Deepest Darkness

Jen hit the frozen ground hard, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs. He lay gasping as the frigid air seared his throat. All around him, the howls of monstrous beasts echoed across the bleak landscape.

This was level X, the one of the deepest pit's of Lizayon's inescapable prison. After their failed escape attempt, Jen and his friends had been cast down to ever more brutal lower levels. While Kaganji was sent to level 6 and Jax sent to 4, Jen was plunged into the merciless dark of X as punishment for he was the most feared.

No cells existed here. Only an endless icy plain, engulfed by hulking scaled beasts with talons like swords. Jen had been tossed helplessly into their midst, without food or shelter. His convict's jumpsuit provided meager protection against the constant -50 degree cold.

At first, Jen tried to use his powers to warp himself to safety. But they were useless as there was a barrier blocking him from warping outside, his powers do not work on these beasts and Jen always pondered why,. He was utterly powerless, at the monsters' mercy.

Jen lost track of time. Hours and days blurred into a haze of cold, hunger and pain. Whenever exhaustion overtook him, the beasts were there to shred new wounds into his flesh. He tore strips of cloth from his tattered jumpsuit to bandage the worst gashes. But blood still seeped, turning the icy ground crimson beneath him.

The ceaseless attacks never let up. Jen's body and spirit were being shredded to ribbons along with his clothing. He had passed the point of feeling pain, drifting in a waking nightmare. Only primal desperation to cling to life drove him on.

Jen collapsed on a blood-stained snowbank. So this was how he would die - alone and forgotten in this frozen underworld.

As Jen's thoughts grew sluggish, he glimpsed movement from the corner of his eye. A figure approached silently, robes stirring the icy wind. Jen tried to lift his head but lacked the strength. His blurring vision made out what seemed to be an old man gazing down impassively. Hallucination or new threat, Jen no longer cared. The darkness called to him...

Light slapping stung Jen's face. He jerked awake with a gasp. The robed man leaned over him, narrow eyes peering intently. Seeing Jen conscious, he nodded and stepped back.

"You yet cling to life. Good. You will need that stubbornness," the man stated simply. His voice was clear and strong like a mountain wind.

Jen's cracked lips struggled to form words. "...h-help...me..."

The man shook his head. "I cannot. The burden here is yours alone."

He held up a hand as Jen's eyes slipped closed in despair.

"But I can teach you the way to survive. To unlock your true power."

The man's aura seemed to intensify.

"My name is Giinru. I am the last of an order sworn to resist evil. The power you seek is Cos - the manifestation of inner spirit."

Jen struggled to understand. Giinru studied him a moment before continuing.

"Cos shields its user from harm and strengthens the body and will. With discipline, you can unlock your latent aura to stand against the darkness."

He extended a hand again. "But the path will not be easy. You must be reforged in spirit like steel in flame. Will you walk it?"

Jen managed a weak nod. Any chance was better than surrender.

Satisfied, Giinru pulled Jen to his feet. "Then we begin. You must move; else the cold will claim you. I will guide you."

And so Jen's agonizing trials commenced. Giinru made him walk endless brutal laps despite his bleeding soles and trembling legs. Whenever Jen collapsed, the monk would strike his back with a rod until he arose once more. Even sleep was denied - Giinru would splash icy water in his face at any rest.

In his tattered state, Jen questioned if he could endure this harsh training. But gradually, his legs grew steadier. His breath came easier in the freezing air. Inside his weary mind, a kernel of power awakened.

Giinru nodding approvingly when Jen did not beg for rest. "Your spirit strengthens. Now we will shape it into a weapon."

The next phase intensified further. Giinru would suddenly assault Jen with powerful blows seemingly out of nowhere during their walks. Jen quickly learned to keep his senses keen for surprise attacks. His reflexes sharpened until he could narrowly block some strikes.

"Yes, use your instincts! Only through adversity will your Cos manifest," Giinru declared.

Jen did not understand how being beaten would awaken this 'Cos'. But he focused on moving and blocking fluidly, as Giinru demanded.

As he meditated during brief rests, Jen visualized a warrior's aura enveloping him, shielding him from harm. The image filled him with strange warmth, even as icy winds buffeted his makeshift shelter.

One day, Giinru's devastating kick knocked Jen to the ground. But instead of pain, he felt only minimal pain. He glanced down to see blazing amber light erupting around him, driving back the oppressive cold. His Cos had after weeks of endless torture it awakened!

"Well done," Giinru pronounced, eyes bright with satisfaction. "You have taken the first steps on the warrior's path."

Jen regarded his flickering aura in awe. For the first time since coming here, he felt a flicker of hope inside. If this power could shield him from Giinru's blows, perhaps he could withstand the demonic beasts as well.

"The beasts return," Giinru warned. "They will sense your Cos now. You must not falter."

Jen steeled himself as the ground shook with approaching footsteps. His Cos flared in response to his rising adrenaline.

The lead monster halted, yellow eyes narrowing at the sight of his burning aura. It now charged Jen and he went flying.

Jen hit the ground hard as the beast's blow flung him backwards. His fledgling Cos aura had not been enough to withstand the monster's ancient power.

"You are not ready yet," Giinru said gravely, helping Jen up. "The beasts here have cultivated their Cos for centuries in these harsh lands."

Jen spat blood, frustration and embarrassment burning inside him. He had been foolish to think one small victory meant he was the beasts' equal. There was still so much to learn.

Giinru's eyes narrowed as more scaled monsters encircled them, snarling hungrily. "Stay behind me, student. I will show you what a true master can do."

Jen's eyes widened as Giinru exploded with azure Cos energy, his aura dwarfing Jen's fledgling spark. The monks robes billowed as he levitated off the ground, essence blazing.

With a kiai shout, Giinru thrust his palms outward, unleashing a shockwave of sizzling blue Cos. The ring of beasts disintegrated instantly, not even having time to scream. Jen shielded his eyes from the flash. Giinru said his ability is called Disintegrate Cos and he can use it in multiple ways.

As the dust settled, Giinru descended lightly back to earth. The display of power had lasted but an instant, with no visible strain on the master. Jen could only stare in awe.

Giinru turned to him, aura fading until only a hint of blue remained cloaking his form. "Do you understand now? True Cos mastery lies not in brute force, but perfect control."

He gestured to where the beasts had stood. "My technique eradicated their essence so swiftly, they felt minimal pain. That is the pinnacle of this art."

Jen bowed his head in humility and gratitude. "Thank you for this lesson. I see now how much I have to learn."

Giinru placed a hand on his shoulder. "You will in time, if you stay committed to the path. Come, we have lingered here long enough."

As they walked, Jen contemplated Giinru's words. The monk had shown mastery not just of raw power, but of discipline and conscious intent. To wield Cos as a scalpel rather than cudgel.

"The beasts avoid this area now, so we may speak freely," Giinru said. He regarded Jen thoughtfully.

"Cos is not a weapon, but a mirror to one's deepest self. Your aura manifests from your soul's essence - who you are at the core."

He tapped Jen's heart. "Strengthen this, and your Cos will follow. There lies the true wellspring."

Giinru's insights would guide Jen through the harsh trials ahead. Steadied by new understanding, he walked on into the bleak landscape without fear. The deepest darkness held no more horrors, now that the light within burned bright.

Jen spared a thought for his friends suffering in their own pits. Perhaps one day he would ascend high enough to reach them once more. And share the wisdom Giinru was imparting, that they might ignite their own Cos as well.

Jen continued his brutal training under Giinru's guidance. Each day his Cos grew stronger, fueled by the harsh trials. Giinru would assault him relentlessly until Jen learned to anticipate and counter the blows.

Gradually, Jen awakened to the nature of Cos. It was not raw power, but focus and intent that allowed him to channel his aura into a shield.

During meditation, he visualized wrapping himself in a cocoon of protective energy. The Cos enveloped him like a second skin, hardening to turn aside physical attacks.

Jen also learned to redirect the energy of oncoming strikes rather than meet them head-on. By flowing with force instead of opposing it directly, he conserved his Cos for sustained combat.

"Yes, you begin to understand," Giinru said, eyes glinting as Jen turned his punch aside with minimal effort. "True mastery lies not in overpowering, but strategically directing energy."

Their training attuned Jen's senses to the ebb and flow of Cos around him. He learned to read auras like heat ripples in air, discerning opponents' strength and intent.

Gradually the icy wasteland held fewer dangers. Jen no longer struggled against the environment, but moved through it with deadly grace, senses extended to the horizon.

But Giinru kept pushing him to greater heights. Their sparring became fluid dances where each sought tactical advantage. Giinru would press Jen to his limits, keeping him reactive and resourceful.

Through endless repetition, Jen forged his instincts into a weapon as keen as any blade. He came to understand true combat was a contest not of brute force, but speed, precision, and conscious intent. Victory went to those who could best focus their Cos.

Soon Jen could hold his own against the scaled beasts roaming the tundra, his aura burning brightly. Their claws glanced off his shields, unable to penetrate. Only the ancient overlords still outmatched him, but Giinru said he would ascend to their level in time.

Jen took pride in his hard-won skills, but Giinru often reminded him humility and compassion were the signs of a true master. Power was a responsibility, not a status.

During long treks through the endless winter nights, Giinru told Jen of the founding principles behind Cos mastery.

"Our order's founder spoke thus - 'My power is not to destroy enemies, but illuminate the darkness that spawns them'."

These words resonated with Jen. He had seen where hate and vengeance led in Lizayon's pits. The cycle only bred more suffering. Light was the only answer to darkness.

Between lessons, Jen's thoughts often turned to his imprisoned friends. He vowed to one day find and free Kaganji and Jax. For now, he could only hope they found their own light in the abyss.

Giinru noted Jen's distant gazes. "Your thoughts turn to those you left behind," he said. It was not a question.

Jen nodded. "If I can learn to ascend these levels, I may be able to reach and save them. They would do the same for me."

Giinru smiled. "Such bonds are precious - treasure them always. One day your paths will converge again."

But for today, Jen had much to learn before undertaking such a journey. He buried his impatience, trusting in Giinru's wisdom and experience. All things in their proper time.