The soft rustle of the bedsheets was the only sound in the quiet room. Kael sat on the edge of his bed, looking down at his hands. He let out a heavy sigh.
"What type of power do I actually have?" he whispered, worried about his future.
Shhhk!
The air twisted, and Sara suddenly appeared right in front of him. She tilted her head and looked at him. "Do you want to train?"
Before Kael could answer, a dark, heavy mist gathered next to the bed. Drakes stepped out of the mist, looking very serious. He gave a firm nod.
"Yeah, you need it," Drakes said, his deep voice tense. "I can feel it through my cursed power... something terrible is coming. We don't have much time."
Kael swallowed hard, realizing how serious the situation was. He sat up straight and nodded. "Alright."
"If you are going to fight, you should be able to kill anyone in a single hit."
The cold, sharp voice belonged to Xiyan, who walked up to the group. Kael blinked, looking at the skilled swordsman in confusion.
"How? And *why*?" Kael asked.
Xiyan looked deeply into Kael's eyes. "Because in the future, you will inherit the power of my sword, too."
Sara's eyes went wide with shock. She stared at Xiyan, then at Kael. "A twice redemption holder…?" she whispered.
The news was shocking, but Kael took a deep breath to calm down. If this was his path, he could not hesitate. "Alright. I will learn it."
"Then we start right now," Xiyan said, placing his hand on his sword. "You need to push past your limits."
Kael looked around his small bedroom. "Where can we even do this? We can't break the house."
Suddenly, Vajr stepped forward with a smile. "What about the Infinity Room?"
Kael scratched his head, thinking about it. "...Okay. Let's do it."
Kael and Vajr used their energy together, and the world around them warped. The bedroom walls disappeared, expanding into a giant, endless empty space—the Infinity Room.
The mood changed instantly. Sara raised her hand, her eyes flashing. With a snap of her fingers, dark energy pooled on the floor, turning into a crowd of angry cursed spirits.
"First, kill them," Sara commanded, her voice serious. "And don't expect them to hold back. They will show no mercy."
Kael gripped the handle of his sword, Cryistil. The blade vibrated with a cold energy. He took a sharp breath and locked his eyes on the monsters. "Nof."
Kael ran forward with incredible speed. The ground blurred beneath him. He reached them in a split second and swung Cryistil in a fast arc.
Slash!
The front spirit was cut right in half, turning into black smoke. Kael didn't stop. He moved fast across the battlefield, spinning and swinging his blade, cutting down every single spirit until it was completely quiet again.
Sara watched him lower his sword and nodded in approval. "Good. But just using a sword isn't enough. You need magic. You must become a master of it."
Kael put Cryistil away and closed his eyes. He reached deep inside himself to find his magic.
A bright green light burst out around him, lighting up the endless room. The pressure of his magic made the air shake. He focused his energy on a giant rock floating far away—a stone as big as a bus—and released a blast of force.
The giant rock shattered into a million tiny pieces.
Breathing heavily, Kael looked down at his hands. "Is it... right? Like this?"
"It's a start," Sara said, looking pleased. "Now, we build your physical strength. No magic, no swords. Just pure hard work."
What followed was a brutal, exhausting workout. Kael pushed his body through endless exercises, sweating through his clothes, his muscles burning as his friends watched over him.
Finally, completely tired out, Kael fell backward onto the floor. He lay there, looking up at the endless empty space, knowing this was only the first step.
Days turned into months, and months turned into a year.
In just a short time, Kael's progress completely broke the normal rules of growth.
He didn't just learn how to fight close up; he mastered the deadly One-Strike Kill. He practiced until a single, smooth swing of his sword could defeat any enemy before they even knew he was there. Even better, he mixed this physical fighting with magic. Fire, wind, and lightning didn't just cover his weapons—they became a part of him.
But his most amazing breakthrough was understanding space.
By learning how reality works, Kael learned to create the **Infinity Room** whenever he wanted—a private, hidden dimension where he was completely alone. From there, he reached the highest level of magic: creating his own Domain. Inside this special space, Kael was the absolute boss. Space, time, and elements all followed his rules.
Back in the training area, Kael stood catching his breath, watching the last sparks of his fire magic fade away. He looked at his shaking hands in surprise.
"I still can't believe it," Kael whispered. "I never thought I could use this kind of magic."
His friends looked at each other and smiled. One of them stepped forward to comfort him. "We think you're much more powerful than you think, Kael."
Kael let out a sad laugh and shook his head. "Me? Powerful? No way..."
"It's true," Sara said seriously. "You already promised Renjiro that you would go with him to the Void Realm. You wouldn't say that if you weren't strong enough."
Kael's eyes softened, replaced by a quiet determination. "Yes... I've been waiting for this for a very long time."
Leaving the Infinity Room, Kael walked down the quiet hallways to Renjiro's room. He pushed the door open and saw Renjiro sitting on his bed, thinking deeply.
Sensing Kael, Renjiro stood up, his eyes sharp. "Kael. It's time. In a few days, we leave for the Void Realm."
Kael felt an exciting rush. "Good. I'm ready."
Meanwhile, far away in the dark spaces of the Void Realm, the air felt heavy and evil.
The Shadow Lord sat on his giant black throne, his eyes full of hate. With a lazy wave of his hand, he gave a cold order: "Vanish."
Instantly, the massive army standing before him disappeared into nothing, leaving the room completely silent. A cruel smile spread across the Shadow Lord's face.
"Next... Kael," the Shadow Lord hissed, still angry about losing in the past. "He called me weak. He looked down on me."
He clenched his sharp hands into tight fists, dark energy swirling around his fingers.
"Last time, I took your friends away from you, boy," he whispered into the empty, echoing hall. "This time? Your parents are next."