At the hospital, Alex lay still on the bed, unconscious. His face was pale, drained from the brutal toll of the battle. Zeke and Seraphina sat close by, watching him with quiet admiration, silently praying he would wake soon.
But deep within, Alex wasn't just resting.
He was dreaming—no, not quite a dream. This felt far too real.
It was a vision.
In the vast darkness of the void, a shadow stood before him.
Humanoid in form, cloaked in pure black, it stared directly at him.
Calm. Unshaken. As if it ruled this place.
As if it had been waiting for him.
Silence hung heavy in the air.
Alex finally spoke, his voice trembling, "What... what are you?"
The shadow tilted its head slightly. "So, you don't recognize me anymore, boy?"
That voice... it struck something deep in Alex. Familiar, almost haunting. He rubbed his forehead, trying to remember... then it hit him.
"You… it was you!" he gasped. "Back then—when I thought I was dead. In that strange realm during the forest trial."
"Good. You remember now," the shadow replied, sounding faintly relieved.
Alex's eyes widened. "Wait... you're real? That was all real?"
The shadow chuckled, low and steady. "Of course I'm real. How else do you think you're still alive today?"
The void fell into a deep hush, like the world had stopped spinning.
Alex took a breath. "What do I call you?"
The shadow sighed, its voice echoing like a forgotten legend.
"My name was once Kai… I'm made from pure source energy—light that once burned brighter than stars. And above all, I am reborn every thousand years, always remembering every moment of my past selves."
Alex blinked, stunned. "You even have a name… This is all so strange. Sometimes, I feel like I'm losing my mind."
He let out a shaky breath, the relief washing over him now that things made a little more sense.
Kai suddenly laughed—rich and thunderous, shaking the empty space around them.
"You fool," he said, the edges of his form pulsing like a living storm.
"Sure, I have a name. But who ever told you… I'm not you?"
The air grew still. Even the void itself seemed to hold its breath.
"What...?" Alex asked, the blood draining from his face. The smile faded from his lips. "What do you mean?"
Kai continued, calmly but firmly. "Relax, kid. It's time you knew the truth. We've been connected from the very start. Our bond isn't new—it's destiny."
Alex stumbled backward, disbelief in his eyes. "You're joking... right? You have to be joking."
Kai only smiled. A shadowy grin flickered across his formless face.
"There's nothing you can do now, Alex."
He stepped forward, voice deepening.
"A thousand years ago, the last body I was born into… was cursed. Cursed by the master of a vile organization known as the Three Devil Doors.
Back then, we were used—puppets pulled by dark hands. Not warriors. Not even people. Just tools."
He paused, the weight of his words lingering.
"We were both sealed… by a forbidden technique the world forgot long ago.
A cursed bond known as Purple Empty Clone."
As Kai spoke, images burst into Alex's mind—like visions he had lived himself. Flashes of fire, betrayal, chains, darkness. It all flooded his senses.
"And how… how does that work?" Alex asked, his breath shaky.
Kai's form shifted, his voice echoing.
"The real question isn't how it works... but why it happened in the first place."
Alex narrowed his eyes. That answer wasn't what he expected.
Kai continued, his tone rising.
"Because the power I wield... controls the world itself.
The power I wield is the source!
The true core of all attributes!
The origin of creation!"
His voice thundered through the void like a crashing wave.
"We were betrayed, Alex. Betrayed by my own master!"
Then, he paused. The silence was cold, bitter.
Alex's eyes widened, shaken.
Kai lowered his voice, solemn and steady.
"Alex... you have to be strong. Stronger than ever."
Alex hesitated, then muttered, "Why?"
Kai's eyes narrowed into sharp slits, glowing faintly.
"Good... you asked."
His voice turned ice-cold. A chill ran down Alex's spine.
"Don't you crave revenge?
Your mother… Lyra… all of them.
Don't you want to make them pay, Alex? Tell me!"
His voice pierced like a blade.
Alex's knees weakened. Memories came rushing back—his family, his friends, his shattered life.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Yes!" he roared. "I want them all to pay! For everything they've done!"
Kai nodded slowly. "Then you must.
But how will you achieve that… if you stay weak?"
The void fell into dead silence. Alex's aura began to flicker—softly at first, then brighter, stronger. Like a fire being reborn.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"I want power."
Kai burst into laughter—loud, thunderous, vibrating across the realm.
"You already have it," he declared. "You just don't know how to use it yet!"
He stepped forward.
"Refine your soul. Strengthen your body. Sharpen your mind.
Then, and only then… everything will become clear.
You will shine like the moon at its peak."
Alex clenched his fists. "But… how?"
Kai moved closer, his shadow form looming like a towering mountain. He whispered in his ear.
"Train harder. Fight endlessly. Learn through pain, through battle.
Every scar will forge your soul."
Then, he sank into a seated position in the middle of the void, sighing deeply.
"But... I fear there's not much time left."
Alex stepped forward. "What do you mean? What time?"
Suddenly, a light flared into existence—a glowing square hovering in the void.
Within it, a vision unfolded.
A battlefield.
Bodies everywhere.
Humans and abominations locked in chaotic war.
Fire, steel, screams, despair.
Alex's heart pounded. Cold sweat streamed down his face.
"This… no. I forbid this," he whispered, barely audible.
Kai turned to him, voice low but thunderous.
"Words alone can't stop this, Alex.
You must fight to change it."
The words struck like a bell through Alex's skull. Tears welled again—heavy and unstoppable.
He whispered, trembling, "Will this really happen? Is it… already happening?"
Kai stood slowly, voice sharp.
"Cry all you want, Alex. Cry until the tears run dry.
But that won't stop what's coming.
What matters is what you do next."
He stepped even closer.
"Will you stay there, crying like a child?"
Silence.
Kai raised his hand and pointed at Alex's chest.
"No, Alex.
You must rise.
Take control.
Control over your heart…
Control over your fate!"