The figure's words echoed through the chamber, the sound grating against Luka's nerves like nails on metal. The oppressive energy that surrounded them seemed to grow thicker with each passing second, coiling around them like a snake ready to strike.
Luka's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his blade as he faced the cloaked figure. Whoever—or whatever—this was, it had clearly been waiting for them. But Luka wasn't about to let some twisted, corrupted being stand in his way.
"We came here for answers," Luka said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "What happened to this place? Who are you?"
The figure tilted its head slightly, as though considering Luka's words. "Answers?" It rasped, its voice dripping with disdain. "There are no answers here, only death. You've disturbed the balance. You will pay the price."
Kaela's golden eyes flickered with warning as she stepped closer to Luka, her stance tense. "This isn't just a remnant of the past, Luka. This thing… it's alive, and it's feeding off the corrupted Aether."
Luka felt the surge of dark energy in the air, the twisted Aether swirling around them like a storm. Whoever this figure was, they had been corrupted by the very energy they sought to control, and now they were little more than a shadow of their former self.
But Luka didn't back down. His free will was what set him apart—he wasn't bound by any destiny, nor was he going to let some corrupted being dictate what happened next. He was here for power, for knowledge, and for the freedom to carve his own path through the galaxy.
"If you're the one who twisted the Aether here," Luka said, his voice filled with quiet confidence, "then you're the one who's going to pay the price."
Without waiting for a response, Luka surged forward, his blade gleaming in the dim light as he swung it toward the figure. The corrupted energy around them seemed to pulse in response, but Luka's movements were swift, precise—he wasn't going to give this thing a chance to strike first.
The figure moved, but not fast enough. Luka's blade sliced through the air, connecting with the figure's cloak and sending a burst of dark Aether spiraling through the chamber. The figure staggered back, a low, guttural growl escaping its lips.
"Fool," the figure hissed, its eyes burning with malevolent light. "You cannot fight the Aether."
Luka's grin was sharp, his blade at the ready. "I'm not fighting the Aether. I'm fighting you."
Kaela moved beside him, her own weapon drawn, her eyes glowing with fierce determination. "This thing may be strong, but it's nothing we can't handle."
The air around them crackled with energy as the figure straightened, its cloak billowing as the corrupted Aether swirled around it like a storm. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and the walls of the chamber began to pulse with dark energy, the symbols glowing faintly in response to the figure's presence.
"You are nothing," the figure spat, its voice dripping with venom. "You will be consumed by the Aether, as all those before you have been."
Luka's heart pounded in his chest, but he wasn't afraid. He had faced danger before, and this was no different. If anything, this was just another obstacle in his path—a path he had chosen for himself.
"We'll see about that," Luka said, his voice calm, focused.The figure let out a roar, its form twisting and warping as the dark Aether consumed it, turning it into a monstrous, writhing mass of energy. The air around them crackled with power, and Luka knew this was going to be a fight like no other.
But he wasn't backing down.Not now. Not ever.
The air in the chamber vibrated with the intensity of the dark Aether energy swirling around the monstrous figure. Luka's muscles tensed as he prepared for the battle ahead, his hand firmly gripping the hilt of his blade.
Kaela stood beside him, her own stance poised for action, her golden eyes locked on the writhing mass of corrupted energy.
The monstrous figure had become barely recognizable, its form now a mass of shadow and Aether, warping and twisting as though the very energy it had sought to control was consuming it. The chamber around them seemed to pulse in response, the dark Aether flowing through the walls, the floor, even the air itself.
"This thing has lost control of the Aether," Kaela muttered, her voice low and steady. "It's become part of the corruption."
Luka nodded, his eyes narrowing as he took in the monstrous figure's movements. This wasn't just some twisted remnant of the past—it was something far more dangerous, something that had been corrupted by the very power it sought to harness.
"You focus on keeping the energy in check," Luka said, his voice firm. "I'll take this thing down."
Kaela gave him a sharp nod, her eyes glowing faintly as she began channeling the Aether around them. Luka could feel the energy shifting as she worked, pulling the corrupted Aether away from the figure, trying to stabilize the chaotic flow of power in the chamber.
The figure let out a roar, its form pulsing with dark energy as it lashed out at Luka, sending a wave of corrupted Aether hurtling toward him. Luka moved quickly, dodging to the side as the energy exploded against the wall behind him, leaving a charred, twisted mark in the stone.
"Nice try," Luka muttered under his breath, his blade flashing as he charged forward.He moved with precision, his body a blur of motion as he weaved through the chaotic energy swirling around the figure.
The dark Aether crackled in the air, but Luka was faster, his blade cutting through the tendrils of shadow that lashed out at him.
As he drew closer to the figure, Luka could feel the raw, unstable energy radiating from it. It was a chaotic force, unlike the pure Aether he had encountered before.
This energy was corrupted, twisted by whoever had once tried to control it, and now it threatened to consume everything in its path.
But Luka wasn't afraid.With a swift, precise movement, he struck at the heart of the figure, his blade cutting through the writhing mass of energy. The figure let out a guttural growl, its form rippling as the dark Aether pulsed around it. But Luka wasn't done.
He pressed forward, his movements fluid and relentless, each strike of his blade sending waves of Aether rippling through the chamber. The figure staggered back, its form shifting and warping as the energy within it struggled to hold together.
Behind him, Kaela worked to stabilize the flow of energy in the chamber, her hands glowing with faint Aetheric light as she redirected the dark energy away from the figure. The air around them hummed with power, but Kaela's efforts were making a difference—the chaotic flow of Aether was beginning to calm, the dark energy weakening.