The Northern Mountains were shrouded in a frozen silence, broken only by the whisper of wind over jagged peaks. Snow fell like shards of glass, glinting faintly in the pale light of the fallen star, casting fractured reflections across the rocky terrain. Eryndor stood at the crater's edge, black veins pulsing beneath his skin, shadows coiling like serpents, eager to taste power beyond reckoning. The Starred energy hummed faintly, still raw, chaotic, but responding—slowly—to his will.
Mei Lin observed him from a ridge above, arms crossed, her eyes narrowing. "Focus," she commanded. "Not just on the energy, but on yourself. You cannot let the void rule you."
Eryndor exhaled, letting the Starred energy flow through him like water through a twisted channel. The shadows beneath his skin writhed and stretched, brushing against the Starred energy, seeking to consume it, but he forced restraint. The Starved God hissed in protest, hunger coiling tighter in his chest. Feed. It is yours to consume.
"No," he muttered, gritting his teeth. "Not yet."
Mei Lin's voice was steady, almost a tether. "Good. Now, feel it—not as a weapon, but as a part of you. Let it flow through your veins, but never let it devour your mind." She moved closer, demonstrating subtle control of the residual Starred energy, her movements precise, almost like a dance. "Mirror me. Bend the energy, do not let it bend you."
Eryndor followed her guidance. Slowly, the chaotic pulses of the Starred energy began to obey, coiling and spiraling around him like a living aura of shadowed light. His body no longer trembled. His pulse synchronized with the mountains, the snow, and the lingering Qi of the fallen star. For the first time, he felt control. Real, raw, terrifying control.
But mastery had consequences. From the shadows beyond the ridge, something stirred—ancient and deliberate. The air shimmered as if reality itself wavered. Eryndor sensed it immediately, the void within him snapping awake. Another presence. Colder, darker, older. It radiated a hunger not unlike his own, but twisted, malevolent, and infinitely patient.
Mei Lin's expression hardened. "You feel it too," she whispered. "An entity older than the mountains… drawn to the Starred energy. You're not just awakening; you're drawing predators."
The shadows before them shifted and coalesced into a form. Taller than any mortal, its silhouette seemed carved from pure night. Eyes like molten silver pierced Eryndor, scanning, calculating, measuring the Starved God's hunger coiling beneath his skin. A voice rose from the entity—low, resonant, echoing against the mountains themselves.
"You who carry the void," it said. "You awaken too early. Do you think restraint can save you? Do you think the Starred energy is yours to command?"
Eryndor felt the hunger surge violently. The Starved God pressed forward, claws of shadow curling against the void, eager to strike. It challenges me. Let me devour.
He clenched his fists, shadows twisting and pulling tight. "I am not yours to consume," he growled. Not yet.
Mei Lin stepped beside him, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder. "Then show it what control looks like. Together," she said, her energy weaving into his, tethering him to the world and the moment.
Eryndor drew on the Starred energy once more, bending it to his will. Shadows wrapped around him, feeding on the energy, not to consume, but to amplify his control. He felt the Starved God murmur approval, subtle yet satisfied. The malevolent entity recoiled slightly, surprised by the synchronization of void and Starred energy.
"You are… unusual," it hissed, voice like cracking stone. "Most would have devoured themselves long before mastering it. But restraint… you could be dangerous indeed."
Eryndor's gaze hardened. "I am not here to destroy. Not yet. But if you threaten this world… I will be." Shadows coiled tighter, the Starred energy pulsing like a heartbeat, ready to strike, restrained only by his will.
Mei Lin studied him, her lips tight. "Good," she murmured. "Now, we prepare. This entity will not retreat forever. Others will come. But you… you've taken the first step toward mastery. And mastery is the only thing that will save you."
The wind picked up again, slicing through the mountains like knives. Eryndor inhaled deeply, feeling the void inside him pulse with the Starred energy, the Starved God murmuring softly, patient now, waiting for the inevitable hunt.
The entity lingered on the ridge, a shadow within shadows, watching, waiting. And in the silence that followed, the Starred energy thrummed with anticipation, as if the mountains themselves whispered: the awakening had begun, and nothing would ever be the same.
The first test of mastery was complete—but the real darkness had only just arrived.