Elena's voice echoed through the chamber, barely audible over the roar of gunfire and the rumble of the collapsing fortress. But as soon as she spoke the ancient command, something shifted in the air—something deep, powerful, and far beyond anything Serena had ever felt before. The Lumen Corvus pulsed with a dark, eerie glow in Elena's hands, its smooth, black surface shimmering as if it were alive.
The Seekers, who had been advancing relentlessly, froze in their tracks. Their robed figures halted mid-step, their eyes locked on the glowing artifact in Elena's grasp. Serena saw something she hadn't expected—fear. For the first time, the Seekers hesitated, as if they were suddenly unsure of the power they had sought so desperately to control.
"Elena," Serena whispered urgently. "Whatever you're doing, keep going!"
Elena's face was pale, her eyes wide with concentration as she held the Lumen Corvus out in front of her. The orb pulsed again, and the entire fortress seemed to tremble in response. The very air around them began to ripple, distorting as if reality itself was bending.
Serena crouched behind the pillar, watching in awe and terror as Elena continued the incantation. The Lumen Corvus's glow grew stronger, casting long shadows across the stone walls, the light flickering like fire. The Seekers, who had been moments away from overwhelming them, began to retreat, their movements hesitant and unsure. Whatever power Elena had awakened, it was something even they feared.
But it wasn't just the Seekers who were affected. The fortress itself groaned under the strain, the cracks in the walls widening, and the floor beneath their feet began to shift. Serena felt the ground tremble, as if the ancient structure was being pulled apart from the inside.
"Elena!" Serena called out, her voice filled with urgency. "Can you control it?"
"I don't know!" Elena shouted back, her voice tight with strain. "It's too powerful! I—"
Before she could finish, a shockwave of energy burst from the Lumen Corvus, sending everyone in the room staggering backward. Serena hit the ground hard, the force of the blast knocking the wind out of her. Dust and debris rained down from the ceiling, and the walls of the fortress shuddered as the energy rippled through them.
Serena struggled to her feet, her ears ringing from the explosion of power. She glanced around the room, her heart pounding in her chest. Rebecca and Alex were still alive, though both looked shaken, and Adrian emerged from the tunnel entrance, his face set in grim determination.
"Elena!" Serena shouted, her voice hoarse. "Stop it before it destroys everything!"
Elena was on her knees now, still clutching the Lumen Corvus in her trembling hands. The artifact's glow had intensified, its dark light swirling like a vortex, pulling at the very fabric of the air around them. Elena's face was contorted with effort as she fought to control the raw power coursing through her, but it was clear she was losing the battle.
"I… I can't!" Elena gasped, her voice trembling with fear. "It's too much!"
Serena's mind raced. They had unleashed the power of the Lumen Corvus, but it was more than they could handle. If Elena couldn't control it, the artifact could tear the fortress—and possibly the entire mountain—apart. And if the Seekers managed to take it from her, the consequences would be catastrophic.
The Seekers, momentarily stunned by the power of the Lumen Corvus, were beginning to recover. Serena saw them regrouping, their fear replaced by renewed determination. They wanted the artifact, and they would stop at nothing to get it.
"We have to get it away from them," Serena muttered, her voice tense. "Adrian! Help me!"
Adrian, his face as serious as she'd ever seen it, rushed toward Elena, his movements precise and focused. Serena followed, ducking low as more of the fortress crumbled around them. They reached Elena just as the Seekers began their advance once more, their robed figures moving through the chaos with single-minded determination.
"Elena, give it to me," Serena said, kneeling beside her. "You can't control it. We need to end this, now!"
Elena's eyes were wide with terror, but she clutched the Lumen Corvus tightly, her knuckles white. "If I stop now… I don't know what will happen! It could… it could destroy everything!"
"Then we have to destroy it before it destroys us!" Serena shouted, her voice filled with desperation. "Give it to me!"
For a moment, Elena hesitated, her gaze flickering between Serena and the swirling, pulsating orb in her hands. Then, with a shaky breath, she nodded and handed the Lumen Corvus to Serena.
The moment Serena touched the artifact, a shockwave of energy surged through her body. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before—cold, dark, and all-consuming. The power of the Lumen Corvus pulsed in her veins, filling her with an overwhelming sense of both fear and possibility. She could feel the boundaries of reality bending, the veil between worlds thinning as the artifact's power threatened to tear everything apart.
Serena gritted her teeth, her body trembling as she fought to control the raw energy coursing through her. She could feel the Lumen Corvus pulling at her mind, whispering promises of power, of control over life and death. But she pushed those thoughts away. She knew what she had to do.
"Elena!" Serena shouted, her voice tight with strain. "How do we destroy it?"
Elena shook her head, her face pale. "I don't know! The texts only spoke of activating it, not destroying it!"
Serena's heart sank. They had the power to stop the Seekers, but without knowing how to destroy the Lumen Corvus, they were trapped. And with every passing second, the artifact's power grew stronger, threatening to tear the entire fortress apart.
Suddenly, Adrian stepped forward, his eyes locked on Serena. "There's one way," he said, his voice low but steady. "We have to use its own power against it. Channel the energy back into itself. It's risky, but it's the only way."
Serena's mind raced. She didn't fully understand what Adrian was suggesting, but she knew they didn't have time to question it. The Seekers were closing in, and the fortress was on the verge of collapse.
"How?" Serena asked, her voice hoarse.
Adrian reached out, placing his hand over hers on the Lumen Corvus. "You have to let go of control. Let the energy flow through you and into the artifact. It'll create a feedback loop, and the power will collapse in on itself. But you have to be ready for the consequences."
Serena hesitated. She could feel the power of the Lumen Corvus pulsing through her, its dark whispers growing louder. It would be so easy to give in, to let the power take control. But she knew what that would mean. She couldn't let it happen.
With a deep breath, Serena nodded. "Let's do it."
Adrian tightened his grip on the artifact, his expression hard. "On three."
The Seekers were almost upon them now, their eyes gleaming with the madness of their devotion. Serena could feel the walls of the fortress trembling as the artifact's power reached its peak.
"One… two… three!"
Serena closed her eyes and let go.
The power of the Lumen Corvus surged through her, and for a moment, she felt as though she were being ripped apart. The energy flowed out of her, into the artifact, creating a blinding light that filled the entire chamber. The walls shook, the floor cracked, and the very air around them seemed to explode.
And then, there was silence.
Serena opened her eyes, her body trembling, and saw the Lumen Corvus—no longer glowing, no longer pulsing with dark energy. It was silent, inert.
The Seekers lay motionless on the ground, their robed figures crumpled in defeat.
It was over.
Serena let out a shaky breath, her heart pounding in her chest. The battle had been won, but the cost was great.
And though the Lumen Corvus was no longer a threat, Serena knew that this was only the beginning of a much larger fight.