Chapter 28: Deeper Trials
Kelvin stood amidst the fading echoes panting. Xerion landed beside him with his scales scorched but his eyes were fierce. "Is that all?" the beast growled.
Kelvin wiped sweat from his forehead. "Don’t drag it."
As if on cue, the ground trembled. A new shape rose from the path way, this time is not a beast, but a figure, like a human or close to it, it moved in shadow. Its presence was felt... Kelvin’s gut twisted. "Xerion, do you feel that?"
The End-Tyrant’s wings flared. "It is not a beast. It’s... something else."
The figure raised a hand, and the plain shifted. The storm clouds parted, revealing a blood-red sky. From the ground, chains of black iron erupted, lashing toward Kelvin and Xerion. Kelvin dove, but one chain caught his arm, burning like ice. He cried out, dropping to one knee.
"Kelvin!" Xerion roared, tearing through the chains with his claws. But more rose, faster and thicker, binding the beast’s wings. The figure’s voice echoed, cold and sharp. "You think your bond is strong? Prove it."
Kelvin’s vision was blurred with pain, but he forced himself to focus. The chains weren’t just physical—they were attacking his soul, trying to sever his connection to Xerion. He could feel the End-Tyrant’s rage, his fear, his defiance, all pulsing through their bond. "I’m not losing you," Kelvin growled, clenching his fists.
He closed his eyes, diving into the soulstream. There, in the space where their essences met, he saw the chains—dark tendrils wrapping around the glowing thread that bound him to Xerion. He reached for it, pouring every might of his will into their bond. "Together," he whispered. "Always."
Light exploded from his chest, shattering the chains. In the physical world, the iron bonds crumbled, and Xerion roared, his flames were burning brighter than ever.
Kelvin stood, his body was trembling but his resolve was unbroken. He faced the shadowed figure, his voice was steady. "You want truth? Here it is."
He and Xerion charged as one, their Convergence was blinding like a supernova. The figure raised a hand, summoning a wall of shadow, but Kelvin didn’t falter.