The void had grown accustomed to his presence. Where once it had been silent, swallowing even thought, now it thrummed faintly with the pulse of the eight elements residing in Krish.
Thunder roared like a steady heartbeat in his veins. Wind curled and hissed, invisible currents weaving around him in playful streams. Earth remained still and immovable, anchoring his body as if roots had taken hold in nothingness. Fire burned within, its flame quiet now but still fierce when provoked. Water flowed endlessly, cooling the fire and softening every impact. Plant whispered renewal, filling his flesh with vitality. Light shone faintly from his skin, while Darkness lingered in his eyes, eternal and silent.
Eight elements — eight pillars of existence — but Krish knew instinctively that this was far from his limit. The void carried more whispers, more truths hidden behind its black veil. He only had to reach for them.
RC's voice broke the silence, steady and calm, her tone softened after centuries of companionship. "Master, your integration with the eight elements has stabilized at seventy percent efficiency. That level would allow you to dominate any sovereign in this universe. And yet… I sense your dissatisfaction."
Krish chuckled low, his gaze fixed on the infinite black around them. "Seventy percent of what I already have is not enough. I can feel it, RC. This path isn't meant to stop here. These eight are only the beginning."
Silvia stirred faintly from her sealed state, her silver scales shimmering faintly within the cocoon of energy that held her. The ancient dragon's voice rumbled deep in his soul. "Eight paths open the gate, but there are doors yet locked. You are listening, aren't you? To the silence?"
Krish closed his eyes. The void, so quiet, so heavy, now hummed with undertones. The eight elements were like instruments — but behind them was a symphony not yet heard. He let his soul sink deeper, letting thunder and wind fade, earth and fire dim, water and plant still, light and darkness quiet.
There it was. A breath. A faint vibration, almost lost to him. It wasn't loud like thunder, nor warm like fire, but… timeless. He stretched his senses toward it, reaching with the certainty that it was already part of him.
And then—
The void trembled.
A ripple tore through the black expanse, vast and unstoppable. Stars flickered faintly in the distance, galaxies shifted as though acknowledging something ancient had been touched.
Krish gasped, his body vibrating violently as if the laws of reality themselves resisted him. His veins glowed, his flesh cracked under pressure, but his soul pushed forward. He was not asking permission. He was claiming what was his.
RC's voice turned sharp, almost panicked. "Unidentified energy signature! Warning! Master, this power—its wavelength does not match any of the eight elements. It… it bends space itself!"
Silvia's voice grew solemn. "So you've found it. The path beyond the eight. The element that threads all motion, all existence—Space."
The word alone felt heavy. As it entered Krish's awareness, the void itself seemed to shudder in recognition. Suddenly, the nothingness that surrounded him was not empty — it was a vast field of potential. Threads of space crisscrossed everywhere, invisible before but now shining faintly like a great cosmic web.
The moment he tried to move, the threads pulled against him, nearly tearing his body apart. His bones cracked, his blood boiled, his muscles screamed. Space was merciless. It was not like water that flowed or plant that healed. It was law — unyielding, absolute, eternal.
Krish roared, his voice echoing through the void. "If you will not bend, then I will carve a path through you!"
Thunder exploded from his veins, wind swirled to lighten his body, earth hardened his stance, fire blazed to drive him forward, water cooled his breaking flesh, plant renewed his torn muscles, light shielded his soul, and darkness absorbed the backlash. All eight elements surged together, holding him barely intact.
And with that defiance, the ninth element settled into him.
Space.
It slashed through him like a blade, but when it stabilized, he felt its authority. His body no longer floated randomly — he could sense the coordinates of the void itself. Space bent faintly to his will, opening the possibility of tearing through distance, folding paths, and locking enemies in cages unseen.
RC's voice shook with awe. "Integration complete… Master… do you understand? This is no mere element. Space is structure itself. With it, you… you could redefine distance."
Krish exhaled slowly, his aura stabilizing once more. He lifted his hand, and the void rippled faintly like a mirror touched by a stone. He smiled, not with arrogance but with resolve.
"Distance means nothing to me anymore."
Silvia rumbled with deep satisfaction. "One door opens, and nine paths await. But beware — with each step you take, the weight of the universe presses harder. Even gods have lost themselves on this road."
Krish looked forward into the endless dark. His body was cracked, scarred, and strained to its limits, but his eyes burned with determination.
"One by one, I'll awaken them all. Space is mine. Time will follow. And beyond even that…" His lips curved faintly. "…I will walk every path until none remain."
The void trembled in answer.
---