Chapter 35: The Weight of Forbidden Roots
The warehouse still smelled of blood and sweat. Adrian sat on the floor, chest heaving, ribs aching, pendant glowing faintly against his skin. The breakthrough had given him strength, but it had also drawn hunters like moths to flame. He realized now that every step forward was a beacon, a flare in the dark.
Elias stood nearby, arms crossed, his expression grim. "You broke through," he said quietly. "But breakthroughs are signals. Every time you rise, hunters will come. And next time, they won't stop at two."
Adrian clenched his fists, whispering to himself. "Then I need more control. I can't keep staggering every time the relic pushes me. I need to stabilize."
Elias's gaze hardened. "Stabilization isn't simple. There are techniques — forbidden ones. Dangerous ones. They can anchor your breakthroughs, keep the energy from spilling into the world. But they come with cost."
Leah stepped forward, golden aura flickering faintly. "Cost?"
Elias nodded. "Pain. Risk. The technique forces your body to absorb the backlash of breakthroughs. It steadies the flow, but it scars you. Every time you use it, you'll carry the damage. And if you push too far, it will break you."
Adrian swallowed hard, pendant pulsing faintly against his chest. "Then teach me. If it keeps hunters from sensing me, I'll carry the scars."
Elias studied him, silent for a long moment. Then he sighed. "Fine. But understand this — relics aren't gifts. They're burdens. If you carry one, you carry its history. Its enemies. Its weight. And this technique will bind you tighter to that weight."
Leah's eyes narrowed. "Then we'll carry it together. If the relic binds us, we share the scars."
Elias shook his head. "This technique isn't for everyone. It's for the vessel. Adrian alone. If he falters, if he breaks, it will cost all of us."
Adrian clenched his fists, pendant glowing brighter. "Then I won't falter."
That night, Elias began the lesson. He guided Adrian through breathing patterns sharper than anything before, forcing Qi into precise channels, locking it into place. The pendant pulsed harder, flooding his chest with warmth, but Adrian held steady. He felt the energy press against his veins, wild and frantic, but he anchored it, forcing it down, binding it to his core.
Pain exploded across his body. His ribs burned, his muscles screamed, his veins felt like fire. Adrian gasped, chest heaving, but he didn't stop. He forced the Qi deeper, steadying it, stabilizing it.
Leah watched, her fists clenched, her aura flickering faintly. "He's hurting."
Elias's voice was calm but firm. "Pain is the cost. If he can't endure it, he'll never control the relic."
Adrian trembled, sweat dripping down his face. He whispered to himself, voice hoarse. "Control. Discipline. Survival."
The pendant flared suddenly, flooding the warehouse with emerald light. Adrian gasped, clutching his chest, but the glow steadied. The energy anchored. The breakthrough stabilized.
Silence hung heavy. Adrian collapsed onto the floor, chest heaving, body trembling, but alive. The scars burned, but the flow was steady.
Elias nodded slowly. "You did it. The technique holds. But remember — every time you use it, the scars will deepen. And one day, they may break you."
Adrian wiped blood from his mouth, pendant glowing faintly against his chest. He clenched his fists, whispering to himself. "I'll rise. I'll uncover the truth. And I'll survive. Scars or not."
The pendant pulsed, steady and calm.
And Adrian Reyes knew the path ahead wasn't just about breakthroughs anymore. It was about carrying scars — each one a reminder of the burden he had chosen, each one binding him tighter to the relic's legacy.