Sorcerer Potential

William was kicked by Zhang Ming into a portal neither to Earth, nor any known universe, but to the Dark Dimension. This realm was said to have no natural source of light; there were no stars, as every bit of stellar energy had been devoured by Dormammu, the conqueror of universes. This left a desolate universe filled with dead planets, barren of any life that could resemble Earth's. However, one constant rule of the universe persisted: just as a river finds its way to the ocean, life always finds a path to survive. Here, life had adapted, using dark energy as its sustaining source. These beings had a natural mastery over the flow of dark energy, granting them immense endurance. They did not age, feel hunger, or suffer mortal wounds. Essentially, they were immortal. But this existence came at a price—their souls were corrupted, binding them to this dark world. They were prisoners, forever trapped in darkness, deprived of sunlight, fresh air, and soil underfoot.

As William looked around, he was met with absolute darkness. Unable to see his own hand, he feared he'd gone blind and fought the urge to scream. He managed to suppress his terror, recalling his training in Kamar-Taj, where sorcerers learn to control their emotions and keep the link between their soul and the universe. To make sense of his surroundings, he summoned an orb of light through his magic. However, the orb barely illuminated a meter around him, rendering the dense forest he was in almost indistinguishable. Just as he was getting his bearings, an eerie screech echoed nearby. His instincts screamed for him to run and hide, but in this unfamiliar realm, he had no idea where to go. Heart racing, he took off in a random direction.

The screeching grew louder, more aggressive, like a predator closing in on prey. William was no longer in a civilized world; he was now in a place where only the law of survival prevailed. He ran as fast as he could, stumbling and falling face-first into the ground. A shiver ran down his spine as he felt Death breathing down his neck, leaving him defenseless.

Suddenly, from the shadows, a creature emerged. To William, it was a horror to behold—a hulking figure the size of a rhinoceros, devoid of eyes, with only a gaping mouth and large ears. It didn't attack him immediately, though; instead, it hesitated, sensing something unusual about William. The creature, sensitive to the energy in the Dark Dimension, seemed confused by William's unfamiliar aura. Following the instinct of survival, it held back, wary of attacking something unknown.

Seeing a potential escape, William prepared to cast an offensive spell. Just then, he heard a feminine voice, eerily human, advising him, "Don't move! Point that light source in the opposite direction."

Without hesitation, William directed his light orb away from himself. Instantly, the creature shot off in pursuit of the light, as if he'd vanished from its awareness. But before he could fully process what had happened, he felt the cold blade of a weapon at his throat.

This time, though, he was prepared. Unable to see, he had focused his energy on sensing his surroundings and now held an awareness of everything within a ten-meter radius.

"Do you really want to kill me after saving my life?" he said, using the words to buy time to create some distance. But to his surprise, there was no reply. As the blade eased from his throat, he seized the moment, activating a spell to thrust himself backward, putting space between them.

He sensed his assailant's exact location and didn't hesitate—conjuring a flurry of air blades with a sharp sweep of his hand, he sent them hurtling toward her with deadly precision. But she moved faster than expected, evading the blades with almost unnatural speed, blending into the shadows like she was part of the darkness itself.

William barely had a moment to process her agility when a barrage of shadowy tentacles erupted toward him. They moved with purpose, aiming to bind his limbs and prevent him from casting. Instinctively, he conjured energy chakras in each hand, spinning them swiftly, slashing through the tentacles with decisive strikes. Fragments of dark energy dissipated, but the creature came back, relentless.

He felt her shifting again, her movements quick, almost serpentine, as she closed the gap. He shifted his stance, activating a defensive ring of flame around himself that radiated light, illuminating the area in a flickering glow. The flame drove her back slightly, her figure momentarily visible—a silhouette cloaked in a dark, almost liquid aura, her form blurring at the edges as if she could melt into the shadows at will.

William steadied himself, extending his awareness to every corner of the dark dimension around him. His opponent remained an eerie silhouette in the shadows, but he sensed her movements—a precise and poised presence. Without warning, William unleashed a fierce gust of wind, slicing through the dark air like a blade. The woman dodged swiftly, weaving through his attacks with an agility that surprised him.

As he closed the distance, he called upon elemental magic, creating a vortex of fire in his hands, thrusting it forward with precision. The flames roared, illuminating her face just long enough for him to see her calm, calculating gaze. In response, she twisted her own energy into an orb of dark fire that swallowed his flames whole, its intense heat forcing him to retreat.

"Impressive," she muttered, circling him with a predator's patience. "But futile here."

He smirked, masking his growing fatigue. "Maybe you'll reconsider after this," he said, summoning a series of crystalline energy shards, sending them spinning her way. She countered with dark energy barriers, and the battlefield erupted in flashes of light and shadow as each attack clashed. The dark dimension around them seemed to feed her power, making her defenses impenetrable as she deflected his strikes.

With every spell he cast, William felt the dark energy creeping into his soul, pulling at his focus, making each successive attack slightly weaker. Yet he continued, a relentless series of air slashes and fire bursts aimed with deadly precision.

She moved almost effortlessly, her dark tendrils meeting each attack, winding through the air like serpents. But William anticipated this, countering with a powerful shockwave that threw her back, nearly knocking her off her feet.

For a brief moment, he thought he might turn the tide. But as he prepared his next spell, a jarring pain spread through his chest. The dark energy of the dimension was sinking deeper, clawing at his core. His hands trembled as he cast a spell, and he noticed his usual sharpness fading, his movements becoming slower, heavier.

The woman noticed too, her eyes narrowing with realization. She took advantage, launching her own counterattack—a barrage of dark projectiles that streaked toward him. He dodged and parried, but each evasion took more out of him. Desperately, he conjured a radiant shield, but as her strikes collided with it, the barrier began to fracture, cracks splintering outward.

"Getting tired, are we?" she taunted, her voice a calm contrast to the violence of her attacks. "The dark dimension doesn't take kindly to outsiders."

William grit his teeth, struggling to maintain his defenses. Summoning one final burst of energy, he hurled an explosive arc of lightning, the flash briefly illuminating the darkness. She dodged, but the force rattled her for a moment. It was short-lived, though; William felt his strength slipping, his power draining faster with each attack. His knees buckled slightly, and he could no longer ignore the weight pressing on his spirit.

The woman stepped forward, her own energy still potent, amplified by the very darkness that was corroding him. She cast a powerful, final strike, the dark tendrils coiling around his arms and legs, rooting him to the spot.

As he struggled against the bindings, he felt the weight of his power slipping, his connection to his spells weakened beyond recognition. She approached, her expression almost sympathetic as she spoke.

"You fought well, but here, you're out of place. The more you resist, the more it takes from you," she said quietly.

William's vision began to blur, his strength ebbing as the dark energy overtook him. He collapsed to one knee, still defiant but unable to fight back. His final sight before darkness overtook him was her standing above him, victorious but oddly contemplative, as if considering a mercy he hadn't expected in this dimension devoid of light.

When William regained consciousness, he found himself in a dim, unfamiliar space. Relief washed over him—he was alive. Yet that comfort was short-lived as he saw her silhouette ahead. She had spared him, and he was at her mercy.

"Thank you for sparing my life," he managed. "Life is priceless; I could never repay that debt. Since you saved me, may I ask—where are we, and who are you?"

She regarded him coldly. "Your life isn't mine to take, sorcerer. You'll be handed over to the authorities of the Dark Dimension. I spared you out of curiosity—I've never encountered a sorcerer from another realm. Otherwise, you'd still be unconscious, awaiting judgment."

She leaned closer. "And don't attempt escape. Use your magic, and this place will devour it. Choose wisely."

William, unsettled but curious, asked, "Why is my magic fading? I knew the Dark Dimension would be harsh, but not like this."

"Your soul doesn't belong here," she replied. "Your magic shields you, but this place feeds on it. That's all you need to know. Now, we're moving."

"Where?" he asked, a sense of dread rising.

"To the council of the King, Dormammu himself. He'll decide your fate."

The name struck William with a terror he couldn't shake. He spoke without thinking, "Can't you send me back? I'll go quietly. And… who are you, to summon Dormammu?"

She laughed, a low, chilling sound. "You've had a bad day, haven't you? I'm the only one who can request Dormammu's presence freely. I'm Clea, his daughter. And in this dimension," she said with a warning smile, "mercy has no place. Power is everything. Don't expect kindness."