The shadow of a chair may lengthen.The shadow cast by a cup may sharpen. The darkness beneath the bed may crawl a few feet farther than it should.
Nothing more.
When I first awakened my domain, I briefly inhabited Moe’s shadow. That means I could, technically, do it again—move between shadows and hide in them at will.
But I can’t. I have no idea how to do it.
Moe, with her inquisitive mind, suggested we redo the moment when it first happened—try to find which circumstances led me to awaken my powers.
And like the fucking wretch that I am, Iliedto her and told her I was just thinking of the last battle.
How could I tell her all the thoughts that were going through my mind in that moment? Or that I was so fucking hard, I was about to come in my pants and embarrass myself. Or, how could I even mention that when she touched that shadow, it felt as though she touched me—or rather a certain part of me—and I was once more on the verge of exploding.
By the Seven! If I told her that at that particular moment I wanted to both kiss her and fuck her, she’d have slapped me and ordered me to sleep on the floor for an eternity. And I would have obeyed like the good male that I am.
I may not be able to tell Moe the truth, but I think I know what caused my first awakening. Excitement. But it wasn’tjustphysical, since I get a fucking erection every night and morning and a few times in between when I see her smile at me. No, it was something a little different. It wasthatmoment. The way she was looking at me, expectantly. The way she seemed towantme to kiss her.
It was a mix of adrenaline, excitementanduncertainty. And the only way to recreate that, without pouncing on my currently platonic partner and fucking her within an inch of her mortal life, is to enter a life and death match.
So when I stand before the obelisk and see a challenge from a level three worth twelve points, I do not turn away. I study the listing only briefly before pressing my palm to the stone.
Lef Armoreli (159) Level Three. Twelve points.
If I could defeat a level two while I hadn’t even awakened, I think I can handle a level three now.
Moe gasps when she sees what I’ve done and she grabs my hand—but it’s too late.
“Nyk, twelve? He’s a level three! You shouldn’t?—”
The world fractures. The arena rebuilds around me in a storm of crimson light and stone.
It’s a cavern. Everywhere I look, it’s vast and circular, with towering walls of black rock rising high overhead. Jagged obsidian spires erupt from the floor at irregular intervals, some as thick as tree trunks, others thin as spears. Molten cracks vein through the ground beneath my feet, their dim orange glow casting fractured light across the battlefield.
Good.
Light means shadow. I will have a chance to test my abilities here.
My opponent stands fifty feet away.
He is taller than me by half a head and built like a fortress, broad enough that his shoulders seem carved from the same stone around us. He smirks at me, looking around and pushing his chin forward with a sense of pride. Dark mineral veins run beneath his skin, pulsing faintly, mirrored in the stone walls all around.
Shit!If I’m not wrong, his domain is Obsidian. And the entire arenaismade out of obsidian.
This isn’t just a bad match-up. It’s an unfair one since he clearly has the advantage.
The barrier rises behind me. Moe appears beyond it, her expression tense as she takes in the environment and my opponent. She quickly makes the connection and looks at me with worry in her eyes.
She was already tense when I accepted the challenge. Now she seems to be even more on edge.
“You’re crazy, Nyk,” she whispers, but her voice drifts to my ears. “If you don’t make it back, I will find a way to beat you even in death,” she mumbles.
I wink at her. “I’ll let you do anything you want to me after this is done,” I tell her.
She rolls her eyes, but my humor doesn’t seem to ease her tension.
The male—Lef—grins at us.
“Well,” he says, rolling his shoulders. “You’re quite confident, aren’t you?”
