The tension in the air was palpable. The masked man standing before them radiated an eerie, unshakable presence. Cassian's fingers twitched at his side, his breathing uneven as he stared into the eyes of the brother he had long thought dead.
"Elias…" Cassian's voice barely carried over the howling wind.
Elias, now a general of the Shadow King's army, tilted his head slightly. "You shouldn't have come here, brother."
Damen stepped forward, his sword gleaming with fresh blood, the remnants of their last battle still clinging to the blade. "We're not leaving without answers."
Elias smirked beneath his mask. "Then I suggest you prepare to die."
The Truth of Elias's Fate
Cassian's mind raced as he struggled to process the revelation. His brother—his protector—had been taken, twisted by the darkness. But why? What had the Shadow King done to him?
"You don't have to do this," Cassian said, his voice almost pleading.
Elias's laughter was bitter. "Don't I? You have no idea what I've seen. What I've endured." He stepped closer, the edge of his cloak brushing the scorched earth. "The Shadow King gave me purpose when you left me for dead."
Cassian shook his head. "We thought you were—"
"Dead?" Elias interrupted, his voice colder than the winds sweeping through the ruins. "You left me behind. You abandoned me to rot in that abyss."
Damen watched the exchange carefully. He had seen hatred before, but this… this was something far worse. This was a wound that had festered into something beyond recognition.
Zyra's Power Awakens Further
As the confrontation unfolded, Zyra felt the same energy pulsing through her veins, stronger than before. The air around her hummed with an unseen force, and then, suddenly, a spark of white-hot energy erupted from her fingertips.
Elias's gaze snapped to her. "So… it's true," he mused. "You are the key."
Zyra staggered backward, barely suppressing the surge of power. "What are you talking about?"
Elias chuckled darkly. "You don't know, do you?" He glanced at Valen, whose expression darkened. "Tell them, Valen."
Valen stiffened but said nothing.
"Tell them what she is," Elias pressed, his voice laced with cruel amusement. "Tell them that she was never meant to exist."
Zyra's breath caught in her throat. The world seemed to tilt around her. "What…?"
Elias took another step forward. "The Shadow King never wanted her dead," he said smoothly. "He wanted her controlled."
The truth hit Zyra like a physical blow. Her power was not a gift—it was a curse. A weapon waiting to be wielded by the highest bidder.
Valen's Redemption Begins
Damen turned sharply to Valen. "You knew?"
Valen clenched his fists. "I suspected."
Cassian's anger flared. "And you didn't think to share that with us?"
Valen met Zyra's gaze, his expression filled with something that looked almost like regret. "Because I wasn't sure if she was strong enough to hear it."
Zyra's heart pounded. "And now?"
Valen's jaw tightened. "Now, it doesn't matter. Because they're here."
The first arrow whistled through the air before anyone could react. Zyra barely managed to dodge as the Shadow King's forces descended upon them, weapons drawn, eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
Elias raised a hand, and the earth trembled beneath them. "You're too late," he said, voice filled with finality. "The war has already begun."
Damen's grip on his sword tightened. There was no turning back now.
And in that moment, the shadows of the past came crashing into the present, threatening to consume them all.