A week had passed since Kaelen’s encounter with Arcaris. Seven long days of restless nights, consumed by thoughts and secrets that once seemed distant, now weighed heavily on his shoulders. Alone in his apartment, Kaelen had devoted every waking moment to understanding the Codex, that strange, ancient guide that seemed to possess a mind of its own. It revealed itself to him in pieces, as if testing his resolve, demanding that he earn each fragment of knowledge.

  He had progressed more than he expected, yet the shadows remained a mystery, a power just beyond his full grasp. They responded to his movements now—faster, smoother—but there was still that wild edge to them, something primal and untamed that Kaelen couldn’t shake. The training had become second nature to him, though. His days passed in a blur of practice, small victories, and quiet failures.

  This was the new rhythm of his life.

  In the dim light of his apartment, the shadows stretched and twisted around him, coiling like living extensions of his thoughts. There was no hesitation in his movements anymore. Where once he had struggled to control them, now he allowed them to move of their own accord, guided by his understanding rather than his will. The teachings of Arcaris echoed in his mind: Don’t control the shadows. Understand them.

  Kaelen stood at the center of the room, his gaze fixed on a cup perched on the edge of the table. With a flick of his wrist, the shadows darted forward, wrapping around the cup like black tendrils. It wavered for a moment, then lifted—just slightly—before dropping back with a soft clink. The corners of his lips twitched, though whether it was in frustration or satisfaction, even he wasn’t sure.

  There had been progress. Undeniable progress. But there was something else too. Something that tugged at the edges of his awareness, like a subtle shift in the air he couldn’t quite name. The power didn’t feel foreign anymore, but that brought its own concerns. It was becoming familiar, almost comfortable, and that... unsettled him. The shadows were becoming an extension of him, reacting not just to his commands but to his emotions, to his thoughts, often before he could fully process them.

  Kaelen wasn’t sure whether to find that reassuring or terrifying.

  He flexed his fingers, feeling the shadows pulse in response. His eyes narrowed. What are you? he silently asked the darkness swirling around him, but the shadows offered no answer. They never did. Instead, they moved at his command, but never fully under his control. A quiet, relentless power that mirrored the storm brewing inside him.

  He reached out again, focusing on the cup, and this time the shadows moved faster. The cup lifted, hovered—steady, unshaken. Kaelen’s expression didn’t change, though there was a flicker of something behind his eyes. The shadows obeyed, but the sensation of them moving was... different now. It wasn’t just that he was getting better at this. No, there was something else at play.

  The cup remained suspended, floating in the air, and then, with a slight motion of his fingers, it gently descended back to the table.

  Kaelen stood still, his brow furrowing slightly. There had been no struggle in that last movement, no conscious effort to control the shadows. It had just... happened, seamlessly. Instinctively. He let out a slow breath, his gaze fixed on the cup, but his thoughts were far from it.

  A shift. A change. Something small, subtle, but undeniably present.

  He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the hum of energy coursing through him. It was faint, but always there, always lurking just beneath the surface, waiting for him to tap into it. And when he did, it responded—quickly, obediently, yet with an underlying current of danger. It was like standing on the edge of a cliff, knowing the drop was there but feeling a strange pull to lean forward and see what might happen if he fell.

  “Still not perfect,” he muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair. The air in the room felt heavier, as though the shadows themselves carried a weight he hadn’t noticed before. Or maybe it was him. Maybe he was changing, and the shadows were merely a reflection of that.

  But what am I changing into?

  Kaelen had always been a survivor, someone who knew how to navigate the chaos of the world, how to stay one step ahead of the dangers lurking in the shadows. But now, those very shadows seemed to be part of him. And for the first time in a long while, he wasn’t sure if he was navigating the chaos or becoming it.

  He glanced at the Codex lying open on the table, its pages filled with cryptic symbols and ancient knowledge. It had become his constant companion over the past week, revealing its secrets little by little. He had made it through about a quarter of the text, and while he understood more now than he had before, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the Codex was holding back. There was more—much more—but it wasn’t ready to show him yet.

  Not until I’m ready for it.

  That thought lingered as he flexed his fingers again, and the shadows around him pulsed in response. Kaelen could feel the connection between himself and the shadows growing stronger, but that connection came with its own set of risks. The more he leaned into it, the more he allowed the shadows to move through him, the more he realized how easy it would be to lose himself in them.

  He stared at the cup again, but this time, he didn’t lift it. Instead, he let the shadows swirl around it, caressing its edges before retreating back into the corners of the room. He was learning—slowly but surely. But with every step forward, the stakes seemed to rise. He wasn’t just training to harness his power anymore. He was preparing for something bigger, something darker, something that loomed just beyond the horizon.

  Kaelen walked over to the window, peering out at the city below. The lights flickered faintly, casting long, dark shadows that stretched out across the streets. There was a time when he would have been comforted by that sight, by the distance it offered from the madness of the world. But now, the shadows felt closer, more intimate. They weren’t just out there. They were inside him, a part of him.

  The quiet shift in his demeanor wasn’t something even Kaelen himself could fully grasp yet. He was still the same man, but there was a new understanding that lurked beneath the surface. It was subtle, like a whisper in the back of his mind, but it was there. A quiet confidence that hadn’t been present before. Not arrogance, not even certainty, just a strange sense of knowing.

  He wasn’t hiding anymore, at least not from himself.

  Kaelen flexed his fingers, and without thinking, the shadows coiled and stretched in response, moving more like a part of him than ever before. He let them play across the room, testing their reach, their limits. The shadows danced along the walls, flowing like liquid, twisting in ways that felt both alien and familiar.

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  His training with Arcaris, the lessons from the tome, all of it had been leading to this point. And though he had barely scratched the surface of his potential, he could feel it there, waiting for him. The next step, the next challenge.

  The Kaelen from a week ago would have hesitated, would have questioned everything, wondering if he was ready or if this was all just another burden he had to carry. But now, standing in the stillness of his apartment, with the shadows weaving through the air like extensions of his very thoughts, Kaelen felt... different. More grounded, more aware. The weight of the world wasn’t any lighter, but he was starting to understand how to carry it.

  He knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy. The shadows, Arcaris, Aether, the secrets that were slowly unraveling around him. It was all leading to something, something that could easily consume him if he wasn’t careful.

  But for the first time, Kaelen didn’t feel like running from it.

  He took a deep breath, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly. The shadows stilled at his feet, curling like smoke before fading into the corners of the room.

  There was still so much he didn’t know, so much he didn’t understand. But Kaelen was no longer the man who would wait for the world to dictate his choices. He had learned something crucial in these past few days, something that would guide him in the battles to come.

  He wasn’t just surviving anymore.

  He was preparing for war.

  “Let it come. I’m ready for this.” He whispered, almost to himself.

  Kaelen stepped closer to the window, feeling the cool night air hit his face as he unlatched the frame and pushed it open. The city below stretched out in a maze of flickering lights and muted sounds. Without hesitation, he extended his arm, his fingers curling slightly as the shadows responded, snaking out from his palm like living tendrils.

  “Let’s see how far you can go."

  The shadow obeyed, slithering over rooftops, darting between buildings, slipping through the cracks in the city's structure like it had always belonged there.

  As it stretched further, further than he’d ever dared to try before, he felt something—a connection. It wasn’t just power. It was the city itself, the pulse of life flowing beneath his command. He could sense every flicker of light, every pocket of darkness, and in that moment, it all felt...reachable. Controllable.

  A low chuckle escaped his lips. “You’ve got to be kidding me. “This...this is just the beginning, isn’t it?”

  The shadows pushed further, testing the limits. Kaelen’s eyes narrowed, his pulse steady despite the excitement building in his chest. He could feel the pull of the Veil stronger now, its whispers no longer distant but clear, guiding the darkness under his control.

  "Come on, show me what else you're hiding."

  The city stretched before him, but it was no longer just a place. It was his playground now.

  And then, there it was. A flicker. Something, or someone, connected back. Not just the city, not the everyday flow of shadows and light. No, this was different. A ripple of something darker, a force that tugged against him with just enough resistance to let him know it wasn’t natural. It was playful, almost teasing.

  Kaelen stiffened. His heart skipped a beat, but he didn’t pull back. Not this time.

  His eyes narrowed, focusing on the connection. It wasn’t fear that clenched his chest—more like curiosity mixed with adrenaline. Whatever it was, it wasn’t backing down. He pushed harder, sending more shadows into the web, his power stretching further as if testing the waters.

  For a moment, it felt like a tug of war, a back and forth between two unseen forces. Kaelen smirked, letting the shadows wrap tighter, trying to lock onto whatever had just tried to toy with him.

  And then the tugging stopped.

  He furrowed his brow, confused, and in that moment of hesitation, the shadows recoiled—hard. A force pulled them back toward him, like they were being yanked from his control. He grunted, planting his feet as he fought to keep them in check.

  “What the hell—” he muttered under his breath, pulling with all his might to regain control. But the shadows wouldn’t budge. It felt like something had its grip on them, holding them in place, anchored in the air like they were tethered to a weight Kaelen couldn’t see.

  Frustration flared, and Kaelen forced every bit of focus he had on wrenching the shadows free. Just as he was about to try again, the weight snapped loose—his shadows rushed back to him, almost knocking him off balance.

  But they weren’t alone.

  A blur of motion followed them, and before Kaelen could react, a figure appeared, seemingly materializing from the darkness itself, landing on the windowsill with a fluid grace that sent his senses into overdrive.

  “Well, well, looks like someone’s been practicing,” Thorian drawled, his voice smooth and amused. The arrogance in his tone was unmistakable, but there was something else too—excitement, like a predator that had just found a playmate worth the chase.

  Kaelen’s heart pounded, adrenaline surging as his hand instinctively reached for a weapon that wasn’t there. He forced himself to relax, eyes narrowing at the newcomer who now hung effortlessly from his window.

  “Are you always this dramatic,” Thorian continued, swinging one leg over the sill, “or is that just your way of saying hello?”

  Kaelen glared, still tense but now more irritated than alarmed. "Wouldn’t want to disappoint," he shot back, voice dry with sarcasm. He finally released his grip on the shadows, letting them fully settle.

  Thorian chuckled, finally stepping fully into the room with an exaggerated stretch. “Good. I like a little flair.”

  Kaelen crossed his arms, watching the Shadow Celestial with wary eyes. His heart still raced from the encounter, but he couldn’t help the small, unwilling grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. It wasn’t the first time someone had caught him off guard, but it had been a while since anyone had enjoyed it this much.

  “You could’ve just knocked, you know,” Kaelen muttered, still eyeing him cautiously. “But I guess that would’ve been too... normal for you.”

  Thorian gave a casual shrug, his smirk widening. “I’ve proclaimed myself the master of entrances. If you’ve got a better title, I’m open to suggestions.”

  Kaelen raised an eyebrow, unimpressed but unable to suppress the slight curl of his lips. “You really need to get out more.”

  Thorian clicked his tongue. “Now, where’s the creativity in that? I’ve got to keep things exciting. Can’t have people thinking I’m... predictable.”

  Kaelen just shook his head, sighing. “What do you want, Thorian? I don’t suppose you broke into my apartment just to chat about your flair for theatrics?”

  Thorian’s smirk didn’t falter. “Have you had dinner yet?”

  Kaelen blinked, momentarily thrown off by the random question. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

  Thorian let out a laugh, shaking his head as if thoroughly entertained. “Not exactly. You’re expected in Aether.”

  Kaelen’s expression sharpened at that, his tone cutting but calm. “Malachar.”

  Thorian gave him a mock bow, dripping with sarcasm. “The one and only. His royal pain-in-the—”

  Kaelen cut him off, his eyes glinting with a dark edge. “Good. That’s exactly where I want to be.”

  Thorian paused, narrowing his eyes slightly before muttering dryly, “You’re not being sarcastic.”

  Kaelen, his face set with quiet determination, responded just as dryly. “No.”

  Thorian threw his head back, letting out a laugh that echoed through the room like a man who had just heard the best joke in the world. "Oh, gods, this is going to be fun."

  Kaelen rolled his eyes, already regretting every decision that led him to this moment. “You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”

  Thorian, still chuckling, slapped Kaelen on the back as he grabbed his coat and sword. “Oh, trust me, it’ll mean exactly what I think it means. Now hurry up, we’ve got a royal audience waiting.”

  Kaelen followed, the weight of whatever was coming pulling at the back of his mind. As they exited his apartment, Thorian veered toward a darker alleyway. Kaelen frowned, his hand instinctively going to where his blade rested. “Why are we heading this way?”

  Before he could finish the question, Thorian raised a hand and, with a flick of his wrist, opened a swirling portal of shadows. The portal crackled with energy, dark tendrils writhing along its edges. Kaelen stopped in his tracks, eyes wide, the blood draining from his face.

  He took an involuntary step back, then another, until his stomach turned violently. Before he knew it, Kaelen crouched down, his elbows resting on his knees, as a wave of nausea slammed into him like a brick wall.

  Thorian raised an eyebrow, amused by the sight. “Oh, no. You’ve got to be kidding me. This is going to be very FUN!”

  Kaelen, still trying to catch his breath, glared up at him through the haze of nausea. But Thorian only grinned wider, his laughter ringing out like a taunting echo, filling the alleyway as Kaelen fought to steady himself.

  The sound of Thorian’s laughter bounced off the narrow walls, following them both like a shadow as they disappeared through the portal.