The darkness swirled around Adexander, pulling at the edges of his vision. The Sealed One's form was barely tangible, a shadow that seemed to shift with every heartbeat. But beneath that shadow, something ancient and powerful pulsed, like the beating of a heart too old for this world.
The very air crackled with anticipation, and the weight of the Sealed One's presence pressed down on Adexander like an ocean, suffocating him in its depths. The ground beneath his feet seemed to groan in protest, splitting further as the abyss below began to rise, threatening to swallow them both.
But Adexander didn't flinch. He never flinched.
His eyes locked onto the golden gaze of the Sealed One, and for a moment, time itself seemed to slow. The air between them thickened, the distance closing as if they were being drawn together by an invisible force.
> "You've come to claim what is yours, haven't you, King?" the Sealed One's voice echoed, low and menacing. It reverberated in Adexander's chest, like the sound of a drumbeat before the battle.
Adexander's hand never left the hilt of his blade, and his voice was like a whisper of steel. "I've come for power. Power to rise above what I was before."
The Sealed One's form flickered, its presence seeming to shift in the darkness. "You think you understand power? You, who carry death like a shadow, still do not understand the cost of what you seek."
Adexander didn't respond. He had no time for words, no patience for riddles. His gaze sharpened. His body tensed.
And then, the Sealed One moved.
The darkness around it exploded outward, the very air vibrating as if the world were breaking. The force hit Adexander like a tidal wave, pushing him back with such strength that the ground beneath him cracked. He stumbled, his boots digging into the stone as he fought to stay upright.
But the moment passed.
Adexander recovered swiftly, his stance unshaken. His blood sang with the call of battle, his heart thumping in time with the rising energy around him.
> "Is this your power?" Adexander's voice was thick with disdain. "Is this all you have?"
The Sealed One chuckled, the sound like the grinding of stone against stone. "You are as proud as they said. But you will learn. Just as they all did."
Suddenly, the Sealed One's form surged forward. The ground cracked beneath its weight, and with a snap, the air turned cold as frost began to form in the shadows. It struck with a speed and violence that caught Adexander off guard.
A tendril of darkness shot out, aimed for his throat.
But Adexander was faster. He twisted to the side, his blade coming up in a swift arc. The tendril of darkness recoiled, disintegrating into dust as the blade passed through it. The Sealed One hissed in fury, its form flickering again, but this time it didn't retreat.
Instead, it laughed.
> "A worthy strike... but too small. Too weak."
The laughter echoed in the depths of the catacombs, amplifying in the confined space. Adexander's grip on his sword tightened. His blood surged, the familiar hunger for combat burning deep inside him. But even as he focused on the Sealed One before him, he felt something deeper stirring—something ancient within him.
The blood of the Crimson King.
> "You carry death," the Sealed One said again, its voice more insistent now, as if it was trying to break through Adexander's resolve. "But death... is not power. It is a chain. A prison. A lie."
Adexander's eyes burned with the weight of the words. He knew what the Sealed One was implying. He had once been trapped by the chains of death. But he had broken them.
And now, he would do the same again.
With a roar, Adexander lunged, his blade flashing in a deadly arc. The Sealed One twisted, but not fast enough. Adexander's sword cut through the shadowy form, the darkness parting with a sickening crack, like the shattering of glass.
But the wound didn't bleed. It didn't heal.
It disappeared.
The Sealed One's form shimmered, reappearing in the darkness, its golden eyes flashing with fury.
> "You are nothing but a fleeting moment, Crimson King. You are a spark in the void. A flicker. And I am the darkness that devours all."
Adexander stood firm, blood pounding in his ears. His heart beat louder, the rhythm of it calling to something deep within him. The power, the awakening. It was close. He could feel it.
And with that realization, something shifted.
He drew a breath, deep and steady.
And then... he let go.
The world around him blurred as a wave of crimson energy exploded outward from his body. The darkness recoiled, shrieking as it was pushed back, the air warping in response to the overwhelming surge of power.
The Sealed One faltered, the edges of its form flickering in fear, but it quickly regained its shape, its eyes narrowing.
> "What... is this?"
Adexander's voice was a low growl, a whisper of steel.
> "This is mine."
The ground trembled beneath his feet as the ancient power within him surged to the surface. The blood of the Crimson King, the power of his past life, stirred and awoke once more. His eyes burned with the intensity of the awakening. The true power.
It wasn't just strength. It wasn't just rage. It was destiny.
The Sealed One recoiled, its form flickering as it tried to pull away from the force that now poured from Adexander's body. But it was too late.
The power of the Crimson King had awoken.
And it would not be denied.