A silence heavier than the weight of mountains settled over the battlefield.
Surya could feel it—something ancient, something wrong.
The very air thickened, as if reality itself was hesitating.
Then—it moved.
Darkness twisted, spiraling around the Forgotten One's form like living shadows, his body radiating an energy that sent chills down Surya's spine. The black flames danced wildly, licking the air like starving beasts.
His crimson eyes gleamed.
"This... is what you wanted, isn't it?"
Surya steadied his stance, gripping his sword. "Show me."
The Forgotten One smirked.
And the world shattered.
BOOM!
The cavern exploded, rock splitting apart as an unseen force tore through the space itself. Surya barely managed to brace as a shockwave hit, sending him skidding backward.
A strange crackling noise filled the air—like space was being ripped apart.
And then—
The Forgotten One vanished.
Surya's instincts screamed.
He twisted—just in time.
A dark blade shot past him, slicing cleanly through the air where his neck had been.
He barely had a second to react before—
THWACK!
A fist slammed into his gut, sending him flying across the battlefield.
His back crashed into a boulder, the impact cracking the stone behind him. His lungs burned, his vision blurred for a moment.
"What... was that speed?"
Surya staggered forward, shaking off the impact. His eyes darted—searching.
But the Forgotten One was already behind him.
A whisper.
"You're too slow."
SLASH.
Surya barely turned in time—his sword meeting the dark claws that had formed around the Forgotten One's fingers. Sparks erupted as steel clashed against darkness.
The Forgotten One's grin widened. "You don't understand, do you?"
"I don't need to dodge anymore."
Surya's mind raced.
He wasn't just faster.
It was something worse.
His movements—they didn't follow logic.
It was as if the Forgotten One wasn't bound by the same rules of movement.
Surya stepped forward—only for the Forgotten One to already be beside him.
He twisted—only to find the enemy was now behind him.
YOU ARE READING
The Forbidden Element
Science FictionIn a world where elemental mastery defines strength, seven kingdoms rise and fall in an eternal struggle for power. The elemental hierarchy-ranging from 1st Grade to the godlike God Grade-dictates one's fate. Surya Raj, the prince of the weakest 7th...
