Continuation of Chapter 1

LIN ONGRO 

Now, adulthood finds me standing before Akilhi. His presence is a force, calm yet overwhelming, like standing in the eye of a hurricane. His gaze pierces through me, and I know without him speaking that he sees everything—every strength, every doubt, every fear.

"You’ve grown, Lin," Akilhi says, his voice steady, commanding. "But now, it’s time to master the power within you."

My heart pounds in my chest as I close my eyes, focusing on the energy thrumming beneath my skin. Over the years, I’ve learned to wield it, but it still feels raw, wild. My fingers tingle, and slowly, I let the power flow. A pair of wrist blades materializes around my arms, humming with energy. They feel… right. As if they’ve always been there, waiting for me to bring them to life.

Akilhi steps closer, his hand brushing against mine. A surge of energy passes between us, and I feel it—our connection, the force that binds everything together. "Do not force it," he whispers. "Let it flow. Let your power breathe."

I focus on his words, taking slow, deep breaths. The blades solidify, their weight familiar, natural. But it’s more than just the physical. I open my senses, reaching beyond the training ground. Far in the distance, I feel it—a disturbance, like a ripple in the air, a warning. Something dark is approaching.

My pulse quickens, fear stirring in my chest, but I don’t let it control me. I’ve trained for this. I’ve bled for this.

Akilhi steps back, his gaze unwavering. "You have control, Lin. But remember, power must never control you."

I nod, feeling the weight of his words settle in my chest. The wrist blades hum with energy, my senses sharper than ever. I can feel the darkness approaching long before it arrives, hear its distant whispers on the wind. But I am ready.

For the first time, I feel truly in control—not just of my abilities, but of myself. Akilhi’s eyes meet mine, and there’s something more there now—something deeper.

"I will be your guide," he says, his voice softer, almost intimate. "But from now on, the path you walk is your own."

I look down at the wrist blades, their edges gleaming in the fading light, and I know—this is just the beginning.
 

A few weeks later, Akilhi confesses something to me that shakes my understanding of him. "I'm not a god," he says, his voice steady but solemn. "I'm not even a powerful being. I'm just a humanoid."

His words catch me off guard, and I freeze. A humanoid? The very species my dad had once described to me as weak and fragile when I was a child? For a moment, I feel like I should be shocked or disappointed, but I’m not. Instead, I stay quiet, letting the revelation sink in.

I don't care.

The truth is, the more time we spend together, the deeper my feelings for him grow. His smile, his laugh, the way we talk for hours about everything and nothing—it fills me with a joy I’ve never known before. There's something about the way his muscular frame moves, the warmth of his hand when it brushes against mine, and the softness of his lips when he speaks that makes my heart race. Even his eyes—they have this intensity that both calms and excites me. How could I be bothered by what he says now?

Still, a question lingers. How is he so powerful? Where did he get his abilities from? Before I can ask, he opens up more…

To be continued…

Chapter 2 coming soon. Get ready.