Eight days ago, in the house that Elira and Kael had rented for their stay:
Lorian felt a weight on his shoulder. It felt like he had touched something sticky. Suddenly, he felt a mild pain, followed by a more intense one. As the pain grew, he began to feel confused and disoriented. It was as if everything was blurry. He tried to figure out what was happening, but then he felt blood. He touched his face and saw that his hand was covered in blood. "What... How?" he said, but there was no answer. It felt like a dream, but it was also very real.
A strange memory surfaced in his mind. He had seen it before. It was a dream... Yes, it felt like a dream, but he knew it wasn't. He had been stabbed. Yes, he had been stabbed. But no, it wasn't just a dream. It was a memory of him. That man... He knew him. What she saw in his eyes was the look of someone she had known for years. But how could that be? She remembered the pain of the stab, the stiffness in her wrists, and the rapid beating of her heart. Then, she saw another image: She saw the man's arm, tearing it off and shattering it. Lorian sighed deeply, remembering this moment. "How... How could I do that?" he thought. Could a man really tear off another man's arm like that? Was he really that strong? Or maybe something else was going on. Maybe it wasn't just strength.
Lorian got up from the bed slowly. It was hard for him to even lift his head because his eyes would glaze over and he would lose control of his body. He lost his balance for a moment, then he collapsed again. He pressed his hand against his shoulder and tried to stand up. For a while, he could hardly breathe. His whole body hurt, but he took a step. He slowly made his way to the door. As he lifted his arm to open the door, a figure appeared in the dark room. Suddenly, he saw Elira. She looked at him, confused. She looked at him with fear and concern, but there was something else in her gaze. He knew her, but he didn't recognize her. Her eyes looked strange. She looked sad and like she had lost something. How could this be?
In that moment, Lorian let everything go. His eyes darkened, and he couldn't resist holding his body. Slowly, he started to lose consciousness. He felt surrounded by darkness, as if the world was ending.
---
Lorian felt like he was in a dark, empty space. It was a place where there was nothing, and no sound. He had never dreamed of being here. He didn't know how he got there. He knew only one thing: he had to be there. Deep down, he felt as if someone was helping him feel better. He felt as if a presence was taking care of his soul. At first, it appeared as a dark shape, then it became more distinct. It looked like a shapeless being, a figure completely covered in black smoke. It was sitting on a throne, but it had no real face. There were only shadows and smoke.
This place where Lorian's spirit resided was very different from the physical world. Everything was different. As Lorian's mind hurt, the being that helped him heal his soul began to learn more about him. Lorian couldn't fight this presence because, in this darkness, he was beginning to remember his past. The past, memories... From the depths of his soul, some broken pieces began to emerge. Each memory was a piece of his past. As these fragments came together, he began to look for meaning. Something was missing, but there was also something more. He could feel it.
The dark figure began to examine the pieces of his soul. He connected each piece to the next, trying to learn more. One by one, images from Lorian's past appeared in his mind. Each image seemed to be telling him something, but he couldn't understand exactly what. But one thing was clear: Lorian had reached a different spiritual level. He had reached the 13th stage. This wasn't the first time this happened, but it was the second time on Lorian's path. Stage 13 was not the end of a journey, but the beginning. But it was only a beginning, and more was to come.
A few hours later, the figure started to bring Lorian's soul back together. The pieces of Lorian's past made him stronger. But there was one problem: the seal inside Lorian. This seal prevented him from controlling everything. The dark figure couldn't heal Lorian without unlocking it. However, the seal's power wasn't just to block his powers; it also had another purpose. The dark figure felt remorse, but there was only one solution. To make Lorian stronger, most of his soul had to stay here and the rest had to go into a new body.
While Lorian's new body was being created, the figure found a solution. His body was created, but his soul needed to be fully inhabited. Using his psychic powers, Lorian's body was lifted into the air, and at that very moment, a red eye appeared from the depths of the Dark Palace. This eye entered Lorian's body, and a chain formed and passed through Lorian's chest. When the chain pierced his body, Lorian disappeared in an instant.
---
This is how Lorian's dark journey began. At that moment, everything came together, and Lorian's true purpose was revealed. This was just the start, and more darkness was on the way. But something would make Lorian even more dangerous. No matter how dark things got, the light inside him would force him to choose another path.