The remains of the beast lay sprawled across the cracked ground, its once-fierce eyes now lifeless. Kael stood over it, his chest heaving as he wiped the blood and sweat from his brow. The golden glow of his aura flickered before fading, leaving him alone in the eerie silence of the Abyssal Hollow.

But the silence was deceptive.

Kael’s senses screamed at him, the weight of the realm pressing down like an invisible predator watching from the shadows. He glanced around, gripping his sword tightly, every muscle in his body tense.

“Come out,” Kael muttered, his voice cutting through the stillness. “I know you’re there.”

A faint chuckle echoed through the air, low and sinister. It was neither near nor far, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

“You’re sharp for a mortal,” a voice hissed, soft and oily. “But sharpness alone will not save you here.”

Kael turned toward the sound, his eyes narrowing. A figure began to emerge from the swirling shadows, its form shifting and unstable. It had the vague shape of a man, but its edges blurred and wavered like smoke caught in a tempest.

“What are you?” Kael demanded, his sword raised.

The figure tilted its head, a featureless void where a face should have been. “I am... many things. A fragment of this place, a memory of the chaos that birthed it. And you... you are an interloper.”

Kael tightened his grip on his sword, his golden aura flaring to life. “I’m not here to play games. If you’re here to fight, then let’s get on with it.”

The figure laughed, a hollow, grating sound. “Oh, I do not fight, little mortal. I test.”

Before Kael could react, the figure’s form expanded, engulfing him in a swirling vortex of shadow. The world around him twisted, the ground falling away as he was plunged into darkness.

----------------------------------------

Kael landed hard, the impact jarring but not enough to harm him. He scrambled to his feet, his sword at the ready, as he took in his surroundings.

He was no longer in the Abyssal Hollow—or at least, not the part he’d first entered. The air was heavier here, the darkness more oppressive. The faint green glow that had illuminated the Hollow was replaced by a dim, blood-red light emanating from jagged crystals jutting from the ground.

“You seek strength,” the voice said, echoing from the shadows. “But do you truly understand what it is? What it costs?”

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Kael spun around, his eyes scanning for the source of the voice. “I know what it costs,” he said, his voice steady. “And I’m willing to pay it.”

The voice laughed again, this time louder, more mocking. “We shall see.”

From the shadows emerged three figures, each one identical to Kael. They carried the same sword, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.

Kael stared at them, his jaw tightening. “More tricks?”

The figures didn’t respond. Instead, they attacked, moving with a speed and precision that mirrored his own.

Kael barely had time to react as the first figure lunged at him, their blades clashing in a shower of sparks. The force of the impact sent Kael stumbling back, but he recovered quickly, parrying a strike from the second figure.

The third figure struck from behind, and Kael twisted just in time to block the blow, his golden aura flaring to shield him from the impact.

“They move like me,” Kael muttered under his breath, his mind racing. “They’re not just copies. They’re... me.”

The voice chuckled. “They are your shadow, your reflection. They embody your doubts, your fears, your weaknesses. Defeat them, and perhaps you will begin to understand true strength.”

Kael gritted his teeth, his golden aura surging brighter. “Fine. Let’s see how strong my shadows really are.”

He pushed forward, his blade moving in a blur as he launched a flurry of strikes at the first figure. It parried and countered with movements identical to his own, forcing Kael to adapt on the fly.

The second and third figures joined the fray, their attacks perfectly coordinated. Kael found himself on the defensive, his aura flickering under the relentless assault.

“They’re too perfect,” Kael thought, his mind racing. “They know everything I do. Every move, every strategy.”

Then it hit him.

“They’re me,” he realized. “But that means they’re limited by what I know. If I do something unexpected, something I haven’t done before...”

Kael’s lips curved into a grin, his golden aura flaring to life once more.

The first figure lunged at him, its blade aimed at his chest. Instead of blocking or dodging, Kael stepped into the attack, letting the blade scrape past his side as he drove his own sword upward in a reckless strike.

The figure hesitated, its movements faltering for the first time. Kael’s blade struck true, shattering the shadowy form into wisps of smoke.

The second and third figures hesitated, their movements no longer as precise. Kael pressed his advantage, attacking with wild, unpredictable strikes that defied the disciplined techniques he’d spent years mastering.

One by one, the shadows fell, their forms dissipating into nothingness.

Kael stood alone, his chest heaving as his golden aura flickered and faded.

“Well done,” the voice said, its tone tinged with amusement. “But this is only the beginning.”

Kael looked around, his grip on his sword tightening. “If you’re done with the theatrics, then show yourself.”

The voice laughed. “In due time, little mortal. For now, rest. You’ll need your strength for what’s to come.”

The ground beneath Kael shifted, the blood-red crystals dimming as the world around him began to dissolve.

When the darkness cleared, Kael found himself back in the Abyssal Hollow, the air heavy but familiar.

He dropped to one knee, his sword digging into the ground as he caught his breath.

“True strength,” he muttered to himself. “If this is what it takes, then so be it.”

The Abyssal Hollow was far from finished with him, but Kael’s resolve burned brighter than ever. He would conquer this place, no matter the cost.