The cavern seemed to grow darker as the shadowy beast stepped forward, its massive form blotting out the faint light from the obelisk. The air thickened, charged with an ominous energy that made it hard to breathe. Aran, still weak from his struggle with the obelisk, could feel the weight of the creature's presence pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket.
Torin took his stance beside Aran, sword drawn, his eyes locked on the creature. "We need to take this thing down quickly," he muttered, keeping his voice low. "It's probably tied to the Pale King's defenses."
Alara and Rina positioned themselves on either side of the room, their weapons at the ready. The beast snarled, its glowing red eyes fixed on them, and for a moment, the cavern was silent except for the low growl rumbling from its throat.
Then, without warning, it lunged.
The beast moved faster than any of them expected, its huge body a blur of shadow and teeth. Torin barely had time to react, raising his sword just in time to deflect a swipe of the creature's claws. The force of the impact sent him staggering back, his arms shaking from the blow.
"Spread out!" Aran shouted, pushing himself to his feet despite the lingering exhaustion. "We can't let it pin us down!"
The group scattered, darting to different corners of the cavern as the beast roared in frustration. It swiveled its head toward Aran, sensing his weakened state, and charged at him with terrifying speed.
Aran cursed under his breath, knowing he wasn't strong enough to face the creature head-on. He dove to the side just as the beast's claws slashed through the air where he had been standing, the sharp talons carving deep gouges into the stone floor.
Rina, quick on her feet, took advantage of the opening and loosed an arrow aimed at the creature's flank. The arrow struck true, sinking into the shadowy flesh with a sickening thud. But instead of roaring in pain, the beast merely turned its glowing eyes toward her, seemingly unfazed by the attack.
"It's not enough!" Rina yelled, her voice tinged with frustration. "The arrows aren't hurting it!"
Alara's voice echoed across the chamber as she studied the runes on the obelisk. "It's tied to the magic of this place! Physical attacks won't work—only magic can harm it!"
Torin gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on his sword. "Then how do we bring it down?"
Aran's mind raced as he dodged another swipe of the creature's claws. He could feel the lingering magic in the air—the same energy that had radiated from the obelisk. The creature was feeding off that energy, drawing power from the runes and relics scattered throughout the chamber.
"We need to cut it off from the magic!" Aran shouted, the realization hitting him like a lightning bolt. "The obelisk—it's the key! If we disrupt the flow of power again, it'll weaken the beast!"
Alara nodded, already moving toward the obelisk. She placed her hands on the stone, her eyes closed in concentration as she began to channel her magic into the runes. The light from the obelisk flickered, the energy within it beginning to wane.
But the beast wasn't about to let them succeed without a fight.
It roared, the sound reverberating through the chamber, and lunged toward Alara, its claws raised to strike. Torin moved without thinking, throwing himself between Alara and the creature, his sword raised to block the blow.
The beast's claws collided with Torin's blade, and for a moment, the two forces clashed in a deafening screech of metal against shadow. Torin grunted under the strain, his muscles straining as he pushed back with all his strength.
"Torin, watch out!" Rina shouted.
The beast shifted, swinging its massive tail toward Torin. He didn't have time to react. The tail struck him with a bone-crushing force, sending him flying across the chamber. He hit the wall hard, his sword clattering to the ground as he slumped to the floor, dazed.
"No!" Alara cried, her concentration faltering as she watched Torin fall.
Aran's heart pounded in his chest, panic threatening to overtake him. But he couldn't afford to lose focus now. He knew what needed to be done. He reached for the small crystal shard in his pocket—the one he had taken from the obelisk earlier. It still pulsed faintly with the residual energy of the ancient magic.
"If magic is what it takes…" Aran muttered, his grip tightening around the crystal.
Summoning what little strength he had left, Aran thrust the crystal toward the obelisk. The moment it made contact, a shockwave of energy burst from the stone, surging through the chamber like a tidal wave. The runes on the obelisk flared with light, and the beast let out a deafening roar as the magic that sustained it was abruptly severed.
The creature staggered, its massive form flickering like a dying flame. It swung its head toward Aran, its red eyes blazing with fury, but it was too late. The magic that had kept it alive was gone, and with it, the creature's strength was fading.
Torin, despite his injuries, managed to push himself up. He retrieved his sword and with a final burst of determination, charged at the weakened beast. His blade sliced through the shadowy flesh, cutting deep into the creature's core.
The beast let out one last, guttural snarl before its body dissolved into a cloud of dark mist, dissipating into the air.
The chamber fell silent.
Aran collapsed to his knees, the crystal slipping from his hand as the last of his energy drained away. He could barely keep his eyes open, the exhaustion finally catching up to him.
"Aran!" Rina rushed to his side, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay?"
Aran nodded weakly, his breathing shallow. "I'll… be fine. Just… need a moment."
Alara joined them, her face pale but relieved. "The obelisk is completely disrupted now. The Pale King won't be able to use it to tap into the artifact's power."
Torin limped over, wincing in pain but still standing tall. "Good. That should buy us some time. But we're not out of this yet. The Pale King is still out there."
Aran forced himself to sit up, his mind already turning to their next move. "We need to regroup. Find a way to stop him before he opens the gateway. Whatever power he's after… we can't let him get it."
The others nodded in agreement, the weight of their task hanging heavy over them. They had won this battle, but the war was far from over.
As they made their way out of the cavern, Aran couldn't shake the feeling that something much larger was at play. The obelisk, the artifact, the Pale King—it was all connected, part of a much grander scheme. And he knew that if they didn't figure it out soon, the consequences would be catastrophic.
But for now, they had survived. And that, at least, was something.