CHAPTER 35, BEYOND THE SHADOW — TRANSCENDING ONE'S OWN LIMITS
The clash did not slow.
If anything—
it deepened.
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What had begun as a battle of speed and strength had now transformed into something far more dangerous.
It was no longer about who struck harder.
Or who moved faster.
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It had become a battle of understanding.
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Krrish and his shadow no longer looked like two separate beings fighting each other.
They looked like a single existence—
split into two forms.
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Every movement echoed.
Every shift in stance carried identical intent.
Every flicker of energy responded in perfect synchronization.
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The space around them had started to distort beyond recognition.
It wasn't just shaking anymore—
it was bending.
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The collision of their powers wasn't just creating shockwaves—
it was rewriting the very structure of the void.
Fragments of darkness peeled away.
Ripples of balanced energy cut through empty space like invisible blades.
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Krrish's breathing remained steady—
but internally—
everything was accelerating.
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He jumped back again, widening the distance.
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This time, he didn't rush in immediately.
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His eyes stayed locked on the shadow—
but his focus shifted inward.
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"It's not reacting to me…"
he thought.
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"It already knows me."
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That realization settled deeply.
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This wasn't an opponent that needed to analyze him.
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It was his analysis.
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Before the thought could fully settle—
the shadow vanished again.
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Not fast—
not even instant—
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It simply… ceased to exist in one place—
and existed in another.
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Right behind him.
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BOOM!
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The impact landed with even greater force this time.
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Krrish blocked—
but the sheer weight of the strike pushed him forward, forcing his feet to slide across the distorted ground.
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The force didn't just hit his body—
it shook his internal balance.
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He flipped mid-air, landing with precision.
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But now—
his expression had changed.
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Not frustration.
Not anger.
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Understanding.
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"This won't work…"
he said under his breath.
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Because now he saw it clearly.
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Every improvement he made—
the shadow already had.
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Every adaptation—
already calculated.
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Every unpredictable move—
already predicted.
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He rushed forward again—
but not recklessly.
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This time—
he pushed his limits further.
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His movements became sharper.
His speed increased.
His rhythm broke completely.
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Feints layered within feints.
Angles that didn't follow logic.
Timing that defied patterns.
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But still—
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Nothing worked.
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The shadow remained flawless.
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It didn't hesitate.
Didn't misread.
Didn't react late.
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It countered everything—
with absolute precision.
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Each of Krrish's attacks was neutralized before it could fully exist.
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Another clash.
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The force expanded outward—
but instead of exploding—
it collapsed inward—
compressing space itself.
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Krrish slid back again.
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This time—
he didn't move.
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He didn't attack.
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He didn't even prepare to defend.
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He simply stood there.
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The shadow mirrored him—
perfectly still.
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For a moment—
there was silence.
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But this silence was different.
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It wasn't empty.
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It was… waiting.
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Then—
Krrish closed his eyes.
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The instant he did—
the shadow moved.
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Faster than before.
Sharper than before.
Deadlier than before.
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But Krrish—
didn't react with sight.
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He reacted with something deeper.
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Feeling.
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Instinct.
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Awareness.
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His body shifted slightly—
barely noticeable—
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And the attack missed.
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For the first time—
the perfect strike failed.
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The air itself seemed to pause.
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Krrish opened his eyes slowly.
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"…So that's the answer."
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The shadow attacked again—
without hesitation.
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But Krrish had already changed.
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He no longer tried to predict.
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He no longer tried to calculate outcomes.
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He let go—
completely.
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No planning.
No expectation.
No rigid intent.
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And in that state—
he moved.
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Naturally.
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The next strike came—
and he flowed past it.
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Another—
blocked effortlessly.
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Another—
redirected with minimal force.
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The shadow remained perfect.
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But perfection had a flaw.
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It was fixed.
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And Krrish—
was no longer fixed.
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"You know everything I'll do…"
he said quietly, stepping forward.
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"But you don't know…"
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"…what I won't do."
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The shadow paused—
just for a fraction of a second.
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That moment—
was enough.
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Krrish moved.
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Not to overpower.
Not to destroy.
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But to shift.
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The shadow struck—
but Krrish didn't meet it head-on.
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He guided it.
Redirected it.
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Its own force—
turned against itself.
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For the first time—
the shadow staggered.
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Not from weakness.
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But from imbalance.
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Krrish stepped forward again.
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Now his movements were fluid.
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Not aggressive.
Not defensive.
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But something beyond both.
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Each step carried awareness—
but no fixed goal.
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Each motion adapted instantly—
without thought.
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He was no longer reacting.
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He was flowing.
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The shadow attacked again—
faster—
stronger—
more precise.
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But now—
it was falling behind.
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Because it could only operate within what Krrish had been.
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Not what he had become.
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Another clash.
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Krrish slipped through its defense—
his hand extending forward—
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And then—
he stopped.
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Just inches away.
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The shadow froze as well.
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They stood face to face.
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Two identical forms—
separated by something invisible.
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Silence.
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Deep.
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Absolute.
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Krrish looked directly into the hollow darkness of its form.
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"You're not my enemy."
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No response.
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"You're my limit."
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The space trembled.
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"And I don't need to destroy you…"
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"I just need to go beyond you."
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For a moment—
nothing happened.
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Then—
the shadow moved one last time.
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A final attack.
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Faster than anything before.
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Absolute.
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Unavoidable.
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But Krrish didn't block.
Didn't dodge.
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He stepped forward.
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And passed through it.
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Time seemed to stop.
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The attack froze.
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The shadow stood still.
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Cracks formed across its body.
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Slowly—
they spread.
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Not violently.
Not chaotically.
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But calmly.
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Like something that had fulfilled its purpose.
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Its form began to break apart—
into countless particles of darkness.
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But they didn't vanish.
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They drifted.
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Toward Krrish.
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And merged with him.
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A surge of energy flowed through his entire being.
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But it wasn't overwhelming.
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It wasn't destructive.
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It was… balanced.
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Complete.
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Krrish closed his eyes.
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For the first time—
there was no conflict inside him.
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No resistance.
No division.
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Only clarity.
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Only alignment.
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Only… self.
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When he opened his eyes—
the space had changed again.
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The distortion was gone.
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The pressure had vanished.
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And in front of him—
the Granth floated once more.
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But now—
it was different.
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Calm.
Stable.
Accepting.
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As if it had been waiting for this exact moment.
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Krrish stepped forward slowly.
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There was no hesitation.
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No doubt.
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He reached out his hand.
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And this time—
the Granth did not resist.
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It responded.
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A deep, profound light emerged from within it.
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Not blinding.
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But revealing.
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A voice echoed—
ancient—
endless—
beyond time itself.
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"You have crossed yourself…"
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"…now step forward."
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The space ahead began to open.
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Not like before.
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Not violently.
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But gently.
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A path revealed itself.
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One that didn't feel like a test.
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But a transition.
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Krrish took a step forward.
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Because now—
he understood.
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This journey was never about becoming stronger.
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It was about becoming whole.
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And now—
he was.
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But what lay ahead—
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Would not test his power.
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Would not test his mind.
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Would not test his will.
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It would test something far deeper.
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What he had become.
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And whether he could carry it—
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Into a reality…
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Where even gods and demons—
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could not remain untouched. 🔥