The air around me felt thick with death, the stench of blood and burning flesh swirling in the chaos of the chamber. I stood over the mangled remains of the monsters, catching my breath, my heart still pounding from the fight. But something shifted. The air changed, became heavier—more oppressive.
I glanced down, watching in horror as the bodies at my feet began to move. At first, it was subtle—a twitch of a limb, the shift of muscle. But then, they began to merge, grotesquely twisting together, flesh and bone fusing into one massive abomination. A monstrous, twisted form rising from the corpses like some nightmare given life.
"Shit…" I muttered under my breath.
The creature was enormous, a walking atrocity. Its arms were grotesque and disproportionate, its body a hideous mess of fused limbs, writhing as if every piece of its being was alive and tormented. Three heads, twisted beyond recognition, growled with yellow, reptilian eyes that gleamed with fury. The monster roared, a guttural sound that reverberated through the chamber, sending waves of dread rolling over me.
"That's...not good," Zig muttered, gripping his weapon tighter, his usual cockiness replaced by a grim seriousness.
Opol, standing beside him, said nothing, but I could see the tension in his grip, the muscles in his jaw clenching as he prepared for the inevitable. This wasn't just a fight—it was survival.
Without another word, we charged.
I moved first, whispering the incantation to the ruby ring, feeling the chaos swell within me like a storm ready to break. The energy flowed through my veins, not like before—when it had filled me with dread—but with a wild, euphoric power. My vision sharpened, my limbs felt light, and I dashed forward with blinding speed, the red chaos energy spilling from me like smoke.
I lunged at the creature, my dagger aimed for its ribs. The blade sliced through flesh and bone, tearing into the beast's side. Black blood poured from the wound, but the monster barely seemed to notice. It swung at me, its massive fist descending like a hammer.
I leapt back, narrowly avoiding the blow, as Opol charged in from the opposite side. His dual swords flashed in the dim light, cutting deep into the monster's leg. It roared in agony, the force of the attack staggering it for a moment. But just as Opol pulled back to strike again, the beast lashed out with one of its grotesque arms, slamming him into the wall with a bone-crushing impact. Opol hit the ground hard, groaning as he struggled to get up.
Zig wasn't far behind. He fired his rifle, the bolts of energy hitting the beast's neck with precision. The heads jerked back, roaring in anger, but it didn't slow. Zig darted to the side, trying to stay out of reach, but the monster was faster than he expected. It swung its arm wide, catching Zig mid-dodge. He was thrown into a pillar, the stone cracking from the force, as he crumpled to the floor like a broken doll.
"Goddamn it," I cursed, my heart racing.
It was just me now.
The monster turned its full attention on me, all three heads snapping their yellow eyes in my direction. It charged, moving faster than something that size should be able to. I could feel the ground tremble beneath my feet as it bore down on me, claws extended, ready to tear me apart.
I whispered the incantation again, louder this time. The chaos within the ruby ring howled in response, the energy surging through my body like fire. The euphoric rage swelled inside me, feeding my bloodlust, making everything sharper—clearer. My movements became a blur, my speed increasing as I ducked under the beast's claws, narrowly avoiding being crushed.
I dashed in close, sliding beneath the creature's legs as it swung both arms at the ground where I had just been. The impact shattered the floor, sending cracks spiderwebbing out in all directions. I leapt onto its back, my dagger ready to strike, but before I could deliver the killing blow, one of the heads snapped around, its massive fist coming up from below.
The hit connected with my ribs, and I felt the air leave my lungs in a rush. The force sent me flying across the chamber, slamming me into the wall with a sickening crack. I slid down the wall, my body screaming in pain as I collapsed to the ground, struggling to catch my breath. Blood dripped from my mouth, and my vision blurred for a moment.
But the chaos... The chaos wouldn't let me rest.
The ruby ring pulsed, the red aura wrapping around me like a second skin. My heart pounded in time with the ring's rhythm, and I pushed myself back to my feet, my grip tightening on my dagger. The pain faded, replaced by the intoxicating rush of power.
The beast roared again, charging at me, but this time I was ready. My body moved on instinct, my speed like lightning as I dodged its massive fists, ducking and weaving through its attacks. The red energy flowed around me, every motion fueled by the chaos, every step faster than the last.
I lunged in again, this time driving my dagger deep into the monster's ribs. The blade pierced through bone, and with a savage growl, I tore through the creature's flesh, feeling its blackened blood spill over my hands. But I wasn't finished. I reached inside, my fingers wrapping around something solid—its heart. With a triumphant snarl, I ripped it free, the beast's body convulsing violently before it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
I stood there, panting, the heart still in my hand, dripping with blood. The chaos inside me buzzed with satisfaction, the ring humming like a predator that had just fed. I glanced over at Opol and Zig, who were pulling themselves from the wreckage of the fight, their eyes wide with shock. They looked at me like I was some kind of monster—a wild beast that had torn through its prey.
And maybe that's what I was now.
The chaos energy dispersed from my body in a slow, seeping wave, retreating back into the cursed ruby ring. I could feel it crawling away from my skin, but the victory was short-lived. A burning pain ignited within me, like molten lava crawling through my veins. It started in my chest, creeping down to my stomach, and within seconds, the agony dropped me to my knees.
I gritted my teeth, struggling to stay conscious, as the pain surged through every nerve, every muscle. My hands hit the ground, fists clenched, trying to dig into the cold stone floor just to anchor myself to reality.
"Fuck, kid, are you alright?" Zig's voice cut through the haze of pain, his usual sarcastic tone replaced with genuine concern. He hesitated, standing over me, clearly unsure if he should even approach. "I don't like ya at all, but you just saved our lives. You really are a piece of work, aren't ya?"
He knelt down, grabbing my arm, helping me to my feet as I groaned in agony. Every movement sent shockwaves through my body, but the searing pain began to fade, replaced by a cold calm that washed over me. I could feel the chaos in the ring, still lurking, still watching, but retreating just enough to let me regain control.
"Where's Opol?" I asked through ragged breaths, my voice barely above a whisper. Zig turned his head, scanning the destruction around us.
"Eh, he's probably under a pile of junk somewhere," Zig muttered, wiping blood from his lip and spitting onto the ground. His eyes flickered with exhaustion and irritation, but there was something else behind them. I couldn't tell if it was gratitude or fear.
I had to lean on Zig for support as we moved. My body felt shattered, every step sending ripples of agony up my legs and into my chest. I could barely stand on my own, my muscles weak and trembling from the aftermath of the fight.
We made our way toward the altar where the priestess lay motionless, her blindfold still over her eyes, her white dress stained with the blood that had been spilled in the chaos. Her golden hair shimmered under the low light, untouched by the violence around us. But as we got closer, something shifted in the air.
A sudden movement—a blur of motion from the shadows.
Before I could react, a hooded figure leapt from the darkness, lunging towards the dagger that had fallen on the ground during the chaos. The world seemed to slow as the figure's hand gripped the handle, the blade glinting ominously in the dim light.
"No!" I tried to shout, but the word caught in my throat, my body too weak to respond.
The hooded figure drove the dagger down, the blade piercing the priestess's chest with sickening precision. The sound of her final breath—a desperate gasp—filled the chamber, and then came the stillness. The red, demonic energy began to flow from her body, like dark, ethereal smoke leaking from the wound. The air around us crackled with dark magic, the kind that made your skin crawl and your soul scream for escape.
I forced my eyes up, my vision still hazy from the pain, trying to focus on the hooded figure. The dark cloak shifted as the figure straightened, the hood falling back to reveal a face I hadn't expected to see.
It was Opol.
The betrayal hit me like a hammer. My mind couldn't fully process it at first—Opol, the one who fought beside me, who risked his life in battle, had just plunged a dagger into the heart of the woman we were meant to save. He didn't even flinch, his face as calm as the still air after a storm. His eyes, cold and calculating, locked onto mine.
"What have you done...?" I whispered, disbelief and fury warring within me.
Opol's lips curled into a smile, a twisted, dark thing devoid of warmth. The air around him shimmered with the same dark energy that flowed from the priestess's body, a malevolent force that I could feel reaching out, trying to pull me under. Zig, standing beside me, stiffened, his eyes wide with shock and rage.
"You really thought this was about saving her, Leon?" Opol sneered, his voice low and sinister. "You've been blind the whole time. The ritual was always meant to happen—whether you interfered or not."
Zig's grip on my arm tightened as if to steady both of us. "You're out of your goddamn mind, Opol! We trusted you, you piece of shit!"
Opol laughed, the sound echoing through the chamber, as more dark energy coiled around him like a serpent. "Trust? You don't understand, do you? The Amberah demand sacrifices, and she... she was always the key to unlocking true power. And now..." He glanced at the priestess, her body limp, blood pooling beneath her. "Now, we're one step closer to summoning something far greater."
The red energy flowing from the priestess began to intensify, swirling around the chamber like a storm, filling the air with a suffocating pressure. I felt the weight of it pressing down on my chest, and the ruby ring on my finger growled in response, its chaotic energy flaring up like it wanted to tear the world apart.
I clenched my fists, rage boiling in my veins. "I'll kill you for this," I snarled, my voice dark, cold.
Opol's grin widened, his eyes glowing with the power of something far beyond human. I stood over the mangled corpses of the monsters, barely able to catch my breath. Blood dripped down my side, my muscles trembling with exhaustion. The chaos energy had left me drained, but I could still feel it burning inside me, flickering like dying embers. But even that power felt insignificant compared to the aura that now surrounded Opol.
His form was shifting, bones cracking as his body twisted into something far more sinister. Massive black wings tore from his back, stretching out like the shadow of death itself. His skin darkened, and his once-human face contorted into a grotesque mockery of what it had been, with glowing yellow eyes that pierced through the dim chamber like burning coals.
"Look at you," he sneered, his voice a deep, guttural growl. "Broken, weak. All this chaos energy in you, and still you're nothing." He glanced at Zig, who was barely able to stand, blood pouring from his mouth as he coughed in the corner. "You thought you were strong, didn't you? That the two of you had some power that could match me? Pathetic."
I gritted my teeth, trying to push through the pain, but every movement felt like I was being torn apart from the inside. The air around Opol grew heavy, suffocating, as his wings cast a dark shadow over the chamber. I could barely stand, but I managed to spit out, "What… are you?"
Opol let out a low, menacing laugh. "What am I? I am power, Leon. True power. I don't need your cursed ruby, and I don't need some pathetic pendant to summon my army. With my new strength, I can tear open a portal to the darkest realms of the cosmos. In two years' time, with enough sacrifices, my army will rise, and there's nothing you or anyone can do to stop it."
He raised his hand, and the very air around us began to shimmer and distort. Cracks appeared in the ground beneath our feet, as if the fabric of reality itself was beginning to unravel. I could feel it—the dark energy swirling around him, pulling at the edges of the chamber, threatening to break through the walls of this world and into something far worse.
Zig tried to take a step forward, but Opol was faster. With a flick of his wrist, Zig was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall like a rag doll. The sound of bones snapping echoed through the chamber as Zig let out a howl of pain, his body crumpling to the floor. Opol's laughter filled the air, deep and resonant, like the tolling of a death knell.
"Is that all you've got?" Opol mocked. "I expected more of a fight."
My body screamed in agony as I forced myself to stand. The chaos energy inside me was weak, but I could still feel it. I tried to summon it again, whispering an incantation into the ruby ring, but the energy sputtered, barely responding to my call. My vision blurred with pain, and I could feel the weight of Opol's power pressing down on me like an anvil.
"You're finished, Leon," Opol said, stepping closer. His wings loomed over me, casting everything into shadow. "But don't worry. Your death will be the first of many. I'll sacrifice this entire world if I have to, and then the next. Soon, the cosmos will be mine to command."
He raised his hand again, dark energy coiling around his fingers like tendrils of smoke. I braced myself, but I could barely move. I was too weak. Too broken. He was going to kill me, and there was nothing I could do.
But then, out of nowhere, a flash of black smoke darted through the room with blinding speed. Before I could even register what was happening, I felt something grab me, yanking me back with incredible force. I could feel the weight of Zig being lifted as well, and in the blink of an eye, we were ripped away from the center of the chamber.
"What the—?" Opol's voice was cut off as the smoke passed him, and a blinding flash of light filled the chamber. I caught a glimpse of his face, twisted in fury, just as the light erupted from behind us. The force of the explosion sent shockwaves through the room, but I was already being carried out, my vision fading.
Through the haze, I saw something—a shadow of a figure, moving impossibly fast. I couldn't make out who or what it was, but in its hand was the glowing green pendant that had been on the priestess's chest. The smoke swirled around us, the pendant flickering with energy as we were pulled from the collapsing chamber.
Opol roared, his demonic form fully revealed, black wings stretched wide as the chamber crumbled around him. His eyes burned with rage as he reached out toward us, but the light and smoke blinded him, keeping him at bay.
"You'll die for this, Leon!" Opol's voice boomed, echoing through the chamber as stones and debris rained down. "You can't escape me! I will find you! I will burn this universe to the ground!"
The last thing I saw before everything went dark was Opol standing amidst the chaos, his monstrous form silhouetted by the burning light, his wings unfurling as black, swirling energy engulfed him. His face had become something unrecognizable, and as his fury tore through the chamber, his aura became almost tangible—an overwhelming, suffocating darkness.
And then… nothing.
Darkness swallowed me whole.