"Good evening," Lukas answered calmly as he slowly approached the shelf. He selected a few items, almost casually, while the shopkeeper threw a few more words at him, which, however, sounded like a low murmur. To Lukas, it was nothing more than background noise. After all, he had everything he needed. It was time to move on.
The shopkeeper didn't notice until Lukas was much too close. Too late. The man now stared at Lukas with a look of horror, realizing what was about to happen. But it was too late, too late. Lukas pulled out a small knife he hadn't even noticed before and immediately stabbed the man in the neck. A short, well-aimed blow. The man fell backward, the newspaper flying from his hands. No sound, no scream. Only the dull sound of his body crashing to the floor.
"You never suspected you were next, did you?" Lukas whispered softly as he studied the man's body for a while longer. The shopkeeper fidgeted for a few seconds, but the rapidly spreading blood gave him no chance. Lukas let him rest and then turned to the shelves as if nothing had happened.
He calmly gathered his things and paid at the cash register as if he were completing a completely normal transaction. No one would know what had happened here. No one would notice the difference.
Lukas strode through the narrow hallway of the shop, his eyes fixed on the floor. The smell of dust and old wooden furniture hung in the air. There was a feeling of familiarity, as if this place had been created for him. A place where he could take his next step unnoticed, almost invisibly. The shopkeeper was now lying on the floor, the blood flowing long since stopped. Lukas looked around, his footsteps muffled on the worn wood.
He slowly pulled a thin, shimmering blade from his pocket and turned it in his fingers. The gleam of the blade caught the faded light of the ceiling lamp, which cast a faint glow through the dust of the room. Lukas took a deep breath and put the blade back.
"Let's move on," he murmured almost inaudibly, more to himself than to anyone else. He climbed the stairs that led to the back of the shop. There, he had already made the next preparations.
The door creaked softly as he opened it. The atmosphere was as gloomy as the rest of the building. Just one more step, and then this part of his work would be done. Lukas had everything under control. Nothing could stop him.
He took a long, deep breath as he entered the room. A tiny smile played on his lips, almost invisible. Yet it was there. Finally, he stepped out of the shadows into the room, and the doors of the next chapter opened for him.
Lukas closed the door behind him and stepped out into the night. The moon was high in the sky, its cold, silver glow shining on the empty streets that stretched out before him. It was a lonely, almost ominous silence, broken only by the gentle purr of his car's engine.
He got in, started the engine, and let the lights shine on the road. It was a routine act. The wide road seemed to stretch on forever, and Lukas knew exactly what he had to do. The thought of the next destination came to him almost like a faint breath, barely noticeable. But it was there, he felt it, like a wave slowly building before crashing inexorably.
He took the next turn and drove through a less busy area, his headlights illuminating the dilapidated buildings on both sides. The windows stared back blankly, as if they knew more about what was happening than they wanted to reveal.
Lukas slowed down, his eyes scanning the street as he spotted the next house. It was large, old, and uninhabited—exactly the place where he would continue. He parked the car, got out, and looked at the dark facade of the house.
"It's time," he murmured quietly before moving toward the entrance. The moon above him cast long shadows that spread across the floor, as if darkness itself were watching him.
He took the door handle and entered.
Lukas entered and quietly closed the door behind him. The room was dark, only faint light filtered through the window, tracing the outlines of the furniture on the dusty floor. He let his gaze wander around the room, searching for a specific spot. Slowly, without haste, he moved forward.
His step was sure, every sound he made was controlled and deliberate. In the corner of the room stood a table, on it a pile of objects he'd had his eye on for some time. Artifacts designed to give him power—and he would do anything for that. He knew exactly what to do.
With one fluid movement, he leaned forward, reached for the first object, and held it in his hand. It was an ancient amulet, its surface shimmering in the darkness. Lukas didn't let it stay in his hand for long, but quickly packed it into his pocket and moved on.
He knew what awaited him. The next stage was always the same path. And he took it inexorably, step by step.
Lukas slid the artifacts into his pocket and then slowly turned around. The room was still silent, the darkness had settled over everything like a blanket. He took a deep breath as he moved toward the exit. Every step he took was a constant reminder of who he was and what he intended to do.
He opened the door and stepped out into the cold night air. The car was already waiting, the engine still warm. Lukas got in, started the engine, and drove on. No hesitation, no doubt—he knew exactly where he wanted to go next.
The streets stretched out before him, empty and gloomy. But he didn't care. It was the only way he knew.
Lukas drove on, the city lights slowly disappearing behind him. The wind whipped through the open windows, and the sound of the engine echoed in the stillness of the night. Everything seemed quiet, but Lukas knew it was only the calm before the next step.
The landscape changed, from the empty city streets to the remote paths that led him to another destination. A destination he had long had in mind. Another sacrifice. Another moment of power. The feeling of being in control.
He turned onto another road lined with trees hidden in the darkness. The shadows they cast seemed to come alive as he drove on, his destination ever closer.
Lukas slowed down and drove slowly past a small, isolated building. He had seen it in the distance many times, but today was the day he would enter it. A new beginning, a new place where the darkness welcomed him.
He parked the car and got out. The sound of the car door closing, echoing in the silence, was the only thing that broke the stillness. Lukas looked at the building, then at what lay ahead.
It was time.
He stepped forward.
Lukas stepped forward, his footsteps loud in the silent night. The path ahead was shrouded in darkness, yet he knew every step he took with a certainty only he possessed. The building before him was old, abandoned, and had a sinister aura that reminded him of the many places he had visited before.
He approached the front door and pulled the key from his pocket. It was an old, rusty key, but it fit perfectly. With one fluid motion, he opened the door and stepped inside. The room before him was cool and dusty, the light from a dim lamp casting irregular shadows on the walls.
Lukas continued walking, his eyes sharper than ever, an aura of determination in his gaze. The artifacts he had collected were now near him. He felt their presence, knowing they would further strengthen him on his path.
He walked to the table in the center of the room and set down the bag. The room seemed to be permeated by a strange energy he knew all too well. Lukas pulled out the first artifact, a ceremonial knife, its blade gleaming in the dim light.
"It is time," he murmured softly, without any doubt in his voice.
He continued walking, ready for whatever came next, without hesitation.
Lukas let the knife slide in his hand, the cold steel feeling familiar. With a precision only he possessed, he prepared the room, arranging the artifacts around him as if preparing a ceremonial array. Every step he took was part of a long-rehearsed ritual, a plan firmly anchored in its darkness.
The room seemed to fill with a strange energy, as if the artifacts themselves were waiting for the moment when they would unleash their true power for him. Lukas paused, looking at the objects before him. His hand brushed over another artifact, a crystal that refracted the light in a mysterious way.
Time seemed to stand still, the moment dragging on. But Lukas knew there was no turning back now. The only way was forward, into the darkness he had always known. His footsteps echoed in the emptiness of the room as he examined the prepared symbols and began activating them with a calm, almost solemn hand.
The room was permeated by a shimmering energy that made him almost tangible. Lukas's gaze darkened as he picked up the last artifact—a relic he had kept for a reason. The moment he needed it was now. A glimpse into the future, the future he would create for himself.
"It begins," he whispered, and the room around him seemed to respond to his words.
Lukas closed his eyes for a moment, his fingers wrapped around the relic he had guarded for so long. A smile, cold and calculating, spread across his face. The room was silent, yet the atmosphere was electric, as if it awaited his every command. He took a deep breath, the draft of air seeming to vibrate even in the darkness.
He opened his eyes, and the shimmering in the room intensified. Slowly, almost solemnly, he took a step forward and placed the relic on the table. A dull thud resounded as the crystal hit the surface, and the room darkened for a moment. But then the artifacts began to glow, the symbols on the floor blazing and intertwining in a dancing pattern. It was as if the darkness itself began to thicken, as if the air were becoming thicker, heavier, charged with an energy Lukas recognized.
His hand rose, and he spread his fingers. A whooshing sound broke the silence, a deep rumble that seemed to come from the ground. Lukas felt it, the power that now emanated from him, the control he had fought for time and again. The artifacts that had made this moment possible were his only allies in this world.
"It is time," he murmured softly, and with a decisive tug of his hand, he released the energy. A massive beam of light and darkness erupted from the relic, coiling around him and the artifacts, which now began to pulse. The darkness around him seemed to come alive, to breathe.
He knew this was the moment when he was no longer just an observer. Now he was the one pulling the strings. And nothing would stop him.
The air around Lukas was thick, almost tangible, as the beam of light and darkness continued to move through the room, the energy around him pulsing in ominous symbiosis. It was a moment of sublimity, a moment when he had complete control over what lurked in the darkness. It was not accident, not fate—it was his choice. And he had consciously brought about every single piece of the power surrounding him.
He stepped forward, and the beam followed his movement, almost as if trying to adapt to it. Lukas reached out, as if to grasp the energy with his bare fingers. A deep, echoing sound filled the room, almost like the roar of a feral beast as the darkness around him solidified into a form. The shadows came alive, creeping from the corners as if trying to penetrate the room. Lukas could feel the tingle of power on his skin as he solidified his connection to everything he had summoned.
"It's only the beginning," he whispered, and there was no doubt in his voice. In that moment, he was unstoppable.
Suddenly, the energy shifted. It grew thicker, more intense, as a new presence entered the room. A creaking sound coming from the wall made Lukas narrow his eyes. A movement from the darkness, a silhouette gradually taking shape. Something that reflected his own creation. Something born from the shadows.
Lukas's smile didn't fade, but it grew cooler, harder. He knew he was in control, yet the unknown still challenged him. The dark shapes began to move closer, slowly, almost threateningly. The darkness he had created seemed to struggle, as if it wanted to stand against him.
"Show yourself," he said calmly, and the shadows continued to shift, the presence that confronted him forming more and more into a grotesque, convoluted being. It was a test—a trial of his power. But Lukas was ready. He had always known that eventually he would come to a point where he would have to challenge himself.
The room began to vibrate, and the being emerged fully from the darkness, a gigantic, distorted entity of shadow and energy that, in Lukas's eyes, had a sparkling, malevolent life.
"You're not the first to try to challenge me," Lukas said quietly, a faint but dangerous threat in his voice.
The battle now unfolding in this room wasn't just physical—it was a game of life and death, of control and chaos. And Lukas would win.
The being that had manifested before him was an image of his own creation, but distorted and filled with malevolent energy. It moved slowly, its massive form seeming to merge with the darkness. A menacing growl sounded as it ripped through the air and the shadows began to spiral around its body.
Lukas's gaze narrowed as he studied the being's movements. He knew it was one of the trials he undertook time and again to consolidate his power. But this time, something was different. The resistance the being offered was stronger than anything he had ever created. It was as if the darkness itself rebelled against him, as if the very matter of space fought against his control.
"I always knew this would end," Lukas said calmly, his voice unwavering. "But you are nothing compared to me."
With a quick, determined step, he pulled his hand from the darkness and opened it. The air around him began to shimmer as the darkness surrounding the creature collapsed in an exploding beam of energy. The room shuddered, and for a moment, the creature's form was completely suffused with light. But the resistance didn't let up—the monster, now almost fully visible in its true, monstrous features, brought its claws down on Lukas.
"Controlling you was a mistake," Lukas said calmly as he extended his hand toward the creature.
The air vibrated as a dazzling, shimmering net formed from his hand and wrapped itself around the creature. Immediately, the light began to pierce the darkness enveloping the creature's body. It screamed, a piercing sound that cut through the air, but Lukas reacted quickly.
With a decisive tug, he pulled the energy together, suffocating the creature in its own darkness, which began to thicken around its body. The monster's roar faded as Lukas gathered the last spark of energy in his hands. The room swallowed the last sound of resistance, and then it was silent.
"And now..." Lukas' voice was a cold, contented murmur. "Now we move on."