That day Arthur decided to take a walk, he followed a narrow path through the forest, twigs and leaves cracking under his feet. The damp air and the smell of wet soil made his steps more careful. He glanced around, trying to read the surroundings, but the forest was quiet, except for birds and the whisper of wind between the trees.
In the middle of the path, a strange blue light slipped through the gaps of the trees, Arthur stopped. There, from a distance, he saw someone standing with his back to him, Sean. His right hand held a clump of light slowly spinning in his palm. The light seemed to breathe on its own, reflecting his shadow, and dark shadows from every direction gathered as if being pulled into his body.
Beside him, Arthur's journal lay open on a rock. The pages moved with the wind, some words nearly faded, but the lines of symbols Arthur wrote for Opia's training were still clear. Sean glanced at it for a moment, then pressed the dark light downward, making the glow seem to sink and spill into the pages of the book.
Arthur approached, trying to stay calm. "Sean… what are you doing?"
Sean did not answer immediately, he looked calm. His eyes traced the pages of the book, then he turned to face Arthur with a thin but cold smile. "I'm only… trying something," he said quietly. His voice was calm. "Seeing how my power resonates with this."
The pendant on Arthur's chest began to pulse, warm and fast. The small light on the pages of the book trembled as if responding to the dark pressure Sean released. Arthur realised Sean was testing something, but not him. He was testing the combination of Opia's power with his own, seeing what could happen if they were joined.
"Give that book back, where did you get it?" Arthur asked, breathing quickly. "What are you doing with that book?"
Sean lowered his head slightly, eyes looking at the dark light forming in his hand. "Sometimes, Arthur… to understand power, you have to test it. You have to know its limit before it truly controls us."
Arthur held his breath. The pressure in the air grew heavier, the pendant on his chest burned warm. A small dark flash shot from Sean's pendant, circling the pages of the journal. Arthur felt his heartbeat being forced to follow the rhythm of that energy.
He stepped forward, reflexively, his hand pressing against his chest, holding back the energy rushing around him. "Listen… whatever you're doing, stop! It's dangerous, if Dermala finds out you will—"
"Create another boundary between you and me again? Or build a boundary across the whole island for me?"
Sean smiled faintly, the darkness around his body growing thicker, forming another presence within him. The light slowly faded, but the air still trembled.
"I've been doing experiments all this time, either on you, or on myself," he said. "And you've already felt… how that power can change everything."
Arthur swallowed, realising this was not simple conversation. Sean was testing him, but also giving a warning. That what they carried, Opia's power, Arthur's power from Dermala and the pendant, could become either a weapon or a trap.
Arthur exhaled slowly, his eyes fixed on Sean with anger and worry. "This is not a game, Sean! You can't play with this kind of energy like that!"
Sean lowered his head, but his smile remained. "Let me make sure of something."
The pendant on Arthur's chest pulsed faster. He felt waves of energy from Sean, and his heartbeat seemed to accelerate with it. The pressure around them thickened, twigs beneath their feet trembling.
Arthur stepped forward. His hands clenched, his breathing heavy. "Stop testing me, Sean."
Sean was silent for a moment, their pendants releasing dark and bright light at the same time, Sean stepped back a few steps, he closed his eyes and released his power, the pressure of dark magic spreading in every direction. Sean tried to walk closer to Arthur, but in a second Arthur raised his hand, stopping the pressure. A small spark of energy shot forward, forcing Sean to step back once. They stared at each other, the forest around them seeming to hold its breath, Sean tried to approach again, his form slowly changing, one of his eyes turning pitch black, dark mist surrounding them both.
"Remove the boundary between us," Sean said quietly, his eyes scanning Arthur's face. Sean spoke again, his voice splitting into thousands of whispers. "You can't avoid me for what happened to me. You know? If it wasn't for your father—"
Arthur felt his blood boil. Without thinking, he summoned the warm light from his pendant to resist Sean's dark energy. The light shone brighter, reflecting off the trees and wet ground around them.
"Hm?"
Sean laughed softly, half surprised. "Oh, so this is what you mean by your own power?"
"I know, I'm not talking to Sean."
Arthur stepped forward again. Sparks of energy burst out, branches snapping around them. The clash was brief, but enough to make Arthur's heart pound and Sean's mind lose focus for a moment.
They both stepped back a few steps. Sean looked at Arthur, his smile now more serious. "I know you can endure… Arthur, listen, I don't want to hurt you, I only want to help and make sure you're safe. There's something you haven't seen yet, Arthur."
Arthur looked at Sean, still breathing heavily. He realised it was not Sean he had to fight… but his own fear and limits. And Sean… no, it was not only Sean. That thing was truly testing him.
Sean looked at Arthur sharply, his smile thin but cold. "Let me come closer, let me pass your boundary."
"You built distance between us. Do you not realise what I feel?" he stepped closer, his tone soft but piercing, as if revealing every doubt inside Arthur's chest.
Arthur stared at Sean, his eyes burning. The more Sean spoke, the more cornered he felt. His heartbeat raced, his breathing heavy. "I didn't mean it like that, I already controlled everything, but—" his voice shook, sounding weak against the pressure of Sean's words.
"Really? You're sure you've controlled everything?" Sean asked, playing with dark energy in his hand. "You can't avoid reality. You're afraid to face what you actually created."
The pendant on Arthur's chest pulsed faster, as if sensing his anger and frustration. Sean's dark energy pulled at him, but now it was not just about power, it was about Arthur's pride being pushed down.
Without realising, the light from the pendant shone, reflecting onto Sean's pendant. Something slowly began to form from the light. A dagger. The object shone.
SLASHHH
The attack was released instantly toward Sean. The dagger of light cut across Sean's cheek, a thin line opening. Blood flowed slowly.
Sean did not move immediately, everything returned, the colour of his eyes and the dark aura around him slowly fading.
"Arthur…" Sean's voice lowered
Arthur gasped, his breathing uneven. "Enough… stop testing me."
Sean looked at him, his face calm but his gaze changed. Arthur held his breath, his heart still burning. He lowered his head, realising the attack was more than physical. It was an explosion of anger held for too long.
"What did… I do…" Arthur said.
Sean sighed, slowly walking closer to Arthur, he lowered himself slightly, his hand trying to touch Arthur's pendant, but the pendant seemed to reject him. Sean closed his eyes, not long after a blue light came out of his pendant, he slowly opened his eyes.
"You and your pendant must relearn one thing."
The blue light from him spread like roots toward Arthur's pendant. Arthur's pendant flickered irregularly before the blue light from Sean finally touched it. The glow of Arthur's pendant slowly became calm. Sean gently held Arthur's face, he smiled faintly, his voice soft.
"Get used to me."