The Stormbringer stepped into the familiar expanse of her realm. A dark, endless void illuminated only by the soft glow of flickering screens. The air was thick. Heavy. It felt almost suffocating, like countless moments weighed down in the dark.
Static crackled somewhere unseen. The sharp scent of ozone lingered, a reminder of the storm that always followed her.
Each screen displayed shifting scenes of worlds in motion. A constant stream of time. But something was wrong. The screens distorted, images bending and twisting, flickering like dying flames.
She took a step. Her legs felt heavier than they had in years.
A faint shimmer rippled through her form. Distorting her for a fleeting moment. Her breath came shallow and labored.
"Perhaps... I held the fabric of time taut for too long," she muttered, her voice echoing in the stillness.
Each step dragged. The weight of her power tugged at her limbs as if gravity itself were pulling her down. She reached the throne at the center of the chamber, more grateful for its presence than she'd ever admit.
Though her body rested in her realm, her mind remained tethered to the world she had protected for so long. Slowly, she reached out with her energy. The pulse of her presence seeking the king across the expanse of the Human Kingdom.
Kael, her voice rippled through his mind, I may need to take my rest... sooner than expected.
Kael straightened at the familiar sensation of her voice. Even though she wasn't there, her words still held strong authority. But beneath her usual control, there was something more.
Weariness.
He inhaled deeply, his gaze shifting toward the horizon beyond the castle's walls. The invisible barrier had kept the kingdom safe from threats for years. It was tied to the Stormbringer's power. Keeping out monsters and worse.
Now, with her rest on the horizon, he knew that barrier would weaken. Eventually, it would be lifted.
I understand, Kael responded, his voice steady despite the heaviness that settled in his chest. But know this, Stormbringer: we will be ready. Rest as you must.
She lingered for a moment longer, sensing the doubt buried beneath his words. Her response was gentle, yet firm.
Do not falter, Kael. You wear the crown not as a title, but as a responsibility. Prove that you are worthy of it, even when the storm passes beyond your reach.
As her voice faded from his mind, Kael's hand tightened around the hilt of his blade. He looked out over his kingdom, knowing that soon, the tides of fate would shift. Perhaps sooner than any of them were prepared for.
###
With a tired sigh, she sank into the throne. A seat carved from the very essence of her realm, dark and cold. The cold stone pressed against her back felt like a relief. It eased the strain of holding the world in balance. As she moved, her image flickered. It distorted, as if she was fighting to stay whole.
The weight of her power usage was catching up to her.
Just as she settled, a voice slithered through the shadows. Mocking and cold.
The air around her seemed to thrum with energy. A low pulse that mirrored the beat of her own heart. She paused, her fingers twitching at her sides as a familiar sensation crept up her spine. The first stirrings of something she had buried deep within, now waking as her strength waned.
"You've stretched yourself too thin this time, haven't you? It's been a while since you've been so... vulnerable."
The Stormbringer paused, her lips curling into a faint, tired smile. She paused before answering. The tension hung in the air as she sat down in the chair.
"And here I thought I'd earned a moment of peace," she replied, her tone light but edged with weariness.
The voice chuckled darkly. "Peace? No, no. You know better than that. You've overexerted yourself, and now you're weak. And when you're weak..." The voice trailed off, its meaning clear. "It's my turn."
The Stormbringer's body flickered again. Her form struggling to maintain its cohesion. Her limbs felt heavy, energy fading fast. Dark tendrils crept from the shadows near her throne. They coiled around her ankles and wrists, then slowly moved up her body.
Cold numbness spread wherever they touched. As though her own power was slipping away, leeching into the darker side of herself.
For a moment, she hesitated. Her fingers twitched in brief rebellion before she forced her body to still. She could not let this part of her take control. Not now. But there was no panic in her eyes. Only calm.
She settled back into the throne. A sigh escaped her lips.
"Your turn?" she whispered, her voice soft but laced with quiet strength. "You should know by now... that's not how this works."
The tendrils, manifestations of her own power, began to tighten around her. Wrapping her in a protective cocoon. The shadowy limbs slithered up her legs, encircled her torso, and climbed toward her neck. Her other self. The dark, hungry presence that had been lurking, snarled in defiance as they moved.
"Don't you dare!" The voice lashed out, sharp and venomous. "You think you can keep me locked away forever? You're weak! Vulnerable! I can take over now, and when I do, I'll make you regret every moment you've kept me buried."
The Stormbringer's smile deepened, though her energy was rapidly fading. "You misunderstand... This isn't weakness. It's restraint."
She leaned her head on the cold stone of her throne. Dark tendrils wrapped around her chest, pulling her deeper into the cocoon. "You won't get the chance."
As shadows grew darker, the throne. Still for centuries, started to shake. Her darker self's anger shook the air, making the ground tremble beneath them. The chair creaked and shook. It seemed to sense the fury of the trapped presence struggling against the Stormbringer's control.
The growl of her other self grew louder. Her frustration evident as she fought against the encroaching darkness. "You can't keep me locked away forever, Stormbringer. One day, I will break free... and you will be nothing but a memory."
The Stormbringer's eyes, though dimming, remained sharp. Unwavering. "Perhaps. But not today."
With that, the final tendril wrapped around her, sealing her within the cocoon. The growl of her other self echoed through the realm, a sound of pure, unyielding defiance. The fierce blue eyes glared at her in the dark. Slowly, the shadows swallowed them too.
Her throne gave one final tremor as the Stormbringer's other self let out a guttural growl. The sound filled with raw anger and defiance. The screens, once full of life and motion, now flickered like dying stars. Their light faded and finally disappeared.
The realm plunged into complete darkness. The Stormbringer and her other self consumed by the void as everything went silent.