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Chapter 7: The Echo of Darkness
The silence in Valdhar's fortress was a heavy cloak that pressed the senses. Kauã walked alone through the darkened corridors, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts and voices. Recent battles had lit something deep inside him, a flame that burned not only his flesh but also his soul. The once distant voices now intertwined in a deafening choir, demanding attention, power and delivery.
As he advanced, a shadow appeared in the dim light of the main hall - a hooded figure, wrapped in a black cloak that seemed to absorb the low light around. Kauã stopped, feeling a chill through his spine.
"Kauã Valdhar," the voice was hoarse, almost a whisper, but loaded with unquestionable authority. "Have you been carrying a heavy burden, but are you ready to find out the real weight of your destination?"
Without answering, Kauã evaluated the stranger, realizing a subtle power that emanated from him, something that seemed to move the very roots of his being.
- Who are you? The question came out firm, with no trace of fear.
"I am the guardian of the veil," the figure answered, slowly removing the hood, revealing a face marked by time and old battles, eyes as deep as abyss. -I came to guide you through what you fear: the echo of darkness within you.
Kauã felt the voices inside his head grow up, almost as if they recognized that presence. The guardian continued:
"These voices are not just defeated souls, but fragments of their own corrupted essence, struggling to emerge." The power you carry is a curse and a gift, but without control, will be your ruin.
The revelation hit Kauã as a blow. Everything he had felt, the battles, the pain and the shadows, were parts of himself - pieces that refused to be forgotten.
- And how do I control it? He asked, the voice -laden voice and despair.
"Through the confrontation," said the guardian. - You must face these fragments, one by one, in your own mind, in a war that transcends the physical. Only then can you unite your fragmented soul and emerge as the true Lord of your destiny.
Kauã closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the voices like an earthquake about exploding. Suddenly the world around him disappeared, and he was immersed in a total darkness, where only voices echoed.
Fragments of memories emerged: family faces and enemies, moments of pain and glory, and shadows that took monstrous forms.
The first voice that emerged was the strongest - that of a warrior he himself had betrayed in the past, shouting accusation and hatred.
Without hesitation, Kauã conjured his spiritual blade, a black fire that fed on his will. A duel began, where each blow was not only physical, but a battle for his soul.
The fight was intense, draining his energy, but with each cut, Kauã felt a part of the torment dissipate. When the warrior fell, his voice became a whisper of peace, and a new fragment of his self reborn.
For hours he fought, facing old pain, betrayal, fears and secrets buried. Each victory was a spark of hope, a partial union of the divided soul.
Finally, exhausted, Kauã emerged from the trance, his hands dirty with spiritual blood, and a new force pulsed into his chest.
"You started the way," said the guardian, now beside him. "But the biggest challenge is yet to come." Your past and future are intertwined, and the price to govern your destination will be high.
Kauã looked at the horizon, where the fortress was shaking with echoes far from future wars. He knew he could no longer escape what it was - a warrior forged by pain and darkness, designed to become legend.
"So let the next challenge come," he murmured, "because I don't fear the abyss." I am the abyss.