[Power]

Amira lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the weight of the day settled in. Her body ached, exhaustion pressing down on her, but her mind refused to quiet.

She turned onto her side, pulling the blanket up. The government knows. The dungeon breaks aren’t stopping. And now… training starts tomorrow.

She exhaled sharply. I need answers.

Closing her eyes, she focused, trying to will herself back into that dark space where the shadowy figure had appeared before.

Come on, she thought. I know you’re there. You always show up when things get complicated. So show up already.

Seconds passed. Then minutes. The silence of the room pressed in around her.

Her breathing slowed. Her body sank deeper into the bed. Just as sleep finally started to take her, the darkness around her shifted.

A familiar chill crept into the air.

And then—

"You're late."

The voice echoed from the void.

"If you stopped speaking in riddles, we wouldn't be having this problem," Amira shot back, crossing her arms.

The shadow chuckled, the sound low and almost amused. “And yet, here you are again. Needing me.”

Amira huffed. “I wouldn’t need you if you actually explained things instead of dropping cryptic nonsense.”

The shadow tilted its head, the void around them rippling slightly. “Your body seems to be adapting to the surge for ‘power.’ Faster than expected.”

Amira frowned. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Not bad,” the shadow mused. “Just… interesting. But you should be careful. Power that grows too fast can be unstable. And instability leads to consequences.”

Amira clenched her fists. “I don’t have time to be careful. The dungeon breaks are getting worse, and people are watching me. I need to be stronger—now.”

The shadow was silent for a moment before finally speaking again.

“Very well. If it’s strength you want…”

The surrounding darkness shifted—a pulse of something deep and ancient pressing against her chest.

“I’ve already faced consequences,” Amira snapped. “What’s a few mor—”

Before she could finish, a violent surge of power rushed through her, cutting off her words like a blade to the throat.

Her body seized as the darkness around her twisted and pulsed. The air felt thick, heavy, pressing down on her like a crushing weight. Heat and cold clashed within her veins, setting her nerves on fire while freezing her bones at the same time.

Her vision blurred—purple flames flickering at the edge of her sight. Her breath hitched as her knees buckled, but she refused to fall.

I can handle this.

The shadow watched in silence as the energy stormed through her, testing, pulling, pushing. It wasn’t just power—it was something else.

Something alive.

Her fingers curled into fists, nails digging into her palms. The energy twisted, threatening to consume her, but she forced herself to stay grounded. To hold on.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, the surge stopped.

Amira gasped, sucking in a sharp breath. Her body trembled, sweat dripping down her forehead.

The shadow finally spoke, its voice slow, measured. “You’re not ready.”

Amira let out a bitter laugh, wiping her mouth. “Then make me ready.”

“Then let’s see how much you can handle.”

The shadow was silent for a moment, the void around them rippling like disturbed water. Then, a slow, low chuckle filled the space.

“You truly are fascinating,” it mused. “So much fire, so much recklessness.”

Amira narrowed her eyes. “I’m not being reckless. I’m being honest. I’m done blacking out in the middle of a fight and causing more trouble than I fix. If I’m going to keep being dragged into this, then I need control. So tell me—” she took a step forward, voice unwavering— “are you going to help me? Or are you just waiting for me to fail so you can find someone else?”

The air around her tightened. The weight of the shadow’s presence pressed down on her like an unseen force, testing, judging.

Then, it spoke.

“Very well.”

The void shifted, a pulse of energy stirring in the darkness.

“If you wish to be a perfect vessel, then I will forge you into one. But be warned, Amira—true power comes with a cost. And once we start… there is no turning back.”

Amira’s jaw tightened, her fingers curling into fists. “I wasn’t planning on turning back.”

The shadow grinned, its form stretching, shifting into something darker.

“Then let’s begin.”

The world around her shattered.

The shadow was silent for a moment, the void around them rippling like disturbed water. Then, a slow, low chuckle filled the space.

“You truly are fascinating,” it mused. “So much fire, so much recklessness.”

Amira narrowed her eyes, frustration burning in her chest. “I’m not being reckless. I’m being honest. I’m done blacking out in the middle of a fight and causing more trouble than I fix. If I’m going to keep being dragged into this, then I need control.” Her voice grew sharper, more determined. “Make me into the perfect vessel for this. That’s what you’re looking for, isn’t it? After all the observing you’ve done, do you think I’m not capable? Or is it that I’m not worthy?”

The void seemed to tighten around her, the weight of the shadow’s presence pressing down like an unseen force.

“I am done with the goose chase that started at the first dungeon break,” she continued, voice unwavering. “So are you going to help me? Or are you just waiting for me to fail and die so you can find someone else who’ll do a better job?” Her fists clenched. “Because I’m done. Done fainting, done blacking out in the middle of a fight, only to cause more problems than I solve.”

The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity. Then, the shadow shifted, a pulse of something deep and ancient stirring in the darkness.

“Very well.”

A cold wind rushed through the void, carrying an unseen weight.

“If you wish to be a perfect vessel, then I will forge you into one. But be warned, Amira—true power comes with a cost. And once we start… there is no turning back.”

Amira’s jaw tightened, her breath steady despite the storm of emotions raging inside her. “I wasn’t planning on turning back.”

The shadow grinned, its form stretching, shifting into something darker.

“Then let’s begin.”

The world around her shattered.

For what felt like months—agonizing, torturous months filled with unbearable pain—was, in reality, just eight hours. It was as if every nerve in her body had been set ablaze, twisted, torn apart, and stitched back together in a form that wasn’t entirely her own. The torment had been endless, her very essence unraveling and reshaping under an unseen force. And then, suddenly, it stopped.

Amira’s eyes snapped open as the morning light filtered through her window. She took a deep breath, her body feeling strangely weightless, as if a burden she hadn’t even realized she was carrying had been lifted.

She turned her head to check the time—6:00 AM.

She frowned, rubbing her temple. The shadow had done… something. She wasn’t sure what exactly, but she could feel it. A shift deep inside her, like the power within her had been restructured. Normally, she would wake up feeling drained after using too much magic, her body sluggish and weak. But now?

She felt steady. Stronger, even.

Yet, there was still something off.

She sat up slowly, flexing her fingers. The warmth of her flames didn’t flicker to life like usual—it was different. Less like a raging fire, more like a controlled ember, waiting to be unleashed.

Her eyes darted toward the mirror across the room. She hesitated, then stood up, walking toward it.

The second she saw her reflection, she froze.

Her eyes—still the same deep brown—but flickering at the edges was a faint trace of purple. It came and went, like a dying flame, before settling back to normal.

Amira exhaled. What the hell did that thing do to me?

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