The battlefield lay sprawled beneath a cracked sky, where shards of broken realms floated like shattered glass. The air vibrated with raw magic as armies gathered—mages wielding their affinities, warriors with enchanted weapons, and creatures summoned from forgotten places.
Lucas stood at the forefront, the Rainbow Orb glowing fiercely in his palm. His body thrummed with all eight affinities—fire, water, earth, air, light, shadow, chaos, and the volatile Ruin. Each pulse was a warning and a promise: this fight would push him beyond any limit.
Beside him, Martha's steady presence anchored him. "Remember," she whispered, "balance is your strength."
A roar shattered the tense silence. From a rift in the sky, the titan descended—massive, blackened obsidian fractured with glowing veins of ruin energy. Its eyes blazed pale blue fire, burning with ancient wrath.
The ground trembled as the titan landed, crushing floating stones beneath its feet. It roared again, a sound like the collapse of worlds, then charged.
Lucas met the charge head-on, channeling fire and air to leap higher, weaving water and earth to shield against the titan's first crushing blow. The clash sent shockwaves rippling through the Veilways.
Magic flared in bursts—Seris's arrows of pure light streaked through the shadows of the titan's form, while Kaelen and the strike team hacked at its limbs, their weapons glowing with Martha's enchantments.
But the titan adapted quickly. It lashed out with wings that stirred storms, tearing chunks from the battlefield and throwing warriors into the abyss.
Lucas gritted his teeth, feeling the Ruin affinity flare dangerously inside. Hold it back, Martha's voice urged in his mind.
He called upon chaos and shadow, striking the titan's side with a blade of black-gold energy forged from his will alone. The titan screamed, staggering under the blow, but retaliated with a blast of corrupt magic that nearly overwhelmed him.
Pain flared across Lucas's chest—the Ruin affinity clawing for control. He clenched the Orb, drawing on Martha's steady light to calm the storm inside.
"This ends now," Lucas growled. He unleashed a torrent of all affinities in a devastating burst—fire blazing, water crashing, earth rising, air howling, light piercing, shadow swallowing, chaos spinning wildly, and Ruin… restrained but burning beneath it all.
The titan reeled, its form cracking like glass under the assault. With a final roar, it collapsed, shattering into countless shards that scattered across the Veilways.
Silence fell.
Lucas collapsed to his knees, exhausted beyond measure, the Orb dimming softly in his palm. Around him, allies cheered, but he barely heard it—his mind wrestling with the price paid to wield such power.
Martha knelt beside him, her hand warm on his shoulder. "You did it. Together."
Lucas met her eyes and found hope there, a reminder that no matter how dark the battle, bonds forged in trust and love could light the way.
The titan was broken—for now.
But the war was far from over.