Chapter 6: Atir's Path Towards the Shadows

            It had been a long while since she had left the gang and Elias. His look of anger and betrayal haunted her every second. She had left for looking for the designation that was listed. She knew what she had to do and it was all for the Empire. Though, she felt something was amiss. She couldn’t put her finger on it. She laid back in her pilot’s chair and her mind wander. Suddenly, she felt tired, weak. Her eyes closed and when she opened them. She awakes to the Void and her father standing on the outside of her ship. The swirling of colors of the Void only distracted her for a moment and looked back at her father. The door to her ship opened as she jumped out. “What do you want” she said with disgust in her voice. Seyfer, her father, only smiled at her response. “Times are changing and it’s time to begin your training.”. Atir looked doubtful at Seyfer. “I am strong enough to take any...” “Don’t be an idiot.” Seyfer said. Atir sent a scowl towards him as she hated being cut off. He only looked at her plainly.
                She slowly calmed down. “What would you have me do? I will not be like you!” He only rolled his eyes. “Can we get past the family drama. I make my own choices and you must make your own. You must learn that there is no right or wrong choice. That the Dog matted viewpoints of organic life are irrelevant. I am going to have you learn a new form of power.” New form? What else would be more powerful than Void magic? “What could be more powerful than Void Magic? Nothing inherently but it takes a large toll on your body as a single user. Since you’re not like me, it slowly kills you.”Atir looked terrified for a second, letting her emotions get the best of her. “What would you have me learn…I…I don’t want to die.” He sighed and didn’t like to see his daughter feeling weak. “They use a stronger version of Void Magic. It is more potent than the version of Void Magic you use.”.
               
          Atir looked at her father. She had never heard of something like that. “I will send you to beings called Whillis. They are the beings that know of the this older power and can teach you many things.” Before Atir could protest what, her father said, he moved his hand and extended his fingers. That moment everything seemed to fade away. Like a melting picture that melted all around her. Seyfer teleported her to another universe, another dimension, she is going to experience a new world.
 
          She awoke on the floor. The cold floor sent a shiver down her spine. She began to get to her feet,” We have been expecting you.” A voice echoed in the distance. “Come.”. Atir stood tall as she looked in the direction the voice had come. Everything was dark and she couldn’t see. The darkness began to fade away. The world she began to see seemed barren and empty. However, within the distance, she could see a very large temple. She felt cold just by looking at it. The age of the temple was felt within her bones. She felt it, within her stomach, that something is calling her towards the temple. “Well, here goes nothing. I hope you’re right…dad.”. She began to walk towards the temple. With every step, she made towards the temple, she felt heavier.  The world around her felt very old and empty. Yet, there is something more about this planet.

         She passed through ruined cities, decaying towns, and ruined roads. Everything seemed to lead towards this temple. How ominous is felt to her and it even gave her the chills. The amount of power she felt coming from the temple. The feeling is intoxicating and it pulled her even closer. The time it took felt like hours maybe even days. This couldn’t be real, she had been walking for a very long time. After walking for a long time, she finally was standing at the steps of the temple. She took the first step and the world changed in an instant. She froze in reaction to the world changing instantly around her. It was once a barren rock and now everything turned into a desert like world. The world she now found herself in is barren but there were temples all around her. Though, the one before her is much larger. Along the steps of the temple were tall statues. Each were hooded figures all kneeling and holding a large staff in their left hands. She made her way up the stairs and into the temple. Atir could feel the power pulling her deeper and deeper within the bowels.

          Within the temple, she had to fight for her life. All the pathways led to one room. The creatures she fought were tougher than most creatures she had fought. She had been bitten, scratched, and beaten. She stumbled her way into the final chamber. The chamber room size is what makes her stop in awe. She stumbled a bit and almost fell over. In the center of the room stood a coffin and a large statue that towered over the coffin. “What is this place…?” she mustered to say. “My grave…my world.” A voice responded to her question. She looked around in shock as she had no idea where the voice came from. A spirit formed in front of the stone coffin. He wore a unique set of armor and had long hair. His eyes were red like a burning fire. “Who are yo..” the man pointed his hand at her and she was forced to the ground. She tried to fight it and get back up. The man moved his hand a bit closer towards Atir. She hit the ground hard. “My name is Lord Brertod and you will call me…master.” He said with a sneer. Atir glared at him as she tried to get up once more. She finally got to her feet and the spirit stood there looking at her. “We have much to teach you, my apprentice. You will go through many other people like me and train under them. Since, you’re a Void user, it will be easier for you to learn the ways of the void.” She could only nod in agreement. What did her father send her too?

          Through what felt like years, she had trained under her new master. The skill with the Void-Saber and with the Void. Every day she learned something new and become more powerful. Through her anger, she became more focused and driven. She had learned to do many things within the time span she spent there. Through the time, she bled, cried, screamed, and fought. Her anger pushed her through and very soon she had earned her way to make her own Void-Saber. “You have learned everything I can teach you. You have spent years training under me but your training is not complete. You still have many other Lords to train under. However, through the time spent with me, you have earned to make your own Void-Saber. The parts are within the tombs within the temple. Go seek them out. Then you must travel to the center of this dead city. You will meditate on the shrine and create your Void-Saber.”

         There she found herself collecting the pieces of the blade she was to build. However, she wasn’t satisfied with just one blade. She wanted two but to be able to connect the two and create a double-bladed Void-Saber. Atir had spent extra time collecting the needed pieces. Once she left the temple, she followed her master’s orders. Through the dead city, she went, seeking the alter. She let the Void guide her to her destination. When she approached the alter, she lay the pieces upon it, and sat down to mediate. Through the Void Magic, the pieces began to merge, and began to form her Void-Saber. Two hilts were formed through her mediation. She got up from her seated position and grabbed her two blades. She only paused for a bit and looked at her old clothes. The clothes she wore as a gang member. She narrowed her eyes and knew she had to change to match how she felt.

       “Come!” another voice called out to her. This voice sounded different and she knew he drill. Her training had concluded with Lord Brertod and now her training with a new master would begin. She followed the new voice that beckoned her into another temple. This one was farther away but still within reach if she walked. Killing the monsters inside had been much easier. Her talent with the Void had changed greatly and so did her skills with her Void-Sabers. The only twirled for a second before dispatching the last monster. She entered another chamber that had the same set up. The only difference is the statue looked like another person. Another spirit came before her and she went to her knees and sat in a meditative stance. A form of respect she had learned from Lord Brertod. “I have come..” the only thing Atir had said to the spirit. “Now begins the next step in your training. My name is Lord Vitiate. Before we begin your training. You will be considered different. Your old name is the past and you will accept the new you. Hence forth you will be known as Lord...Srox.” She bowed her head. “Thank you, my master.”. Her new identity had been the final stage. Through the time she spent on that planet. She had gone through her new master’s temple and met every challenge the Void Lord had for her. She had learned that in fact the years she had spent on this planet, only a few days had passed within the Galaxy she had left. Time acted different within the plane of existence. This world was created to be her training grounds and it will shift.

           The beings called Whillis were going to change the temples and she is going to train once more. Though, she is going to be given access to the world at any time through meditation. The world created by these being is an alternate reality. Made specifically for her to train and become stronger. She is learning the “Dark Side” of the Void before she would learn the light. She stood in the center of the city and closed her eyes. She opened them and she found herself within a dark room. She had been sitting cross legged and noticed the Void-Sabers handles in front of her. She still is wearing her new outfit. She got up and used the Void Magic to lift the blades to her hands and attached them to her belt. She walked out of the room and Gordon Malik stood there waiting for her.

     “Seyfer has sent out a message that he is stepping down as Prime Leader. You have been appointed that new position my Lord. The Empire is yours and under a rightful leader. We stand by you my Lord” he said as Jim Vaknor also came around the corner. She nodded to them and made her way down the hall. The two officers flanked her on either side and followed her. She walked out towards the balcony but stopped. A mirror rested on the wall and she looked at herself. What she saw in the mirror only reflected the change she felt in her body. Her skin no longer held a rosy glow. Her eye color burned bight like a fire and Void markings now covered parts of her face. She could only smirk as so much had changed about her and she continued out towards the balcony. Nypherian soldiers pushed open the doors for her as she walked outside. There she looked out towards the city of Iathea. The planet that is one entire city. She smiled again as she dreamed of helping her people and making the Nypherian Empire even greater.

    There deep inside her soul, she wanted to learn more and more. The Ancient Void magic, this power, is something she wanted more and more.  To learn about both sides of the coin and being able to master its knowledge that it could give her. She wondered how her father saw her now. Did he foresee how she would turn out to be? Did he expect her to fail and finally bend to his will to use the powers he used? There were many questions she had but only one truth she held close to heart. She wanted to find Lana and make her pay for the pain she had caused to her people. “I am gunning for you…bitch”