The world shattered.
Kael Kairis could feel it in the deepest part of his soul, the power surging through his veins, rewriting his very existence. The realm he now found himself in was not one of simply time or space. It was the raw essence of the universe—its deepest threads—wound together in a chaotic dance of energy and possibility. Everything was alive here, even the air felt like it hummed with power.
As the shock of his arrival wore off, Kael stood still in the center of the impossible sky, the dark-clad Sovereign towering above him. The vastness around him stretched endlessly, as if the universe itself had folded into this place—into this trial.
"Welcome to the Split Sky," the Sovereign intoned. His voice was low, like the rumbling of thunder from a far-off storm. "Here, you will learn the price of your power. And you will either rise... or fall."
Kael said nothing. His mind raced, trying to catch up with the magnitude of what had just happened. A trial? He hadn't been given a choice—at least, not a clear one. One moment, he had been standing in the rubble of his ruined home, watching the sky tear open, and the next, he had accepted the Sovereign's challenge, plunging into a realm where the very air vibrated with untapped potential.
The power thrummed inside him, something ancient and untamed that called to the very core of his being. It was his—his alone. The power of the gods themselves seemed to bend around him, as though waiting for his next command.
"Do you feel it?" The Sovereign's voice cut through Kael's thoughts. He took a step forward, his movements slow and deliberate, as though measuring Kael's response. "This is the battlefield of your soul. The power that bends reality, the force that commands fate itself. You have chosen this path, Kael. Now, show me if you are worthy."
"How?" Kael's voice sounded strange to him. It was raspy, low, like he had just awoken from a deep slumber. The words felt alien on his tongue, as if they weren't his own, but still, they slipped from his lips.
The Sovereign didn't answer directly. Instead, his hands raised, and with a flick of his fingers, the world around Kael shifted. The ground beneath his feet warped and cracked, changing like liquid, until Kael was standing on what looked like the surface of a vast ocean, stretching to the horizon.
But it wasn't water. It was energy. Raw, crackling power that surged beneath him, pulsing in time with his heartbeat.
"This is the battlefield of your soul," the Sovereign said. "You are here because you are chosen, but being chosen means nothing without the ability to harness that power. To bend it to your will."
Kael felt it then—the pull. The energy beneath his feet. It wasn't just the air; it was everything. The world wasn't just a place. It was a weapon, a tool, waiting for him to wield it.
"Focus," the Sovereign commanded. "Focus on the power. Command it."
Kael's eyes narrowed. He had no experience with this kind of power. He had never trained for anything like this. But even as the Sovereign's words rang in his mind, Kael felt something stir deep within him. Something... familiar.
His hand twitched. It was an involuntary movement, a spark of instinct. The power around him reacted to his will.
Kael raised his hand, his palm open, fingers spread wide. The glyph on his skin flared in response. A pulse of golden light shot out, spreading across the sky above him. For a brief moment, the world seemed to stop.
And then, a thunderous crack split the sky.
Kael's breath caught in his throat as he watched. A spear of golden energy streaked from his hand, arcing through the air like a comet. It struck the ocean of power beneath him, sending ripples across the vast expanse. The waves of energy exploded outward, surging with the force of a hundred storms.
The Sovereign's shadow loomed large, his eyes filled with a deep and unreadable emotion. "Good. But it is not enough. Not yet."
Kael stumbled back as the energy from his attack began to warp around him, a violent surge of power that nearly tore him off his feet. His heart raced, his blood pounding with exhilaration. That—that was the power he had been searching for. The power that he could control.
But there was more. He could feel it, surging within him, demanding to be unlocked.
"You see it now?" The Sovereign's voice was laced with approval. "The power of the Split Sky. The power to bend reality, to shape existence as you wish. But there is more. You can do more. You must."
Kael's heart beat faster, the energy within him surging again. The Sovereign was right. He could feel it—more power waiting to be unlocked, more energy humming beneath his fingertips, ready to be bent and shaped to his will.
"I can feel it," Kael murmured. "I can feel it."
The Sovereign nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Good. But the power alone is not enough. Power without control, without purpose, is nothing more than a curse. And you will need both if you wish to survive what is to come."
"What is to come?" Kael asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. The world around them was still shifting, pulsing with energy, but there was something... dangerous in the Sovereign's words. He felt the weight of them, like a shadow that hung over his head, something ominous.
The Sovereign's expression remained unreadable, his glowing eyes fixed on Kael. "The Sovereigns do not simply choose anyone. They choose those with the potential to either rule or ruin. And you—Kael Kairis—have been chosen. Whether you rise to power or fall into darkness is up to you. But you will not face this alone."
"What do you mean?" Kael questioned, a frown crossing his face. He felt as if he had just been thrust into the eye of a storm, but his mind couldn't make sense of it. What was this Sovereign, and why did Kael feel this inexplicable connection to him?
The Sovereign's lips curled into a smirk. "You will learn. Soon enough. But before you can rise, you must first fall."
Kael felt a shiver run down his spine. A moment ago, he had felt invincible. Now, with those words, the weight of the world seemed to settle back onto his shoulders.
"I'm not afraid of falling," Kael said, his voice steady.
"Good," the Sovereign replied, his tone colder than ever. "Then you will be ready when the time comes."
The sky above Kael darkened, the energy pulsing even more violently. Something greater than this realm seemed to stir—something ancient. Something that had been waiting for Kael to step into the heart of it.
The challenge had only just begun.