The darkness around Asari faded slowly as the last of the monstrous creatures fell beneath his glaive. The blood of the beasts pooled at his feet, sizzling and curling into the air, a testament to the strength of his blow. His chest heaved, each breath coming ragged, but in his heart, he could feel something... different.
The Stone of Gluttony, once an oppressive weight in his chest, now pulsed in harmony with his heartbeat. It was alive. He could feel its insatiable hunger, but also a power—an ancient, primal power—coursing through him.
Asari's vision blurred for a moment, his mind lost in the sudden flood of sensations. He saw images flash before him—visions of distant lands, towering beasts, and the depths of the very abyss he had just faced. Each image was burned into his mind, and with them came a dark clarity.
This was his destiny.
The trial, the creatures, the very gorge—everything had led him here, to this moment. His soul had been tested, his will had been pushed to its limits, and now... the Stone of Gluttony had awakened.
A laugh—soft and deep—echoed through the vast emptiness, and Asari's gaze snapped upward. From the mist, a form began to emerge, tall and imposing. It was a figure made of shadows and light, a silhouette against the dark sky. It was humanoid, yet alien, with eyes that glowed like molten fire.
"You have done well, boy," the figure said, its voice carrying across the winds. "The Stone has chosen you. Now, you must choose who you will become."
Asari stood tall, his eyes narrowing at the figure. The air around him crackled with newfound energy, the power of the stone filling every fiber of his being. He could feel it—the hunger, the unrelenting need to consume, but he would not be swayed. Not by this power. Not by anyone.
"I know what I must do," Asari replied, his voice steady, though it trembled with the weight of the trial.
The figure stepped forward, its form growing clearer with each step. "You speak of knowing, but do you truly understand what this power means? The Stone of Gluttony grants strength beyond measure, but it comes at a cost. To master it, you must feed it—not just with others, but with your own humanity."
Asari's heart skipped a beat, but his resolve remained unshaken. "I'll make my own path."
The figure's eyes flickered, a flicker of amusement crossing its expressionless face. "A bold statement. But one that will not be so easily realized. You have already taken the first step. The question remains: Will you be able to walk the path laid out for you? Will you resist the hunger that grows within, or will you become the very thing you once sought to control?"
Asari clenched his fists. His body, now attuned to the stone's power, ached with the pull of the hunger. He could feel it gnawing at the edges of his consciousness, but he pushed it aside. He wasn't a puppet of the stone. He wouldn't be.
"You speak of choices," Asari said, stepping forward. "Then I choose my own fate."
The figure laughed again, this time louder, more mocking. "So be it. Your trial has ended, but your journey has just begun."
With that, the figure vanished, dissolving into the mist, leaving Asari standing alone on the edge of the cliff once more. The wind howled around him, carrying with it the faint scent of blood and salt.
The power of the Stone of Gluttony surged again, stronger this time. Asari felt his strength amplifying with each breath he took. His vision sharpened, his mind clearing. The hunger, though still present, was now something he could control. It was no longer a chaotic force pulling at his insides, but a tool, a weapon he could wield.
He knew he had to keep moving, to keep growing stronger. Velmara had just begun to show him the depths of its darkness.
But now, something had changed within him.
Asari turned and made his way back toward the heart of the gorge, his steps more sure, his mind more focused. The trial had tested him, yes, but it had also opened his eyes to something greater.
He could feel the power, the weight of the stone, coursing through him. It was undeniable. But he was not a man who would be ruled by his power. He was a man who would shape it, bend it to his will.
And with that thought, Asari's gaze lifted to the horizon. The journey ahead was long, and the trials would grow ever more dangerous, but he was ready. The Stone of Gluttony was his now, and no one—nothing—would stand in his way.
The sound of wings beating softly in the distance reached his ears. He turned his head, eyes narrowing as a shadow passed overhead. It was a bird, large and dark, soaring through the air. A creature of Velmara.
With the strength of the Stone of Gluttony now awakening within him, he was ready for whatever Velmara would throw at him. He would consume the trials. He would consume the monsters. And when the time came, he would consume everything that stood in his way.
Velmara had no idea what it was about to face.
And neither did Asari.