Morning came too fast.
Adrian barely slept, but this time it wasn't fear keeping him awake.
It was clarity.
Veyr had been inside that space.
The same place.
The same darkness.
And he came back.
That meant one thing
It was possible.
The training hall was already occupied when Adrian arrived.
Kai stood near the center, arms crossed.
Veyr was there too.
Of course.
Adrian stopped at the entrance.
"…Wow. Both of you? Together?"
Kai glanced at him.
"…We need to talk."
Adrian smirked slightly.
"…That never sounds good."
Veyr didn't waste time.
"…We're changing your training."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"…Again?"
Kai stepped forward.
"…You're going back in."
Silence.
Adrian's expression shifted.
"…You mean…"
Veyr nodded.
"…The void."
The Plan
Adrian let out a slow breath.
"…And this time it's on purpose."
Kai's voice was steady.
"Yes."
A pause.
"With control."
Adrian laughed quietly.
"…You two really don't like easy options."
Veyr's gaze didn't move.
"…Easy gets you killed."
Adrian couldn't argue with that.
"…Alright," he said. "What's the plan?"
Kai glanced at Veyr briefly, then back at Adrian.
"…We guide you in."
Adrian frowned.
"…You can do that?"
Veyr answered.
"…We can try."
That didn't sound very reassuring.
"…Try," Adrian repeated.
Kai didn't soften it.
"…It's risky."
A pause.
"But so is waiting."
Setting the Line
They moved to the center of the arena.
This time—
There were no spectators.
No distractions.
Just the three of them.
Adrian stood still.
"…So what do I do?"
Veyr stepped closer.
"…The same thing you did before."
A pause.
"…But don't let it pull you."
Kai added quietly.
"…And don't go too deep."
Adrian blinked.
"…That's very vague advice."
Veyr didn't react.
"…You'll understand when it starts."
Adrian sighed.
"…Of course I will."
The Descent Begins
Adrian raised his hand slowly.
The mark on his wrist pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
He let it in.
The shadows responded instantly.
But this time—
He didn't fight it.
Didn't push it away.
He guided it.
Carefully.
Slowly.
"…Stay with us," Kai said.
His voice felt closer than usual.
Grounding.
Adrian nodded slightly.
"…I'm here."
The world around him began to blur.
The arena faded.
The air shifted.
The pressure returned.
Familiar.
Unwelcome.
The Void Returns
Darkness.
Endless.
Silent.
Adrian stood there again.
In that same empty space.
The same place where the voice lived.
Where the presence waited.
"…You came back."
The voice echoed.
Calm.
Expecting him.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah."
This time—
He didn't panic.
Didn't step back.
He stood his ground.
"…You're learning…"
Adrian smirked faintly.
"…Don't sound so surprised."
The darkness shifted.
Watching him.
Studying him.
"…You are not alone this time…"
Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Yeah. I figured you'd notice.
Outside the Void
Back in the arena—
Kai's grip tightened slightly.
"…It's starting."
Veyr nodded.
"…He's in."
The shadows around Adrian moved slowly.
Unstable.
But not out of control.
"…Keep him anchored," Veyr said.
Kai stepped closer.
"…Adrian."
His voice was firm.
Clear.
"Stay with me."
Inside the Darkness
Adrian heard it.
Faint.
Distant.
But there.
Kai's voice.
"…I hear you," Adrian muttered.
The presence shifted.
"…They cannot reach you here…"
Adrian shook his head.
"…You sure about that?"
The darkness pulsed.
Stronger.
Closer.
"…This is where you belong…"
Adrian's expression hardened.
"…Not happening."
A Familiar Interference
Then—
Something changed.
The darkness didn't just move.
It reacted.
Sharp.
Sudden.
"…You…"
The voice dropped.
Different now.
Focused.
"…You have returned…"
Adrian frowned.
"…That's new."
The presence shifted—
Not toward him.
But past him.
Like it was looking at something else.
"…You were not meant to survive…"
Adrian's breath caught slightly.
"…Veyr…"
---
Back in the Arena
Veyr's expression changed.
For the first time—
Clearly.
"…It sees me," he said quietly.
Kai's gaze sharpened.
"…Then pull him out."
Veyr shook his head.
"…Not yet."
Kai frowned.
"…This isn't safe."
Veyr didn't look away.
"…It never was."
A Three-Way Connection
Inside the void—
Adrian felt it.
The connection shifting.
Not just between him and the Source.
But—
Something else.
A second presence.
Familiar.
Different.
"…So you really were there," Adrian said quietly.
The darkness reacted again.
"…You interfered…"
Adrian smirked faintly.
"…Yeah. He tends to do that."
The voice lowered.
Dangerous.
"…You should have been consumed…"
A pause.
"…But now…"
The pressure increased.
"…You will both be."
The Line Is Crossed
Adrian's chest tightened.
The pull—
Stronger now.
More aggressive.
Not inviting.
Not tempting.
Demanding.
"…Okay," Adrian muttered. "That's new."
Kai's voice cut through again.
"Adrian. Pull back."
Adrian shook his head slightly.
"…Not yet."
Veyr's voice followed.
"…You're pushing too far."
Adrian clenched his fist.
"…I need to see it."
The darkness surged.
Violent.
Unstable.
The presence expanded—
Reaching.
Grasping.
Not just for Adrian—
But for Veyr too.
"…Connection established…"
The words echoed.
Heavy.
Wrong.
The First Contact
Adrian's eyes widened.
"…Wait—"
The void shifted.
Suddenly—
He wasn't alone anymore.
A figure stood in the distance.
Faint.
Blurred.
But there.
"…That's—"
His breath caught.
"…No way…"
Because that figure—
Wasn't the Source.
And it wasn't Veyr.
It was someone else.
Someone familiar.
Someone—
He had never met.
But somehow recognized.
Outside – Breaking Point
Kai stepped forward instantly.
"That's enough. Pull him out!"
The shadows around Adrian spiked violently.
Unstable.
Dangerous.
Veyr's eyes narrowed.
He made contact.
Kai's voice hardened.
"Now, Veyr."
No hesitation this time.
Veyr moved.
Adrian. Come back.
A Glimpse of the Past
Inside the void
The figure lifted its head slightly.
Adrian's heart pounded.
Who are you?"
Silence.
Then
A whisper.
Faint.
Broken.
Run
The world shattered.
Back to Reality
Adrian gasped sharply as the connection snapped.
The arena slammed back into place.
He dropped to one knee.
Breathing hard.
What… was that
Kai was beside him instantly.
You went too far.
Adrian shook his head.
No
He looked up.
Eyes wide.
That wasn't the Source.
Veyr stepped closer.
Then what did you see?
Adrian swallowed.
Someone else.
A pause.
I think
His voice dropped.
It was him.
Silence fell.
Because they all knew who that meant.
The last Core.