SKATH: The Awakening Of Power

Chapter 17

As Skath advanced through the forest, wrapped in spectral mist, an eerie figure manifested before him. An ethereal peacock, its body translucent and feathers appearing as if made of pure moonlight, gazed at him silently. Skath stopped abruptly, a chill running down his spine. There was something ancient and powerful about the creature.

He stared, trying to understand who or what it was. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice uncertain but tinged with curiosity.

The peacock didn’t respond immediately, its glowing eyes scrutinizing him, as if they could see deep into his soul. Only after a long moment did the creature speak, its voice seeming to come from another world, resonating more in Skath’s mind than in the air.

"You have been away from home too long to remember who I am," said the peacock, its presence now even more intense. "But soon, all will be revealed to you."

Skath felt his heart race. "You know me? What do you want from me?"

With ghostly grace, the peacock moved its majestic, shimmering feathers. "There is something you must discover... and I am here to guide you to the truth."

The spectral peacock remained still, its luminescent feathers floating in the air like veils of light. Skath couldn’t look away, the creature’s mystical aura keeping him rooted to the spot.

"What truth?" he asked, trying to hide the tremor in his voice. "What must I discover?"

The peacock stared at him, its gaze penetrating, almost unsettling. "You have lived with a veiled mind for too long. Your mission was never forgotten, only hidden. But now, that moment is near. You must find Jonah."

Skath tensed at the name. Jonah... the name evoked confusing images in his mind, but nothing clear. "Why Jonah? What does he have to do with this?"

The peacock emitted a sound like an ancient whisper, as if its words contained secrets lost for millennia. "Jonah is not just an enemy; he is the key to understanding your past and your future. He will show you what Siriox created and what is destined to be destroyed. Without him, you cannot complete your path."

"Siriox... the creator of the galaxy," Skath murmured, recalling ancient stories he had heard as a child, before being sent to Earth. But now, everything felt so distant, as if it belonged to another life.

"Who are you really?" he asked with more insistence, his heart pounding in his chest.

Only then did the spectral peacock move, spreading its magnificent feathers in all their glory. "I am Siorai, the creator of Hearth, the world you abandoned. And I am here to ensure that you fulfill what has been written in the stars’ destiny."

Skath stepped back slightly, surprised. Hearth, his home world. Memories of that land returned like a distant tide, confused but filled with emotion.

"Why now?" he asked, a mix of anger and pain in his voice. "Why didn’t you appear before?"

Siorai gazed at him with eyes full of wisdom. "Your time on Earth was necessary. You needed to forget in order to remember, to live without purpose so that you could rediscover it on your own. But now, your path inevitably leads to Jonah. You can no longer escape your destiny."

Skath didn’t know what to say. He felt a weight growing inside him, a responsibility he had never fully understood until that moment. But at the same time, something deep and ancient was awakening in his heart.

The atmosphere grew thick with meaning, and Skath felt overwhelmed by the gravity of Siorai’s words. "What if I don’t want to follow it? What if I don’t want to face Jonah?" he asked, his voice trembling but determined.