The stars screamed.
Femi's armada tore through space like a black tidal wave — metallic serpents twisting toward Eldoria's shields. War horns thundered through every citadel tower. The defenses awakened — arcane runes blazing, celestial cannons locking aim.
Samuel stood at the vanguard — void rippling beneath his skin in violent, hungry pulses.
Ignara cracked her knuckles — flames swirling like war banners.
Zephira floated beside her — lightning coils ready to strike.
Nysara formed walls of liquid sapphire, shimmering with lethal calm.
Daniel — positioned behind the frontline — planted his feet, breathing in trembling bursts.
"Okay… celestial pulse… please don't blow me up."
Tristan stepped beside him, placing a steady hand on his shoulder.
"You won't. I believe in you."
Daniel swallowed.
"That makes one of us."
⸻————————-
Femi's Broadcast
The heavens flickered — and Femi's image erupted across the dome of reality.
Tall. Smirking. Aura dripping arrogance.
"Oh, how the mighty cling to power."
His voice slithered through every mind.
"Samuel Herindor — devourer of stars — slayer of balance. Hand yourself over… or watch realms crumble under your catastrophe."
Samuel growled:
"I'm not your pawn. And I'm not your puppet."
Femi laughed — cold, chilling, endless.
"No, Samuel. You are simply…
my problem to erase."
He made a gesture.
The armada opened fire.
⸻—————————————————————
Battle Ignites
Doomfire cannons unleashed torrents of corrupted energy.
Ignara exploded upward — turning incoming blasts into volcanic counterstrikes.
Zephira summoned a hurricane of plasma-charged winds — shredding enemy drones like paper.
Nysara flooded void flames with tidal force — steam pillars erupting brighter than suns.
Tristan slammed his palms into the ground — the earth itself roaring.
Stone giants erupted from the soil — shields of mountain and fists of granite.
Samuel leapt forward — void detonating in a massive, spiraling wave — consuming missiles mid-air.
But the energy kept coming.
Too much.
Too fast.
⸻——————————————————————-
Daniel's First Strike
Daniel thrust his hands forward — and—
Beams of doomlights collided with an invisible field — then inverted direction — tearing apart the ships that fired them.
Daniel gasped — overwhelmed.
Tristan steadied him.
"Breathe. You're doing it."
"Barely!"
He pushed — harder — sweat dripping, eyes glowing with white-blue cosmic resonance.
The battlefield tilted.
⸻—————————————————————
A Familiar Betrayal
Above them — illusions shimmered.
Femi stepped from a rift — real this time — applauding slowly.
"Magnificent. I knew your little mortal pet would surprise us."
Samuel launched forward — void in a blinding spear —
Femi vanished — reappearing behind Tristan.
"Still recovering, Earthheart?"
Before Tristan turned — Femi's hand plunged into his side — dark curse flaring viciously.
Tristan screamed — collapsing.
Samuel roared — eyes glowing catastrophic gold.
He grabbed Femi by the throat — void scorching.
"You touch him again… and I erase you from existence."
Femi grinned —
"Promises, promises."
A pulse of violet lightning — and Femi vanished into a portal.
⸻——————————————————————
Tristan Falls
Samuel dropped to his knees beside Tristan — who bled starlight and soil essence.
"Stay with me! Tristan!"
Tristan coughed, voice strained:
"You… always get dramatic… when I'm dying…"
"Don't say that."
Tristan's hand trembled — reaching for Samuel's face.
"You're… still holding back. You can't afford to."
Samuel's voice cracked:
"If I let go… there may be nothing left to save."
Tristan's eyes fluttered.
"That's why… I'm here…"
He passed out — pulse flickering.
Samuel's breathing fractured.
⸻——————————————————————
Void Unleashed
Kaelen's voice shouted from far behind:
"Herindor! Hold yourself together—"
But Samuel wasn't listening.
The void answered the rage.
Space warped. Time frayed. Gravity shattered.
The sky tore open.
A crack across the fabric of existence.
Daniel screamed:
"SAM! STOP! You're ripping reality—!"
But Samuel's power surged uncontrollable — and—
Enemy warships collapsed in on themselves — reduced to nothing — consumed by pure absence.
Every soldier on the field froze in terror.
Femi's forces RETREATED — immediately.
Because something worse than Femi…
…had awakened.
⸻——————————————————————
Aftermath Shock
Silence fell like a killing blow.
Samuel stood still — trembling — void dripping from his fingers like liquid shadow.
Even Daniel stepped back — afraid.
Only one voice broke through the horror:
"Samuel."
Queen Solene — calm, unwavering — eyes glowing with solar authority.
"You just proved Femi right."
Samuel's heart plummeted.
He looked at his hands — at what he had done.
Then at the unconscious Tristan — the reason for his rage.
A whisper escaped him — broken… terrified:
"I can't control this…"
Daniel rushed to his side — grabbing him tight:
"That's why we're here. You're not alone."
Samuel closed his eyes —
But somewhere distant — a voice laughed.
Femi. Watching.
Winning.
⸻——————————————————————