Chapter 56: Shadows Closing In

Valen flexed his hand, the dark mark pulsing on his wrist with a faint but insistent rhythm. Its presence had become a part of him, a constant reminder of the Black Vow's reach. The power it granted was undeniable; his Void Essence surged with a new potency each time he called upon it, tinged with the strange, foreign resonance the mark seemed to carry. Yet, with each use, he felt a pressure in the depths of his mind, a darkness that crept ever closer.

Sitting alone in his quarters, he focused on the mark, letting his Void Essence flow into it. He could feel the immediate increase in power, like a dam breaking and releasing a torrent of raw energy. But as he channeled it, the resistance reappeared, a shadowed pull that tried to nudge his thoughts, pushing him toward a path he hadn't chosen.