Xaryus and Zadius were sitting side by side in the position outlined by the phoenix method. They had lost their sense of time long ago and hadn't moved an inch for several hours.
Their breaths were so shallow that one almost couldn't see their chests rise and fall.
Out of the two, Zadius had reached his awakening first.
***
Suddenly, the darkness beneath his eyelids became more tangible and his orientation shifted. It was a rather confusing feeling; he suddenly wasn't sitting on the floorboards of his home.
He was standing… Or he was somehow upright to say the least.
He knew that he was somewhere else, but he didn't know where. He faintly heard hurried footsteps through the darkness that echoed around him, his nostrils were then assaulted by the scent of iron and lavender.
"What is happening!?" Zadius thought inwardly, utterly confused by what was happening.
Slowly, he tried to open his eyes, fighting against some invisible force that wanted to keep them shut.
As they slowly opened like long heavy drapes revealing a beautiful canvas, Zadius was inside the halls of a castle. Its walls were expertly made with a long velvet carpet along its length.
The hall held an array of shadows in every corner and crevice but paradoxically, it was filled with a purple light that emanated from vibrant purple torches that ran along the beautiful hallway. These flames had gathered Zadius' attention because he didn't feel any warmth coming from them, but each flame filled him with an ominous feeling.
He was almost certain that if the torches that lined the halls of the strange castle had touched him, he would be put through a harrowing set of pain that he could not recover from.
"Where am I?" Zadius thought as he looked around the ominous yet beautiful hallway.
At that moment, he suddenly began to move with hurried steps that quickly changed into a long stride. He had tried to look around him, but his gaze was stuck to the large wooden door that was quickly approaching him.
Coming to a stop, Zadius felt a sudden connection with the door or rather what was behind it. Slowly, he reached his hand out, but it wasn't there.
A mass of coalesced shadows that faintly outlined the shape of his one hand was there instead. In fear, he gasped, at least tried to but no sound had left his mouth.
Finally, Zadius had become aware of the state he was in, his copper skin and his flesh beneath it had been replaced by roiling shadows warped and pressed into a material form.
But deep within the shadows, he could feel something else forming inside him, something untouched by the mass of shadows he had become.
After observing his new form, the large wooden doors ahead of him slowly began to drag against the stone floors of the castle. Behind them was a large room lined with three large pillars on each side.
A set of braziers accommodating the same vibrant purple flame were placed all across the large room, providing it with faint bits of light.
Just out of the way of the large double doors was another beautifully made carpet that ran from the room's entrance up to a large black marble throne. A black piece of cloth was haphazardly strewn across it.
Sitting in the throne's cold embrace was a man adorned in a well-made set of imposing onyx armour that looked ornamental but practical. He had long black hair that fell to the sides of his face and a thick beard.
His eyes were almost inhuman, as if one was staring into a dark abyss yet Zadius could almost see a hint of emotion by his domineering eyes.
His gaze was filled with…
Boredom.
The strange man's strong-featured face slowly shifted in Zadius direction, and his mere attention had pressed an insurmountable weight on Zadius' shoulders.
If only he had shoulders.
The mass of shadows fell to the ground, almost wanting to scatter and escape into the dark corners of the hall to escape the man's gaze.
But he could not move.
Zadius groaned in embarrassment, how could a loyal servant forget to bow before his king?
"What am I thinking?"
Zadius felt like he was losing his mind, the man in front of him felt familiar as if he had known him for thousands of years. He inexplicably felt a strong sense of loyalty and care from him; he felt a need to protect him…
Then, the strange imposing figure had averted his gaze and released a heavy sigh, releasing the pressure on Zadius' shoulders.
He felt like he could finally breathe, if he still had his mouth. But even then, he would have been cautious to breathe heavily around such a figure.
"I wish you well."
The man spoke suddenly, his pronunciation was a bit off, but Zadius understood what he meant. After speaking, the man slowly leaned his arm on his throne and placed a fist beneath his chin. A bored gaze suddenly returned to him as he stared down at Zadius.
After a moment, his body slowly began to shift and break down into shadows, whilst the shadows around Zadius' body slowly receded and revealed his own body.
The two stared at each other in silence whilst his body was reformed, the strange king had vanished. When the man had finally dissipated, the throne room had suddenly grown dimmer, each of its purple flames losing their vibrant glow as if they had lost their ruler.
But they had not gone out.
[Congratulations Zadius! You have successfully awakened!]
[You have unlocked your spite, "Prince of Shadows"]
[You have gained a stigma, "Torchbearer of Sardant"]
A soft feminine voice had resounded deep within Zadius' mind. The sudden announcement had startled him, and each word had made his confusion about the situation even deeper.
"What is happening?"
He spoke out loud before his body was suddenly thrust backwards, out of the large throne room and into an abyss.