A Path Forward

Arran sat in complete silence, his body completely unmoving and a blank look in his eyes. Had it not been for the faint smile on his lips, it would have been easy to think that he'd fallen into a stupor.

But while his exterior seemed frozen, the picture within his interior was completely different. There, strands of Essence circulated continuously, the energy incessantly forming various intricate patterns as it permeated every fiber of his body.

This Essence consisted of two distinct types.

The first of these was Shadow Essence. Perfectly controlled, its motion followed Arran's commands without the slightest effort on his part, the patterns it formed changing instantly at his slightest thought.

He was, after all, a Master of Shadow magic, his control honed to the extreme by the countless years he'd spent trapped in the Shadow world.