Theras stepped onto the first stone of the mountain path without hesitation.
The air changed the moment his foot made contact.
It was subtle at first, a faint tightening of the space around him, as though the mountain itself had become aware of his presence. The wind that had moved freely before now flowed differently, no longer drifting aimlessly but circling slowly around the path ahead, drawn toward the summit where the sword waited.
He continued forward, his red eyes fixed upward.
The path was narrow, carved directly into the mountain’s body, its surface worn smooth by time or by passage. The stone beneath his feet was dark, almost metallic in tone, and faint fractures ran along its surface like veins. Each step carried him closer to the clouds above, closer to the sword embedded in the peak.
Then the mountain reacted.
From the step ahead of him, the stone darkened. A shadow spread outward unnaturally, pooling like liquid across the surface. It rose slowly, peeling itself away from the mountain as though it had never truly been part of it.
A figure formed. It had no face. No features. Only a vaguely humanoid shape composed entirely of dense black shadow. Its body flickered at the edges, unstable, yet its presence carried weight.
It stood in his path.
Theras did not stop. His right hand moved calmly to his side. A sword appeared in his grip. Its blade was flawless silver, straight and unblemished, reflecting the dim light around it. The handle was white, smooth and unadorned, and from its base hung a thin black ribbon that swayed gently in the mountain wind.
He held it loosely in one hand.
The shadow moved first. It lunged forward without sound, its form stretching unnaturally as it closed the distance.
Theras stepped forward to meet it. His arm moved in a single, effortless motion.
The blade cut through the air. A blazing light-blue slash erupted from the sword’s edge, tearing forward with violent speed. It crossed the distance instantly and passed through the shadow’s torso without resistance.
The figure split cleanly in half.
For a fraction of a second, the two halves remained suspended. Then they collapsed, dissolving back into nothingness as though they had never existed.
Theras did not slow. He continued walking upward.
The mountain responded immediately. Two shadows rose this time. Then four. They emerged from the stone itself, forming directly in his path and along the steps beside him. Their movements were faster now, their forms denser, more defined.
Theras raised his sword slightly.
A faint blue aura ignited around the blade, coating its surface in pure sword intent. The shadows attacked together. Theras vanished. His wings shifted once, and his body blurred forward faster than the eye could follow. He appeared beside the nearest shadow, his sword already in motion.
The blade passed through its neck and the figure dissolved instantly.
He pivoted smoothly, his arm moving in a wide horizontal arc. A crescent of blue light tore outward from the sword, crossing the narrow path and bisecting two more shadows at their center. Their bodies split apart, collapsing into drifting fragments before disappearing entirely.
The final shadow lunged from behind him.
Theras did not turn. His wings flexed slightly. He vanished again and reappeared behind it, his blade already descending. The sword cut cleanly through its spine.
The shadow collapsed and he resumed walking.
More shadows emerged.
Their numbers increased with each step.
Six.
Ten.
Twenty.
They began forming along the mountain walls, dropping onto the path from above, rising directly from beneath his feet. Theras’s expression did not change.
Flames ignited along the blade. Fire wrapped around the silver steel, burning without consuming it. He stepped forward and swung. A blazing arc of fire followed the motion, expanding outward and tearing through the approaching shadows. Their forms burned instantly, disintegrating into ash before they could reach him.
A shadow lunged from his left.
This time Lightning erupted along his sword. He thrust the blade forward. A bolt of lightning surged from its tip, striking the shadow and chaining instantly to the others behind it. Lightning spread through their forms, locking them in place before shattering them completely.
He moved without pause.
His wings propelled him forward, his body blurring between positions faster than the shadows could react. Each swing of his sword carried absolute power to finish them all in one swing.
A shadow appeared above him, dropping downward with unnatural speed.
Theras looked up. His red eyes glowed faintly.
A crimson beam erupted from them.
It struck the shadow directly, tearing through its body and continuing upward into the sky before fading. He reached the midpoint of the mountain.
The shadows grew stronger. Their forms became denser, their movements faster, their attacks coordinated. They no longer lunged blindly.
They fought.
One rushed him from the front while another struck from behind.
Theras stepped forward, his sword rising vertically.
The blade met the first shadow’s arm and cut through it effortlessly.
He twisted his body and drove his elbow backward, striking the second shadow’s torso and disrupting its form long enough for his sword to follow. The blade pierced its chest, and lightning erupted outward, destroying it instantly.
Three more closed in.
He leapt upward, his wings spreading wide.
From midair, he swung his sword downward. A massive arc of blue light descended with the motion, crashing into the path below and erasing the shadows completely.
He landed smoothly and continued climbing.
His breathing remained steady. His expression calm. He reached three-quarters of the mountain’s height.
And then—
Something changed. The shadows stopped emerging. The mountain fell silent. Theras stepped forward onto the next stone.
A figure stood there.
It had not risen from the mountain. It had simply appeared. It held a sword. Its form was blurred, indistinct, as though it existed partially outside perception itself.
Theras approached it without slowing.
He swung his blade. The silver sword cut downward in a clean, decisive motion. The figure moved. Its own sword rose calmly and intercepted the strike.
The two blades collided.
For the first time since he had begun climbing—
Theras’s attack was stopped. The impact did not break the figure’s stance. It did not force it backward.
It held.
Perfectly.
Theras’s red eyes narrowed slightly as he felt the resistance. Its sword remained steady, perfectly intercepting his strike as though it had anticipated not only the motion, but the intent behind it.
For a brief moment, the two blades remained locked together.
Then Theras’s eyes flared.
Crimson light ignited within them, dense and violent, gathering at a single point before erupting outward. A concentrated beam tore free from his gaze and struck the shadow directly in the face. The force of it distorted the air and drove the figure backward.
Theras expected its body to rupture under the impact, to dissolve the way the others had.
It did not.
Instead, its feet dragged across the stone as it skidded backward along the step, its form flickering but remaining intact.
Theras moved instantly. His wings trembled once, and his body vanished. He appeared behind the figure before it had fully stabilized, his sword already blazing with fire. The flames coiled along the silver blade, burning bright and controlled, their heat distorting the space around them.
He drove the sword forward. The blade pierced through the shadow’s chest cleanly. For a fraction of a second, the figure remained frozen.
Then the fire erupted.
Flames roared outward from the point of impact, engulfing the shadow entirely. Its form destabilized rapidly, its outline breaking apart as the fire consumed it from within. The darkness that composed its body collapsed inward, losing cohesion before dissolving into drifting ash that scattered into the mountain wind.
Theras pulled his sword free in a smooth motion and flicked it lightly to the side, the flames dissipating instantly as the blade returned to its pristine silver state.
He turned and resumed walking upward. His pace did not change. But his awareness had sharpened. He stepped onto the next stone.
Another figure stood waiting.
This one held a sword as well. And its blade burned with fire.
The flames were identical to his own. They did not flicker randomly. They coiled tightly along the edge, controlled, precise, mirroring the exact structure of his previous attack.
Theras stopped.
A slow smile formed. His grip on his sword tightened slightly.
Flames ignited along his own blade, rising in response, brighter and denser, their heat intensifying as they wrapped around the silver steel.
But beneath the fire—
Something else surfaced.
Fury.
"A cheap copy," he said calmly. His wings shifted. And he vanished.