NOVEL WEB Chapter 22: The Strength of Fate
Kaito walked slowly, the golden light emanating from the sphere still shining in his mind like a beacon of clarity. He had faced his past, accepted his destiny as a ninja, and the sensation of power coursing through his body was almost overwhelming. As he ventured deeper into the sanctuary, the air around him resonated with a deep vibration, as if the place itself was acknowledging him. But even though he had passed the sphere's test, something told him that his journey was far from over.
The labyrinth of corridors and chambers in the cave continued to stretch before him, but he no longer felt the same uncertainty as before. The stone in his pocket still vibrated faintly, though this time, its pulse seemed calmer, as if everything was aligned with his new self. However, Kaito couldn't shake the feeling that something greater, something even more dangerous, awaited him ahead. His intuition had never failed him, and although he didn't know what lay ahead, his determination was unwavering.
The vision of the sphere and the golden runes was still fresh in his mind. He had accepted who he was, but now he had to face an even deeper truth. The sanctuary, with its mystical and almost unreal atmosphere, seemed full of secrets waiting to be unveiled. Every step brought him closer to truly understanding his purpose in this world.
In the distance, a new door appeared before him, this time much simpler than the great stone door he had faced before. However, as he approached, a strange pressure began to weigh on his chest. The door was not just a physical threshold; it was another challenge, a barrier that only those with a prepared soul could cross.
The stone in his pocket began to vibrate more intensely, as if warning him of what lay beyond. Kaito halted his steps and took a deep breath. The lessons of the past had taught him not to act impulsively. He closed his eyes for a moment and remembered the Guardian's words: "The true test is not in your physical strength, but in what resides deep within you. The darkness in your soul… what makes you weak."
The darkness in his soul. That was the challenge, what he still had to overcome. It wasn't the external darkness he had to defeat, but the one that resided within him—his fears, his insecurities, his doubts… everything that had weakened him in his past life as a human, everything that still lingered in his soul. If he could overcome that darkness, then he could cross any door, face any challenge. But was that truly possible? Could he really erase everything that had marked him?
The door before him began to glow with a dim light, as if responding to his thoughts. Without further hesitation, Kaito stepped forward. As his body crossed the threshold, the pressure increased, but this time, it wasn't a physical weight. It was a sensation of emotional vertigo, as if everything he had lived, all the decisions he had made, all the losses he had suffered, were floating before him, ready to be confronted once and for all.
On the other side of the door was a smaller room than the previous ones, but equally charged with an undeniable energy. In the center, a mirror of water floated above a stone pedestal. The surface of the water was perfectly smooth, reflecting the darkness of the surrounding cave, yet at the same time, glowing with a soft and mysterious light. Around him, the ancient symbols adorning the cave walls began to shine, casting shadows that seemed to move on their own.
Kaito approached the water mirror, sensing that something important was about to happen. His reflection appeared on the surface, but something was off. As he observed, the shadows in the water began to distort his image, twisting it into a grotesque figure. It was him, but it wasn't. His face was covered by a mask of darkness, and his eyes glowed with a malignant intensity. The figure seemed to mock him—his presence, his newly forged identity as a ninja.
A chill ran down his spine, but he did not step back. He knew what he had to do. He had accepted his destiny, but now he had to face the darkest part of himself. He couldn't let that shadow consume him. He couldn't allow his insecurities, his fears, to define him.
Suddenly, the figure in the water began to speak, its voice soft, almost whispering, yet filled with an imposing presence. "Do you really think you're different now? Do you think your new identity frees you from what you were? You are just an ordinary man, with a life full of mistakes and failures. Nothing you do will change that. Why do you keep fighting against the inevitable?"
The words echoed in his mind, and Kaito felt as if the deepest doubts of his being were surfacing. Was he really different? Was he truly a ninja, or just a man desperately trying to escape the life he once knew? Everything he had experienced, all the lessons he had learned, seemed to crumble before his own thoughts.
"Your pain is unnecessary," the figure continued. "What you suffer is merely a consequence of your weakness. Why keep going if everything you do only drags you further into the darkness?"
Kaito gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He knew those words were lies—that the figure in the mirror was just a manifestation of his own fears. The true test was accepting that those fears, those insecurities, did not define him. He was not the darkness he saw reflected in the water. He was not his past. He was not the man he had been, but the ninja he was born to be.
"I am more than my fears," Kaito murmured, his voice firm despite the pressure he felt. "I am more than the shadows that try to consume me. I will not let my past define me."
With titanic effort, he extended his hand toward the water mirror. When his finger touched the surface, the water began to ripple, dissolving the dark figure that stared back at him. The shadows vanished, and the image Kaito now saw reflected was that of a young ninja, his eyes filled with determination and courage. The distortion disappeared completely, and in the water, his true reflection was revealed—the person he truly was.
The pressure in his chest faded, and a sense of peace and clarity filled his soul. He had faced his greatest fear, the darkness within him, and he had defeated it. Now, nothing could stop him.
As he lifted his gaze, the room seemed to have changed. The shadows were gone, and the runes on the walls shone with a warm light. The energy emanating from the sanctuary had shifted, as if the place itself acknowledged him as the true heir of his destiny. Kaito knew his journey was not over yet, but he was ready to face whatever came next. He had accepted who he was, and with that acceptance, he had gained a strength that could not be stopped.
Without another word, Kaito turned and began to walk toward the next stage of his journey. His destiny awaited him, and now he knew that no matter what happened, he was prepared to face it.