Dark's Pre Crisis

Arc3- Vorax's Awakening and Dark's Oversight.

The morning air was sharp and cold as Dark made his way across the academy grounds, carrying the weight of his hidden power like a shadow that only he and a select few knew existed. Lara walked beside him, her hand casually resting on his arm, looking every bit the radiant princess in contrast to Dark's quiet, concealed strength. Despite their simple walk, an unspoken tension lingered between them. Dark knew that after the duel, the academy buzzed with questions, whispers, and rumors, but he had bigger things to focus on.

Vorax had been... quiet. Too quiet.

Dark: (thinking) It's strange, Vorax. Ever since that duel, I've felt you holding back. What's going on?

He expected a snide remark or some sarcastic jab, but there was only silence. He could sense Vorax within him, simmering, his usual sardonic energy replaced by something heavier, darker, like a storm brewing deep in his soul. Lara looked up, sensing his distraction.

Lara: (softly) Dark... are you alright? You've seemed a bit... distant since that fight.

Dark: (forcing a small smile) I'm fine. Just... thinking. There's a lot going on beneath the surface here.

Lara tilted her head, her eyes filled with gentle curiosity, but before she could say anything, a sudden wave of energy pulsed through Dark's body. It was like a spark igniting from within, a feeling so intense it made him stagger. He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists as he felt Vorax's presence surge, more powerful and alive than ever before.

Dark: (thinking, alarmed) Vorax... what's happening?

For the first time, Vorax's voice was strained, yet filled with a strange, primal power that Dark had never sensed before.

Vorax: (thinking, deep and resonant) It's time, Dark. The power I've held back... it's awakening.

A low rumble echoed from within him, a dark, vibrant resonance that seemed to shake his very bones. The ground beneath his feet pulsed, reacting to the energy Vorax was beginning to release. Lara stepped back, sensing the intensity radiating from Dark, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and concern.

Lara: (whispering, voice trembling) Dark... what's going on?

Dark's expression hardened as he looked up, feeling Vorax's energy coursing through him, his body and spirit resonating with the sheer magnitude of his symbiote's strength. He felt his senses sharpen, every sound, every movement around him magnified. This was more than a power surge—it was Vorax awakening, unleashing a force he had never tapped into.

Dark: (quietly to Lara) Stay back, Lara. This... this is Vorax's true form.

He stepped away, feeling the familiar weight of shadows coiling around him, yet this time they felt more alive, more intense, as if they held a consciousness of their own. Dark's body tensed as Vorax's form began to materialize, shadowy tendrils spiraling out from him, taking shape in the air like a living, breathing armor.

The air grew colder, darker, as Vorax's voice echoed through Dark's mind, no longer restrained, filled with a dark, regal authority that sent chills through his spine.

Vorax: (thinking) For too long, I've been shackled, holding back to keep you safe. But now... now you're ready to wield the full extent of our power.

Lara watched in awe as Dark's form shifted, his cloak billowing out, shadows swirling and expanding, creating a dark, ethereal armor that clung to him like a second skin. Vorax's essence seemed to merge with Dark, creating a presence so powerful that even the nearby trees bent slightly, as if bowing to his aura.

Dark looked down at his hands, feeling the raw strength flowing through him, every fiber of his being alive with Vorax's energy. He felt unstoppable, as if he could bend the very fabric of reality to his will.