ECHOES OF THE VOID

With the stifling stillness of the empty space engulfing his senses like a heavy shroud, Kael sat cross-legged on the empty ground. With each breath, he inhaled calm and exhaled anarchy. Still, his thoughts raced nonstop.

Scenes from his most recent confrontation resurfaced like shards of a shattered mirror: the final moments of his adversaries' gazes before they disappeared, the distorted landscape he left in his wake, and the aftereffects of an unfamiliar yet very personal hunger. The subtle hum of his soul's emptiness trembled as he tightened his grip on his hands.

"The void doesn't just take," he murmured to himself, his voice swept away by the vastness of space. "It leaves something behind."

When Kael opened his eyes, he saw ripples in the air, little distortions caused by his void energy ripping through reality. The ripples pulsated softly, akin to the heartbeat of a dying creature. The harm he had inflicted was profound and basic, tearing at the very essence of reality.

Steps shattered the stifling silence. Kael could tell the measured cadence without looking up. Hi there, Selene.

With her arms crossed across her chest, she halted a little distance away. She seemed composed on the outside, but her anxiety was palpable in her eyes as they darted to the lingering distortions in the air before finally fixing on him.

She stated, "We need to talk," with a calm yet tense tone to her voice.

Seated, Kael stared at the lingering waves. "You're here because of what I did."

Her voice grew more forceful while her breath twitched. It wasn't simply their deaths that resulted from what you did out there, Kael. It got rid of them. Do you understand the significance of that?

At that moment, he faced her, his expression unintelligible even as her words weighed heavily on his gaze. "They were actually rivals, Selene. They are almost murderous.

"And how did you manage to distort the space?" The vitality you've shattered? With her voice reduced to a straining whisper, she inched closer. The earth will take much longer to recover from a tragedy like that. This power isn't safe, Kael. It's strange.

A muscle in Kael's face twitched, and his jaw clenched. "Do you think I don't know that?"

There was an electric atmosphere that carried the palpable strain of their relationship. A gentler side of Selene's fury revealed itself in a slight drooping of her shoulders. "I just—" With a leisurely exhalation, she halted. Please tell me you're still the same person. You won't let this overwhelm you.

"I'm not," Kael said, his voice betraying a hint of uncertainty despite his apparent certainty.

The atmosphere surrounding them changed just as Selene was about to press forward. At first, there was only a quiet hum, but it gradually became louder and louder, like an invisible instrument's plucked string. With their senses heightened, Kael and Selene both shifted their attention to the origin.

Out of the darkness sprung a towering figure. An electric field of throbbing energy emitted from the guy, causing the air around him to be warped while his robes glistened like silver starlight. With a disturbing intensity, he stared at Kael as if he could see right through him to his own core.

"Kael Voidbreaker," he said in a low, resonant tone that lingered for far too long. "The rumors do you no justice."

Kael stood up tall and steady, his body language exuding confidence. "Who are you?"

"I am Ivar, a cultivator of the Order of Eternal Form," the guy said with an air of contempt. "Anomaly, we have been keeping tabs on you. There is a delicate equilibrium in this universe that you disturb.

A piercing voice prompted Selene to instinctively reach for her weapon. "Endangers equilibrium?" He's protecting himself—he's protecting us!"

Instead of looking at her, Ivar kept his unwavering focus on Kael. You disrespect nature by wielding a force that was never intended. Before you cause further damage, I will rectify that error.

Kael's mouth formed a subtle, unfunny grin. Do you really believe you can harm me? Feel free to give it a go.

As Ivar's energies sprang to life, the earth underneath them trembled. The ground was shattered, and trees in the area were felled by the outward resonant waves. The atmosphere was infused with a palpable sense of unease, as if the very fabric of reality was trembling beneath the surface.

Instinctively, Kael replied by unleashing a surge of empty energy that devoured whatever vibrations it encountered. Violent clashes broke out between the two armies, reverberating over the clearing. The warped air resonated with the raw power of the breaking trees.

Condensing his energy into blazing spheres of resonance, Ivar grinned as his hands wove complex patterns. Ivar can fill your emptiness, yet resonance surpasses it. Everything is amplified by my power—it feeds on being!

As he saw the tumultuous interaction of their methods, Kael narrowed his gaze. Despite its restless and devouring nature, he subdued the emptiness inside him. His breath came to a halt as an epiphany sunk in.

Emptiness reveals purpose. Devastation produces chaos. Quietness brings steadiness.

Based on this realization, Kael changed his strategy. He started to refocus Ivar's assaults away from force and onto the vacuum, which absorbed the resonance energy and dampened its wild vibrations. The battlefield fell into a haunting quiet, more unnerving than the raging battles that had come before it.

As Kael's plan undid Ivar's skill, his movements froze and his attacks grew weaker. In a last burst of empty energy, Kael encircled Ivar in a sphere of emptiness. Ivar fell to the floor out of breath as the resonating energy faded away.

With a chilly attitude, Kael walked over to the downed farmer. To this he said, "You spoke of balance," in a low, terrifying voice. "Tell me—how does the order justify this attack?"

Ivar laughed weakly yet stubbornly. You are repulsive. Just as your power engulfs everything around you, it will also engulf you. You will be targeted by the order, Voidbreaker. Your destiny will befall you.

Kael remained silent as his expression turned gloomy. He spun around on his heel and motioned for Selene to come after him.

---

On that particular night, Kael found solace in solitude by the crackling bonfire, and the shadows danced over his face. The combination of his own anxieties and Ivar's remarks reverberated in his thoughts.

Will this immense power overwhelm me? Am I doomed to merge with nothingness?

From across the fire, Selene observed him silently, her face contorted into a mask. She sensed the internal tension and refrained from pressing him. On the contrary, she silently vowed to herself that she would confront any challenges that came her way with him.

With his will becoming stronger, Kael stared into the embers as the fire died down. He was determined to learn how to control his powers. He wasn't just an outlier; he was a farmer with global revolutionary aspirations.