Fists of the Forgotten

Kade's dreams were usually restless, filled with echoes of the fights he endured each day at Ironclad Academy. But this time, it was different. The darkness around him was deeper, colder, and suffocating. He wasn't dreaming—he was trapped.

It started when the door to his room creaked open in the dead of night. A figure, cloaked and hooded in heavy fabric, stepped inside with movements so quiet they barely disturbed the air. The only sound was the faint rustle of the stranger's cloak. Kade stirred in his sleep, a slight groan escaping his lips.

The figure hesitated, standing over him for a moment. From beneath the heavy hood, a soft, almost trembling whisper escaped. "Forgive me," it said, barely audible. The gloved hand pulled out a small, glass vial, filled with a swirling, dark liquid that seemed to pulse faintly in the moonlight. A syringe gleamed ominously in the other hand.

Before Kade could wake fully, the figure plunged the needle into his arm and injected the serum. The shock jolted him awake, his eyes wide with confusion and pain. He caught a glimpse of the hooded figure before his vision blurred. "Wha—who are... you..." he managed to choke out before everything went black.

Kade awoke in a place that wasn't his room. The air was heavy, thick with an oppressive energy that pressed against his chest. Darkness stretched in every direction, an endless void with no ground, no sky, no escape. He stood, or floated—it was impossible to tell. The only sound was his own heartbeat, loud and erratic, echoing around him.

Suddenly, a voice shattered the silence, deep and resonant, vibrating through the void. "So you've finally come, bearer of the forgotten legacy."

Kade turned toward the voice, his eyes narrowing as a massive figure emerged from the shadows. Its form shifted constantly, part human, part monstrous, with glowing, piercing eyes that seemed to see straight into his soul. The figure radiated a dark, ancient power that made Kade's knees weaken.

"Who... what are you?" Kade demanded, his voice trembling despite his best efforts.

"I am the Shadow God," the figure boomed, its voice echoing endlessly. "I have been waiting for you, heir to my power. Your blood calls to me, and now, the choice must be made."

"Choice? What choice?" Kade asked, taking a step back. The darkness around him seemed alive, writhing like it had a mind of its own.

"The serum coursing through your veins was designed to awaken my power within you," the Shadow God explained. "But without a pact—without my blessing—you will die. The shadows will consume you, as they have consumed countless others before you."

Kade's fists clenched. "I didn't ask for this!"

The Shadow God chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "Few do. But the burden is yours nonetheless. Make a contract with me, and you shall live. Refuse, and your soul will fade into the void."

The weight of the ultimatum pressed on Kade, suffocating him. His instincts screamed at him to reject the offer, to fight back against whatever this being was. But the cold, gnawing sensation spreading through his body told him he didn't have time. His vision blurred, and he collapsed to his knees.

"Tick-tock, mortal," the Shadow God taunted. "The serum's effects are irreversible. You must decide."

Kade's mind raced. He thought of the arena, of the jeering crowd, of the battles he fought to prove himself. He thought of the faint memories of his mother's smile and the cryptic words she had left him with. And then, for some reason, he thought of the hooded figure who had injected him. A spark of anger flared within him.

"Fine," he growled. "I'll make your damn contract. But on my terms."

The Shadow God's form shifted, leaning closer. "And what are these terms?"

Kade glared at the entity, defiance burning in his eyes. "I'll take your power, but I won't be your pawn. I fight for myself—not for you."

For a moment, the Shadow God was silent, then it laughed—a booming, echoing sound that shook the void. "Interesting. Very well, mortal. Our fates are bound. But remember: power always has a price."

Before Kade could respond, the Shadow God lunged forward, enveloping him in its form. Shadows swirled around him, sinking into his skin. He screamed as a searing pain coursed through his body, the darkness becoming part of him.

Kade woke with a gasp, his body drenched in sweat. Shadows writhed around him like living things before receding into his skin. He sat up, clutching his chest, his breaths ragged.

The hooded figure was gone, leaving only the faint smell of smoke and the lingering sense that something irrevocable had changed.

Kade looked down at his hands, watching as faint tendrils of shadow flickered around his fingers. His heart pounded in his chest as the Shadow God's final words echoed in his mind.

Power always has a price.