Reincarnated as an Apocalyptic Catalyst-Chapter 34: Banquet of Darkness

"You did it!" I heard a squeal of delight, but it wasn't Mara, it was too, refined, if a squeal could be refined. "My word you are a marvelous creepy-crawly. This is just, too exciting!" the familiar voice continued before my surroundings hit me like a truck. No wisps of mist or shadow or void, no slow materialization, just a huge gothic banquet room. A massive table covered in all sorts of delicacies lay before me. I began to take it all in, when a pale figure adorned in a strapless, low-cut, black, pencil dress, embraced me in a hug, lifting me off the ground with ease before gently placing me back down.

I looked over to Morgana, still shocked, and then I looked over to the table and noticed a roast pheasant. "Wow, uh, hey?" My gaze wandered back to the table and I saw a barbecued pig.

Morgana placed a hand on my cheek and nudged my focus back to her, "You picked a real winner with that Mara girl; and those traps, that was quite the bit of ingenuity–" she continued to lay on the compliments as I peered around her searching for something in specific. "--and to defeat someone with such powerful ties to their deity, well, I admit I thought you were done for when he healed those awful wounds you inflicted on the man," and there it was, cooked to perfection...

"Seriously?" I asked indignantly, "You cooked a wild cat? That's kind of fucked up." I lazily turned my head to meet her gaze, one eyebrow arched with not the slightest bit of amusement showing.

She let out an unrestrained laugh, one that sounded truly genuine, to the point that she had to clasp her belly before she could wind down and address my concerns.

"A joke, it was a joke, Lucy. None of this is physically here, though you can certainly eat it, you can taste and enjoy everything I have to offer." Yeah, that was definitely an innuendo.

"I swear if there's a human on that table... I don't even know." I shut my eyes tight, building the strength to look, but not eager to see what I dreaded.

"Oh but there is darling, right over there," she moved to the side and I raised my hand to my still-shut eyes before risking a peek through my fingers.

She was right, on the table lay a human, thankfully not grilled or fried or braised. It was a young woman with exceptional assets, lying nude, covered in various fruits, tarts, and other treats. I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed her chest rising and falling, confirming she was indeed, alive. Then I realized there was a naked woman on the table and my face began to flush.

"You're so adorable when you're flustered. Don't worry, even as a joke I wouldn't go so far as to serve you human meat." She pinched my cheek and walked over to the woman, pulling a chocolate strawberry out of the whipped cream on her nipple, and popping it into her mouth. The strawberry, not the nipple, though I fully expected the latter to occur at some point before I left.

"So, you saw the whole thing?" I started to regain my composure, the thoughts of recent events filling me with excitement and emotion. In her realm, I felt no real fatigue, at least if Morgana didn't want me to, so I was as fresh as could be and the terrors I had just experienced felt like they happened days ago.

"Certainly, it was quite the spectacle, but you handled it quite well." I beamed, after days of incessant teasing, this positive affirmation was a breath of fresh air. That aside, I had a nagging question ever since defeating the commander, whose name I never had the time to learn.

"I need to know what the deal was with the shadows? When I rushed to save Mara, something happened, and then when I killed that paladin, there was even a point that I lost control of myself. The power was intense but also terrifying." Remembering the way I forced shadows into his skull and seemed to tap into a momentary source of unlimited power.

Morgana's eyes glimmered as she picked up a glass of something on the table before slowly making he back toward me, her heels clicking softly against the black marble floor. She swirled a goblet of crimson liquid–hopefully wine, but I shuddered to think of what else it could be–before taking a slow sip.

"Oh, my dear Lucian," she purred, swirling the liquid in its glass and leaning toward me. "You've tapped into something extraordinary, something far beyond the ordinary reach of mortals—or even most of my chosen champions. But it's no coincidence." She tilted her head, the glow of the chandelier casting an almost angelic light on her perfect features. "No, that power... that darkness is a culmination of who you are, what you've become, and where you draw your strength."

I shifted uncomfortably, memories of the battle in my mind, the shadows crawling under my skin, the way they seemed to come alive, almost as if they had a will of their own. "What does that even mean? Am I losing control? Because it sure felt like it."

Morgana raised a finger and wagged it playfully. "Not quite. What you felt wasn't loss of control, it was ascension, my sweet shadow. You tapped into the deeper layers of the Shadow Realm, the very place you call upon when you 'dance' through the void. But it's not just an ability, Lucian. The Shadow Realm is vast, ancient, and brimming with energies far beyond what you've been scratching at thus far."

I furrowed my brow as I tried to process her words. "You're saying... the Shadow Realm isn't a quick travel method?"

"Much more," she said, the carefree attitude she held just a moment ago, quickly turning

serious. She waved her hand, and the room shifted, the banquet fading into blackness. We now stood in a swirling void, the air thick and oppressive. Wisps of shadow curled and danced around us, whispering faintly in a language I couldn't understand. As mesmerizing as it all was, I was a little upset that I didn't enjoy some of the food before it left.

"This," Morgana gestured to the abyss, "is the true Shadow Realm, or, at least a piece of it that you can comprehend. It's an endless domain of death, despair, and rebirth, a nexus of forgotten souls and energies too volatile for the mortal plane. When you embraced the lynx's abilities, you opened a sliver of the door that leads to this place, a connection born from the predatory instinct of your host. The lynx hunted not just in the physical world but was intrinsically connected with the shadows. Its instincts, its memories, all lingered in you, and yet even with that, no normal mortal would have access to it. It's something beyond the grasp of most humans, though, I admit there have been a few rogues and assassins that have found entry to depths even you have yet to witness."

I stared into the darkness, and somehow the shadows had a weight to them that pressed against me. "But that doesn't explain why it feels alive, why it feels like it's consuming me."

Morgana stepped closer, her voice lowering. "That, my sweet, is because of me." She pressed a cold finger to my chest, just above my heart. "When I chose you, I didn't simply give you a task, I gave you a spark of my essence, a fragment of my connection to death and the void. That power, in combination with the lynx's affinity for the Shadow Realm, created something... unique. I must admit it was a pleasant surprise when you took that creature for your third host."

I stared at her, my heart pounding. "You mean, I'm not just drawing power from the shadows? They're... a part of me now?"

"Precisely," Morgana said with a satisfied smile. "But don't think of it as a curse or anything terrible like that, Lucian. Think of it as an evolution, or ascension. You are no longer limited by the constraints of your mortal vessel. The shadows will answer your call, and they will empower you in ways you can't yet imagine."

"But how do I control them?" I countered, my voice rising slightly. "When I killed that paladin, I didn't feel like myself. I felt as though every spiteful thought, every feeling of betrayal, every dark desire I had was let loose all at once."

Morgana sighed, her expression softening. "Yes, that's the risk, my dear. The deeper you delve into the Shadow Realm, the more you risk becoming one with it. The shadows are not inherently good or evil, but they are primal, and oh-so hungry. They don't care about your morality, your goals, or even your survival. They exist to consume and create, to tear down and rebuild. You must learn to master them, or they will master you."

"You're not explaining how I do it though. All of these warnings and clues, but nothing that tells me what I need to focus on."

Morgana stepped back, her eyes dark with secrets. "That... is a journey only you can take. But know this, the shadows respond to intent, to will. When you saved Mara, your desperation resonated with the Shadow Realm, amplifying your connection. That is why you felt such immense power. But it also fed on your rage, your fear, and your pain. If you let those emotions control you, the shadows will spiral out of control."

She took a deep swig of whatever was in her glass, a glass that she kept even now, and that reminded me further of my missed opportunity; then placed a hand on my shoulder. "But you're stronger than that. I wouldn't have chosen you if I didn't believe you could wield this power. You have the potential to reshape the balance of this world, to bring death and rebirth on a scale unseen in millennia."

"And if I fail?"

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Morgana's smile turned cold, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Then the shadows will consume you, and your precious Mara will be left to face the wrath of the gods alone."

Her words hurt. I knew she was toying with my emotions, driving me to do her bidding. And yet, the image of Mara alone and vulnerable sent a chill down my spine. I clenched my fists, the shadows around me stirring in response to my determination. "I won't let that happen. I'll master this power. I'll use it to protect her." They continued, coalescing around my fists and swimming into my veins. It took a moment for me to see what had happened and I jerked back, trying to control myself.

Morgana's smile returned, a sly grin on her lips. "That's the spirit, my love. Now go, and show the world what my champion is capable of."

The shadows around us swirled, and the void began to dissolve. As I was pulled back to the waking world, Morgana's voice echoed in my mind, soft and teasing.

"Remember, Lucian, the shadows are both your weapon and your burden. Wield them wisely."