Echo Kings

**

The night was heavy with the weight of an oppressive silence. Renji had been running for what felt like hours, but the city around him remained eerily still, as if holding its breath. His footsteps echoed in the empty streets, the only sound he could hear—until a faint, almost imperceptible hum reached his ears. It was like a whisper from another world, vibrating just below the threshold of hearing.

He stopped, listening intently. The hum was growing louder, but it wasn't coming from the city. It was emanating from within him, a pulsing frequency that seemed to resonate in his very core. Panic began to rise in his chest as he remembered the warning from the man at the bookstore—the Echo Kings were coming.

Renji had no idea how they had tracked him, but the sensation of their presence was undeniable. The power of the Echo Sound, once something he thought he could control, was now pulling him into a game he didn't understand. His body hummed with the strange energy, as though every fiber of his being was on edge, waiting for something to happen.

As if on cue, a shadow passed overhead. Renji looked up to see a dark figure perched atop one of the buildings. He barely had time to react before the figure dropped to the ground in a blur of motion, landing soundlessly before him.

The figure was tall, dressed in dark armor that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. The mask covering their face was an intricate design, shaped like the mouth of a great beast, with glowing eyes that flickered like distant stars. Renji instinctively stepped back, the hum inside him growing louder.

"You've made it this far," the figure spoke, their voice distorted, as if coming from the depths of a vast cavern. "But it's too late now. You cannot escape the Echo Kings."

Renji's mind raced. He tried to speak, to ask questions, but the words stuck in his throat. He had no plan, no understanding of how to fight this strange enemy or even control the power that surged through him. All he had was the feeling—the overwhelming sensation that he was in the presence of something ancient, something far beyond his comprehension.

"You don't even know why you were chosen," the figure continued, circling him like a predator. "But we do. You are the key to unlocking the true power of the Echo Sound."

Renji felt a chill run down his spine. "The key? What do you mean?"

The figure stopped in front of him, and for a moment, the glowing eyes locked onto Renji's. "The Echo Sound is not just a weapon. It is the foundation of all existence. It shapes reality itself. And you, Renji, are the only one capable of truly mastering it. You can break the world apart with a whisper—or rebuild it with a single breath."

Renji's heart pounded. He didn't want this power. He didn't want to be a pawn in whatever game the Echo Kings were playing. But deep down, he knew that he had no choice. The power was inside him, and it was growing stronger by the minute. Every step he took seemed to reverberate through the fabric of reality itself.

"If you think you can control this power," the figure said, "you are gravely mistaken. The Echo Sound is a force beyond even the Kings' full understanding. But that doesn't matter. Because whether you control it or it controls you, the world will change. The Echo Kings will make sure of that."

Suddenly, the figure raised a hand, and the air around them trembled. Renji felt an overwhelming pressure building up in the atmosphere, as though the very world itself was about to collapse. The hum inside him intensified, reaching a deafening pitch. For a moment, he thought he might lose himself to it, be consumed by the power he didn't know how to control.

But then, something unexpected happened. Instead of succumbing to the power, Renji felt a surge of clarity. The hum within him shifted, and for the first time since the forest, he felt like he could understand it. It wasn't just noise. It was a language. A force of nature that could be read, understood, and directed.

With a sudden burst of focus, Renji raised his hand, and the vibrations inside him flowed outward, directed with intention. The ground beneath his feet cracked and splintered, but the energy didn't consume everything in its path. It responded to his will, not to chaos. The pressure in the air released, and for a moment, Renji felt as though he was in complete control.

The figure before him staggered back, clearly surprised by the sudden shift in the energy around them. "Impossible…" they muttered, shaking their head. "You… you are not supposed to be able to control it like this."

Renji's voice came out steady, though his heart was still racing. "I don't know how to control it completely. But I do know this—I won't let you or the Echo Kings use me as a weapon. Not now, not ever."

The figure straightened, their eyes burning with fury behind the mask. "You're too weak to understand the consequences of your defiance. You think you can change the world? You'll be crushed under its weight."

Before Renji could respond, the figure vanished in a burst of sound, their presence replaced by an eerie stillness. The city felt like it had been frozen in time. But the humming in Renji's chest continued, louder now, like the faint sound of chimes that only he could hear.

His body tensed as the echo of the figure's threat lingered in the air. The fight was far from over. In fact, it had only just begun.

Renji stood alone in the silent streets, the weight of his choices pressing down on him. The Echo Kings were relentless, and they would stop at nothing to force him into their ranks. But for the first time since his world had been turned upside down, Renji felt something he hadn't allowed himself to feel before: hope.

He didn't know how to defeat the Echo Kings, but he knew one thing—he would not face this battle alone. And maybe, just maybe, the sound of his defiance could resonate louder than the power they sought to control.

..........................

"Don't miss the chance to get advanced chapters of my novel for FREE! Just copy the link now and start reading!"

https://shorturl.at/3DZhG