Chapter 5–The Awakening of Sei's Power
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"Alright, Sei, go get some sleep — I'll keep watch. At dawn, our trial begins," Fox said firmly.
"Okay, Uncle," I replied, though I felt uneasy. At first I was scared, but now... maybe it's worth it. I have nothing to lose anymore. But I knew one thing for sure — I wasn't going back home.
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Morning came.
The forest seemed to glow anew, but our path remained untouched — as if it had been made just for us.
"This road... it's like it was created only for us," I muttered uncertainly.
"Sei, this path is only for you. It's yours. They chose you and no one else. I'm just your guide," he said with a smile, though his voice was still rough.
"Who are they? Why me? And… are you saying we'll part ways?" I asked, fear creeping into my voice.
"Sei… everything in its time," Fox said with a soft sigh.
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Beyond the path
We kept walking along the glowing trail until the blue light began to fade. The forest grew denser, and silence pressed down on us. The branches above creaked, like they were whispering secrets.
"We're close," Fox said quietly. "The monastery is near."
Suddenly, something rustled in the bushes. I froze. A strange creature stepped out onto the path. It was tall, with long arms and no face. Where its eyes should have been were deep black holes that gave off a freezing chill. Its body looked like smoke and bones twisted together.
"Step back," Fox said sharply, drawing his dagger. "That's a Shadow Devourer. It shouldn't be here…"
The creature let out a low, trembling growl and lunged at us. I was frozen in fear. But just as it reached us, something flared inside me. My chest burned — like a fire had lit within.
A silver light burst from my body. A soft, glowing shield formed around me and blasted the monster backwards into a tree.
"What… is that?.." Fox gasped, stunned.
The creature got back up and charged again, but the shield grew larger, as if protecting us on its own. The shadow couldn't get close — it was pushed back by an invisible force.
Without wasting a second, Fox threw his dagger. The blade struck the creature in the chest. It let out a hiss and vanished into ash.
Fox looked at me in awe.
"Sei… you have an aura…" he said slowly. "Only one person ever had that power before — Alago. He could create a shield that repelled darkness."
I stood still, the light around me slowly fading. But the feeling of power stayed.
"Sei, you have the power of shadow. That power once belonged only to the Crimson Knight, Alago. And now it's passed to you."
"I… I don't know what it was," I whispered. "It just… happened."
"That means you weren't chosen by chance," said Fox. "We have to keep going. Everything has changed now, Sei."