Aetheron stared at the outstretched hand.
His own reflection, identical in every way, stood before him. The smirk was still there, calm yet knowing.
The swirling void around them whispered, shifting with unseen energy.
"What happens if I take it?" Aetheron asked.
His reflection's smirk widened. "You already know."
Aetheron clenched his jaw. He didn't like this. Didn't trust it.
But something deep inside him—something old, something buried—was telling him this was the only way forward.
He took a slow breath.
And then—he grabbed the hand.
The Fall
The moment their hands touched—
Aetheron's world shattered.
The mirrored floor beneath him cracked, splitting apart like glass. The void above lurched, twisting, pulling him in.
Aetheron tried to steady himself, but there was no ground left to stand on.
He was falling.
Darkness swallowed him whole, dragging him down, down, down—
And then—
Aetheron's Awakening
He gasped, snapping upright.
His chest rose and fell fast, his heart hammering. He wasn't in the void anymore.
He was somewhere else.
Aetheron looked around, eyes sharp. The room was…ancient. Stone walls lined with strange symbols, glowing faintly. The air was thick, heavy with something unnatural.
And then—
The voice came.
"You have seen it, haven't you?"
Aetheron turned fast, his Dominion flaring instinctively. But there was no one there.
His eyes narrowed. "Who's talking?"
Silence.
Then, from the shadows—
Something stepped forward.
The Figure in the Dark
Aetheron braced himself.
The figure was tall, draped in a dark, flowing robe. Their face was hidden, but their presence was overwhelming.
They took another step, their voice smooth, almost amused. "You have taken the first step. But you are still incomplete."
Aetheron didn't lower his guard. "Incomplete? What are you talking about?"
The figure chuckled. "You saw it, didn't you? The truth buried deep inside you."
Aetheron's mind flashed back—the burning city, the crumbling throne, the figure standing in the ruins.
His hands clenched into fists. "What was that?"
The figure tilted their head. "A memory. Or perhaps... a warning."
Aetheron felt his pulse quicken. "A warning of what?"
The figure stepped closer. "Of what you might become."
The Choice
Aetheron stood firm. "You're not making sense. If you know something, just say it."
The figure let out a slow sigh. "Very well. You stand on the edge of something far greater than you realize. Your Dominion is evolving. But with that power comes a burden."
They raised a hand, and suddenly—
Aetheron's own reflection appeared again.
But this time, it looked…different.
Darker. Twisted. Its eyes glowed with something wrong.
The figure spoke again. "There are two paths before you."
The twisted reflection grinned.
Aetheron felt a chill run down his spine.
The figure's voice grew softer, almost distant. "You will have to choose, Aetheron. What you become... is up to you."
Aetheron exhaled slowly.
This wasn't just about power anymore.
This was about something much bigger.
And whatever choice he made next—
Would decide everything.