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ECLIPSE ASCENSION
-----------------------------
The next morning, smoke curled lazily over the ruins of Thalor as sunlight barely pierced the eternal storm clouds overhead. Hakira awoke to the sound of distant thunder—a normal thing, except this time, the ground beneath him pulsed.
Again…? he thought, placing his hand over his chest.
The Eclipse Mark had glowed during the night. This wasn't a dream. It called to him—like a whisper beneath his skin.
He rose, slung a cloth over his shoulder, and followed the pull. It led him deep into a part of Thalor he'd never dared explore: the Buried District. Forbidden ruins swallowed by time and silence.
---
Hours later...
The ruins grew colder as he descended. Cracked stone murals lined the walls—depictions of ancient warriors wielding glowing auras, battling enormous Rift Beasts with wings of flame and shadow.
At the end of the passage, Hakira found it.
A single door, sealed with circular patterns. It pulsed softly in response to his mark.
Is this a Ki Node…?
He pressed his palm against it.
FLASH.
A surge of light exploded outward, blinding him. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in a chamber lit by floating crystals—alive with energy.
In the center: a massive crystal tree, its roots woven into the stone itself. This was a Dormant Ki Node.
And somehow… it responded to him.
---
A Voice in the Chamber
Suddenly, a figure appeared—hazy, glowing like a mirage.
An ancient projection. A guardian.
> "Eclipseborn... your awakening is early. Too early."
Hakira staggered back. "W-What do you mean, Eclipseborn?"
The image narrowed its gaze.
> "You carry the Mark of the Eclipse. Born during the Rift's last breath. One who can shape Ki beyond its laws."
> "But you are not ready. The world will not wait. And they will come for you."
The chamber trembled. The Ki Node flared violently.
> "Your test begins now."
---
Trial of the Node
The walls cracked, and from the shadows emerged a beast made of stone and lightning—an ancient sentinel, roaring as it lunged.
Hakira barely rolled aside.
No weapon. No plan. No escape.
His heart pounded. But his eyes narrowed. He watched the beast's movements. Patterns.
Three steps. Lunge. Tail swipe.
He counted.
One... Two…
He dove under the tail this time, grabbing a shard of crystal from the floor, and stabbed it into the creature's inner joint.
The beast howled.
Then Hakira's palm burned.
The mark lit up like a flame, and for the first time—he felt it.
Ki.
His Ki.
Instinct took over. He raised his hand, and from his mark surged a pulse of raw energy that tore through the beast's core like a starburst.
Silence followed.
The guardian flickered one last time.
> "Your path opens. But so do the eyes of the Rift."
And then, the chamber collapsed.
---
Hakira crawled free, gasping for air. Around his wrist, a ring of light appeared: a Ki Marker. But it didn't show any number or color. Instead, it flickered wildly, unreadable.
He wasn't ranked.
He wasn't even supposed to exist.
And far above, high in the floating cities of the other realms, someone was watching.
A masked figure whispered:
> "So... the Eclipse stirs."
---
End of Chapter 2
To be continued.....