Chapter 99 – The Shadow of Himself

The void roared as Kael and the Eraser’s powers collided, each strike louder than thunder. Every time their blades and sigils met, the world cracked a little more—reeds turned to ash, stars flickered and died above.

But the greater storm raged within Kael.

The visions the Eraser had shown him burned behind his eyes: himself crowned in flame, drowning cities, a throne of bones. Every swing he made seemed to echo those futures, his sword dragging longer shadows than before.

Is this what I’m becoming?

The thought seeped in like poison. His strikes grew heavier, wilder—less Kael, more abyss.

The Eraser’s lips curved faintly, as though amused. “Yes… surrender to it. You wield power not meant to exist. You will drown in it as countless others have.”

Kael’s breath came ragged. His blade sang with unstable fury, each flare devouring even Aria’s light. The more he fought, the more the shadows around him looked alive—like hands clawing free, eager to drag him under.

“Kael!” Aria’s voice cut through the roar. She thrust her staff into the sinking mire, summoning a sphere of radiance around him. The shadows hissed, recoiling. “Don’t let him define you! You are not what he shows you—you are what you choose to be!”

Her words pierced the haze. Kael blinked, trembling. The shadows wavered, struggling against his grip, but his knuckles tightened on the blade.

He growled, forcing the abyss back down. “No… I won’t be your prophecy.”

The Eraser’s expression hardened, his runes spinning faster, brighter. “Then prove it. End me—if you can keep your own darkness leashed.”

Kael steadied his breath, eyes sharpening. The shadows dimmed, not gone, but contained. He raised his sword, calmer now, its flame dark yet steady.

Aria exhaled, relief flickering through her gaze. He was still Kael. For now.

And as the Eraser unleashed a storm of sigils, Kael stepped forward—not as a beast of ruin, but as himself.