The morning mist clung to the ground, swirling around Kael's boots as he stood on the edge of the forest. His cabin stood behind him, a symbol of the fleeting peace he'd found in the solitude of the woods. But the peace had never been more fragile than it was now, and the notification had made it clear: he was not meant to hide from the coming storm. He was meant to face it.
The Forgotten. An ancient force that predated even the gods themselves. Something so powerful, so primal, that the gods had sealed it away in the deepest corners of existence. And now, it was free.
Kael gripped the Riftblade at his side, the weapon humming with the power of forgotten gods, ready to carve through the very fabric of reality if necessary. His instincts buzzed like an electric storm as he focused his will on the path ahead. The Forgotten wasn't a being that could be reasoned with. It was a force of pure destruction—a manifestation of what had been locked away for eternity.
And now it was coming for him.
[System Notification: New Objective Available]
Objective: Confront the Forgotten's Shadow.
Kael's gaze hardened as the familiar words appeared in his vision. His body shifted with purpose, every fiber of his being attuned to the mission ahead. He wasn't sure how, but the Forgotten was near. He could feel it in the air, like a weight pressing down on the world itself, distorting the air and warping the light.
He stepped forward, his boots crunching against the frozen leaves and broken twigs that littered the forest floor. The wind howled through the trees, almost as if the woods themselves were warning him. But Kael wasn't afraid. His mind was resolute. If the Forgotten thought it could simply take what it wanted—his world, his existence—it had another thing coming.
Kael continued walking, every step taking him further from the safety of his cabin and deeper into the unknown.
The forest gave way to an open clearing, one that felt strangely… empty. The air was thick, heavy, as if something was waiting for him. And then he saw it.
A figure—tall, cloaked in shadows—emerged from the center of the clearing. Its form was constantly shifting, undulating in and out of existence, like smoke trying to take shape. There was no true face, no eyes, just a dark void that seemed to consume everything around it.
The Forgotten. It had no form of its own, no body that could be grasped, but its presence was overwhelming. It exuded a suffocating aura that made the ground tremble beneath Kael's feet. The very sky above him darkened, the sun vanishing into a murky haze. Even the winds seemed to hold their breath.
Kael's hand tightened around the Riftblade.
"You've come," Kael said, his voice steady despite the oppressive aura. "I didn't think it would be this… easy."
The shadow figure shifted, and a voice, deep and ancient, echoed in his mind, reverberating through the very bones of his being. "You have no idea what you face, Gatekeeper. I am the forgotten darkness that consumes time itself. The void that devours all."
"I've faced gods," Kael replied coldly. "And I've shattered them."
The Forgotten's laugh echoed through his mind. It wasn't a sound, but a feeling—a cold, biting laugh that scraped against Kael's thoughts. "You think your blade can defeat what was never meant to be known? I am beyond gods, beyond even creation. I am the void that existed before the first star was born."
The figure stretched, a vast wave of shadow coiling around the clearing. Kael stood tall, unyielding, as the air around him grew heavier. The Riftblade thrummed with energy, as if eager for battle.
Without warning, the Forgotten surged forward, its tendrils of shadow lashing out like whips, tearing through the air in a flurry of destructive force. The ground cracked beneath Kael's feet as the shadows swarmed toward him, seeking to drown him in their darkness.
Kael's eyes glowed with fury, and his body blurred as he activated Echo Step, vanishing just as the shadows struck. He reappeared behind the Forgotten in an instant, his blade slashing through the void with a streak of golden light.
The Riftblade cleaved through the shadow, but the wound was not enough to stop the creature. The shadow rippled and reformed, quickly healing itself as if the slash had never happened. Kael gritted his teeth, frustration rising.
"You are not the only one who can bend reality," he muttered. He raised his hand, activating Dimensional Strike, and the very fabric of space around him seemed to shudder. A slash of light tore through the air, striking the Forgotten in its core.
For a brief moment, the shadow shrieked—a sound that seemed to distort the very air around them. The ground shook violently, and the Forgotten's form flickered, its shadowy tendrils curling in on themselves.
Kael wasted no time. He activated Time Dilation, freezing everything around him in an instant. The Forgotten's movements slowed to a crawl as the air thickened with the weight of slowed time. Kael moved with ruthless precision, landing strike after strike on the creature's form, each blow sending shockwaves through the air as he tore through the fabric of the void.
The Forgotten's shrieks became louder, echoing through the frozen space. It thrashed, trying to break free, but Kael's assault was relentless.
"Give up," Kael growled. "You cannot win against me."
But the Forgotten wasn't finished. With a roar that shattered the stilled air, it unleashed a wave of darkness so intense that it shattered Kael's time-dilation field and sent him flying backward. The force of the impact slammed him into the earth, the ground cracking beneath him as his vision swam.
Kael shook his head, forcing himself back to his feet. Blood dripped from his lip, but his eyes burned with defiance. He had faced worse. He had fought gods. This shadow was no different.
He took a deep breath, summoning every ounce of his strength. He activated Worldbreaker, the power of the forgotten gods surging through him. The very air seemed to crackle with divine energy as Kael rose, his body surrounded by a storm of power.
The Forgotten recoiled, its form flickering and warping as it sensed the rising threat. But Kael wasn't going to let it escape.
With a roar, he launched himself at the creature, the Riftblade glowing with an intensity that could tear the world itself apart. The Forgotten lashed out one final time, tendrils of darkness reaching for Kael's throat, but he was faster.
In one final, earth-shattering strike, Kael cleaved through the darkness, cutting the Forgotten in two. The shadow screamed in rage, but it was too late. The blade tore through the void, splitting it open.
For a moment, there was silence.
And then, the Forgotten's form disintegrated, consumed by the very power Kael had unleashed. The air shimmered, the oppressive weight lifting, and the clearing fell still once more.
Kael stood there, panting, his body trembling with exhaustion. But the battle was won. The Forgotten was no more.
He had faced the darkness—and emerged victorious
END OF CHAPTER 23