Chapter 163: The Summon darkness

Words : 1038 Updated : Oct 8th, 2025

Chapter 163: The Summon darkness The darkness was coming, and the sun up in the sky was already burning black. It was unnatural—like a sun from a realm long forgotten. One moment it had shone with blazing heat, and the next it had shifted into something malevolent, oozing with shadow. The once-warm winds had disappeared in an instant, leaving the air around completely still. Not even a whisper of movement remained. Kairos stood in that silence, heart pounding. The eerie stillness was maddening. He was sure if he screamed now, his voice would echo across the entire desert with nothing to dampen it. He opened his eyes, the dry sting of sand gritting at the corners, and turned toward the far horizon where the darkness had receded the night before. There was still some light. The sun hadn’t gone completely dark yet. Not yet. But it was going. And he had limited time to act. Ignoring the ruined beauty of the ancient, crumbled platform beneath his feet, Kairos began to run—no, sprint. His body screamed in protest with each step, but he didn’t slow. He activated his Eye of Clairvoyance, scanning the area for any hint of shelter. ’A cave, hole or something? Give me a fucking place to hide!’ he screamed within himself, panic rising with every second. His head snapped left, then right, his movements frantic and erratic like a cornered animal. Nothing. Only large, broken pillars scattered across the desert ruins, their fractured lengths sprawled like the bones of forgotten titans. Beneath some of them were small crevices—pathetic, shallow holes formed by time and decay. Too open. Too exposed. There was no way those flimsy shelters could save him from that. Kairos clenched his jaw, breath sharp and quick. His eyes darted back and forth. Left? Right? Back? He spun on his heel, frustration spilling out. "Fuck it! Why is this place so large!" He clutched his chest, trying to calm the thunder in his ribcage, gulping hard, but it was already too late. The sun had turned completely black. And Kairos knew what came next. The darkness—pure, unrelenting and filled with death—would spill across the desert like an ocean of shadows. It would hunt him. It would find him. And if it did, he would die. Not slowly. Not gently. But instantly. With the light gone, his only guide now was the Eye of Clairvoyance. Without it, he was blind. He froze for a split second, his body taut with dread. Hold your breath. Think. Left? Can I really find shelter left? No... right? No idea. No time. Fuck it! His legs moved on instinct, bolting forward. His feet collided with small stones, sending them scattering. The clattering noise rang out sharply in the silence, and Kairos winced. Every sound felt like a beacon, inviting the darkness closer. ’Fuck! Why did I have to be dropped in such a hellhole!’ he screamed inside, his thoughts a mess of fear and fury. His bladder tightened, goosebumps prickled along his skin, and his throat closed up with thick, aching lumps. He was going to die. Killed by the dark. And he wasn’t wrong. On the radar of the Eye of Clairvoyance, something appeared—something his instincts latched onto immediately. A hole. Or maybe a cave. A shadowed opening carved into the earth. How deep it went, he didn’t know. But it was close. Just a few feet away. His pulse quickened with hope—just for a moment. Then dread slammed it back down. Behind him, the tendrils of the shadow—the smoke-like coils of pure black—were already curling across the land, slithering at speeds no man could outrun. Twice as fast as he was moving. Two seconds to reach the hole. Half a second until the tendrils reached him. He had no choice. "Shadow Swap!" His voice rang out like a cry of war. In an instant, Kairos vanished from his path, reappearing just at the mouth of the cratered hole. In his place, a small rock dropped to the ground. A decoy. A trick. A desperate gamble to mislead the darkness. But the dark was no fool. The tendrils shifted mid-motion and sprang at him twice as fast, no longer lured by illusion. Kairos leapt into the hole without hesitation, diving into the unknown. Snap! A sharp pain exploded through his leg. One of the tendrils had caught him—just barely. The tip grazed his flesh like a venomous whip. Pain surged through him, raw and burning, as the touch of the darkness seared into his skin. "Ahhh!" he screamed out, falling fast into the black abyss. He crashed into the side of the crater, his body colliding with jagged walls of rock, each edge grinding against his limbs. They weren’t sharp enough to tear flesh, but the bruises they left were devastating. Crack. Crack. Crack. His shoulder slammed into a protruding ledge, then his back, then his side—over and over again. The walls funneled him downward, bouncing like a ragdoll, each hit more painful than the last. Then finally— A thud. He landed. The cold, hard ground beneath his body didn’t give way or cushion him. It stopped him. Brutally. And in that instant, his world went silent. Darkness took him—not the devouring kind that chased from above, but the kind that comes when consciousness fades. His eyes rolled back. His limbs twitched once. Then stillness. Kairos lay there—unmoving, broken, and barely alive. But he was alive. Barely. His chest rose and fell in short, shallow breaths. One arm twisted beneath his weight, the other sprawled out, fingers twitching ever so faintly. The darkness above howled in frustration, its tendrils whipping around the entrance of the crater, but it could not enter. Not here. Not yet. Deep in the crater’s cold, echoing heart, Kairos had bought himself a fleeting moment of safety. But at what cost? His body was battered, his mind bruised, and hope—hope was thinner than ever. Yet... he had survived. For now. ***Author’s note*** Thank you for the support and the loyalty, even when I did not post for a day. Thanks you all. Please continue to support and also support in the book of the year program. Thanks again, love ya.

Chapter 163: The Summon darkness

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