Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Whispers in the Void
The Veiled City was eerily silent as Azarion and Sera left the shattered obelisk behind. The once-bustling streets now felt abandoned, the inhabitants vanishing as though they had never been there. A faint, cold wind brushed through the air, carrying with it a distant, haunting whisper that set both of them on edge.
"That… doesn't feel right," Sera said, tightening her grip on her bow. Her eyes darted to the now-empty streets. "Where did everyone go? They were just here."
"It's not them you should worry about," Azarion replied, his voice low. The fragment's power burned faintly in his chest, a rhythmic pulse that felt both empowering and foreboding. "Something else is here. Something watching us."
Sera opened her mouth to respond, but a soft laugh—low and taunting—cut through the air. The sound came from everywhere and nowhere, echoing off the crystalline structures around them.
"Well done," a voice said, smooth and melodic, yet filled with malice. "Few survive the test of the Veiled City. Fewer still claim its treasures."
Azarion turned sharply, his blade half-drawn. "Show yourself."
The laughter grew louder, and the shimmering veil that had cloaked the city began to warp and twist. From the distortion stepped a figure cloaked in shadow, its form humanoid but intangible, shifting like smoke in the wind. Its eyes glowed faintly violet, twin beacons in the darkness.
"The Void is never far," the figure said, its tone almost amused. "And you, Azarion of the Exiled Blade, have drawn its gaze."
Azarion's grip on his blade tightened. "Who are you?"
"A herald," the figure said, bowing slightly. "A servant of the greater powers that govern this fractured realm. You've begun a journey that disrupts the balance, and the Void does not take kindly to such insolence."
"Great," Sera muttered, rolling her eyes. "More cryptic nonsense. Let me guess—if we don't stop, we die, right?"
The figure's laughter rang out again, its form twisting closer. "Oh, death is the least of your concerns. Each fragment you claim brings you closer to the truth, and the truth is far more terrifying than any death."
Azarion stepped forward, his blade glowing faintly with the combined energy of the fragments. "If your masters fear me, then I must be doing something right."
The herald stilled, its eyes narrowing. "Fear you? No, Azarion. They pity you. You walk a path of ruin, and in the end, you will stand alone."
The air grew colder, the world around them darkening as the herald raised its hand. Shadows coalesced into jagged forms, humanoid creatures with elongated limbs and claws that glinted like obsidian. Their eyes glowed the same violet hue as the herald's.
"Prove your worth, Exiled One," the herald said, its voice echoing as it faded into the shadows. "Let us see if you are as strong as you believe."
---
The shadow creatures lunged without warning, their movements unnaturally fluid. Azarion met the first with a powerful swing of his blade, the golden-silver energy slicing through the creature's form. It let out a piercing shriek before dissolving into mist.
Sera loosed arrows at another, but the shadows seemed to absorb her attacks. "They're not solid!" she shouted, dodging as one swiped at her with razor-sharp claws.
"Focus on their cores!" Azarion called, pointing to the faint violet glows at the center of each creature.
Sera gritted her teeth, nocking a specialized arrow. She took aim at the closest creature, releasing the shot with precision. The arrow struck the core, and the creature exploded into a cloud of black mist.
"Got it!" she said, moving to cover Azarion's back.
The creatures came in waves, each one faster and more aggressive than the last. Azarion moved with calculated precision, each swing of his blade cutting through the darkness. The fragment's power surged within him, guiding his strikes as he fought.
But the shadows seemed endless. For every one they destroyed, two more took its place.
"We can't keep this up forever!" Sera yelled, her breath ragged.
Azarion glanced around, his mind racing. The fragment's energy pulsed, almost as if it were trying to communicate with him. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, focusing on the power within.
A vision flashed before him: a glowing sigil etched into the ground beneath the obelisk's remains. It pulsed faintly, a beacon of light amidst the shadows.
"There!" he shouted, pointing toward the sigil. "We need to reach it!"
Sera nodded, covering him as he pushed through the swarm of shadow creatures. They lunged at him from all sides, but he moved with determination, his blade cutting a path toward the sigil.
When he reached it, he slammed the blade into the ground, the fragment's energy merging with the sigil. A wave of golden-silver light erupted from the ground, washing over the city. The shadow creatures let out agonized wails as they dissolved into nothingness.
The herald's laughter echoed once more, faint and distant. "You've passed this trial, Azarion, but the Void is patient. It always finds its way."
The voice faded, and the oppressive atmosphere lifted. The city's inhabitants slowly began to reappear, their movements cautious as they emerged from their hiding places.
---
Sera approached Azarion, her bow still in hand. "What was that thing?"
"A warning," Azarion said, his voice grim. "The Void knows we're a threat now. They won't stop coming."
"Great," Sera said, shaking her head. "More things trying to kill us. Just what we needed."
Azarion looked at the horizon, where the faint outline of the next fragment's destination shimmered in the distance. "This is only the beginning."
Sera sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "It always is."
Without another word, they turned toward their next destination, the weight of the fragment's power and the herald's warning heavy on their minds.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone