in the challenge that Kal represented.

The confrontation quickly escalated when Sorrow, armed with his poisoned dagger, launched into a fierce attack, his quick and lethal blows slicing through the air. Kal, however, was up to the challenge. With remarkable skill and mastery, he was able to block each offensive, proof of his evolution and ability.

"You are much weaker than me, I just need to figure out what makes you come back every time I defeat you." The determination in his voice was an open challenge.

Their exchange was not just a duel of strengths, but also a mental game, each blow and defense carrying significance. Sorrow's joy in battle, his smile as he launched himself into attack again, revealed a disturbing complexity in his nature, a fascination with conflict that transcended mere violence.

Meanwhile, Kal maintained his calm, each movement reflecting not just his physical skill but also a clarity of purpose. By easily defending himself from Sorrow's renewed attacks and counterattacking with a powerful punch that sent his opponent against the wall, Kal demonstrated his superiority not just in combat but also in his unshakeable determination to protect those by his side and confront the shadows threatening his world.

Sorrow, the relentless assassin, showed no signs of surrendering, rising once more fully recovered from his prior injuries, and launching a new attack against Kal. This time, however, Kal opted for a different strategy, nimbly dodging Sorrow's poisoned dagger and firmly holding the opponent's arm, delivered a powerful blow with his fist, knocking Sorrow to the ground with devastating force, leaving the assassin temporarily immobilized.

"I'm still not using all my power, I don't want to draw too much attention, I need to end this fight quickly," Kal reflected internally, recognizing the need to resolve the confrontation efficiently without arousing unwanted attention upon himself or Draka.

Despite Kal's tremendous strength, Sorrow, with supernatural resilience, managed to stand up again, fully recovered. "I have to admit that this time I'm taking a little longer to overcome you, but don't worry, I have all the time in the world. I've defeated you a few times before, I can defeat you again!" Sorrow's sarcastic tone reflected his shadowy confidence bordering on arrogance even in the face of Kal's evident increased skill.

Sorrow invested again with renewed fury, brandishing his poisoned dagger in hopes of striking Kal. However, to the young warrior, the assassin's movements seemed to happen in slow motion, allowing him not only to easily dodge but also counterattack with lethal precision. This time, Kal decided to test the limits of Sorrow's regeneration powers, piercing him in the chest with his sword. In a final gesture of repudiation, Kal kicked Sorrow away, sending him crashing where the assassin fell unconscious.

This moment represented not just a significant victory for Kal over his pursuer but also a demonstration of his growing strength and determination. The battle in the streets of Bercuranon was a symbol of his fight against his cursed pursuer. With Sorrow lying defeated, at least for now, Kal remained vigilant, aware that the battle against evil is never fully over and there would always be challenges to face on the path of protecting good and truth.

The fight between Kal and Sorrow transformed into a battle of endurance and will, an endless cycle of attacks and recoveries that tested the limits of both combatants. Despite Kal's skill and strength, Sorrow's supernatural persistence, his ability to rise after every defeat, began to take its toll, leaving Kal visibly exhausted and vulnerable to the assassin's poisoned attacks.

In a moment of clarity, recognizing the imminent danger of succumbing to fatigue and potentially Sorrow's poisoned blade, Kal made a definitive decision. Concentrating all his mana into Dawnbreaker, his sword, Kal's eyes shone with an intense golden glow, a manifestation of the power flowing through him. With a colossal blow, he released this accumulated energy in a beam directed at the sky, a conscious choice to avoid damage to the surroundings while simultaneously seeking a definitive victory over his opponent, disintegrating Sorrow with the overwhelming force of his attack.

The explosion of light and power that followed was a breathtaking spectacle, marking the climax of the battle between the young warrior and the relentless assassin. For a moment, it seemed Kal had accomplished the impossible, defeating Sorrow definitively, dissipating the threat posed by the pursuer.

Exhausted by battle and the amount of mana used, Kal hastened to return to the inn, carrying Arphaxad and Draka, his thoughts focused on the safety of his companions. However, the voice that broke the silence chilled his heart: "You almost destroyed me this time, but I am very lucky!" Upon turning, Kal found Sorrow intact, a shocking revelation that challenged comprehension.

Sorrow's unexpected appearance, despite the magnitude of Kal's attack, was a moment representing the immense, strange and mysterious power the assassin possessed. For Kal, the reality that Sorrow had survived such a powerful blow not only rekindled the imminent threat but also raised profound questions about the assassin's true nature and the limits of his own power.

Faced with this desolating twist, Kal faced a dilemma: how to confront an enemy who seemed invulnerable to his greatest strengths? The battle against Sorrow, far from having found its end, promised to continue, an apparently endless cycle of confrontation and recovery. For Kal, each moment of fighting Sorrow became a test not just of his skill as a warrior but also of his resilience, determination and ability to protect those counting on him, even in the face of the most challenging adversities.

As the confrontation between Kal and Sorrow intensified, the disparity between their conditions became increasingly evident. Kal, almost drained of mana and physically tired, faced an opponent who paradoxically seemed to reinvigorate with each setback, stronger and more determined than ever. Kal's task was doubly challenging, as he needed not only to confront the relentless assassin but also ensure the safety of Arphaxad and Draka, both vulnerable to the threat Sorrow represented.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Sorrow's distorted admiration for Kal's strength, expressed in his macabre words of perverse affection, "You are very powerful, you know? Like I said, they sent me to kill you, but I can't, I think I'm falling in love with you...", added a layer of psychological disturbance to the physical struggle. Sorrow's obsession, manifested in his morbid excitement with each confrontation, transformed the fight into a grotesque spectacle of distorted resilience and determination.

Faced with Sorrow's new attack, Kal was tested as never before. The assassin's quick blows this time found Kal struggling to defend himself, each movement requiring a Herculean effort to stop the onslaught of attacks. The advantage seemed to have tilted towards Sorrow, whose maniacal joy had only grown with the perception of his momentary superiority.

A well-placed kick from Sorrow sent Kal to the ground, a blow that made him spit blood and forced him to face the precarious reality of his situation. Rising with difficulty, his serious and worried gaze reflected the acknowledgment that Sorrow was not an enemy who could be underestimated, an opponent whose unknown powers and recovery ability challenged Kal's logic and combat experience.

This turning point in the battle was a critical test for Kal, not just of his physical skill but also his will and resolution. Confronted with the real possibility of defeat, Kal was forced to consider alternative strategies, to seek within not just the strength to keep fighting but also the wisdom to find a way to overcome an apparently invincible enemy. The challenge was now not just physical but also mental and spiritual, a battle for survival that demanded all Kal had and more.

The battle between Kal and Sorrow intensified in ferocity and desperation. The endless exchange of blows became a deadly dance, in which Kal, despite his skill and determination, began to show signs of exhaustion facing the relentless enemy. Sorrow, on the other hand, seemed to find a perverse joy in the fight, laughing in an abnormal sick trance with each blow received, each attack repelled only feeding his macabre delight.

The elbow to the face, followed by the kick that disarmed Kal, marked a dramatic turning point in the confrontation. Kal, now on the ground and without his sword, faced the most critical moment of the battle. His strength and endurance had been tested to the extreme, and he struggled to find the will and means to overcome an opponent who seemed to draw strength from the very fight itself.

Sorrow, approaching Kal with cuts on his body that mixed sweat and blood, personified horror. His face, marked by a frightening smile, was the image of obsession and madness. "Ahhh, I'm on fire, my desire to kill you is exploding, but my heart doesn't want to lose this pleasure, Ahhh, how wonderful it is to be cut by you... now I want to cut you!!!" Sorrow's words, laden with a distorted and violent passion, revealed the depth of his insanity, transforming the confrontation into something more than a physical fight; it was a clash between light and darkness, between sanity and madness.

Kal, even fallen and facing the abyss of defeat, was not ready to give up. The memory of Arphaxad and Draka, the responsibility of protecting them and the weight of his own destiny provided him with an unexplored source of strength. Confronted with the physical manifestation of his greatest fears in Sorrow, Kal knew he had to rise up, not just for himself but for all those who depended on his strength and protection.

This decisive moment, with Kal vulnerable and Sorrow with the advantage, was not just the climax of their physical fight, but also a test of the limits of human endurance against the forces that seek destruction and chaos. For Kal, the battle was a final test of his willpower, his ability to overcome the darkness, not just the one he faced before him, but also the one threatening to consume him inside.

With Kal vulnerable on the ground and Sorrow preparing for a potentially fatal blow, the confrontation between them reached a critical point. Sorrow's mocking words, pondering whether a direct blow to Kal's heart would be lethal, or if by some quirk of fate it would strengthen a perverse bond between them, carried a macabre tone. As he spoke, the cuts on his face began to close, a repeated demonstration of his frightening regeneration ability. "Try not to die... hahaha!" Sorrow's threatening whisper, combined with the imminent threat represented by his poisoned dagger, seemed to seal Kal's fate.

However, as Sorrow was about to strike the blow, an unexpected event altered the course of the battle. The wounds that had begun to heal on his face suddenly reopened, a twist that took the assassin by surprise and inflicted enough pain to interrupt his attack. Confused and frightened, Sorrow withdrew, his visage of arrogance and certainty replaced by an expression of fear and uncertainty. The assassin looked around, evidently disturbed, seeking the cause of the sudden change in his luck.

It was then that Kal, still struggling to recover, felt a faint mana flow emanating from the inn door. Turning in the direction of the source, his gaze met Draka's, lying but now awake, with her eyes glowing in a dull golden hue, but distinctly powerful. Somehow, the girl had awakened from the sleep induced by Sorrow and now employed her own powers, hitherto unknown, to interfere with the assassin's healing ability.

The revelation that Draka possessed an ability capable of directly affecting Sorrow offered not just immediate hope for Kal, but also opened new possibilities about the nature of the powers they shared and the origin of their bond. Draka's intervention, an apparently defenseless child who now revealed herself as wielding a mysterious power, was a turning point, not only saving Kal from a grim fate but also revealing herself as a key piece in the fight against Sorrow.

As Sorrow withdrew, confused and weakened by the interruption of his regeneration, Kal found new determination. The assassin, not understanding what was happening and concerned, decided to leave, but before he looked at Kal and said "I will return, be ready to entertain me again soon...".

After such an intense confrontation, Kal acted quickly to ensure Draka and Arphaxad's safety, carrying both back to the inn room. While tending to his own wounds, Kal reflected on Draka's surprising intervention against Sorrow. He was perplexed, recognizing that what she had done did not resemble any conventional form of magic. There was no incantation, just a direct manifestation of power. "What she used was no magic, she conjured nothing, that was an innate ability, I felt a great mana flow..." Kal pondered the nature of this ability and the evident connection they both shared, not just visually through their similar eyes, but now potentially in their innate powers as well. "Besides having eyes like mine, she also has innate abilities, this is getting complex."

In the following morning, while Kal and Draka were still immersed in a deep sleep, recovering from the events of the previous night, Arphaxad suddenly awoke. Observing his companions, he decided to let them rest, considering the visible fatigue that consumed them. With renewed determination, and despite the risks involved, Arphaxad opted to return to the ruins of the White Palace, moved by the need to continue his investigations. He was aware of the danger that this decision represented, especially after having been noticed by the enemies in the previous attempt. However, the urgency to discover more about the mysteries surrounding not only Sorrow, but also the peculiarities shared between Kal and Draka, compelled him to move forward.

This return to the ruins was not just a reconnaissance mission; it was an act of courage and commitment to his friends and to the search for truth. Arphaxad, armed with the knowledge of the dangers they faced and motivated by Kal and Draka's well-being, was ready to unveil the secrets hidden in the shadows of the White Palace, even if it meant facing once again the forces that resided there. While Kal and Draka rested, recovering their strength for future challenges, Arphaxad took a step ahead in this dangerous journey, determined to play his role in the fight against the darkness that threatened to envelop them.