Chapter Six: The Shadow of Truth
The ground was burning beneath his feet.
The "next dimension" was no mere challenge—it was an entire world in ruin. Time itself seemed to be collapsing here. The sky above was cracked, violet lightning flashing across it every few seconds. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and ash, a world where nothing had healed in centuries. Twisted, broken towers rose like the bones of dead giants. Roads led nowhere, bridges ended midair. War had passed through here.
But against whom?
Rayan stood at the edge of a crumbling street, staring across the cracked earth at the masked man.
Only one eye was visible beneath the shattered metal mask. It glowed—icy, blue, piercing. Despite the faint thunder echoing above, the man's voice rang out clearly:
"Son of Idris…"
Rayan froze.
"You know who I am?"
"I've known you since the day you were born. In fact… I've been waiting for you."
Rayan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. He hadn't named it, but it had become an extension of him since the first dimension.
"Who are you? Why does this place feel… like the end of everything?"
The masked man let out a cold laugh. There was no warmth in it. Just disdain.
"I am the Shadow of Truth, Rayan. I'm not your enemy… I am your final reflection."
"My reflection?"
"Since the moment you entered the gate, you've been running from one thing—yourself. Every dimension has led you closer. But here… you run no more."
He raised his sword—black energy leaked from it like smoke, but darker, thicker. It didn't reflect the light. It devoured it.
"So what is this truth I've been avoiding?" Rayan asked, slowly.
The man took a step forward. With each movement, the ground cracked further beneath him.
"That in the end… you are not the hero you think you are."
Rayan's breath caught.
"Liar."
"Really? Do you deny abandoning your friends when fear struck you? That your first instinct is always to run? That every battle you won… was driven by fear, not courage?"
Rayan wanted to deny it—but something inside hesitated.
"No… that's not true!"
But his voice wavered. And the man smiled beneath the mask.
"Each dimension was a mirror—your rage, your doubt, your sorrow. But this place? This is the origin. This is what lies beneath all your masks."
Suddenly, the masked man attacked—swiftly, without warning.
Rayan barely raised his sword in time. The force of the clash cracked the ground, lightning above exploding in a flash.
The man stepped back, tilting his head.
"What separates me from you? We both killed. We both failed. The only difference is… I never lied to myself."
Cold air wrapped around Rayan's heart like a ghost's fingers.
But he didn't retreat.
"The difference…" he said, stepping forward, "is that I don't let my mistakes define me."
The man laughed again.
"Touching! A heroic line!" Then his voice hardened. "But can you protect those you love? Or will you lose them all… like you lost Asif?"
Rayan froze.
"Don't say his name."
"Why not? He died because of you. You didn't move. You didn't fight. You were afraid."
"Shut up!"
Power exploded from Rayan like a storm, a raw pulse of force that pushed him forward. His blade trembled in his grip, humming with awakened spirit. He charged the masked man, rage and sorrow burning in every motion.
The swords met again—but this time, Rayan had the advantage.
He pushed the man back.
And kept attacking. Strike after strike, each one full of the grief of his loss, the scream of his childhood, the loneliness of his years, the fury of being a pawn in a game he didn't understand.
"Is this all you've learned?" the man shouted between clashes. "Nothing has changed!"
"I learned…" Rayan roared, clashing blades once more, "that my power lies not in escaping my past… but in facing it!"
He spun, gathering strength, and delivered a powerful strike toward the man's chest.
There was no blood.
Only light.
The masked man paused, then began to dissolve. The mask fell first. Beneath it… was Rayan's face.
His own.
But the eyes were empty.
"I was you… the day you gave up." the shadow whispered.
And then he vanished.
Rayan collapsed to his knees.
There was no feeling of victory. Just a strange heaviness, like something vital had been taken—or perhaps released. And yet… something else was there, too.
Relief.
He had faced the truth—and survived it.
A portal opened before him. Rings of light circled his body. And in a flash, he vanished from the ruined dimension.
Scene: Between Dimensions
Rayan awoke in darkness—but not the lifeless kind. Symbols glowed along the walls, pulsing slowly. In the center of the chamber floated a being of flame and spirit.
"Well done, traveler of truth."
"Who are you?"
"I am the soul of the gate. I've watched since the beginning of your journey. And now… the next phase begins."
"How many more dimensions must I pass?"
"What you have crossed so far is only the beginning. Five dimensions lie behind you… but the rest? Fifty? A hundred? No one knows."
Rayan closed his eyes for a moment.
Then opened them, filled with renewed resolve.
"I'm ready."
End of Chapter Six