Chapter 28: Echo of Fear and Broken Chains
As the mental words of the gigantic Protector echoed through the Stardust Jumper's bridge, a long-suppressed, forgotten shiver stirred within Kael. His greatest fear… It was much deeper than physical pain or death. Kael's greatest fear was losing control, having his will crushed by others, and most of all, having everything he had built, every power he had gained, dissolve into meaningless nothingness. He was the marksman of fate, one who calculated everything, weighed every possibility, and forged his own path. The thought of being someone else's puppet or having his efforts go to waste was a monster lurking in the darkest corners of his soul.
With the Protector's words, the crystalline world around Kael began to ripple, to change shape. The Stardust Jumper's bridge, the anxious face of Aslan, the curious gaze of Denarian Kael'en faded away. Kael suddenly found himself alone, in a pitch-black void. The Chitauri core still pulsed in his palm, but even the light it emitted was insufficient to penetrate this absolute darkness.
And from within that darkness, his fears took on flesh and blood.
First, he relived those moments on the streets of New York, when he had been ruthlessly hunted by Fisk's men, when his powers had been weakened, when he had been betrayed. Each blow, each loss, opened up like a fresh wound in his soul. Then, he saw the Echo disintegrate, his men vanish one by one, the small empire he had built turned to ash. Each shout, each defeat, tried to break Kael's will.
But the worst of all was the figure that appeared before him. A figure that looked like him, but whose eyes reflected the darkest, most perverse reflection of Kael's ambition and desire for control. This "shadow Kael" smiled at him, whispering: "It's all in vain, Kael. No matter how hard you try, you will always end up alone. Your power will leave you, your loyalty will be a lie, and you will cease to be a nobody. Just like you used to be..."
These last words triggered a forgotten memory in Kael's mind: a fragment from a vague, foggy past. A young child, helpless, alone, and ruthlessly manipulated by others. This memory was the root of Kael's desire for control and his inability to trust anyone.
Kael staggered under the psychic assault. Shadow Kael's whispers wrapped around his mind like poison ivy. For a moment, he considered giving up, surrendering to this darkness. But then, the heat of the Chitauri core in his palm increased. The core offered him not only a source of power, but also a will, a purpose. These fears may have been real, but Kael was no longer the helpless child of the past.
"No," Kael whispered, his voice echoing faintly but firmly in the darkness. "I am no one." He opened his eyes and looked at the shadow Kael. "I may have fears, but they do not define me. I forge my own path. And if I fall, I fall by my own choice, not as someone else's puppet."
Kael focused all of his will and the energy from his Chitauri core. This was not an attack; it was an acceptance, a challenge. He did not try to destroy his fears; he recognized them, understood them, and declared that he would stand despite them. His marksmanship guided him differently in this inner battle; he could "see" the weakest points of his fears, the moments when his own will was strongest.
Shadow Kael staggered for a moment at Kael's unexpected resistance, the mocking smile fading from his face. The fire within Kael began to disperse the darkness of the shadow.
And in that moment, the pitch darkness around Kael was torn. He found himself once more on the bridge of the Stardust Jumper, facing the massive Guardian. The lion and the Denarian Kael'en looked at him with concern. It seemed that the struggle that had lasted hours in Kael's mind had lasted only seconds outside.
The massive Guardian regarded Kael with an almost human expression on his crystal face. His mental voice was softer this time, but still compelling.
"You heard the echo of fear, keyholder. And you did not surrender to it. You faced your own darkness and showed the strength of your will. This is a test that many fail."
The Guardian extended his massive hand toward the luminous central crystal structure before them. It began to rotate with a humming sound, and a portal opened at its center, glowing with dazzling light.
"The heart of the Infinite Library has opened to you," the Guardian said. "The knowledge you will find within may be both a blessing and a curse. It may hold the key to your destiny, or your greatest disaster. The choice will again be yours."
Kael took a deep breath. Facing his fears had exhausted him, but it had also made him stronger. The Chitauri core now glowed with calm power in his palm; as if he had found a deeper rapport with it as a reward for passing this test.
"What are we waiting for?" Kael said, staring into that glowing portal. His dreams of empire were now about to take on a new dimension with the unknown wisdom of this cosmic library.