Shadow Born

Chapter Fifteen: The First Darkness

The sky had become a battlefield.

The First Darkness stood above Ebon City like a living mountain, its enormous body stretching from the ground into the clouds. Stars seemed to disappear around it. Even the moon was swallowed by its shadow.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then it looked down.

"Kairo."

Kairo froze.

It knew his name.

The Shadow Core pulsed violently.

Unknown connection detected.

"How do you know me?"

The First Darkness raised one enormous hand.

"Because the power inside you once belonged to me."

Kairo's eyes widened.

Before he could respond, the creature struck.

A wave of darkness swept across the city.

Kairo threw both hands forward.

Blue-black energy erupted around him.

Serak and Caelan joined him.

The three Guardians created a massive barrier above Ebon City.

The wave hit.

The impact was devastating.

Buildings shook.

Windows shattered.

Cars lifted from the streets.

Kairo screamed as the pressure pushed him backward.

"We can't hold it!"

Caelan planted his feet in the air.

"Hold!"

Serak added his energy.

"Think of everyone below us!"

Kairo looked down.

Thousands of people had gathered in the streets.

Some were praying.

Some were crying.

Others simply stared upward.

His grandmother was somewhere among them.

He couldn't fail.

Not now.

"Together!"

The three Guardians released their power simultaneously.

The barrier expanded.

The darkness broke apart.

For the first time, the First Darkness looked surprised.

"Interesting."

The Devourer attacked from behind.

Its massive jaws opened around the First Darkness's arm.

It bit down.

The creature roared.

The Devourer's teeth shattered against the darkness.

It recoiled, wounded.

"You are stronger than I remember," the First Darkness said.

The Devourer growled.

"I remember enough."

It launched itself forward.

The two ancient beings collided.

Their battle created a shockwave that pushed the Dominion fleet away from Earth.

Several warships lost control and began falling toward the atmosphere.

Serak saw them.

"We have another problem."

Kairo looked toward the falling ships.

"How many?"

"Twenty-seven."

"Can you stop them?"

"Not alone."

Kairo looked at Caelan.

"Then we split up."

Caelan nodded.

"You take the ships."

"I'll help Serak."

Kairo launched into the sky.

One warship descended toward the city.

Its engines were destroyed.

Hundreds of Dominion soldiers remained aboard.

Kairo flew beneath it.

The ship was enormous.

Too heavy.

Too damaged.

He reached out with both hands.

Blue energy wrapped around the vessel.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then the ship slowed.

Kairo gritted his teeth.

"Come on..."

The Shadow Core screamed inside his mind.

Power limit approaching.

"I don't care."

The ship continued descending.

Kairo pushed harder.

The vessel stopped.

Then slowly rose.

People below cheered.

Kairo redirected it toward an empty industrial zone.

The ship crashed into an abandoned factory district instead of the city center.

Kairo collapsed onto a rooftop.

He barely had time to breathe.

Another ship appeared overhead.

Then another.

He stared upward.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Across the city, Serak fought through Dominion soldiers trying to reach an evacuation zone.

His spear flashed repeatedly.

He didn't kill them.

He disarmed them.

Knocked them down.

Destroyed their weapons.

A Dominion captain stared at him.

"Why aren't you killing us?"

Serak lowered his spear.

"Because you are afraid."

The captain hesitated.

"We were ordered to conquer your world."

"And now?"

The captain looked toward the enormous battle in the sky.

"Now we want to survive."

Serak stepped aside.

"Then help the civilians."

The captain stared at him.

Then slowly lowered his weapon.

"Soldiers!"

"Protect the evacuation routes!"

For the first time, Dominion troops began helping humanity.

High above the city, Caelan fought beside the Devourer.

He didn't trust the creature.

But he understood the enemy.

The First Darkness raised its arm.

Caelan flew directly toward it.

His silver blade sliced through the darkness.

The First Darkness grabbed him.

Caelan struggled.

"You're not the only ancient power left."

The First Darkness tightened its grip.

"You were always my greatest disappointment."

Caelan's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?"

The creature leaned closer.

"Your creator."

Caelan froze.

The First Darkness continued.

"The first Guardians were not born."

"They were created."

"From fragments of my power."

Caelan's expression changed.

"So the Light..."

"Was stolen from me."

"And the Shadow Core?"

"A piece of my soul."

Caelan suddenly understood.

The First Darkness wasn't simply an ancient monster.

It was the origin of the power that created the Guardians.

Kairo heard the conversation through the Shadow Core.

"You're saying the First Darkness created the Guardians?"

Orion appeared beside him.

"I always suspected."

"You knew?"

"I knew there was something before the Guardians."

"Something powerful."

"But the records were destroyed."

Kairo looked toward the enormous creature.

"Then why does it want the Shadow Core?"

Orion's face became serious.

"Because if it takes the Shadow Core..."

"It can reclaim the First Light."

"And become whole."

Kairo stared.

"What happens if it becomes whole?"

Orion looked at him.

"The universe ends."

Kairo flew toward the First Darkness.

"No!"

The creature turned.

Kairo released a concentrated blast of blue energy.

The attack struck its chest.

For the first time, the First Darkness staggered.

Kairo flew closer.

"You're not taking the Core."

The creature looked at him.

"You still don't understand."

"Then explain!"

"The Shadow Core is not yours."

Kairo's eyes narrowed.

"I know."

"It belongs to me."

Kairo shook his head.

"No."

He placed a hand over his chest.

"It belongs to whoever it chooses."

The Shadow Core erupted with blue light.

The First Darkness recoiled.

For a moment, a crack appeared across its chest.

Inside the darkness was something unexpected.

Light.

Pure white light.

The same light inside Kairo.

The First Darkness stared at it.

"Impossible."

Kairo smiled.

"Maybe you're not as powerful as you think."

The creature's expression changed.

Anger.

For the first time, the ancient being felt rage.

It raised both hands.

The entire sky darkened.

"Then I will take it from you."

A massive sphere of darkness formed above Earth.

Its gravitational force began pulling everything upward.

Buildings.

Vehicles.

Trees.

Even pieces of the ground.

Kairo struggled against the force.

Serak grabbed a building to avoid being pulled away.

Caelan drove his silver blade into the earth.

The Devourer roared as its massive body was dragged upward.

The entire planet seemed to be losing its grip.

Kairo looked at his friends.

Then at Earth.

Then at the Shadow Core.

"I need more power."

The Core answered.

There is more.

"How much?"

Enough to destroy you.

Kairo smiled.

"Then let's risk it."

He closed his eyes.

The blue light around him became white.

The Shadow Core began unlocking something buried deep inside its power.

A symbol appeared across Kairo's chest.

Ancient.

Bright.

Alive.

Orion looked at it in shock.

"The First Light."

Kairo opened his eyes.

They were no longer blue.

They were white.

He raised one hand.

The darkness above Earth began to retreat.

The First Darkness stared at him.

For the first time...

It looked afraid.

"You cannot possess that power."

Kairo answered quietly.

"I don't possess it."

"I protect it."

Then he flew directly toward the First Darkness.

The next battle would determine whether Earth survived.

And whether Kairo remained human when it was over.