The night was eerily quiet, broken only by the crackle of torches and the faint hum of the settlement’s energy generators. Most of the defenders rested fitfully, their exhaustion outweighing their unease. But Billy couldn’t sleep.
He sat at his desk in the dimly lit command center, the relic glowing faintly before him. Its soft pulse illuminated his weary face, casting shadows that seemed to writhe and shift with a life of their own.
Surrender is inevitable, the whispers cooed, their voices dripping with seductive power. You tasted our strength. You know what we can do.
Billy slammed his fist on the table, silencing the whispers momentarily. “You don’t control me,” he growled. “You’re a tool. Nothing more.”
A knock at the door broke his focus. “Come in,” he called, his tone sharp.
The door creaked open, and Soria stepped inside, her expression guarded. “You’ve been staring at that thing all night,” she said, nodding toward the relic. “It’s not going to give you the answers you’re looking for.”
Billy leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. “Then where am I supposed to find them? That thing is the key to everything—our survival, our victory, everything.”
Soria crossed her arms. “And what happens when it decides it doesn’t need you anymore?”
Billy didn’t answer. He couldn’t.
---
A Warning from the Shadows
Just before dawn, the scouts returned with grim news. Aelric was the first to meet them at the gates, their frantic expressions confirming his fears.
“What is it?” Aelric asked, his voice steady despite the knot forming in his stomach.
“More forces,” one scout panted, clutching a stitch in his side. “Bigger than anything we’ve seen. They’re gathering just beyond the forest, waiting for reinforcements.”
Aelric’s face darkened. “How long do we have?”
“Two days, maybe three,” the scout replied. “But there’s more. They’re not just Shadow Lords. There are others… powerful ones. They look like commanders.”
The words sent a chill through Aelric. He dismissed the scouts and hurried to the command center, where Billy and the others were already reviewing the damaged settlement map.
“We’ve got a problem,” Aelric announced as he entered.
Billy looked up, his expression hardening. “What now?”
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Aelric relayed the scouts’ report, his tone grave. “They’re regrouping, and they’re bringing in reinforcements. If we don’t act fast, we’ll be overrun.”
Garron let out a low whistle. “Guess they didn’t like us killing their boss.”
Billy clenched his fists, his mind racing. “We need to prepare. Strengthen the defenses, train the troops, and fortify the walls. And we need to figure out who these commanders are.”
Soria nodded. “If they’re anything like the Shadow Lord, we’ll need more than brute force to take them down.”
---
Delving into the Relic
That night, Billy made a decision. He couldn’t keep ignoring the relic’s potential. If they were going to survive, he needed to understand its power—and its limits.
In the underground chamber beneath the command center, Billy activated the containment unit. The relic floated in midair, its glow intensifying as he stepped closer.
The whispers returned, louder and more insistent. You seek answers. We can provide them. But you must give yourself to us fully.
Billy gritted his teeth, focusing his thoughts. “No games. No riddles. If you want me to use your power, then show me how to control it.”
The relic pulsed, and suddenly, the room was consumed by darkness. Billy found himself standing in a vast, empty void, the whispers now a deafening roar.
From the darkness emerged a figure—a distorted reflection of himself, clad in chaotic armor and wielding a blade identical to his own. Its glowing eyes burned with malevolence.
“You think you can control chaos?” the figure sneered, its voice a twisted echo of Billy’s own. “Prove it.”
---
Trial by Chaos
The void shifted, transforming into a battlefield shrouded in swirling shadows and pulsating light. The figure lunged at Billy, its movements a perfect mirror of his own. Each strike was met with an equal and opposite counter, the clash of their blades sending shockwaves through the void.
Billy realized that this wasn’t just a fight—it was a test. The relic was forcing him to confront his own fears, doubts, and the darker parts of himself.
“You’re weak,” the figure taunted. “You hesitate. You fear the power you’ve been given.”
Billy snarled, driving his blade forward. “I fear losing control. And that’s what makes me stronger than you.”
The battle raged on, but as it did, Billy began to notice something. The figure’s strikes were becoming slower, its form less defined. It was feeding off his doubts—and as he pushed them aside, its power waned.
With a final, decisive strike, Billy shattered the figure, the void dissolving into light.
---
The Awakening
Billy awoke in the chamber, gasping for air. The relic hovered before him, its glow now steady and calm. The whispers had quieted, replaced by a single voice.
You have proven yourself. But be warned—the path ahead is fraught with peril.
Billy rose to his feet, his mind clearer than it had been in days. He didn’t fully trust the relic, but he understood it better now. It was a tool—dangerous, yes, but not unbeatable.
He returned to the surface to find his team waiting.
“What happened down there?” Soria asked, her eyes scanning him for any signs of change.
Billy met her gaze, his expression resolute. “I made peace with it. For now.”
---
A New Threat
As dawn broke, the settlement buzzed with activity. The defenses were being rebuilt, the troops trained harder than ever. But far beyond the forest, hidden in the shadows, the enemy forces grew.
At their center stood a massive figure clad in dark armor, its presence radiating an aura of dread. Behind it, other commanders whispered plans of destruction, their eyes glowing with malevolence.
“The relic wielder is formidable,” one commander said. “But even he cannot stand against what is coming.”
The massive figure turned toward the forest, its voice like thunder. “Prepare the forces. This time, we will leave nothing standing.”
---
End of Chapter 56