The air was thick with tension as Ashar followed Kaelen deeper into the trees, each step muffled by layers of leaves and moss. They had been walking in silence for what felt like hours, with Kaelen saying little beyond instructing Benji to scout the perimeter alone. Ashar could feel the weight of something unsaid between them, something that made Kaelen's presence seem even more intense, even daunting.

Finally, they entered a secluded clearing, surrounded by towering stones scarred by ancient runes. The clearing was empty save for a few scattered rocks, but the aura of the place felt heavy and charged.

"Today, we end your training," Kaelen said, his voice steady but lined with something like finality. "Show me what you've learned."

Ashar took a steadying breath, his mark tingling as he felt the shadows within him stir. He glanced around, uncertain.

"Come at me, Ashar," Kaelen ordered, his tone brooking no hesitation.

Ashar summoned the shadows, calling out,

"Shadow Clone!"

In an instant, a mirror image of himself materialized, flickering faintly as it moved in perfect sync. Together, he and his clone dashed toward Kaelen, ready to strike.

Kaelen didn't flinch. With a quick twist of his wrist, he pulled his blade free and struck at the clone, slicing it in half in one swift motion. The clone dissolved into smoke, and Kaelen's gaze shifted to Ashar.

"Is that all?" he taunted, his tone icy.

Ashar clenched his fists, frustration igniting a spark of raw power within him. He felt the shadows respond, twisting around his fingers as he concentrated.

"Veil Shift!"

He shouted, disappearing into the shadows only to reappear just behind Kaelen, his hand crackling with dark energy.

But Kaelen was already moving. He spun around, blocking Ashar's strike with his forearm and then countering with a fierce jab to Ashar's ribs. Ashar stumbled back, the impact sending shockwaves through his body. Kaelen moved with deadly precision, his fists a flurry of blows as he drove Ashar back with relentless attacks.

"Think, Ashar," Kaelen barked, advancing on him.

"Not every fight relies on your powers. Use your instincts, your training."

Gritting his teeth, Ashar fell into a defensive stance, blocking Kaelen's strikes as best he could, but Kaelen's speed was overwhelming. His strikes came faster and faster, each one pushing Ashar closer to his limits. Just as Ashar thought he might break, Kaelen's fist flew toward him with impossible speed.

Ashar dove out of the way, rolling to his feet and calling,

"Veil Shift!"

He vanished and reappeared across the clearing, his breath ragged.

But Kaelen was already moving again, covering the distance between them in an instant. He launched a swift punch, and Ashar barely had time to dodge before Kaelen's blade flashed toward him, stopping just an inch from his throat.

Kaelen's gaze was unyielding.

"Control your power," he growled.

"Don't let it control you."

Before Ashar could respond, a chilling voice echoed from the shadows of the forest.

"Well, isn't this a touching lesson?"

Ashar froze, his heart pounding as he looked toward the edge of the clearing. A dark figure emerged, his cloak billowing around him as if the shadows themselves were alive, clinging to his form. His face was hidden beneath a deep hood, but the aura that radiated from him was unmistakably dangerous.

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"Morgath,"

Kaelen muttered, his expression darkening.

Ashar felt his pulse quicken. He'd heard whispers of the Seekers' Inquisitors—elite hunters who tracked and punished those who tampered with forbidden powers. And Morgath the Shade was one of the most feared.

"Ah, the infamous Kaelen,"

Morgath drawled, his voice smooth and mocking.

"I expected more from the Crimson Prince."

He gestured lazily at Ashar.

"And this must be your little protégé. How cute."

Kaelen's face hardened, his hand gripping his blade.

"Stay back, Ashar," he commanded, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ashar took a step back, but the tension in the air was thick, electric. Morgath's gaze shifted to him, a chilling smile curving his lips.

"Shall we begin?"

Morgath asked, his tone almost casual.

Without waiting for a response, Morgath lunged, his cloak swirling as he drew a sleek black blade that seemed to absorb the light. Kaelen moved to intercept him, their swords clashing with a ringing that echoed through the forest. Sparks flew, and the force of their clash sent a gust of wind rippling outward.

Morgath was swift, his attacks fluid yet deadly. He struck at Kaelen with a series of lightning-fast slashes, each one aimed to kill. Kaelen deflected and parried, his movements controlled and precise. Their blades clashed, the sound sharp and fierce as they moved in a deadly dance.

"Bloodlust Surge!"

His muscles tensing as his strength surged. He pushed Morgath back with a powerful swing, forcing the Seeker to stagger.

Morgath's eyes gleamed with malevolent delight as he steadied himself. "So, the Crimson Prince does still have some bite." He raised his free hand, his fingers twisting into a strange shape as he whispered,

"Void Grasp!" From his hand, shadowy tendrils shot out, latching onto Kaelen's arm and sapping his strength. Kaelen grunted in pain, but he didn't falter. Instead, he clenched his fist, and blood trickled from his knuckles.

"Crimson Blade!" Kaelen growled, his own blood forming into a razor-sharp weapon in his free hand. He sliced through the tendrils with brutal efficiency, his strength undiminished.

The two clashed again, their swords a blur of motion as they fought with deadly intent. Morgath's movements were fluid, almost snake-like, while Kaelen's strikes were powerful, unrelenting. For a moment, they grappled, their blades locked in a deadly embrace, neither one willing to back down.

"You'll have to try harder than that," Kaelen taunted, his voice a cold whisper.

Morgath sneered, stepping back as his cloak shifted and darkened.

"Wraith Mantle!" His body split into three shadowy duplicates, each one an exact replica of him. The duplicates spread out, circling Kaelen with their blades drawn.

Kaelen's eyes narrowed, and with a sudden movement, he charged at one of the shadows, striking with ruthless precision. The duplicate dissolved into smoke, but the others attacked simultaneously, their blades flashing as they closed in on him from both sides.

Kaelen spun, using his own momentum to evade the strikes and counter with his blade.

"Sanguine Shield!" A barrier of blood surged from his body, blocking one of the duplicates as he slashed at the other, reducing it to mist.

The real Morgath stepped back, watching with calculating eyes as Kaelen dispatched his shadows. "Not bad," he mused, his tone still mocking. "But let's see how you handle this."

He raised both hands,

"Echoed Abyss!" A dark energy surged from him, casting an oppressive force over the clearing. Ashar felt a suffocating weight press down on him, as if the air had thickened into tar.

Kaelen staggered briefly under the assault but steadied himself. His gaze hardened, and with a fierce resolve,

"Blood Puppeteer!" Blood tendrils shot from Kaelen's fingertips, coiling around Morgath's limbs. The Seeker's eyes widened as the blood constricted, pinning him in place. Kaelen stepped closer, his voice low and deadly.

"Did you really think you could challenge me?" he whispered.

But Morgath's lips curled into a smirk, and with a burst of strength, he wrenched himself free. "You underestimate the Void," he hissed, his form flickering as he stepped back. "Void Strike!"

In a blur, Morgath lunged forward, his blade slicing toward Kaelen with supernatural speed. Kaelen barely deflected the blow, but the force of the impact sent him staggering. Morgath pressed his advantage, striking relentlessly as Kaelen parried, his movements growing more desperate.

Kaelen's expression was fierce, his determination unwavering. With a final surge of strength, he bellowed,

"Reign of the Crimson King!" Blood erupted from the ground, forming a barrier of crimson spikes around them, trapping Morgath within.

The two clashed fiercely within the blood-ringed arena, their blades striking with lethal intent. Morgath's attacks grew frenzied, each strike an attempt to break free, but Kaelen was relentless, his power blazing as he fought with everything he had.

Finally, with one last powerful strike, Kaelen forced Morgath back. The Seeker stumbled, his hood falling back to reveal a twisted, furious expression.

"This isn't over," Morgath spat, his voice dripping with hatred. In a flash, he vanished, his form dissolving into the shadows.

Kaelen stood in the center of the clearing, his breath ragged, his gaze intense. The clearing was silent, save for the faint crackle of blood dissipating around him.

Ashar stared, awestruck and shaken, at the power he had just witnessed. Kaelen's strength was beyond anything he had imagined, and the reality of his own path became all too clear.

But Kaelen turned to Ashar, his expression somber. "Remember what you've seen," he said, his voice soft but firm.

"This is the price of power. The shadows, the blood... they demand everything."

With that, he sheathed his blade and walked away, leaving Ashar alone in the clearing, the weight of his words settling heavily in the silence.