Black String of Fate

Once again, I'm sorry for wasting priv.

The storm surged around him, a cyclone of darkness and fury that threatened to consume everything in its path. Xavier held his ground,

Anathema

gleaming with dark energy as the Forgotten One's towering form loomed before him. Every instinct screamed at him to flee, but there was no running from this. He had faced gods, demons, and monsters—but this… this was different. The Forgotten One was no mere adversary. He was a force of nature, bound to the cursed blade that Xavier now held.

As the Forgotten One lunged forward, his shadowy wings stretched wide, blotting out the sky, Xavier's mind raced. There was no ordinary way to fight this creature. He could feel it—the connection between the sword and its former master was unbreakable. The Forgotten One's power seeped into the very fabric of the storm, feeding it, warping it. Xavier had to sever that connection somehow.

The first strike came faster than he expected, a blur of shadow and lightning as the Forgotten One's hand lashed out. Xavier barely managed to parry with

Anathema

, the impact sending a shockwave that rattled through his bones. The cursed sword pulsed in his hand, responding to the Forgotten One's presence with an almost eager hunger.

"You cannot resist the call of the sword forever, boy," the Forgotten One growled, his voice like the rumble of distant thunder. "

Anathema

will claim you, just as it claimed me."

Xavier's jaw tightened. "I'm not like you."

With a sharp twist, Xavier disengaged and spun to the side, his blade slicing through the air in a precise arc aimed at the Forgotten One's chest. But the shadowy figure moved with unnatural speed, his form shifting like smoke as the blade passed through him harmlessly. The Forgotten One reappeared behind Xavier, his massive arm swinging down like a hammer.

Xavier dodged just in time, rolling across the ground and coming up in a crouch. The storm intensified around him, the winds screaming as the Forgotten One's laughter echoed through the chaos.

"You are exactly like me," the Forgotten One said, his eyes glowing with dark amusement. "You crave the power, the control. The blade whispers to you, and you answer. You cannot deny it."

Xavier's grip on

Anathema

tightened, the cursed blade throbbing in his hand like a heartbeat. The Forgotten One wasn't entirely wrong. The sword's pull had grown stronger with each battle, and despite his best efforts, he could feel it sinking deeper into him, its power melding with his own. But he wasn't about to let it consume him. He had seen what it did to its previous wielders—how it twisted them, destroyed them. He wouldn't let that happen to him.

Before he could respond, the Forgotten One struck again, this time unleashing a wave of dark energy that tore across the battlefield like a tidal wave. Xavier had no choice but to meet it head-on. He raised

Anathema

and channeled his own energy into the blade, summoning the power of the void.

"Void Rend!"

His voice echoed through the storm as he swung the sword, unleashing a crescent-shaped wave of pure darkness that clashed with the Forgotten One's attack. The two forces collided with a deafening roar, sending shockwaves through the air. For a moment, it seemed as though the energy might cancel out, but then the Forgotten One pushed harder, his power overwhelming Xavier's strike.

The wave of dark energy slammed into Xavier, sending him flying backward. He hit the ground hard, skidding across the ice before coming to a stop. Pain radiated through his body, but he forced himself to stand, refusing to give in. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes blazed with defiance.

The Forgotten One hovered above him, his shadowy form crackling with power. "You are weak, just like the others who came before you. None of you are worthy of wielding

Anathema

. The sword belongs to me, and I will take it back."

Xavier's breath came in ragged bursts as he rose to his feet. "You'll have to kill me first."

The Forgotten One's smile was cold, merciless. "That can be arranged."

With a flick of his hand, the storm intensified once more. Lightning cracked across the sky, and the ground beneath Xavier's feet began to tremble. The shadows coalesced around the Forgotten One, forming jagged tendrils of darkness that shot toward Xavier like spears. He deflected the first few, but more kept coming, faster and more relentless.

Xavier leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding one of the shadow spears, and landed on a craggy outcropping. His mind was racing. He couldn't keep this up forever. The Forgotten One had control of the storm, and as long as it raged, Xavier was at a disadvantage. He needed to change the battlefield. He needed to sever the Forgotten One's connection to the storm.

But how?

His eyes flicked toward

Anathema

. The sword. It was the key. The Forgotten One had said it himself—the blade was bound to him. If Xavier could break that bond, the storm would fall apart, and the Forgotten One would lose his advantage.

But severing the bond wasn't going to be easy. The sword had its own will, its own desires, and it would fight back if he tried to control it. Still, he had no other choice.

As the shadow tendrils closed in around him, Xavier took a deep breath and focused. He gripped

Anathema

with both hands and closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind. He could feel the sword's dark presence, pulsing with malevolent energy. It was like a living thing, writhing beneath his grip, resisting him.

"Listen to me," Xavier muttered through gritted teeth. "I'm not your slave. I control you."

Anathema

pulsed in response, the sword's voice whispering in his mind, taunting him. It showed him visions of power, of destruction. It promised him unimaginable strength, if only he would give in. But Xavier pushed back, forcing his will upon the blade.

"You are mine," he snarled. "Obey me!"

The storm around him seemed to falter for a moment, the winds slowing as if in response to his command. The shadows hesitated, their advance stalling. Xavier's grip on

Anathema

tightened as he poured every ounce of his will into the blade, bending it to his command.

The Forgotten One's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?"

Xavier opened his eyes, and for the first time since the battle began, a small smile crossed his lips. "Breaking your chains."

With a surge of power, Xavier swung

Anathema

toward the storm, channeling all of the sword's energy into a single, devastating strike. The blade cut through the air, unleashing a massive wave of dark energy that tore into the heart of the storm. The vortex above them shrieked in protest as the strike ripped through it, severing the connection between the Forgotten One and the storm.

The effect was immediate. The storm began to unravel, the winds dying down, the dark clouds dissipating. The shadow tendrils that had surrounded Xavier fell limp, dissolving into the ground. The Forgotten One staggered, his form flickering as the power that had sustained him was ripped away.

"You… dare…" the Forgotten One hissed, his voice filled with fury and disbelief.

Xavier took a step forward,

Anathema

still glowing with residual energy. "This ends now."

The Forgotten One roared, his body expanding, growing more unstable as he tried to regain control. But without the storm, his power was waning. Xavier seized the opportunity, charging forward with

Anathema

raised high.

The final clash was brutal, a whirlwind of steel and shadow. The Forgotten One fought with everything he had, but Xavier was relentless. His strikes were precise, fueled by a determination that burned hotter than the cursed blade he wielded. Each blow chipped away at the Forgotten One's form, until finally, with one last, powerful strike, Xavier drove

Anathema

through the creature's chest.

The Forgotten One let out a deafening scream, his body convulsing as dark energy erupted from the wound. The shadows that had once made up his form began to dissolve, unraveling like threads in the wind. His eyes, once burning with malice, dimmed.

"You… cannot escape… the sword's fate…" the Forgotten One rasped, his voice fading.

Xavier yanked

Anathema

free, stepping back as the Forgotten One's body crumbled into ash. The storm above them dissipated completely, leaving behind only the clear, cold sky. The ground beneath them stopped shaking, and the air was still once more.

For a long moment, Xavier stood there, breathing heavily, his gaze fixed on the spot where the Forgotten One had fallen. The battle was over, but the weight of his words lingered in the air.

"You cannot escape the sword's fate."

Xavier looked down at

Anathema

, the blade still pulsing faintly in his hand. The Forgotten One was gone, but the curse remained. He could still feel it, lurking beneath the surface, waiting for its chance to consume him.