The Time-keepers

"Do not worry, kid" Zayne said, his tone sharp but oddly reassuring. "The Leviathan cannot breach this plane, the Nexora is a sanctuary I created as a refuge against them. You are safe here." Kai let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, though his heart was still pounding in his chest. "Safe", Kai repeated, as though the word might ground him in the chaos. "Okay good. That's.....good. But what now? What am I supposed to do now?" Kai asked, his voice wavering slightly.

 Zayne turned, his translucent form gliding towards one of the many hallways that branched off the main corridor. "Follow me" Zayne instructed, "There is much we have to do and not a second to waste." Kai hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at the void outside, where the distant roar still echoed in his mind. Every instinct screamed at him to run away, to wake up from this nightmare. But as absurd as all this was, the pull of Zayne's commanding tone was stronger. Kai forced his legs to move and followed.

 The hallway stretched longer than it seemed, it's walls had a faint otherworldly light emanating from them. Each step sent a faint hum through the floor beneath Kai's feet, like the place was alive and responding to him. Finally, they reached a circular chamber with a pedestal at it's center. "What is this place?" Kai asked, his voice hushed. His eyes were drawn to the object set upon the pedestal: a transparent sphere filled with a swirling blue liquid. It glowed in the dim light, its surface shifting and warping like liquid mercury. Zayne stopped beside the pedestal, his ghostly hands clasped behind his back. "Listen closely now" Zayne said, "This is an orb filled with condensed temporal energy. It will help awaken your potential as a Time-keeper." 

 Kai's stomach tightened. "Awaken my potential? What does that even mean? And....what does temporal energy even do?" "It grants power" Zayne said, his gaze fixed on Kai. "The power you will need to survive. But this isn't just about survival- it is about purpose. You must manifest your Hex, and to do that, we need to open connect your vessel to temporal energy" Kai frowned, his hands clenching at his sides. "And what happens if I can't....connect to it?" he asked nervously. Zayne raised a brow, a flicker of impatience crossing his face. "You must succeed. You don't have a choice."

 "Now then, place your hands on the orb," Zayne instructed, his voice sharp and commanding. "Close your eyes. Focus on what you feel." Kai hesitated, the orb's fluid seemed alive, swirling faster as he stepped closer. Every instinct screamed at him to back away, but he steeled his resolve and forced himself to approach the orb. His palms were clammy as he raised them, trembling, and placed them on the orb's surface.

 A sharp jolt shot through his fingers, making Kai gasp. The fluid inside the orb surged violently, like a river crashing against unseen barriers. He tried to pull his hands back, but they simply wouldn't move. Kai felt the orb's energy seeping into his skin, spreading like fire through his veins. "Focus" Zayne's voice cut through the chaos, calm and steady. "Do not fight it. Let it flow through you. Find the source of your own temporal energy and draw it out. It is laying dormant, waiting for you to call upon it." The world around Kai began to shift. The ground rippled under his feet in the same rhythm as his own heartbeat. The air grew thick, distorting with each breath. It was overwhelming, like being trapped in a storm without any shelter.

 "I.....I can't," Kai stammered, his voice barely audible over the roar in his ears. "It is too much. I don't-" "Yes, you can," Zayne interrupted firmly, "You have lived in the shadows long enough Kai Nightshade, it is finally time that you step into the light and claim what is rightfully yours." Kai's chest heaved as Zayne's words echoed in his mind. He thought of the years he had spent hiding from the world, always falling short, always being left behind. Was this his one chance to finally break free of his restraints and be something more? To matter?

 With a deep breath, Kai closed his eyes again and reached deep within himself, searching. At first, all he felt was chaos, the turbulence of the orb's energy threatening to tear him apart. Kai decided to push harder, and finally, somewhere deep within, he found it. A calm, steady pulse. He recognized in immediately, even if he had never felt it before. It was his own rhythm, his own power. The moment he touched it, the chaos around him stilled. The air solidified, the rippling ground grew firm beneath his feet. He found himself face to face with an apparition, his own reflection, staring back with an intensity that filled his chest with a subtle warmth. The figure reached out it's hand, and Kai instinctively mirrored the motion. As their palms met, a brilliant flash of light condensed around Kai, gathering around his hand and taking the shape of his Hex. Kai stumbled back, blinking against the sudden brightness. When his vision cleared, he realized that the orb was gone, shattered into pieces on the floor.

In it's place, he held a diamond shaped broadsword unlike anything he had ever seen. It's dark violet grip felt warm in his hands, the cylindrical pommel perfectly balanced the blade, the guard was a beautiful bright red and the place where it met the grip, it had a beautiful silver ring separating the guard from the grip. The long Jet-black blade had an aura of power radiating from it, it's wickedly sharp edges shining in the dim light. "Is this..... my Hex?" Kai asked, his voice a mix of amazement and anticipation.

 Zayne nodded, his expression a rare mix of pride and satisfaction. "Yes, it is the very essence of your soul, given form. Channel you own inner energy into your blade Kai, let the river of temporal energy within you flow into your blade, and awaken it's latent potential."

Kai stared at his blade, both awed and terrified. It felt so alien yet so familiar, like an extension of himself he never knew he was missing. He focused on the blade, channeling the energy he felt from the orb into his blade. The blade slowly developed a bright azure aura around it, almost like it was generating azure flames to coat itself. "Looks like you have managed to grasp the primary concepts of using a Hex. All that remains now is that you grant your blade a name." Zayne said, his tone sharp but with a hint of satisfaction. As Kai stared at his blade has he thought about what he could name his blade.

Something at the back of Kai's mind whispered something to him, it felt like a phantom voice within his own conscience. "'Umbra'" Kai said, without any hesitation, "I guess I will name my blade 'Umbra'". Zayne nodded, satisfied with the answer. Kai barely had a moment of relief, like a burden being taken off his shoulders, before a deafening roar echoed from outside, shaking the walls of the chamber.

 "What now?" Kai asked, gripping his sword tighter. Zayne smirked at him, his expression sharp and knowing. "Now it is time for your first trial. Let us see if fate has given birth to a new guardian destined to rise to the greatest of height, or a fool who falls even before their journey even begins."