Page 23 of Court of Aether and Shadows

Or was the barrier between worlds thinning, allowing glimpses of that other realm to bleed through?

It sounded so preposterous to even think like that. As if those legends Elenore was talking about were some reflection of a reality that I’d yet to accept.

C’mon, Sparrow. None of that shit is real. Fables. Tales. Bedtime stories.

Determined to shake off the unsettling experience, I threw myself back into my workout with renewed vigor. I moved from the heavy bag to the speed bag, the rapid-fire impacts echoing through the empty gym.

Then it was on to bodyweight exercises — pushups, squats, burpees.

I pushed myself to the limit and beyond until my muscles screamed and sweat poured down my face, soaking my clothes and leaving a sheen on my skin.

As I finished a set of mountain climbers, a wave of dizziness washed over me. I staggered, catching myself on the wall as the room spun around me.

The phantom pain from my barely healed wound flared to life, a burning sensation that radiated outward from my side. It felt like liquid fire in my veins, spreading through my body with each frantic beat of my heart.

Ugh…okay. Maybe this was stupid to do when you’ve just healed from an injury.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to steady myself.

Just breathe, Sparrow. Breathe.

Coaching myself for a few seconds makes all the difference, as the spinning sensation begins to diminish to a lull. I let out a sigh of relief.

When I opened my eyes again, the world had changed.

The utilitarian gym of the underground complex was gone, replaced by a vast training hall that took my breath away. My jaw had surely dropped by now, my eyes cascading over my new surroundings in awe.

The floor was polished obsidian, shot through with veins of silver that seemed to pulse with inner light. The walls reached up impossibly high, lost in shadows that writhed and danced like living things.

Weapons of every description lined the walls – swords, axes, spears, and others I couldn't even name. Each one radiated power, singing a silent song of battle and bloodshed.

I was drawn to them, my fingers itching to wrap around their hilts and feel their weight.

But it was the figure in the center of the room that truly captured my attention, driving all other thoughts from my mind.

There, the Shadow Prince stood; bare-chested and magnificent.

His obsidian skin glistened with sweat, the red markings that covered his body pulsing in time with his rapid breathing. The play of light and shadow across his sculpted muscles was hypnotic, each movement a study of power and grace.

He held a sword in each hand – one blade of deepest black that seemed to devour the light around it, while the other shimmering silver glowed with an inner radiance.

As I watched, transfixed, he moved through a series of forms with inhuman speed and precision. The blades became blurs of motion around him, singing as they cut through the air.

It was beautiful and terrifying, a deadly dance that spoke of centuries of training and battle. The average human shouldn’t be able to track such movements, and yet I could see through it all.

I even dare to confidently say I could keep up if given the opportunity to face such a worthy opponent.

I couldn't look away, my breath coming in short gasps that had nothing to do with my previous exertion. All of this made me feel so much, but also, I also felt this level of exhilaration that kept me on my toes.

Like this was where I should be training — learning —improving my talents that have been sealed away as a form of protection.

Wait..sealed away? What…am I even thinking about?

The Shadow Prince came to a striking stop, his golden eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that stole what little breath I had left. For a long moment, we simply stared at each other — the stillness building while the air between us charged with an electric tension that made my skin tingle and my heart race.

Then he was moving towards me, the swords dissolving into shadows and twinkling radiance as if they had never existed.

Oddly enough, I expected my body to still be in some sort of frightened state. As if I was being caught red-handed and hadn’t yet grasped an escape route.

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