The story left Domison’s mouth like a storm and at its conclusion, he felt almost empty. Suddenly, looking around at all of the people he could admit he considered friends, Domison felt very awkward with his violent proclamation. He was worried they wouldn’t be able to understand his anger or condone his violence. It made him so incredibly anxious because he knew deep down that if they couldn’t accept him… He would have to leave. Not because they would ask him to… but because he would not be beholden to the shadows anymore. He could not allow himself to do the bare minimum now that he had the strength to do what Sam always promised.

“We understand.”

Domison’s racing mind ground to a halt the instant Mike spoke. Pure, unadulterated surprise sparked through his brain, and his mouth hung open for half a second. The lanky, mop-haired brunette had stepped forward, the sheepishness plaguing him for the entirety of their acquaintance having seemingly disappeared. “Uhh… Wh-what?” Domison stuttered out, his own disillusions having already assumed an inevitable dissolution of their team over this issue.

“Mel told me what happened when she found you,” Mike said, not faltering despite his leader's shock. “I assumed you weren’t a normal person before the world ended already. And either way Dom… The world has ended. We know that things are different and that we will need to change if we want to survive.”

Mike looked back towards Mel then, the shadow of an old memory creeping across his eyes for a moment. “That is how it has always been for us anyway.” The young man clenched his fists when he said that, and Dom noticed the new scars that were running along the hands and up the arms of the man who was practically still a teenager.

“We’re with you. And after what you just told me about those bastards?” Mike looked back towards Domison, a fire in his eye, “I might just help you kill them.”

A weight lifted from the man’s shoulders when his friend finished his sentence. He hadn’t realized just how much he had come to care for the small group, and he was quite happy he wouldn’t have to part ways over his war.

‘And it will be a war.’ Domison thought to himself. He knew that he was strong, incredibly so compared to the denizens of his homeworld, but he was no fool. He had intimate knowledge of the military capacity of his world, and the weapons of destruction currently available to the Twilight Market would be a challenge.

A smile spread across his face when he thought about the eventual conflict. It would be a challenge, but it would be a fun one. Raze chose that moment to make his presence known and popped into existence in the middle of the street. He was situated in the middle of the air, floating between Domison and his friends and facing him.

‘I really love hearing about your proclivities for war, I do, but I must steal you away for a moment.’

Domison ground his jaw and glared at the little floating shadowling, not deigning to respond.

‘I understand that you all were having some sort of moment, but you’ll enjoy what I have to show you.’

Domison, continued glaring.

Mel, piped up, “Uhhh, Dom… What are you guys doing? Does that little weirdo need something?”

‘Little weirdo?! WENCH! You are NOTHING but a SERF! I WOULD-’

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Domison spaced out Raze’s tantrum and looked at Mel in shock, pointing to the fuming guide with a look of puzzlement on his face. She just shrugged as the little black imp in a tophat threw obscene gestures her way, and Domison sighed when he realized that Raze was only speaking into his mind.

Continuing to tune out Raze’s continued ranting, Domison spoke, “He says that he needs to borrow me for a bit. We’ll use the next week or so to prepare before we go on the offensive.” He turned to Craig then, shooting the big Urketh a smile, “And Craig, I really would appreciate a rundown on your knowledge regarding runes, think you can prepare that for me?”

Craig nodded furiously and Raze rolled his cherry-red eyes, ‘Ugh, mortals. Let us go then.’ When Domison didn’t hop to immediately Raze started waving the man away, ‘To your inner world. Hurry now, before I drag you there!’

Without another word and a wave over his shoulder, Domison strode through a black portal that had sprung up a few feet away from him, a fuming guide floating along in tow. As he stepped through the inky black veil, his settings changed immediately. The temperature had dropped and he felt a soothing coolness seep into his skin. A methodic dripping could be heard echoing throughout the massive cavern, like a calming beat. The air was filled with a crisp scent, like flora and wet stone.

Domison felt incredibly at peace every time he entered his inner world and he decided that he really needed to spend more time here. He was quite embarrassed that he had neglected his little oasis now that he was thinking about it. In the time that he was gone, it seemed things had flourished here as well.

The cavern seemed to have expanded marginally, the ceiling and frost-tipped stalactites seeming a bit farther away, and he could see a grove of manabloom, colored azure and crimson, flourishing in the distance along the cave floor. As he continued his observation of his inner world, Domison noticed something slightly strange. Off in the distance, past the little cabin and the manabloom, was a hole in the wall. Raze chuckled when the man finally perceived the obvious change in the geography of his inner world,

‘Let’s go, shall we? Like I said, you should like this.’

Domison hadn’t noticed it before, but as he and Raze traversed the cavern that was his inner world, distance did not seem to have the same meaning. Walking down a trail leading towards the ground level of the cave with the destination of the distant black hole in the wall in mind, the surroundings slipped away slightly. Before he knew it Domison was standing in front of a wide and sinister cave mouth, wrapped in runes that glowed with intense power. Sickly green energy undulated around the script, and a purple mist flowed from the black reaches of the cave entrance. When Domison tried to focus on the form of the script, a spike of pain shot through his brain and the world began to swim.

‘Don’t focus on them too hard, little reaper… Those runes are much too powerful, and much too ancient, for you to comprehend at your level.’

Domison pushed on his eyes with the palm of his hands, willing the pain to subside. When the black spots had receded from his vision, he blinked the rest of the stars away and focused on his guide, “What the hell is that, huh? How could you add something to my inner world without my permission? Especially something that can fuck my head just by looking at it!”

‘Oh tutt, tutt. Hush child.’ A sickly sweet grin split the guide’s impish face, putting his shark teeth on clear display, ‘I have created you a trial grounds, and this meddling with your inner core was a gift from your sponsor. The best part… it dilates time to a degree.’

“Meaning?” Domison asked, nonplussed.

Raze rolled his eyes, ‘Meaning,’ he said mockingly, ‘that time will move at a slower pace while in the trial grounds than it does out here.’ While that realization was sinking in for Domison, Raze went on, ‘The only downside is that you cannot cultivate additional mana while you are undertaking the trials, but at the conclusion of each attempt your used mana will be restored.’

The possibilities rushed through Domison’s mind as he absorbed this new information. Even though he couldn’t increase his cultivation base, he could still train his skills, combat prowess and body. This is exactly what he needed. While his increase in strength and capability was astounding and a very welcome change, the man was having trouble adjusting to his new body, often feeling clumsy or ungainly in his movements. The possibilities this trial ground would open up were endless.

“When can I start?”