Chapter 36 – The Whispering Dark

  The night stretched over the sect like a shroud, cold and watchful.

  Akari sat cross-legged in her chamber, eyes closed, trying to steady herself.

  But the power inside her refused to be silent.

  It twisted beneath her skin, an echo of the beast she had devoured.

  > "Consume. Grow. Become more."

  The whisper slithered through her mind.

  Her hands clenched.

  This was different from before.

  It wasn’t just raw energy—this power had a presence. A voice. And it wanted something.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Tsubaki shifted in the corner, ears twitching. “It’s speaking again, isn’t it?”

  Akari exhaled through her nose. “It hasn’t stopped.”

  She had expected backlash from absorbing the Flame Devourer’s essence. But this—

  This felt like something else.

  Something waiting.

  She forced herself to focus, drawing her qi into a steady flow. The energy churned, resisting her command, but she pushed it down, forcing it into control.

  For now.

  > I need answers.

  She opened her eyes. “We’re leaving.”

  Tsubaki blinked. “Leaving? Now?”

  Akari stood, her expression unreadable. “There’s someone who might know what’s happening to me.”

  She threw on her cloak, shadowy qi curling around her fingers.

  Tsubaki sighed. “This is a terrible idea.”

  “Probably.”

  She stepped into the darkness.

  And vanished.

  ---

  The Forbidden Archives

  The library stood at the heart of the sect, towering above the surrounding halls like an ancient sentinel.

  Most disciples weren’t allowed past the first level.

  Akari wasn’t most disciples.

  She moved like a shadow, her qi masking her presence as she slipped past the guards. The corridors twisted in near darkness, lined with shelves of forgotten knowledge.

  She didn’t stop until she reached the lowest level—the Forbidden Archives.

  A place only Elders could enter.

  And a place filled with secrets.

  Tsubaki tensed on her shoulder. “I really don’t like this.”

  Akari ignored her.

  Her fingers traced the spines of ancient tomes, their covers marked with symbols of binding and warning.

  Then—

  A book shifted beneath her touch.

  The air grew heavy.

  The whispers in her mind stilled.

  And then—

  Something laughed.

  A deep, rasping sound that coiled around her soul.

  "Ah… finally, you've come."

  Akari’s blood ran cold.

  This wasn’t the voice of the beast she had devoured.

  This was something far older.

  Something that had been waiting for her.

  The book opened on its own.

  And the shadows stirred.