The Battle Within/The Coming Truce

Leegna wiped the sweat off his brow, the weight of Enzok's stern gaze making the air feel heavier than the training he was undergoing. The courtyard was empty, save for the two of them, and though Leegna had faced shadow creatures and celestial beings, the battle he fought now felt more exhausting than any he had faced. It wasn't just about strength, stamina, or skill—it was about conquering the storm that raged in his mind.

"Again," Enzok ordered, his voice calm but firm.

-Leegna's muscles screamed in protest as he dropped down for another set of push-ups, but the real war was being fought inside him. The whispers of doubt, the weight of his depression, and the constant fear of failure gnawed at him. What was the point? He had asked himself that a thousand times. Even with the powers of the ring, with the destiny Yuj had laid out for him, what if it wasn't enough? What if he wasn't enough?

His mind drifted back to moments of darkness, times when he was paralyzed by his own thoughts. But every time his body seemed ready to give in, Enzok's voice would pull him back.

"You're stronger than this," Enzok said, standing over him as Leegna gritted his teeth and pushed up again. "Strength doesn't come from power, boy. It comes from will. If you don't believe you can win, you've already lost."

-Leegna collapsed onto the ground, chest heaving. The cool air kissed his skin, but the coldness in his mind lingered. He looked up at Enzok, his mentor's face devoid of the betrayal that had clouded his thoughts in the past. Enzok had always been there, from the time he was three, after his parents died. He was strict but unwavering in his support.

The question lingered in Leegna's chest: Could he truly trust Enzok? Or was his mentor like all the others who would eventually betray him?

"You're in your head again," Enzok said, kneeling beside him. "I can see it in your eyes. Doubt. Fear. That's what's holding you back."

Leegna clenched his fists, his fingers digging into the dirt. He knew Enzok was right. His depression wasn't just an enemy—it was the enemy. It had held him captive for years, chaining him down, whispering that he was nothing but a pawn in the grander scheme of others.

"It's not easy," Leegna admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "You talk about willpower, about strength, but what if... what if it's not enough? What if I fail?"

-Enzok's hand rested on his shoulder, a rare gesture of warmth from the otherwise hardened man. "Everyone fails, Leegna. But failure doesn't define you. What defines you is what you do after. Do you lie there in the dirt, or do you get back up?"

For the first time in what felt like forever, Leegna allowed the silence to stretch. He wasn't sure how to respond. Enzok had always pushed him to be better, stronger, more focused, but he never dismissed the darkness Leegna felt inside. Instead, he helped him face it.

"I believe in you," Enzok said, standing and offering a hand to Leegna. "But belief means nothing if you don't believe in yourself. You need to set your sights on the end goal, and not let anything—anything—keep you from that."

Leegna hesitated before taking his hand, pulling himself to his feet. His body ached, but somehow, his mind felt a little lighter.

"Again," Enzok commanded.

-As Leegna prepared for another round of physical training, his inner thoughts swirled. The weight of his depression hadn't disappeared, but it felt... manageable. The physical training was no longer just a way to get stronger—it was a way to take control. And Enzok, far from being the traitor he had feared, seemed to be the one person who genuinely cared for his success.

Every punch, every kick, every push-up was not just a fight against the enemies he would face, but a fight against the darkness within himself.

As the session continued, Enzok watched him closely, nodding as Leegna began to push harder, faster. He wasn't just fighting the world anymore. He was fighting for himself. And for the first time, in a long time, he felt a flicker of hope.

Enzok's voice cut through the haze of exhaustion. "You'll make it, boy. You just need to finish the line ahead."

-Later, as they moved deeper into the tower, the silence stretched between them, heavy and tense. Yuj's mind was still calculating, but outwardly, he remained calm. The key to his freedom was standing right beside him, and he wasn't about to let it slip through his fingers.

He stepped closer to Leegna, his voice low, almost conspiratorial. "You and I... we both know this journey isn't about the Guardians. It's about something bigger. You want to rid this world of them, and I want something too. We can help each other."

Leegna paused, looking over at Yuj with a skeptical expression. "And what's that, Yuj? What do you really want?"

A smirk crossed Yuj's face. "I want freedom—from them, from this prison, from the chains that bind me here. I know Gersong's secret... and if you let me, I can help you take down the rest."

-Leegna's eyes narrowed. He wasn't foolish. He knew this truce wouldn't last forever, but for now, it was useful. If Yuj had knowledge that could give him the upper hand against the Guardians and Gersong, then maybe—just maybe—it was worth the risk.

The two locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them. For now, they were allies. But the shadow of betrayal still loomed large, and Leegna knew that when the time came, only one of them would emerge victorious.

With the final piece of the truce in place, Leegna whispered to himself, almost as if to reassure his own soul, "Soon... I will become what they fear most. The Shadow Hunter."