Tokoyami sought solitude in the deserted training grounds late at night, the moon casting long, skeletal shadows across the uneven terrain. His presence felt alien, a phantom drifting through a world that was once intimately familiar. The air was still, the only sound the soft rustle of leaves in the nearby trees. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, focusing on the newfound power that surged within him, the dark energy that thrummed beneath his skin. A Heart of Onyx, the skill whispered in his mind, was the culmination of all the trials and challenges he had faced. It was a gift and a curse, a source of immense strength and a catalyst for profound isolation.
He began to move, his body flowing with the shadows, his movements fluid and precise. He summoned his shadow blade, its edges shimmering with a dark, ethereal light. He could feel the power of A Heart of Onyx coursing through the blade, amplifying its sharpness, increasing its reach, enhancing its lethality.
He started to spar, attacking the closest dummy with increasing speed. All the movements he made were perfect and there were no interruptions.
He tested Shadowstrike, teleporting from one corner of the training grounds to another, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye. The skill was faster, more efficient, less taxing on his energy reserves. He could feel the shadows bending to his will, responding to his commands, obeying his every whim.
He began to experiment with new techniques, new combinations, new strategies. He created shadow clones, their forms almost indistinguishable from his own, each one capable of independent thought and action. He summoned shadow constructs, grotesque creatures of darkness that obeyed his commands without question. He infused his shadow blade with elemental energy, creating blasts of fire and ice, waves of electricity and darkness.
With this power he began to strategize how he could beat Malkor. A direct fight would not be optimal as the power that Malkor wielded was too great. So he had to use this to his advantage in creating smaller targets. This would mean leading a small party to him but there was still so much that could happen. As long as he kept the plans safe they could make sure that it could work.
His training became more intense, more brutal, more relentless. He pushed himself to his limits, pushing his abilities beyond what he thought was possible. He sparred with the shadow clones, testing his skills against his own reflections. He fought the shadow constructs, honing his reflexes, sharpening his instincts. He practiced his elemental attacks, mastering the art of controlling the forces of nature.
During his training he was encountered by multiple students. Those students tried to reach out but they could not get past his blank stare. What made the process all the more grueling were the people he used to care about the most that were the most aggressive on trying to talk with him. However, their attempts would always amount to nothing but a failed try to reconnect with his humanity.
But his training was not without its consequences. The more he used the power of A Heart of Onyx, the more his emotions faded, the more his humanity diminished. He found it increasingly difficult to connect with others, to empathize with their pain, to share their joy.
Anya-Lyra came to him after a long training session and tried to reach out to him. "You need to stop… all of this… what has happened to you? You are barely a person anymore."
She was pleading with him to stop as it was clear that she was the only one that could stop him now. But everything she said did not register with his mind as all he wanted to do was beat Malkor.
She reached out to touch his arm but he backed away as if he was going to be burned.
"This has to happen and it is what has to be done." Tokoyami said with a cold stare.
"What happened to you? You care about no one now. And everything you do from now on will be just to beat Malkor? What is this?
Tokoyami did not say a word as he turned around and walked away. She tried to follow but he transported to a new location. All of this would never work. He needed to be alone and she would not let him. If anything happened to him it would be on her.
She was losing him, he could feel it. But he could not stop. He could not afford to lose focus. He had a mission to complete. And nothing, not even Anya-Lyra, would stand in his way.
As the days passed, Tokoyami continued to train, pushing himself harder and harder, his abilities growing stronger and stronger. But with each passing day, he grew more isolated, more detached, more inhuman.
He was becoming a weapon, a force of nature, a harbinger of destruction. And he knew that the closer he got to Malkor, the more he would have to sacrifice, the more he would have to lose. He was prepared to pay any price, to endure any pain, to make any sacrifice. He would not be stopped.