The storm came swiftly.
It began with a rumble of thunder, deep and distant, like the growl of a wild animal waking from its slumber. Saamu stood at the edge of the river, his mind swirling with the teachings of the man who had taken him in. The man, whose name Saamu still didn't know, had left him alone to meditate, to practice controlling the power that had taken root within him. The river goddess had shown herself more than once in the past days, her presence as constant as the river's flow, but Saamu felt the strange sensation of distance between them, as though he were both near and far from the goddess at the same time.
Her whispers had become more insistent, more demanding. "Take what is yours, Saamu," she urged, her voice like the thunder rumbling in the sky. "The world is yours for the taking. Embrace the beast. Let it lead you."
Saamu clenched his fists, his body still sore from the exertions of the past few days. His training was pushing him beyond his limits, and he could feel it, the beast inside him, clawing at his soul, desperate to break free. The power was intoxicating, but every time he felt it surge through him, a cold dread wrapped around his heart. Would he become like the man who had tried to warn him? Would he lose everything, the way the man had lost his own kingdom, his own soul?
The wind picked up, howling through the trees. Saamu's eyes flicked to the sky, where the storm clouds gathered, swirling in dark, ominous patterns. He could feel the storm was not just in the heavens. It was in him, too. The beast was stirring within, its presence growing stronger with every passing moment. He felt the familiar surge of power, the sensation of something far greater than himself clawing at his insides, demanding release.
"Embrace me, Saamu," the river goddess whispered again, her voice like a snake's hiss in his ear. "You are mine. All of this is yours. I will make you king."
Saamu's breathing became shallow as his body tensed, the force of the power within him almost too much to bear. His mind was clouded with rage, with bloodlust, and the pull of the beast was overwhelming. He fought it, tried to keep it at bay, but the hunger was growing stronger.
"Do you want to be the king of this world, Saamu?" The river goddess's voice grew louder, and for a brief moment, Saamu felt like he could hear her inside his very chest, her pulse syncing with his own. "Embrace the darkness. Let the beast take control, and you will rule everything."
Saamu clenched his teeth, his body trembling with the effort to resist. The earth beneath his feet seemed to rumble, as if it were answering the call of the beast within him. His heart pounded in his chest, a brutal rhythm that made the world spin.
Suddenly, something snapped.
The beast inside him surged like a tidal wave, consuming everything in its path. His eyes flashed open, glowing with a wild, unnatural light. His muscles clenched, and the earth beneath his feet cracked open. The river's current responded to his summons, swirling around him in a violent vortex. He felt power flood every inch of his being, a primal force that eclipsed his own consciousness. The beast had taken hold.
"Yes," Saamu's voice, now tinged with the river goddess's power, growled. It was no longer just his voice. It was a dark echo, a reflection of the beast inside him. "I am the king."
With a roar, Saamu released the power within him. The storm in the sky answered with a flash of lightning, crackling through the air. His body was a conduit for the energy that raged around him. The wind howled, the river raged, and Saamu stood at the center of it all, no longer a boy, but a beast the one that could not be stopped.
He lifted his hands, and the water from the river surged toward him, crashing over the land like a tidal wave. It destroyed everything in its path, trees, rocks, anything that dared to stand against him. The world around him seemed to bend and twist, as if it were being reshaped by the raw power he wielded.
In his mind, the river goddess's voice rose in triumph. "Yes, Saamu. You are mine. You are the Lord of All Beasts."
But even as the power flowed through him, Saamu felt a deep, gnawing emptiness. He had given in to the beast, but at what cost? The power was thrilling, yes, but the emptiness in his chest was something he could not ignore. He was no longer just the boy who had lost his parents. He had become something darker, something more dangerous. And deep within him, a flicker of doubt began to take root.
"Saamu," the voice of the man who had been guiding him echoed through his thoughts. "The beast inside you is not your ally. You must learn to control it before it destroys you."
Saamu clenched his fists, the river still swirling around him, feeding off his rage. The words of the man echoed in his mind, but they felt distant now, like the whispers of a forgotten memory. The river goddess's voice, however, was clear and commanding.
"You are my king," she repeated. *"You are the ruler of this world, Saamu. Nothing will stand against you. Not the man who spoke to you, not even your own soul."*
Saamu's heart skipped a beat. Was he ready to rule? Was he ready to embrace the beast fully? Or was he walking down a path that would lead to his own destruction?
The storm raged above him, and the power within him felt limitless. But as Saamu stood there, caught between the pull of the river goddess and the flickering remnants of his humanity, he realized something. The path he was walking would not be easy. The beast would not be easily controlled. And the price for the power he sought for his soul, his heart would be higher than he could have ever imagined.
The beast was within him now. There was no turning back.
But Saamu wasn't sure if he wanted to turn back.
With a final roar, Saamu raised his arms to the sky. The storm answered him with a flash of lightning, and the world around him trembled. The beast within had been unleashed, and there was no telling what would happen next.
One thing was certain: Saamu was no longer a boy. He was the Lord of All Beasts.