The air thickened with an unnatural chill as the shadows swirled and coiled like serpents around the leader of the Shadowborn. The eerie laugh that echoed from the figure was enough to send a ripple of fear through the soldiers who stood behind Eric. Even the bravest among them couldn't hide their unease.
Eric, however, remained unmoved. His eyes were locked on the shadowy figure before him, his grip on his sword tightening as the weight of the moment pressed down on him. He could feel the dark magic thrumming through the air, vibrating with a malignant energy that set his teeth on edge.
Elara stepped up beside him, her gaze fixed on the swirling shadows. "This isn't like anything we've faced before," she said, her voice low. "Whatever they are, they're ancient… and they know how to control the darkness in ways even you might not be prepared for."
Eric didn't turn to her. "I don't need to be prepared for them," he replied, his voice like steel. "I need to be stronger."
The hooded figure raised their hands, and the shadows surged forward like a wave, crashing toward Eric and his forces. Without hesitation, Eric raised his sword, channeling his own dark magic into it. The blade pulsed with energy, and with a single swing, he cut through the approaching shadows, dispersing them into mist.
But the attack didn't stop. More shadows poured from the figure's hands, their shapes twisting into monstrous forms—creatures born of nightmare, their red eyes glowing as they lunged toward Eric and his army.
"Form ranks!" Sirus shouted, his voice booming through the chaos as the soldiers scrambled into formation. Shields were raised, swords drawn, but the shadow-beasts moved with unnatural speed, striking before the soldiers had time to react.
Screams filled the air as several men were dragged into the darkness, their bodies swallowed whole by the black mist.
"Elara!" Eric shouted, his voice cutting through the din of battle.
She nodded, already summoning her own magic. Blue flames erupted from her hands, forming a barrier around the soldiers, holding back the shadows that threatened to overwhelm them.
But even as Elara's fire pushed back the darkness, Eric could feel it pressing in from all sides, suffocating and relentless.
"We need to push forward!" he growled, slashing through another shadow-creature that lunged at him. "If we let them surround us, we're finished."
Seraphina appeared beside him, her hands glowing with arcane symbols as she cast wards and protection spells over the soldiers. "The shadows are feeding off our fear," she said, her voice calm despite the chaos. "We need to cut off their source of power."
Eric's eyes narrowed as he glanced toward the figure in the distance. "Then we take out their leader."
With a roar, Eric surged forward, his sword blazing with dark energy as he charged through the battlefield. The shadow-creatures scattered before him, unable to withstand the power radiating from his blade. Behind him, his army rallied, their fear momentarily forgotten as they followed their lord into the fray.
The leader of the Shadowborn stood still, watching as Eric approached, their hood obscuring their face. But Eric could feel their gaze on him—cold, calculating, and ancient.
"You are bold, Lord Varek," the figure said, their voice a whisper on the wind. "But boldness alone will not save you."
Eric didn't respond. He simply raised his sword, the blade humming with dark power, and swung with all his might.
The figure moved with inhuman speed, disappearing into the shadows just as Eric's sword sliced through the air. He spun around, searching for his enemy, but the shadows had swallowed them whole.
"Show yourself!" Eric roared, his voice echoing through the battlefield.
A low chuckle came from the darkness. "You cannot fight what you cannot see, Varek. The shadows are everywhere. They are everything."
Suddenly, the ground beneath Eric's feet shifted, and before he could react, the shadows wrapped around his legs, pulling him down. He swung his sword wildly, trying to cut through the darkness, but the shadows were relentless, dragging him deeper into the abyss.
"Elara!" he shouted, struggling against the pull of the shadows. But even as he called for help, he knew that this was a battle he would have to face alone.
The darkness consumed him, swallowing him whole.
---
When Eric opened his eyes, he was no longer on the battlefield. He stood in a vast, endless void of black, the air thick with the stench of death and decay. The shadows clung to him like a second skin, whispering in his ears, taunting him with voices from the past.
"You cannot win," the shadows hissed. "You cannot escape. The darkness is eternal."
Eric's heart pounded in his chest, but he forced himself to remain calm. [This is just another trick. I've faced worse.]
He took a step forward, his sword still in hand, but the ground beneath him was unsteady, shifting like sand. The voices grew louder, more insistent, until they drowned out all other sound.
"You are weak, Varek. You rely on the darkness, but it will betray you."
Eric gritted his teeth. "I am the master of the darkness," he snarled. "Not the other way around."
A figure emerged from the shadows, their face obscured by a hood, but Eric recognized them immediately. It was the leader of the Shadowborn, their presence oppressive and suffocating in the void.
"You think you control the darkness, but you are nothing more than a pawn," the figure said, their voice cold and emotionless. "The power you wield is not yours. It belongs to the shadow, and it will consume you, as it has consumed countless others before you."
Eric's grip tightened on his sword. "I am not like the others. I will not be consumed."
The figure laughed, a hollow, mirthless sound. "We shall see."
Suddenly, the ground beneath Eric cracked open, and from the abyss below, dark tendrils shot up, wrapping around his arms and legs, pulling him down.
Eric struggled, slashing at the tendrils with his sword, but for every one he cut down, two more appeared, binding him tighter and tighter.
"You cannot escape the shadows, Varek," the leader of the Shadowborn said, their voice echoing in the void. "You are one with them now. And soon, you will be nothing more than a vessel for the darkness."
Eric's vision blurred as the tendrils tightened around him, squeezing the breath from his lungs. His sword fell from his grasp, clattering to the ground as the darkness consumed him.
For the first time, Eric felt fear—true, unrelenting fear.
But as the darkness closed in, a single thought burned in his mind.
[This is not how it ends.]
With a final surge of will, Eric reached deep within himself, tapping into the core of his power. The darkness that had always lurked at the edges of his soul, the same power that had made him a villain and a ruler, flared to life.
The shadows around him recoiled as a wave of dark energy exploded from Eric's body, shattering the tendrils that bound him. He stood tall, his eyes blazing with power as he reached for his sword once more.
"I am the darkness," Eric growled, his voice low and dangerous. "And I will not be controlled."
The leader of the Shadowborn hesitated, their form flickering for the briefest moment. In that instant, Eric charged, his sword cutting through the air like lightning.
This time, the figure wasn't fast enough to escape.
Eric's blade sliced through their chest, and with a final, agonized scream, the leader of the Shadowborn disintegrated into the void, their body dissolving into nothingness.
The shadows around Eric faded, and the oppressive weight lifted from his chest. He stood alone in the void, his sword glowing faintly in his hand.
[This is my power,] he thought, his heart pounding in his chest. [And no one will take it from me.]
---
Back on the battlefield, the shadow-creatures crumbled into dust, their forms dissipating as their master fell. The soldiers, battered and bruised, stood in stunned silence as the darkness lifted, revealing the broken landscape around them.
Elara rushed forward, her eyes wide with disbelief as she saw Eric standing amidst the ruins, his sword still glowing with dark energy.
"My Lord…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Eric didn't respond. He simply stared at the horizon, his mind racing with the knowledge of what he had just faced.
And the realization that this was only the beginning.