The abyss thundered as flame and lightning clashed.
Aiden's chains of lightning lashed out, striking against Elias' blazing sword. Sparks exploded like miniature suns, blinding in the void. Every impact rattled the bridge beneath them, cracks spreading like a spider's web.
Elias laughed — not the laugh of a man in danger, but of a predator enjoying the hunt. His sword swept in a flaming arc, carving the air itself. Aiden ducked, the blade scorching past his hair, the heat blistering his skin. He answered with a desperate thrust, his lightning chains snapping forward like fangs.
Elias twisted with terrifying grace. His free hand caught the chain mid-strike, fire spiraling around his palm. The lightning shrieked as it burned away.
"You rely too much on instinct," Elias taunted. "Raw power without control is just noise."
Aiden gritted his teeth. The curse burned inside him, hungry, demanding release. The runes etched into his chest glowed painfully bright. His bones felt like they would shatter.
But he couldn't stop. He wouldn't.
He let the curse surge.
Violet lightning erupted across his body, forming a storm that made the void itself flicker. The marble beneath his feet shattered. For an instant, the Archive whispered — countless voices, all at once, urging him to devour, to consume.
Elias' grin faltered. Just slightly.
Aiden lunged, his chains splitting into a dozen jagged strands. They whipped through the air, weaving into a cage of lightning that collapsed toward Elias.
For the first time, Elias' eyes narrowed. His blade flared, fire surging into an inferno as he slashed. The lightning cage split, collapsing in sparks — but one chain slipped through.
It struck Elias' shoulder, searing into his flesh.
Elias hissed, staggering back a step. The wound smoked. His cloak caught fire. His eyes blazed hotter than ever.
"…Interesting," he said, voice low, dangerous. "So you do have teeth."
He raised his sword high. Flames spiraled upward, reaching into the abyss like a burning pillar. "Then I'll stop holding back."
The bridge trembled. The void shook. The library shelves far in the distance quivered, dust falling like ash.
Aiden's curse screamed inside him. If Elias unleashed that strike, the bridge would collapse — and both of them would be swallowed by the abyss.
The whispers in his skull grew deafening.
"Consume him. Take his flame. Survive."
Aiden clenched his jaw. His body was breaking, every nerve on fire. But he forced the curse higher, higher still, until his veins threatened to burst.
He would not be devoured.
He would fight.
Lightning and fire surged together, two storms colliding on the crumbling bridge.
And just as Elias' sword descended —
A new voice tore through the void.
"STOP."
The entire Archive shuddered. The flames froze mid-swing. The lightning chains halted mid-air. Both Aiden and Elias gasped as a crushing pressure slammed down on them.
From the abyss below, a massive hand of shadow rose, its fingers clawing onto the bridge. Pages of fire and ink swirled around it. A figure began to emerge, towering, faceless, cloaked in the very fabric of the library.
The whispers in Aiden's head went silent.
This was no beast.
This was no trial.
This was something else.
The true Third Trial had begun.
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Author's Note:
🔥 Cliffhanger time! Just when Aiden and Elias are about to annihilate each other, the Archive itself intervenes. Who (or what) is this faceless figure? Friend? Enemy? Judge? Drop your guesses below, and don't forget your power stones if you're enjoying the ride ⚡
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