Carrion's world went dark as the demon's sword pierced his chest. The searing pain was almost unbearable, and he fell to his knees, feeling the warmth of his own blood seep through his clothes. The battle around him was a chaotic blur of fire and screams, the village collapsing into chaos as the demon lords' forces overwhelmed them. The once-familiar landscape was now a nightmarish scene of destruction, the sky choked with smoke and the air thick with the acrid stench of burning wood and flesh.
As the darkness closed in, Lyra, her own injuries grievous, tried to reach Carrion. Her flames flared wildly, but the demons were too numerous. With a final, desperate effort, she cast a powerful protective rune around Carrion, creating a brief shield of magic that momentarily halted the advance of the demon lords. Her strength gave out, and she fell beside him, her eyes closing as the life drained from her.
Carrion lay on the ground, the protective barrier flickering weakly. The last thing he heard was the sound of Lyra's final breaths, her whispers mingling with the roar of the battle. "R... run C... Carrion fa-far aw.. ay..." Her voice, strained and fading, was barely audible over the din of destruction. "I... I can't lose everyone... not like this..." His anguish triggered a powerful surge of his innate magic. His flames, ignited by the intense emotional and physical pain, erupted violently from within him.
The explosion of flames was fierce, creating a swirling vortex of dark fire that consumed the area around him. The surge was so intense that it pushed back the demon forces and left a wide, scorched area in its wake. The sheer force of the explosion caused Carrion to lose consciousness. "I can't... I can't lose everyone... not like this..."
Hours later, the chaos had subsided, leaving behind an eerie silence. The remnants of the village lay smoldering, and the demon lords' forces had moved on, leaving a landscape of devastation. Carrion's body lay amidst the charred remains, his unconscious form barely visible against the backdrop of destruction. The once vibrant village now lay in ruins, the memory of its lively streets and bustling homes erased by the flames.
Carrion's consciousness slowly returned, bringing with it a sharp, throbbing pain that radiated throughout his entire body. He was lying in the open, surrounded by the remnants of the battle—charred earth and smoldering ruins. The fierce explosion of his flames had left a significant mark on the landscape, but that same fury had intensified his wounds. "Every breath is a struggle... am I going to die here? Everything... is.. gone now.."
Through the haze, Carrion's eyes fell upon Lyra's lifeless form, lying amidst the wreckage. His heart sank as he took in the sight of the one who had given him so much love and care, now fallen in the very place they had fought to protect. "This is all my fault... why am I so weak??" The emotions that surged within him were a chaotic mix of grief, anger, and a profound sense of emptiness. He could not fully grasp what he felt; it was as if his emotions were tangled in the same darkness that had claimed his home.
Summoning the last of his strength, Carrion managed to crawl over to Lyra. Her body was still warm, but her spirit had long departed. He gently touched her hand, his fingers trembling. "Forgive me... Mom. I couldn't save you..." Tears mixed with the soot on his face as he struggled to process the enormity of his loss. The weight of their final moments together, the chaos, and the pain seemed almost too much to bear.
As he sat beside her, Carrion noticed the remains of their village scattered around. Burnt structures, scattered belongings, and the once-vibrant community were now reduced to ashes. The silence that followed the battle was heavy and oppressive, broken only by the occasional crackle of lingering flames. "Is this all that's left? Everything... turned to ashes. All these memories... turned to dust... and I'm left standing alone in the aftermath."
Carrion knew he could not stay here. He was too weak to fight, too injured to make a stand. "There is nothing left here... I have to move..." The only choice he had was to leave, to find safety and perhaps some answers in the vast, desolate land that had once been Eclipsia. He managed to gather a few essential supplies—a small amount of dried rations, a water flask, and a battered sword he found among the debris. The sword, though worn and imperfect, was a symbol of the strength he needed to summon in the days ahead. "These are just scraps of what's left... but I can't give up now. Not yet. It's all I have left to survive."
With a final, sorrowful look at Lyra, Carrion rose to his feet. "I'll find a way to make this right... I won't let your sacrifice be for nothing." Each step was painful, but he pushed through the agony. The Withered Vale was now his world, a place of ruin and darkness. His journey was far from over, and though the path ahead was uncertain, Carrion was determined to navigate it. The desolation around him was a stark reminder of what he had lost, but it also marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life, a chapter he would face with the remnants of his strength and the lingering memory of those he had lost.
As Carrion moved away from the heart of the village's devastation, he traversed the outskirts, where the destruction was somewhat less severe. The smoldering ruins and scattered debris marked the remnants of what was once his home. His footsteps were slow and labored, his body aching from the wounds and exhaustion.
He had been wandering aimlessly, driven by a deep sense of loss and an unexplainable feeling that something was calling to him. It was amidst this desolation that he noticed an unusual, faint glow emanating from a partially collapsed structure on the edge of the village. The glow was weak but distinct, cutting through the pervasive darkness of the battlefield. "What is that? A light? It shouldn't be here..."
Drawn by this odd light, Carrion approached the structure. As he moved closer, he noticed that the source of the glow was not visible on the surface but seemed to be coming from beneath the debris. "It's not coming from the surface... something beneath, something hidden. What could be buried here?" He began to clear away the rubble and charred remains, guided by an inexplicable pull toward the source of the light.
As he dug through the ash and debris, Carrion uncovered an old, weathered stone slab embedded in the ground. The slab was partially covered by the wreckage but had a faint, ethereal glow radiating from it. Intricate carvings were etched into its surface, forming a rune that seemed to pulse with an ancient energy.
With a mix of curiosity and trepidation, Carrion reached out and touched the rune. Instantly, it flared with intense energy, and a chilling voice resonated from beneath the earth. "What?? What is this??"
"The curse has been awakened. The time of reckoning approaches."
The ground shook violently, and shadows began to emerge, swirling and writhing in response to the rune's activation. Overwhelmed by the sudden surge of magical power, Carrion was thrown to the ground as the earth around him seemed to come alive. His vision blurred and darkened, and the last thing he heard was the fading voice.
"Prepare yourself, for the true darkness has yet to come."