Chapter 10: Sins And Seals
Ning Que groaned and stirred, the cold pressing into his back as he awoke in a strange new place. It was silent, without wind or voices, not even the hum of the system in his mind. Only and unsettling stillness.
He stood slowly, gripping his sai, though the weapon felt heavier now. The world around him had changed again, he saw, and bit his inner lip in annoyance. This wasn’t the warehouse, and it wasn’t the cliff.
"How long is this going to take? I’ve passed both trials for goodness sake!" Ning Que yelled to the sky, pure rage fueling his voice. He looked around where he was, his brows scrunched up in annoyance. Then he exhaled.
Ning Que stood in what looked like a vast desert of black sand under a blood-moon sky. Towering ruins hung upside-down in the sky, floating like bones from a forgotten god. War horns echoed from a distance, though no armies stood in sight. And yet... he could feel them. Something about this place pulled at him, like he was meant to be here.
"You’ve wandered too far, Reclaimer." The voice came from behind, low and authoritative, enough to send shivers down Ning Que’s spine.
He turned around swiftly.
A woman stood there, barefoot on the black sand, her cloak of white flames billowing soundlessly. Her eyes were golden, glowing with something far older than time. Her skin shimmered like burning silver, and her presence was weightless but terrifying.
"Reclaimer?" Ning asked, narrowing his eyes as he acknowledged the woman’s presence. She seems powerful, he thought.
"Yes," she nodded. "That is your true name, or what remains of it. You’re a piece of something shattered long ago. And now you have awoken too soon."
Ning’s breath caught in his throat. He stepped backwards, alarm bells ringing in his head. "What are you talking about? I’m not—"
The woman ignored him and stepped forward. Then she raised a hand and touched his forehead.