ECHOES OF THE VOID

Low over the Void Family home, the moon threw lengthy shadows across the stone courtyard from its feeble light. The frigid night air seemed alive, pulsing with the forces of a thousand years of ancient, untouchable history. Perched at the brink of the tall tower, Kael peered down over the ground. His ideas were bleak, full of the slumbering piece of nothingness inside of him. It throbbed, just under the surface, a continual reminder of the force now under his control. "Who am I growing to be?"

He struggled to stifle the gnawing sensation, the weird, hollow emptiness at the center of his life. Though it seemed like a sneaky force, dragging and pushing at the margins of his thoughts, strength like this should have been inspiring.

The piercing voice of his father, Lord Varyn Voidbreaker, arrived. Kael's eyes strayed to him as the man emerged, his presence as commanding as before, yet there was something different about the way he stood now—more stiff, even doubtful.

"I've seen you grow restless," Lord Varyn said, his eyes slashing over the darkness with that old, deliberate stare. "That struggle with Kieran marked only a beginning. The older people are observing. They find your unconventional awakening disruptive. You have to realize your actions have effects well beyond these boundaries.

Kael turned, his eyes icy, yet something flared in them—frustration, a sliver of revolt not satisfied by his father's words. "Let them view," he murmured, his voice low and steady. "I am not in need of their clearance. I will make my own road clear.

Lord Varyn observed him calmly for a minute. "Kael, you have more power than any member of this family has ever known. However, even the most resilient individuals must learn the art of moderation. Both your adversaries and the power you possess will challenge you. The Void... is not something one can control. It regulates those who try to bend it to their liking.

Kael's lips twisted into a chilly smile. "Restrain; it's a cage, Papa. I don't desire imprisonment.

A brief shadow passed over Lord Varyn's face, then vanished as fast as it emerged. He moved closer, his voice softening, yet the weight of it remained. The importance of the Greater World cannot be underestimated. They will not put up with what you have evolved. And I cannot shield you from what is ahead.

Kael looked at him, icy confidence shining in his eyes. "Then I shall guard myself. I have no fear of them.

An odd silence hovered in the air the following morning, the peace before a storm. The gates of the estate shook, pushing open with a sound akin to the earth's protesting moans. Kael sensed the disturbance in the distance—an aura so thick, so heavy that even the winds seemed to turn away from it. It was the coming of someone considerably more lethal than any of the foes he had thus far encountered.

Kael's spine shivered at the mere mention of Vxar.

The guy was an envoy from the Greater World, a person whose ability may distort the very fabric of reality itself. His arrival caused a profound shift, lasting more than a mere moment. The temperature plummeted, and the planet seemed to be holding its breath as Vexar's form neared. Sharp, like two obsidian knives, his eyes sparkled with an uncomfortable light—watching, waiting.

As Vexar emerged, Kael felt every thread of his existence tense; his shape sent a long shadow across the land like a harbinger. The ground seemed to shrink under him, with the air itself distorting about his presence.

"I have heard much of you, Kael Voidbreaker," Vexar spoke with an odd blend of calm and threat. It seemed to distort the surrounding environment, drawing the very air towards him. "The Soul of Nothingness" awoke before its time... such a power is beyond our comprehension. One seldom uses it with such natural ease.

Kels closed his eyes and accelerated his heart. Though his mind was already moving, dissecting, and calculating, he could sense the risk radiating off of the man. What do you want from me? Kael's voice sounded piercing, like a dagger slicing across the distance between them.

Vexar's lips curved, revealing a subtle smile that he was unaware of. "Kael, I provide you options here. The Greater World encompasses a vast expanse filled with numerous opportunities and boundless energy. This small planet does not limit your skills or destiny. Beside me. I will demonstrate to you the potential for personal growth. Alternatively, you could remain under your family's control, ultimately depleting your power.

Kael's eyes sharpened, and his ideas became a complex network of computation. He was not very readily influenced. "I make my own decisions," he added, his voice quiet but sure.

Though Vexar's smile never wavered, his eyes darkened as though he saw something in Kael only a few others could grasp. Very nicely. However, Kael Voidbreaker, remember that strength such as yours is never given away for free. And that price—you will shortly find.

The air moved before Kael could reply. Under his boots an earthquake shook the ground, its ferocity unrelated to the storm. It was a herald—something approaching.

The courtyard reverberated with a low, resonant voice. "Get yourself ready!" Lord Varyn's absolute order sent the Void Sentinels straight forward.

Kael's eyes shot with icy clarity. *antagonists* They had arrived for him as he knew they would. They aimed to oppose him.

At the gates was a gathering of growers moving like shadows. Though Kael could already see the fractures in their forms, their auras flared with strength. They were not prepared for what he was about to unleash.

Vexar moved onward, the subdued stillness surrounding him not a sign of peace but rather of something far deeper. "It looks like they came to evaluate you, Kael. Will you run or meet them?

Kela did not reply right away. Rather, his senses heightened and his head whirled as the forces surrounding him changed. The slivers of nothingness in his chest shot back in response to volition. * The Void will slink to me. I shall bend it all.

Kael lifted his hand without warning, and the surrounding world appeared to stop. As he asked the Soul of Nothingness, the very entity that had given him strength beyond belief, the air thickened. Space itself tore with a flick of his wrist, and then a sword of pure Void emerged in his hand—a weapon created not of matter but of the absence of it.

Despite their initial sluggishness, the enemy growers surged forward. Kael walked precisely; the world twisted around him with every stride. With each blow, the sword tore through both flesh and reality, breaking space itself. He sliced easily through their forms.

However, Kael did not experience the same rush of triumph. His head stayed clear, calculating as he disarmed and rendered each one of them incapable individually. Though he possessed enormous authority, he lacked time for leisure. He needed to understand the true nature of this power, not just this small victory.

Kael stood among the debris until the last of the foes dropped, his blade still blazing with evil energy. He felt just a gnawing emptiness calling him to keep on and push harder—not pride.

"Impressive," Vexar murmured, his voice a terrible blend of praise and something deeper. "But Kael, the Greater World is not so readily subjugated. To live, you will need more than just power. You will need allies—or maybe rivals of your own.

Kael looked at Vexar flitting around. * foes?* His mind was already in motion, anticipating the next move. His desire was far from quashed. And the larger globe? It was only getting started.