The Omnipotent System

194  Obsidian Shard 2
Eren's grip tightened around the obsidian shard as the elemental's form dissolved into the void, leaving behind a silence that felt oppressive. The hum of the shard in his hand grew faint but persistent, a subtle reminder of its presence. He glanced at Kael and Selene, their faces mirrors of his own uncertainty.
Kael stood with her shoulders squared, her fiery eyes scanning the darkness around them. Her expression was hard, determined, yet her fingers twitched at her side as though the stillness of the void unnerved her. Selene, by contrast, was quieter, her silver eyes calm yet alert as she adjusted her stance, her weight shifting smoothly from one foot to the other. She caught Eren's glance and nodded, her lips pressing into a thin, resolute line.
"Well, that was helpful," Kael muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she sheathed her sword. The movement was deliberate, slow, her fingers lingering on the hilt for a moment too long before releasing it. "A test, a trap, a key. What's next? A riddle?"
Eren let out a sharp breath through his nose, the faintest hint of a smirk playing on his lips despite the tension in his body. "Let's hope not. I'm terrible at riddles."
Selene's expression softened briefly, a flicker of amusement breaking through her guarded demeanor. "At least riddles don't usually try to kill you," she said quietly, her voice steady despite the undercurrent of unease.
Eren stepped forward, his boots making no sound on the intangible surface beneath them. The shard hummed faintly in his hand, its darkness swirling like a storm contained within glass. He held it up, the faint glow illuminating their faces in the endless void. "This thing is supposed to be the key," he said, his voice firm but low. "So maybe it's also our way out."
Kael crossed her arms, her fiery eyes narrowing as she regarded the shard with suspicion. "And what if it's another one of Adams' games?" she asked, her tone sharp. Her jaw tightened, and her fingers flexed, as though she were resisting the urge to draw her sword again.
"Then we play," Eren said simply, his gaze steady.
Selene stepped closer, her movements graceful and deliberate, like a dancer preparing for a performance. Her silver eyes flicked to the shard, then back to Eren. "How does it work?" she asked, her voice calm but curious.
Eren frowned, his brows furrowing as he turned the shard over in his hand. Its edges caught the faint light, casting sharp reflections that seemed to cut through the surrounding darkness. He focused on the shard, his dark eyes narrowing with concentration. The hum grew louder, resonating with a strange, almost melodic frequency.
"I don't know," he admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. "But it reacts to me somehow. Maybe if I—"
Before he could finish, the shard flared with a sudden burst of light, its glow pulsing like a heartbeat. The void around them shifted, the darkness rippling outward like disturbed water. Eren staggered back, his grip on the shard tightening as the ground beneath them trembled.
"Careful!" Kael barked, her hand instinctively flying to her sword as she stepped in front of Eren. Her fiery eyes blazed with determination, her stance low and ready.
Selene crouched slightly, her daggers glinting faintly in her hands as she scanned the rippling void. Her expression remained calm, but the tension in her body betrayed her readiness for a fight. "What's happening?" she asked, her voice low but steady.
The shard pulsed again, brighter this time, and a path began to materialize before them. It was faint, almost ethereal, like a bridge made of starlight. The rippling void seemed to recoil from it, the oppressive darkness giving way to a soft, luminescent glow.
Eren stared at the path, his eyes wide with a mix of awe and suspicion. "I think... it's showing us the way," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kael's fiery eyes narrowed as she studied the shimmering bridge. Her expression was hard, her jaw set, but the faintest flicker of hope crossed her face. "Or leading us into a trap," she muttered, though she didn't move to stop Eren as he stepped forward.
Selene straightened, her silver eyes fixed on the path. Her expression was calm but watchful, her fingers tightening around the hilts of her daggers. "We don't have another option," she said quietly.
Eren glanced at them, his dark eyes meeting theirs in turn. He nodded once, his grip on the shard firm as he stepped onto the path. The starlight bridge held beneath his weight, its surface cool and smooth like polished glass.
Kael followed close behind, her movements deliberate and measured. She kept her hand on her sword, her fiery gaze scanning the darkness on either side of the bridge. Selene brought up the rear, her steps light and silent, her silver eyes darting between the void and the path ahead.
As they walked, the oppressive silence of the void seemed to lessen, replaced by a faint, melodic hum that resonated through the air. The bridge pulsed faintly beneath their feet, its light growing brighter with each step.
"Do you feel that?" Selene asked, her voice low but tinged with unease.
Eren nodded, his jaw tightening. "It's like the void is... watching us."
Kael glanced over her shoulder, her fiery eyes narrowing. "Let it watch," she said, her tone defiant. "We're getting out of here."
The bridge began to curve upward, its incline steep but manageable. The void around them seemed to shift, the darkness swirling like a living thing. Shapes flickered at the edges of their vision—indistinct, formless shadows that vanished as soon as they turned to look.
Selene's grip on her daggers tightened, her silver eyes narrowing. "We're not alone," she murmured.
Kael's fiery gaze flicked to the shadows, her jaw tightening. "Let them come," she said, her voice low and steady. "I'll cut them down."
Eren didn't respond, his focus fixed on the shard in his hand. The obsidian surface pulsed with light, the hum growing louder as they ascended. He could feel it resonating with something deep within him, a connection that felt both foreign and familiar.
As they reached the apex of the bridge, the void around them seemed to push inward, the shadows growing bolder. The air grew colder, heavier, and the hum of the shard took on a sharper, more urgent tone.
"Almost there," Eren said, his voice strained but determined.
The bridge began to descend, leading toward a faint light in the distance. The void around them trembled, the shadows coalescing into vague, humanoid forms that flickered like flames.
Kael drew her sword in a single fluid motion, the blade gleaming with fiery light. "Stay close," she said, her fiery eyes blazing as she moved to Eren's side.
Selene crouched slightly, her daggers held at the ready. Her silver eyes darted between the shadows, her movements precise and deliberate. "We'll hold them off," she said, her voice calm but firm.
Eren nodded, his grip on the shard tightening. The light ahead grew brighter, the hum of the shard reaching a crescendo. He could feel the path pulling him forward, urging him to take the final steps.
"Go!" Kael shouted, her fiery blade cutting through the first shadow that lunged toward them.
Selene moved like a shadow herself, her daggers flashing as she parried and struck with deadly precision. The shadows recoiled under their assault, but more surged forward, their formless bodies writhing and shifting.
Eren ran, his heart pounding as the light grew brighter, the shard's hum resonating through his very soul. The bridge beneath him pulsed with energy, each step feeling heavier than the last.
As he reached the end of the bridge, the light engulfed him, and the void around him dissolved into blinding radiance. For a moment, he felt weightless, suspended in the glow, before the world around him shifted once more.
When the light faded, Eren found himself standing on solid ground, the shard still glowing faintly in his hand. He turned, his breath catching as Kael and Selene emerged from the light behind him, their weapons drawn and their faces streaked with sweat.
They were no longer in the void. The air was warm, the ground beneath them solid and real. A vast forest stretched out before them, its towering trees bathed in golden light.
Kael sheathed her sword, her fiery eyes scanning their surroundings with a mix of relief and suspicion. "We made it," she said, her voice low but steady.
Selene exhaled slowly, her silver eyes softening as she lowered her daggers. "For now," she said quietly.
Eren looked down at the shard in his hand, its faint hum finally fading. He tightened his grip, his dark eyes narrowing with renewed determination.
"I have never seen anyone from the down world ever make it here."
The trio all turned around to see a young boy their age, he appeared human and yet, not human.
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