"Okay, Kenji," he whispered, the thin mountain air biting at his exposed skin.
"This is it. The big show. You walk up to the guy who probably thinks you're the literal embodiment of evil, and you ask him for help. What's the worst that can happen? He tries to… exorcise me? Purify me into a fine mist? Fun times." He took a shaky breath.
The cold from the pristine temple made the Shadow Brand on his hand throb with a dull ache. His stomach churned with a mix of dread and a desperate, almost pathetic hope.
He started walking down the slope, each step heavy.
The air around the temple was thick with an almost tangible light energy, making his skin prickle. It felt alien, oppressive, like standing under a dozen suns at once.
He could almost taste the purity. It was a sharp, painful contrast to the darkness swirling inside him. He felt nauseous, his body screaming in protest.
Eldrin, still cloaked in his pure white robes, hadn't moved. He remained tending his glowing plants, seemingly oblivious.
But as Kenji got closer, a silent wave of intense scrutiny washed over him. He felt like he was being X-rayed, every dark flicker within him laid bare.
Eldrin finally straightened, turning slowly. His face was ancient, etched with lines of profound wisdom and unimaginable sorrow. His eyes, though, were what truly held Kenji.
They shone with a soft, clear light, like captured stars, but they had a cold, steady judgment.
"A shadow dares trespass upon hallowed ground," Eldrin's voice rumbled, ancient and resonant, cutting through the thin air.
It wasn't loud, but it carried immense power, vibrating through Kenji's very bones.
"State your purpose, creature of the void. And be swift. My patience for corruption is… thin."
Kenji swallowed hard. He felt a desperate urge to run, to vanish into the shadows, to escape this crushing light.
But the image of the Corrupted Ones, the thought of Noxius, pushed him forward.
"I'm not here to fight," Kenji managed, his voice hoarse, sounding ridiculously small in the vast, open valley.
He held up his hand, letting the Shadow Brand burn, a beacon of his unwelcome truth.
"I… I have the Corruption inside me. But I'm fighting it. I need your help. To contain it. Before it consumes everything."
Eldrin's luminous eyes narrowed.
A flicker of something that looked like pain crossed his ancient face.
"The Blight whispers such pretty lies. It promises containment, control and a new dawn. It consumes all it touches. Why should I believe a vessel of corruption can be anything but a harbinger of ruin?" His voice was cold, his judgment absolute.
"Because I'm not him!" Kenji burst out, desperation overriding caution.
"I'm not Shadowbane! I'm Kenji! And I didn't ask for this! I found a stupid capsule, activated it, and now I'm carrying his curse! His unfinished war!" He pointed at the temple.
"Your world is being eaten alive, Cleric! It's not just monsters! It's a growing infection! And I'm your only chance to stop it because I'm the only one who understands it!"
"He speaks the truth, Eldrin," Lyra's voice echoed in Kenji's mind, clear and calm.
"His despair is genuine. His intent to fight the Blight is pure. He is a conduit for a solution, not merely a harbinger."
Eldrin's bright gaze pierced Kenji, as if seeing Lyra's unseen presence.
A long, agonizing silence stretched between them, broken only by the howling wind.
Eldrin stepped closer.
His light grew stronger, making Kenji's Shadow Brand feel like it was being burned with a hot iron. Kenji gritted his teeth, refusing to flinch. He would not show weakness.
"The purity of your intent is… faint, yet present," Eldrin finally conceded, his voice still wary.
"But the darkness within you is immense. A force to shatter worlds. If you are truly Kenji, and not merely Shadowbane's echo, then prove it. Take this."
Eldrin extended a hand. In his palm lay a small, carved stone that glowed with a soft, pulsing light. It looked harmless, almost beautiful.
"This is a Lumina Shard," Eldrin explained, his gaze unwavering.
"A beacon of purity. It will react to the Blight. Take it. Let it enter your being. And prove that your will is stronger than the Corruption's."
Kenji stared at the stone, his heart pounding. He felt the cold, creeping hum of the Heart of the Eclipse inside him.
It pushed back against the Lumina energy.
It was a silent, internal struggle, a tug-of-war for his very soul. He extended his hand, trembling slightly, and took the shard.
As soon as it touched his skin, a sharp, white-hot pain shot from his Shadow Brand. It burned through his arm, raced up his chest, and pierced his mind.
He gasped, dropping to his knees, his vision blurring. The light from the shard pulsed violently, fighting with the darkness within him.
He felt the Corruption, a cold tendril, trying to wrap around the Lumina Shard. It aimed to crush it and snuff out its light.
"Resist, Kenji!" Lyra's voice screamed in his mind, sharp and urgent.
"Do not let it consume the light! Focus on your purpose! On Hana! On everything you wish to protect!"
Kenji roared, a guttural sound of pure agony. He clenched his fists, sweat beading on his forehead, his muscles rigid. He pictured Hana's face, her bright smile.
He pictured the chaos in the plaza, the screams he wanted to prevent. He fought the sneaky cold and the tempting whispers of destructive power.
He concentrated on the small, delicate spark of light in the Lumina Shard. He tried to protect it with all his strength.
The internal battle raged.
He could feel the Heart of the Eclipse churning, a maelstrom of dark energy.
But he also felt his will, his defiant spark of humanity, pushing back to protect the shard's purity.
The sharp pain slowly faded, turning into a dull, throbbing ache. The Lumina Shard still glowed faintly in his hand.
It was a sign of its struggle, but it hadn't shattered. The Corruption hadn't consumed it.
Kenji looked up, panting. His body trembled, but his eyes shone with fierce determination. "I… I held it."
Eldrin watched him. His bright eyes showed a hint of something new – not trust or warmth, but a reluctant respect.
"Indeed. A precarious balance. Your intent is… genuine. The struggle, palpable." He nodded slowly.
"The Blight is indeed stirring, as you claim. And you are, regrettably, the key to its containment."
Kenji felt a wave of dizzying relief. He hadn't been incinerated. He hadn't been rejected.
"So you'll help?" Kenji asked, his voice barely a whisper, filled with a desperate hope.
Eldrin turned, his gaze sweeping over the temple, then back to Kenji.
"The path will be agonizing, Shadow-Vessel. The rituals will push you to your very limits. The purification will be excruciating. Are you prepared to face the deepest darkness within yourself, to embrace the light that seeks to bind it?"
Kenji stared at his hand. The Shadow Brand throbbed, reminding him of his heavy burden. The ache was steady, a dull thrum. Yet, beneath it, he felt a soft, glowing warmth from the Lumina Shard he held tightly. It was a fragile, terrifying hope. He looked at Eldrin, then at the temple, radiating its serene, pure light.
"I don't have a choice, do I?" he said, his voice flat but firm, utterly devoid of his usual sarcasm.
"I'll do whatever it takes. This world… it needs me to. And I need to understand this power, truly understand it, before it consumes me. Before I become just another shadow. Let's begin, Cleric. Show me the way to keep this thing… contained."