The moment the final rune shattered, the dark energy in the room shifted, flickering with instability. The once overwhelming power of the portal was now unstable, its swirling surface pulsing erratically as if struggling to maintain its form. But despite the damage they had done, K still stood at the heart of the chaos, his hands raised toward the portal, channeling every ounce of his magic into keeping it open.
"You fools!" K snarled, his voice trembling with fury. "Do you really think you can stop me? The barrier is weak. I've come too far for you to ruin this!"
Alex's grip tightened on his sword, the crystal amulet pulsing in his hand as he felt the connection between the portal and K. They had destroyed the runes powering the portal, but K's own magic was sustaining it now. They would have to stop him directly if they wanted to close it for good.
"We need to take K down, now!" Alex shouted, turning to his team as they gathered around him. "The runes are gone, but he's using his own power to hold the portal open. If we can break his focus, we can stop this."
Betsy nodded, her bow already drawn. "We've come this far—we'll finish him."
Drax, grinning through the exhaustion of the fight, hefted his hammer onto his shoulder. "Let's smash this guy once and for all."
Rogan, always the cautious strategist, narrowed his eyes as he studied K. "We have to be careful. He's desperate now, and desperate enemies are the most dangerous."
Luke, standing calmly beside them, his shield still raised, offered his simple word of encouragement: "Verum."
With renewed determination, CODE moved as one, charging toward K as the portal crackled with unstable energy behind him.
K's Last Stand
As CODE surged forward, K let out a roar of fury, summoning a storm of dark magic that crackled and twisted in the air around him. His eyes blazed with hatred as he raised his hands, unleashing a torrent of energy that ripped through the chamber, sending shockwaves through the stone walls and shaking the very ground beneath their feet.
"You think you can stop me?" K sneered, his voice filled with venom. "I've bent the laws of this world to my will. I control the power of the portal. You are nothing compared to me!"
The blast of dark energy hit CODE like a tidal wave. Alex barely managed to raise his sword in time to deflect the worst of it, the sheer force of the magic pushing him back as the ground trembled beneath his feet. Drax, always the shield in moments like these, charged forward to absorb the brunt of the attack, his hammer swinging in wide arcs as he deflected the magical blasts with brute strength.
"Come on, K!" Drax bellowed, his grin wild despite the chaos around them. "Is that the best you've got?"
But even as they fought, Alex could feel the weight of the battle pressing down on them. K's power was immense, and though the portal was unstable, it was still growing. Every second K managed to hold his focus on the portal brought them closer to disaster.
"We can't keep this up for long," Rogan muttered, dodging another blast of magic as he moved through the shadows, trying to find a weak point in K's defenses. "He's pouring everything he has into that portal."
"We need to break his concentration!" Alex shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "If we can distract him, even for a moment, we might be able to use the amulet to close the portal."
Betsy, already moving into position, loosed another arrow that flew straight toward K. But with a flick of his wrist, K deflected the arrow with ease, his eyes glowing with dark power.
"You think your pitiful weapons can touch me?" K sneered. "I am beyond you!"
But Betsy wasn't finished. Her sharp eyes caught a flicker in K's defenses, a momentary lapse in his focus as he turned his attention toward Alex. With quick precision, she fired another arrow, this one aimed not at K, but at the unstable portal behind him.
The arrow struck the swirling surface of the portal, and the effect was immediate.
The portal wavered, its surface rippling as if in pain. For the first time, K's expression faltered, his eyes widening as he felt the destabilization of the magic he had worked so hard to control.
"No!" K snarled, his voice filled with desperation. "You will not interfere!"
A Glimmer of Hope
The moment K's focus wavered, Alex knew they had their chance. The portal was flickering, its connection to K's magic weakening with every second. If they could disrupt his concentration further, they might be able to sever the connection entirely.
"Keep hitting the portal!" Alex shouted, his eyes blazing with determination. "We can break his hold on it!"
Betsy loosed another arrow, this time aiming directly for K's outstretched hands as he struggled to regain control of the portal. The arrow struck true, hitting the shield of dark magic that surrounded him, and for a brief moment, K staggered.
"Now!" Alex shouted, raising the amulet high as its glow intensified, reacting to the energy of the portal.
Drax, ever the warrior, charged forward with a roar, swinging his hammer with all his might. The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber, and K stumbled again, his connection to the portal faltering.
"You think you can break me?" K snarled, his voice filled with fury as he raised his hands to unleash another wave of magic. "I am the future of this world!"
But CODE was relentless. With every attack they made on the portal, K's grip on it weakened. The magic that had once seemed so unstoppable now flickered with instability, and Alex could feel the balance shifting in their favor.
"We're almost there!" Rogan shouted, moving quickly through the shadows as he struck at the weak points in K's defenses. "Keep pushing!"
Luke, ever the calm and steady presence, stood beside Alex, raising his shield to block the incoming blasts of magic. His voice, though quiet, was filled with certainty: "Verum."
The Final Push
With K's magic faltering and the portal on the verge of collapse, Alex knew they were running out of time. The energy in the room was growing more unstable by the second, and if they didn't act fast, the entire chamber could come crashing down around them.
"We need to finish this!" Alex shouted, his voice filled with urgency as he raised the amulet once more. "Get ready—we're going to close the portal!"
But K, ever defiant, let out a furious roar, summoning one final surge of dark magic that rippled through the chamber like a storm. His eyes blazed with hatred as he focused all of his remaining power on CODE.
"I will not be defeated by you!" K snarled, his voice trembling with rage. "I am beyond your reach!"
The blast of magic hit them like a tidal wave, sending Alex and the others reeling. The ground shook violently, and the portal surged with renewed energy, its unstable surface rippling with chaotic power.
Alex felt the weight of the magic pressing down on him, but he refused to give up. With a final surge of determination, he raised the amulet high, focusing all of its power on the portal.
"This ends now!" Alex shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
The amulet pulsed with a brilliant light, its energy clashing with the magic of the portal. For a moment, the entire chamber seemed to freeze, the swirling vortex of dark energy faltering as the amulet's power surged into it.
K's eyes widened in shock as he felt the portal slipping from his control. "No!" he screamed, his voice filled with desperation. "You cannot stop me!"
But it was too late.
With a final, blinding flash of light, the portal collapsed in on itself, the swirling energy imploding as the barrier between worlds was sealed once more.
K let out a scream of rage and despair as the magic was ripped from his control. The dark energy that had surrounded him dissipated, and he fell to his knees, his power broken.
Alex stood over him, his sword still drawn, the amulet glowing faintly in his hand. "It's over, K."
For a moment, K said nothing. His once-powerful form now seemed weak, broken by the very magic he had tried to control. His eyes, once filled with hatred and arrogance, now held only a flicker of disbelief.
"You... you have no idea what you've done," K whispered, his voice barely audible. "This is far from over."