Chapter 62: The Confrontation
Question of the day: Most hated character?(I dont have a specific one)
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Tyr's boots echoed on the stone floor as he stepped into the Sanctum's inner chamber. The room was vast, its walls lined with intricate carvings that seemed to shift and shimmer in the flickering light of unseen candles.
At the center stood the Ancient One, her silver-gray hair framing a face that was both serene and commanding. Her presence filled the room, an aura of authority that seemed to root Tyr in place.
He didn't hesitate.
"Why?" Tyr growled, his voice echoing in the chamber. His fists clenched at his sides, the anger that had been simmering since his escape boiling over. "Why was this place hidden from me? Why didn't you help me?"
The Ancient One met his glare without flinching. "Because you did not need to find it," she said, her tone calm but firm.
"Not need?" Tyr snapped, his voice rising. "I spent two years—two years—in a hellish prison fighting for my life! And you're telling me I didn't need to find you?"
The Ancient One's expression softened slightly, though her voice remained steady. "Your imprisonment was unfortunate, but it was also necessary."
"Necessary?" Tyr repeated, incredulous. He took a step closer, his jaw tight. "Necessary for what? For me to go insane? To lose everything?"
"Necessary for your growth," she replied.
Tyr's breath caught, his anger momentarily replaced by disbelief. "Growth? You're saying that nightmare was some kind of... training?"
"Yes," she said simply.
Tyr's frustration surged. "Do you even hear yourself? You're playing with people's lives! With my life! All for some mystical agenda!"
The Ancient One inclined her head slightly. "Yes. That is my role."
Her blunt admission stunned Tyr into silence for a moment. His mind raced, trying to process the sheer audacity of her words.
"I am the Sorcerer Supreme," she continued. "It is my duty to protect this realm from dimensional threats that you cannot yet comprehend. To do so, I must make choices—difficult choices. And sometimes, those choices require sacrifice."
Tyr laughed bitterly, running a hand through his hair. "And I was just another pawn on your chessboard."
"No," she said firmly, taking a step forward. "You are not a pawn, Tyr Sinclair. You are a warrior—a protector. But you were not ready."
Tyr's anger flared again. "You don't know me."
"I know you better than you think," she said. Her gaze was piercing, as though she could see straight into his soul. "I have watched you, Tyr. I have seen your resilience, your tenacity. And I have seen your pain."
Tyr turned away, his jaw tightening as her words hit too close to home.
"So what?" he muttered. "You left me there to suffer because you thought it would make me stronger?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
Tyr spun back toward her, his eyes blazing with fury. "You're unbelievable."
The Ancient One remained composed, her hands folded calmly in front of her. "I knew you would survive," she said. "But survival was not guaranteed. That is the nature of growth—it comes with risk, with struggle. Without it, you would not be standing here today."
Tyr's breath was heavy, his fists clenching and unclenching as he fought to control the storm of emotions raging within him. "You don't get to decide that. You don't get to decide who lives or dies for your 'growth.'"
"No," she agreed, "but I do get to decide what is necessary to protect this world."
Her words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding. Tyr wanted to argue, to shout, to make her understand what she had put him through. But deep down, he knew it would be futile. The Ancient One's resolve was immovable, her decisions made with a clarity and purpose that he couldn't yet fathom.
Taking a steadying breath, Tyr changed tactics.
"Fine," he said, his voice cold. "If this was all part of your grand plan, then what now? What's the next trial you're going to throw at me?"
The Ancient One studied him for a moment, her gaze unreadable. "There is no trial, Tyr. Not anymore. You have proven yourself capable of surviving the worst."
"Then teach me," he demanded. "You clearly think I'm ready for something, so teach me. Show me how to fight these dimensional threats you're so concerned about."
She shook her head. "Not yet."
Tyr's frustration boiled over again. "What do you mean, 'not yet'? You just said I've proven myself!"
"You have proven your strength and resilience," she said. "But you do not yet understand your power."
Tyr frowned, his anger tempered by confusion. "What are you talking about? I know my power—telekinesis, Force Sense, all of it. I've been using it for months."
The Ancient One shook her head again. "You have only scratched the surface. Your abilities are far greater than you realize. Until you understand their true nature, teaching you the mystical arts would be reckless."
Tyr opened his mouth to argue but stopped himself. Her words lingered in his mind, tugging at something he couldn't quite grasp.
"The power you wield," she continued, her voice softer now, "is unique in this world. It is not magic, not science. It is something far older, far deeper. And it is tied to you in ways that you have yet to uncover."
Tyr ran a hand through his hair again, his frustration giving way to a deep, simmering resentment. "So what am I supposed to do?" he asked, his voice low.
The Ancient One stepped closer, her presence almost comforting despite the tension between them. "You are to continue on your path," she said. "Train. Learn. Grow. And when the time comes, you will understand."
Tyr clenched his jaw, his fists tightening at his sides. "That's it? That's your big revelation?"
"For now," she said with a faint smile.
He scoffed, turning away from her. "You're unbelievable."
"Perhaps," she said. "But you are still standing here, alive and stronger than before. Remember that, Tyr Sinclair."
Tyr didn't respond. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room, his mind a whirlwind of anger, confusion, and something he couldn't quite name.
As the heavy doors of the Sanctum closed behind him, he exhaled sharply, his hands trembling.
"Understand my power," he muttered under his breath. "Fine. I'll figure it out. But don't think for a second that I'm doing this for you."