Aetheron stood still, his breathing even as the weight of what just happened settled in his chest. His hands clenched and unclenched, fingers tingling with the lingering energy of the battle. The masked figure watched him with an unreadable gaze, their presence as unsettling as ever.
"That wasn't just a fight," Aetheron muttered, his voice low. "It was something else."
The masked figure nodded. "It was a reflection. Of what you are. Of what you could be."
Aetheron exhaled, his gaze shifting toward the chamber's far end. The ancient markings on the walls pulsed, their glow intensifying, responding to something unseen.
Then—
The ground rumbled.
Slow, deep, like the heartbeat of something massive just beneath the surface.
Aetheron tensed, his Dominion flaring subtly around him. "And now what?"
The masked figure tilted their head. "Now, you step through."
Aetheron frowned. "Step through?"
As if in response, the air in front of him twisted.
The space distorted, like reality itself was bending and folding inward. And then—a doorway formed.
It wasn't a physical door.
It was a tear.
A jagged rift in the world, its edges shifting like liquid darkness, pulsing with a quiet hum.
Aetheron stared at it. He could feel it.
It wasn't just an opening.
It was a threshold.
A step beyond what he was.
Aetheron's jaw tightened. He had seen a lot—fought a lot—but this? This felt different.
"What's on the other side?" he asked.
The masked figure didn't answer immediately. Instead, they turned slightly, their voice calm. "The truth of your Dominion."
Aetheron exhaled. Of course. Another cryptic answer.
But something in his chest pulled toward the rift.
He needed to go through.
With one last glance at the masked figure, Aetheron stepped forward—
And the world shattered.
The Unseen Realm
Aetheron barely had time to register what was happening before the weight of existence itself collapsed in on him.
Pressure.
It wasn't physical.
It was something deeper.
Like his very being was being compressed, twisted, reformed.
For a brief moment, he felt as if he was being pulled apart.
Then—
It stopped.
Aetheron opened his eyes.
And froze.
He was standing in nothing.
There was no ground. No sky. No horizon.
Just an endless, shifting expanse of raw void.
But it wasn't empty.
No—something was here.
Watching.
Aetheron slowly turned, his senses on high alert. His Dominion was unstable, flickering, reacting to something unseen.
Then—
He felt it.
A presence.
Not like before. Not like the Entity lurking behind the veil.
This was something else.
Something older.
Then—
It spoke.
"You step where few have walked."
Aetheron's muscles tensed.
The voice was deep, layered, as if it came from every direction at once.
He turned sharply—
And saw it.
A figure.
No, not a person.
A shadow.
A being shaped like a man but shifting—like a living silhouette against the void.
It stood still, watching him.
Aetheron exhaled. "Who are you?"
The shadow tilted its head. "I am what you left behind."
Aetheron frowned. "What does that mean?"
The shadow took a step forward, its presence heavy."You came seeking Dominion. But Dominion cannot be taken—it must be accepted."
Aetheron narrowed his eyes. "And what, you're the one who decides if I'm worthy?"
The shadow chuckled. "I decide nothing. You do."
Then—
It moved.
Fast.
Aetheron barely had time to react before a wave of pure force smashed into him.
BOOM!
Aetheron was sent flying backward, his body twisting in the air before he caught himself, feet skidding against the invisible floor. His breath hitched.
That attack—
It wasn't just power.
It was his own.
The shadow was using his Dominion.
Aetheron clenched his fists, his power flaring around him. "Alright then."
The shadow rushed forward.
Aetheron met it head-on.
Aetheron vs. Himself
The clash was instant—
Aetheron's fist swung forward, but the shadow matched his movement perfectly.
Their punches collided—BOOM!
Shockwaves rippled through the void.
Aetheron twisted, launching a kick—the shadow mirrored him.
Every strike—matched.
Every movement—mirrored.
Aetheron gritted his teeth. This wasn't just a fight.
This was a battle against himself.
The shadow's form twisted, shifting through the air like liquid, its strikes coming faster. Too fast.
Aetheron barely dodged, ducking low, but the shadow was already there.
BAM!
A blow to his ribs sent him stumbling.
Aetheron gritted his teeth, catching himself.
Think.
He couldn't beat it with raw strength.
It was him.
His own power. His own movements.
But—what if he did something unexpected?
Aetheron took a slow breath.
Then—
He let go.
Instead of fighting, instead of resisting—
He flowed.
When the shadow attacked, Aetheron didn't block.
He redirected.
His Dominion shifted, not as a weapon, but as a current.
The moment the shadow's fist neared—Aetheron twisted.
Whoosh!
The attack passed through harmlessly.
The shadow hesitated.
Aetheron moved.
His hand shot forward—but instead of striking, he touched the shadow's chest.
And—
Everything stopped.
The Understanding
The void around them trembled.
Aetheron exhaled, staring at the shadow as it froze beneath his touch.
Then—
Slowly—
It dissolved.
Not as an enemy defeated.
But as a part of him returning.
The weight in the air lifted.
And suddenly—
Aetheron understood.
This place, this test—
It wasn't about proving strength.
It was about acceptance.
Dominion wasn't about taking control.
It was about becoming whole.
The shadow faded completely—
And then—
The void collapsed.
The Return
Aetheron gasped as he found himself back in the chamber.
The masked figure stood before him, nodding slightly.
"You passed."
Aetheron exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Barely."
The masked figure smirked. "That was the easy part."
Aetheron raised a brow. "You keep saying that."
The figure turned, gesturing toward a doorway now visible at the far end of the chamber.
"Then step forward and see for yourself."
Aetheron sighed.
Of course.
With one last glance at the chamber behind him, he started walking.
Toward whatever came next.