Trials of Destiny: Way of The Sword

The autumn wind stirred through the ki beast forest, carrying the crisp scent of fallen leaves mixed with an ambient pulse of ki. Every beast within the forest was more volatile, heightened to a new state of aggression, driven by the energy coursing through the land—every beast, except for one.

Jin sat alone atop a boulder, silhouetted against the fading sun. The year's battles had cast shadows not only on his gaze but also on his soul, which grew darker and more fractured with each passing day. His time in the ki beast forest had worn away his emotions, stripping them piece by piece until only a faint glimmer of his former self remained. Twice more, he had been forced to call upon Umbra Dominus, and each use pulled him deeper into haunting visions of a past he didn't fully recognize but felt inexorably bound to. The darkness gnawed at him, leaving only fragments of what had once been hope or joy.

Over the course of the past year, the forest had transformed each member of his party. Kade, Kael, and Riven had evolved, reaching the second realm through sheer endurance. They learned to move with precision and suppress their emotions completely during combat, their techniques sharpened by the relentless trials. Luna, meanwhile, had ascended to the final stage of the second realm, her strength and presence steady beside Jin. She was more than a companion now—a calming force in the storm, though Jin couldn't entirely put words to the solace she brought him. Around her, he felt a glimpse of the person he used to be.

Breaking the silence, Jin murmured, his voice shadowed and low. "Kade... it's time to begin." Kade nodded, gripping his sword with a familiar confidence. "Right. Let's make this quick." Channeling his ki, he watched as it engulfed his sword in a controlled blaze before he hurled it toward the west, embedding it into the ground with a resonating thud.

Both Jin and Kade activated Swiftless Feather, vanishing in a whisper of movement to reappear beside the fallen sword. Before them stood a Dawnfigure beast, its silvery fur bristling in alarm. Kade's eyes gleamed. "This is our target? Shouldn't be too hard."

Jin's tone was cold and clinical. "Yes. Kill it in five moves or less." A dark smile crossed Kade's face. "Five? I only need one." With a burst of ki enveloping him, Kade activated Swiftless Feather once more, closing the distance in a blink. His sword thrust forward in one fluid motion, piercing the beast's heart before it could even react. Its body fell still, the fight over in a heartbeat.

Kade smirked as he withdrew his blade. "How many moves was that? Two, right?"

Jin's voice held a dry edge. "Swiftless Feather was one move, activating your ki was two, appearing took three, and stabbing made it four. Congratulations."

Jin turned away, his figure dissolving back to the boulder in a whisper of ki. Moments later, Kade rejoined him, looking out over the darkening forest. "So, what now? We've been in this damn forest for over a year. Isn't it time we moved on?"

Jin's gaze shifted to the stars just beginning to speckle the sky. "Yes… there's someone I need to meet. It's been a long time. A promise… or something close to it."

"A promise?" Kade raised an eyebrow. "To who?"

"Her name is Stella. She was supposed to meet me here… but I suppose she had other priorities." Jin's voice was distant, searching the stars as if they held the answer.

Kade shrugged, his tone skeptical. "Then why are you looking for her if she didn't show up?"

Jin exhaled, a faint hint of regret crossing his usually stoic features. "...Honestly, I don't know. Maybe it just feels like… the right thing to do." He trailed off, his words lost in the night air, a quiet yearning mingling with the darkness.

Jin's eyes remained on the sky, and then, in a low voice, he added, "We're heading back. To the Cliffside Lounge." Kade turned, surprised. "The Lounge? After all this time in the forest, we're finally moving on?"

Jin nodded, his expression dark and unreadable. "Go on ahead, Kade. Find Kael, Riven, and Luna, and tell them to pack up everything. By the time I get there, anyone who isn't ready is getting left behind. We're moving tonight."

Kade's face grew serious, realizing Jin's tone left no room for delay. "Got it. I'll get them ready." Without further words, Kade vanished into the trees, heading back to the Cliffside Lounge, the place they had called home while they were there. Jin remained where he stood, his silhouette stark against the darkening horizon, feeling the weight of the forest closing in around him.

He exhaled, his breath visible in the cooling evening air, before he started walking, allowing himself to fall into a rare moment of solitude.

As he made his way down the winding path back to the lounge, he found himself speaking to the empty forest, a habit he had developed over the past year of isolation. The forest seemed to listen, its quiet absorbing his words like an old, silent companion. "Why is it me?" he muttered, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "Why am I the one left hollow… the one who feels like a shadow of himself?"

Each step felt heavy, as if he were dragging his own sense of self along with him, fragmented and distorted by the power he had taken on. "Umbra Dominus," he whispered, the name itself laced with an almost reverent hatred. It was a tool, a weapon that had saved him countless times, yet it had exacted a toll he hadn't fully anticipated.

For a moment, he paused in his walk, clenching his fists tightly, the bite of his nails into his palms a faint reminder that he was still alive, that he still felt something. "This power, no, this curse," he continued quietly, "it's eating away at me, slowly… consuming whatever's left."

A wave of regret washed over him, mixed with a bitterness he couldn't quite suppress. "This power... it comes with a price. A price I'm not sure I can keep paying." After the last time he'd used Umbra Dominus, he'd promised himself it would be the final time. No matter what happened, he couldn't afford to lose more of himself. Not again.

The glow of the Cliffside Lounge came into view, flickering against the darkness of the forest, and he felt a faint, almost distant sense of relief. He could see Kade already gathering the others outside, readying their supplies. Jin quickened his pace, silencing his thoughts as he prepared to confront them.

Tonight, they would leave the forest and this damn Valor's Reach bullshit behind.

Jin arrived the Cliffside Lounge. Clearing his throat, he addressed them in a low, firm voice. "We're leaving. Now. I know this seems sudden, but it's necessary." He met each of their gazes before continuing. "There's someone I made a promise to long ago. Her name is Stella. She and I… we were supposed to meet again. I don't know what held her back, but something inside tells me I can't ignore it. We're going to find her."

"Where are we even starting?" Riven asked, crossing his arms. "A whole year in the forest and who knows how much longer before the forest shit happened, and we never heard a thing about her."

Jin's expression hardened. "We'll start at the last place we saw each other. The Lion Clan… or what's left of it. It's where I last knew her to be. If there are any clues, it'll be there." Kade raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smirk on his face. "You're telling me we're going to poke around the ruins of a dead clan on the off chance she's waiting there?"

"Yes," Jin replied without hesitation. "If there's any chance she's there, it's one we're taking."

Luna's voice cut in, soft but resolute. "Then it's decided. We go to the Lion Clan." Her gaze held steady on Jin, and he felt the faint comfort of her presence beside him, a reminder that he wasn't entirely alone.

They turned as one, leaving the lights of the Cliffside Lounge behind and walking along the path away from Valor's Reach. The night was calm, the autumn air thick with the scent of pine and leaves. Their footsteps were quiet as they moved, each of them lost in thought.

"So… what was she like?" Kael asked after a while, breaking the silence. Jin took a moment to answer, the question stirring memories buried deep within him.

"Stella was… stubborn, determined, always ready for a fight. She didn't care about danger if she thought it was for the right cause. But there was a softer side too, a loyalty that ran deep. She… she meant a lot to me." His voice softened, almost regretful, as he spoke.

Kade glanced over at him, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Sounds like you fell for her." Jin scoffed, a rare hint of a smile tugging at his mouth. "Maybe. Not that it matters now." His gaze darkened again. "She deserves more than to be left behind, forgotten. If she's out there, I'll find her."

"Sounds like she was important to you," Riven said, his voice thoughtful. "Why'd you wait so long to look for her?"

Jin's expression hardened, shadows flickering in his eyes. "Life got in the way. There was always something pulling me in a different direction. And… to be honest, I didn't think I'd survive this long."

"None of us did," Kael murmured, nodding. "But here we are."

As they continued their journey, a familiar figure appeared in the distance, standing by the side of the road with a small, weathered cart at his side. Jin stopped, recognition flickering across his face.

It was the same man who had taken them to Valor's Reach a year before. He grinned as he recognized Jin and the others, adjusting the brim of his hat as he waved them over. "Well, look at this. I'd be dammed, You lot survived the Reach! Didn't expect to see you again."

Jin stepped forward, nodding in greeting. "Brom Flint, right? We need another favor. A ride… to the Lion Clan."

The man's eyes widened. "How's it going Jin? And the Lion Clan, eh? Long trip. Most avoid that cursed place these days."

Jin's gaze was unwavering. "We'll pay well." The man chuckled, nodding. "I'll take you. Just didn't expect the likes of you to want to go to such a cursed place. Hop in—looks like we've got a long ride ahead."

Jin looked back at his party before getting into the caravan and sat down, the rest of his party also had gotten in and Luna sat beside Jin. 

"Cursed place? What the hell does that mean?" Jin asked himself curiously before staring out the back of the caravan.