Final Volume — Chapter 5: The Core of Darkness
The forest beneath the northern ridge had vanished, swallowed by a black void that pulsed like a heartbeat. Lyriana, Aryn, and Eryon approached the edge, feeling the pull of a power older than the kingdom itself. The darkness was no longer just around them—it was beneath them, alive, and aware.
Eryon's shadows writhed violently. "This is its lair. I can feel the ancient sigils resonating. Whatever we face, it knows we're here."
Lyriana's eyes narrowed. "Then we go deeper. We end this now—or it will spread beyond Arvandor."
With a deep breath, she stepped into the void. The relics flared in response, their light cutting through the suffocating darkness. Every step felt heavier than the last, as if the shadows were trying to bind her, whispering doubt and fear into her mind.
Aryn stayed close, sword in hand. "Don't listen to it, Lyriana. It's trying to break you."
Lyriana clenched her fists, feeling the relics thrumming with her heartbeat. "I know. And I won't let it."
The darkness began to take form—a massive figure, coiled like a serpent, its body made of living void and flickering sigils. Its eyes burned crimson, fixated on her. A voice echoed in her mind, deep and resonant.
"Bearer of the relics… you awaken me. Why?"
Lyriana's voice rang out, steady and strong. "Because you threatened my kingdom, my people, and my family. Your time is over."
The figure roared, and the void pulsed violently. Tendrils lashed outward, but Lyriana met them head-on, the relics forming a swirling sphere of combined power around her. Moonlight, emerald, violet, and obsidian merged into a force both protective and offensive.
Aryn and Eryon attacked simultaneously, striking with precision, their combined assault keeping the creature off-balance. But it was massive, intelligent, and relentless.
Lyriana realized with clarity: brute force alone would not suffice. To defeat it, she needed to understand it, to connect with the ancient essence trapped within.
She closed her eyes, letting her heart guide the relics, feeling the echoes of Arvandor's history flow through her.
"I see you," she whispered. "And I will not let you destroy everything I love."
The darkness paused, a ripple of hesitation spreading through it. For the first time, it sensed not fear—but resolve.
And the final confrontation had truly begun.