The battlefield groaned under the weight of steel and fury. The commander's duel with Kael raged at the center, but the clash of his companions was no less dire.
Darian's shield splintered with a crack like thunder. The black-plated guard before him pressed forward, axe teeth grinding through what remained of the wooden face. Darian staggered, dropping to one knee, his breath ragged. Blood stained the ground at his feet, yet his eyes burned stubbornly.
"Stand… or die." The guard's voice was low and guttural.
"I'll die… after you," Darian rasped, lunging forward. With the last of his shield, he shoved the axe wide, drew his short sword, and slammed it into the weak joint beneath the enemy's arm. Metal shrieked, flesh tore, and the guard let out a guttural howl.
But another guard was already there, swinging a heavy blade toward Darian's exposed back.
A flash of steel. Lyra.
She darted in, her dagger knocking the descending sword aside. Her other blade sank deep into the guard's thigh, forcing him down to one knee. Blood sprayed across her face, and she only grinned through it, feral and unyielding.
"Didn't anyone tell you? I hate when you ignore me."
Her grin faltered a second later as a gauntleted fist slammed into her ribs. She hit the ground hard, coughing blood, vision spinning. Yet even as she lay there, her hand refused to let go of her dagger.
Selene, seeing both her companions falter, screamed an incantation. The air shimmered around her, and five radiant spears of light took form, hovering like guardians. With a flick of her wrist, they shot forward—piercing one guard's chest, another's throat.
The third broke through, ignoring the wounds, and charged her.
Her wards flickered, too drained to summon more. She whispered a desperate word, and frost crawled up her arm, condensing into a jagged spear of ice. She hurled it forward with all her strength. It struck the charging guard in the eye.
He fell mid-stride, crashing lifelessly at her feet.
Selene collapsed to her knees, trembling. Her hands were raw, burned from channeling beyond her limit.
The companions stood bloodied, barely breathing, yet alive. And as their eyes lifted, they saw Kael—still locked with the commander. Each clash of sword and hammer shook the battlefield, neither giving way.
And in that moment, they understood: Kael's burden was theirs too. If he fell, everything they had fought for would be dust.