In the oppressive darkness that enveloped Kai Ren, silence reigned supreme, broken only by the faint echo of his own breath and the distant hum of unseen energies. The air hung heavy with the scent of must and decay, a tangible presence that clung to his skin like a clammy embrace. Shapes melted into obscurity before his eyes, swallowed by the abyssal void that stretched endlessly in every direction. With each tentative step, the darkness pressed against him, cold and insistent, sending shivers down his spine. Amidst the stillness, there lingered a metallic tang on his tongue, a bitter reminder of the mysteries that lurked unseen in the shadows, waiting to be unveiled.

And there it was, a being that was visible to him.

"So, I guess you're not totally dead, huh?" Kai asked, a mirror reflection of himself.

His tone devoid of emotion, Bloodthorne's gaze remained fixed ahead. "My soul is merely biding its time in this sanctuary before fading into oblivion."

"And where exactly is… here?"

Bloodthorne scoffed. "It is Sanctuary. An ability of mine that creates a separate plane of existence for my soul, distinct from my physical vessel."

"Then how am I here?"

His expression unchanging, Bloodthorne's words held a hint of indifference. "My body serves as the host. Our body, I suppose."

Baffled by the revelation, Kai shook his head in disbelief. "So, why pull me into this place? Are you upset I took your body?"

"Do not mistake my actions for acquiescence. We were both compelled into this situation."

Kai glanced around again, but truly, nothing other than the two bodies were visible. "You didn't answer my question. Where I'm from, it's considered rude to ignore another's question."

His demeanor unwavering, Bloodthorne's response was curt. "I created this sanctuary as a last resort when my demise became inevitable."

"Speaking of th–"

"Not yet." Bloodthorne held his hand up, a signal to stop speaking. "You wish to know more, but I need proof you're worthy of it."

"Worthy?" Kai thought of a certain God-like superhero from the comics he read as a kid. "I'm not too sure how I would respond to such a thing from my world, but I imagine here it means something about strength, doesn't it?"

"You are correct. I must make sure you know your strength, so that you can carry on my legacy."

"And what if I don't want to? First, I was forced into this fuckin' world. And let me tell you, the scene I woke up to was not a pretty one. Then, not even two hours later, you summon me here!"

"You seem to not understand your situation."

"Of course not! Who would!" Kai roared, veins bulging across his head.

"Like I said before, do not make the mistake of thinking you have a choice. Our body may be alright, but I have your soul here, in my realm. If you do not carry out my wishes, then I will squash your soul, like a bug."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Kai curled his fingers, digging into his palm as he bit on his lips. It didn't last long, though, as he calmed himself down. "In that case, I'll ask only one more time. Why the hell did you bring me here?"

"You have inherited fragments of my memories, but much remains obscured. As you healed our wound," Bloodthorne moved his robe to show his stomach. A circular, yet jagged scar stood there. Kai quickly lifted his robe up as well, rubbing his hands across it. "It became evident that certain abilities are instinctual to you."

"Yeah, instinct to suddenly know how to heal myself." Kai chuckled. "If I read more books, then I'd probably know what the hell it is that I used on myself."

"The point is, I must ensure these abilities are more than mere instinct. I will train you to wield my powers and make them your own."

"I see. And the catch is that I have to use them in order to avenge those friends of yours?"

"I didn't think you'd have received that memory." Bloodthorne continued gazing forward, his eyes lifeless. "Oh, well, it matters not. As you've seen, my closest friend, someone I considered my brother, mercilessly took the life of our friends. He cut them down, like wild animals. And I will not stand for it! The last twelve years I've searched for him! But he's a ghost. I catch wind of him being somewhere, and by time I'm there… he's already gone."

"If I go through with this, then just how long would we be here? I mean, how long can we even be here for?"

"Eternity." Said Bloodthorne, hands behind his back.

"You mean you could spend eons in here?"

"Time is not of your concern. There is plenty of it. Plenty of time to get you to my level. And even more."

One of Kai's eyebrows arched. "More?"

Bloodthorne opened both palms upwards, to the nonexistent sky. Without even uttering any words, two books suddenly appeared in his hand. "There are many reasons why I was sought after by the likes of bounty hunters, the martial alliance, and pretty much everybody, but these were the main reasons."

"They killed you over some books?" Kai smiled, his heart racing, "they must be hella important."

Bloodthorne scoffed again. "You are correct. This book, " he twirled his left hand around, "is known as The Tome of Forbidden Shadows. Long ago, the early founders of the Shadow Clan created this. Inside are only three techniques, but they're the pinnacle of shadow power."

"Pray tell, how did you manage to get your snubby hands on that, then?"

"Over the last few millennia, many have failed to steal it from the Shadow Clan." As if it were a show, he opened the book, magically, and flipped through the pages, "I succeeded."

Kai smirked as Bloodthorne continued. "And the other one, The Scroll of Divine Retribution."

"I don't recall you stealing it, but I do remember who that belonged to. The Celestial Monastery, yes? You stole from monks and assassins. I was right, this is indeed quite funny. And let me guess, they jumped you?"

"Jumped?"

"Tag teamed you?"

"..."

"Both sides attacked you!"

"Ah, yes."

"Then that's who knows our identity." Kai said.

"No, they don't." Bloodthorne replied, resulting in Kai snapping his neck. He was about to ask ton's of questions, but he threw his hand up again, stopping Kai before the questions reigned down. The hand was starting to piss Kai off, making him snarl at the sight of it.

"That's enough information. Everything you wish to know will enter your mind once this is all over. Our souls are different, no doubt about that. However, our bodies are the same. Your brain is my brain; therefore, my memories are yours for the taking. You simply have to unlock them." Bloodthorne expressed, making the books vanish.

Grudgingly, Kai acknowledged the challenge. "Fine. What's the first step?"

"In your world, do you learn martial arts?"

"I was forced to learn how to fight from a young age. But if you mean something organized, then of course I have. Multiple, actually."

"That is good to hear. That is where we'll start. I will bring my cultivation level down to that of a regular human."

"Wait, we're gonna duke it out right now?"

"I do not have to know what your words mean exactly to understand what they infer. To answer your question… yes, we will 'duke' it out."

Kai flashed his teeth. "Great. This robe might prove to be annoying, but it's no big deal."

"I do not know how long we will be here," Bloodthorne said, both of them taking a stance. The stance Kai took confused Bloodthorne, he had not seen such a stance. But Kai automatically noticed his opponent's, 'Kung Fu!' He thought.

"Now then… let's begin."