Chapter 30: Taming the Darkness

As Adrian, Dan, and the old man made their way through the trees, the sound of approaching horses suddenly reached their ears, followed by clear neighs and the distant shouts of soldiers. Adrian stopped in his tracks and quickly looked around. "We need to hide!" He searched for a suitable place until his eyes landed on a huge hollow tree trunk. He immediately pointed toward it. "Let's hide in there."

The three of them quickly climbed inside the trunk. Adrian then raised a finger to his lips and whispered, "Don't make a sound."

Only moments later, the sound of the horses grew louder before they finally stopped right beside the tree. Silence filled the hollow as the three of them stood completely still. After a few moments, one of the soldiers spoke. "Sir, where could they have gone? We've been searching for hours. We should be faster than them, so why can't we catch up?"

Valdrin's calm voice followed. "If Adrian wants to play a game with us, then we can play along with his little game. We'll find him, and when we do, we won't let him escape again."

Then he shouted, "Come on! Move!"

The horses started moving again, and the voices gradually faded into the forest. Adrian remained silent until the last sound of hooves disappeared. He waited a little longer before cautiously sticking his head out of the trunk to make sure the area was clear.

He pulled himself back inside and said, "They're gone."

He looked at Dan and the old man before adding, "But we're staying here tonight. It's too cold outside, and they might come back."

Neither of them objected. The three remained inside the tree trunk, and as time passed, the forest around them grew quiet until sleep finally overcame them.

The first rays of dawn slipped between the trees, and golden sunlight began pouring through the opening of the hollow trunk until it fell across Adrian's face. He slowly opened his eyes, taking a few moments to remember where he was before quietly getting to his feet so he wouldn't wake the others.

He stepped out of the massive tree trunk and inhaled the cold air that filled his lungs. The forest remained unusually quiet. There were no sounds of horses, no shouts, and no sign of the Nerathion soldiers.

Soon, the old man stepped out, followed by Dan. After making sure the area was clear, they exchanged glances before Adrian nodded and said, "We need to move before they find us again."

The two nodded in agreement, and they continued through the trees cautiously, avoiding any traces that might reveal their path. Hours passed as they made their way through the dense forest, occasionally stopping to catch their breath before continuing on.

As the sun climbed toward the middle of the sky, Dan suddenly stopped and tilted his head slightly.

"Do you hear that?"

Silence settled over them for a moment before the sound of flowing water reached their ears from somewhere in the distance.

The old man broke into a wide smile of relief. "A waterfall!" he exclaimed, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Finally... we can get some water."

He was about to head toward the sound when Adrian stopped him.

"Wait."

The old man and Dan immediately froze. There was something different in Adrian's voice, a mixture of caution and concern. The old man looked at him in confusion. "What is it?"

Adrian stared in the direction of the waterfall for several seconds before speaking in a low voice. "...The water."

The old man frowned. "What about it?"

Adrian slowly exhaled before saying, "It's no longer just water."

Dan quickly turned toward him, and Adrian continued, "Its reflections have become gateways. The Bimors emerge from them."

Silence fell between them.

Then Adrian added while staring through the trees, "And if there's a waterfall... there's a good chance a group of them is roaming around the area right now."

The old man's face paled slightly. "Then what are we going to do?"

Adrian raised his head and glanced at the enormous trees surrounding them before pointing toward them.

"We'll climb the trees."

The old man looked up at the tree before turning back to Adrian in disbelief. "You expect a man my age to climb a tree?"

Adrian calmly replied, "We don't have another choice."

The old man sighed in resignation, while Dan asked, "What about the water?"

Adrian turned toward him. "I'll get it."

Dan immediately objected. "By yourself?"

Adrian nodded. "You two go first."

He pointed toward one of the massive trees. "Climb up there, and don't make a sound until I come back."

Dan didn't argue. He headed toward the tree with the old man and began helping him climb, while Adrian remained where he was for a few moments, watching in the direction of the rushing water before finally making his way toward the waterfall.

However, the moment the old man placed his foot against the trunk, he slipped and fell to the ground. He groaned as he rubbed his back. "I told you... I'm not at an age where I can be doing this anymore."

He tried climbing again, only to fall a second time. Adrian looked at Dan and said firmly, "Help my grandfather."

Dan sighed in annoyance and looked at the old man. "And how exactly do you expect me to help him? Should I carry him on my back or something?"

Adrian gave him a brief look. "Stop complaining... and help him."

Dan raised both hands in surrender. "Fine... fine."

He approached the old man and slowly helped him climb. After several attempts, they finally managed to settle on one of the thick branches. Adrian raised his head and gave them one last look, making sure they were in a safe position before turning around and heading toward the sound of the waterfall alone.

Adrian slipped through the bushes with slow, careful steps, avoiding the dry branches so they wouldn't make a sound. Every now and then, he stopped to listen to his surroundings before continuing even more cautiously. With every step, the roar of the waterfall grew louder until the trees finally came to an end.

Adrian crouched behind a large rock and cautiously looked ahead. A massive waterfall flowed between the rocks, its water collecting in a clear pool that reflected the trees and sky perfectly. But one thing immediately caught his attention—the reflections on the surface were moving on their own, even though the pool itself remained completely still.

Adrian watched them in silence.

Suddenly, black ripples spread across the surface of the water. A twisted hand emerged from them, followed by a head, then an entire body. Another creature emerged, then a third. Within moments, Bimors began pouring out of the water's reflections one after another, until the pool had transformed into a gateway from which increasing numbers of the creatures continued to emerge.

Adrian watched without moving as the Bimors spread throughout the forest surrounding the waterfall, moving in every direction in search of any sign of living creatures. He clenched his teeth as he watched their growing numbers.

"How am I supposed to reach the water... and make it back through all of them?" he thought.

He scanned the area again but couldn't find a single clear path. Every route leading to the pool was blocked by one of the Bimors. He remained there for several seconds, thinking, before leaning his back against the rock and closing his eyes for a moment.

Then he remembered the second stage of his training—the stage Valdrin hadn't given him enough time to complete. A faint, almost mocking smile appeared on Adrian's lips as he whispered to himself, "Looks like... there's no way around it."

He opened his eyes again and fixed his gaze on the Bimors scattered around the waterfall.

"Then I'll have to face them to get the water."

He paused before adding calmly, "So... I'll make them my training."

After muttering those words, Adrian stared at the reflection of the water through the trees before moving toward a thick bush. He sat beneath its shade with his legs crossed and slowly closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath and began searching deep within himself for the feeling he needed—the feeling of anger.

At first, nothing happened. All he could hear was the roar of the waterfall, the rustling leaves, and the steady beating of his heart as it gradually began to calm.

Adrian furrowed his brows and summoned his first memory.

The day he found his father covered in blood.

The scene appeared before his eyes as if it were happening all over again—the smell of blood, his brother's screams, and the trembling of his hands as he desperately tried to wake his father.

Thin strands of black smoke began seeping from Adrian's body, but they quickly faded into the air. Adrian opened his eyes with a frustrated look and exhaled as he whispered, "No... At this rate, I won't be able to protect myself... or Dan... or my grandfather."

He closed his eyes again, but this time, he didn't focus on a single memory. Instead, he delved into everything he had tried to bury. He saw his mother being dragged into the Soul Mirror. He saw his father being accused of killing her. He saw his little brother crying in his arms, then the sight of his mother's preserved body inside that glass coffin.

Then he remembered Valdrin—his words, his deception, and the day he had left Adrian alone.

Every memory that flashed through his mind fed the anger burning inside him.

His breathing grew heavier, and his fists tightened until his fingernails dug into his palms. Drops of blood began falling onto the ground.

Then, without warning, a dark black aura exploded from his body and surged in every direction. The trees shook, leaves scattered through the air, and the waterfall trembled violently as wave after wave spread across its surface.

Adrian opened his eyes.

The darkness had completely swallowed the whites of his eyes, while his pupils glowed through the black smoke like two burning embers.

At that moment, dozens of heads turned between the trees. The Bimors had been searching for any movement, but this time, they hadn't heard a sound.

They had sensed the enormous burst of energy that had erupted through the forest.

Their heads rose in unison before all of them charged toward Adrian at terrifying speed, their roars tearing through the silence of the forest.

Adrian slowly rose to his feet, the same sinister smile appearing on his lips. He reached toward his shoulder and grabbed the Flagrum wrapped around his body.

The first creature lunged at him.

Adrian spun and swung the Flagrum in a wide arc.

The seven leather straps tore through the creature's body at once before snapping back toward his arm, blood dripping from their ends.

But before Adrian could regain his stance, the surface of the waterfall rippled again.

Dozens of reflections opened across the water like black gateways, and more Bimors began pouring out one after another.

Seven new creatures emerged from the water.

Then seven more.

Then even more.

Adrian furrowed his brows and stared at the waterfall.

"Again...?"

The Bimors charged at him from every direction. Adrian tightened his grip on the Flagrum and moved through them without hesitation.

A punch, then a kick, followed by a strike from the Flagrum. Every movement took down one or more monsters, yet the number of Bimors never seemed to decrease. If anything, it continued to grow with every passing moment.

Adrian's breathing grew heavier, and sweat mixed with blood across his face. Then a sudden, sharp pain struck his head, forcing him to stop for a moment.

His vision blurred. The trees began to overlap before his eyes, while the roars of the Bimors grew distant, as if they were coming from the bottom of a deep well.

Adrian pressed a hand against his head and gritted his teeth. "Not now... No..."

The black aura around his body became increasingly unstable, thrashing violently as it gathered around him once more. His hands began to tremble.

Then everything disappeared.

...

Adrian had no idea how much time had passed. When he finally opened his eyes again, the entire area had fallen into silence.

His eyes slowly widened as he looked around.

The landscape had been completely transformed. Dozens of massive trees had been torn apart and lay scattered across the ground. The bodies of the Bimors were everywhere—some split in half, others reduced to nothing more than mangled remains.

Even the massive rocks had cracked, while blood covered the ground surrounding the waterfall.

Adrian lowered his gaze to the Flagrum in his hand. Blood was still dripping from its ends.

He whispered, "So... I lost control again."

He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath before raising his head toward the waterfall.

The water gates were still open, and more Bimors continued pouring out without end.

Adrian tightened his grip on the Flagrum until his knuckles turned white.

"No... I won't let it control me again."

He fixed his gaze on the Bimors emerging from the water and began repeating the words inside his mind.

You are my target... You are my target... You are my target...

He repeated them with every breath until the thought became firmly rooted in his mind.

He no longer wanted to let his anger control him. Instead, he wanted to give that anger a clear purpose.

Adrian began moving forward again, one step after another, his eyes never leaving the Bimors emerging from the water gates.

"You are my target..."

He whispered the words once more.

The moment the first Bimor leaped toward him, Adrian charged forward.

This time, he didn't fight recklessly.

Every movement was calculated. Every strike had a purpose.

He swung the Flagrum around his body, sending its seven straps whipping through the air like snakes. One wrapped around a Bimor's neck, another pierced through the chest of a second monster, while a third coiled around the leg of a third creature and dragged it to the ground.

With a single movement of his wrist, Adrian pulled all seven straps tight.

The creatures' bodies were torn apart in an instant, spraying blood across the rocks surrounding the waterfall.

But Adrian didn't stop. He kept repeating the words in his mind.

My target... the Bimors. My target... the Bimors. My target... the Bimors.

Whenever he felt his anger trying to take control, he tied it to those words. Whenever he felt his consciousness beginning to slip away, he clenched his teeth and repeated them again.

Minutes passed, and Adrian began to notice something different.

This time, he hadn't lost consciousness.

The pain was still tearing through his head, and the black aura had become even more violent than before, but it no longer controlled his body like it had the first time.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"I did it..."

He paused to catch his breath before adding, "Even if only a little."

But his joy didn't last long.

Every time he killed a group of Bimors, another group emerged. Every time he cleared a path through them, it quickly filled again.

Adrian looked toward the surface of the water. It never stopped rippling, as if the waterfall itself had become an endless gateway.

He took a step back, breathing heavily.

"As long as this water remains... they'll never stop coming out."

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand before tightening his grip on the Flagrum once again.

"Then... I'll keep fighting."

He raised his eyes toward the approaching Bimors and said firmly, "Not to defeat them..."

His grip tightened around the Flagrum.

"But to tame this power."