The air was still as Aran, Lyssa, and Edward left the presence of the obelisk, each weighed down by the enormity of the Oath they had sworn. The once vibrant and perilous realm that had tested their resolve now felt subdued. It was as if the land itself acknowledged their transformation, the very soil bending to their newly anointed role as Guardians of the Eternal Balance.
They moved in silence for what felt like hours, their footsteps the only sound as they navigated the maze of stone paths and ancient ruins. The landscape was changing, slowly morphing from the alien environment into something more familiar, more grounded. Soon, they found themselves standing before the edges of the realm, where the fabric of this reality thinned, opening a portal back to their world.
Edward was the first to speak, breaking the uneasy quiet. "Now that we've accepted the Oath, things will be different." His eyes glimmered with excitement. "I can already feel it. The connection to the Balance—it's like I can sense the shifts, the ripples caused by every movement in the world."
Aran, his thoughts still clouded, glanced at Edward. "And what does that mean for us, exactly? We're not just adventurers anymore. We've been bound to something far larger than any of us could've imagined."
Lyssa, who had been unusually silent, finally spoke up. "I don't care how large this Oath is. If it means we're still being used as puppets, I'm not interested." Her hand instinctively rested on the hilt of her sword, a reminder that no matter what powers they were given, she would always choose her own path.
Edward smirked but didn't respond, his mind clearly elsewhere. Aran could sense the shift in his companion's demeanor. Edward was more alive than ever, feeding off the new energies swirling within him, but that excitement carried with it a dangerous edge.
As they neared the portal that would return them to the realm of the living, the hairs on the back of Aran's neck prickled. Something was watching them. His instincts, honed over countless battles, screamed of danger lurking in the shadows.
He halted, holding up a hand. "Wait."
Lyssa and Edward both stopped in their tracks. "What is it?" Lyssa asked, her voice low, her body already tensed for combat.
Aran scanned their surroundings. "We're not alone."
As if on cue, the air shimmered, and from the darkness of the landscape, figures began to materialize. Cloaked in shadows, their forms were indistinct, but Aran recognized the presence immediately. These were not mere specters or illusions—these were assassins.
"Watch yourselves," Aran warned, his hand inching toward his weapon.
The shadowy figures didn't make a sound as they circled the trio, their movements fluid and precise. They carried an air of purpose, of lethal intent.
Lyssa's sword was already drawn. "Assassins," she muttered. "It's been a while since we've been this popular."
Edward, unfazed, raised his staff slightly, its tip glowing with raw magical energy. "They have no idea what they've just stepped into."
One of the assassins stepped forward, his voice low and menacing. "The Oath may protect you from the whims of the cosmos, but it will not save you from us."
Aran narrowed his eyes. "Who sent you?"
The assassin's only response was to draw a blade, its edge glinting in the faint light. Without another word, the assassin lunged forward, his speed inhuman, aiming straight for Aran's throat.
But Aran was faster.
In an instant, his blade met the assassin's, deflecting the blow with a clang that echoed through the stillness. Lyssa was already moving, her sword a blur of steel as she intercepted two other assassins who had darted toward her. Edward stood back, channeling his magic, his eyes glowing with the same energy that now coursed through him from the Oath.
The battle was swift and brutal. Aran's movements were precise, every strike calculated, every block a flawless execution of technique. He moved with a grace that only years of experience and training could bring, but now, something was different. The Oath's power coursed through him, amplifying his every action, guiding him with unseen force.
Lyssa fought like a tempest, her blade carving through the shadows with deadly precision. Her fury was palpable, each strike a reflection of her simmering anger at being bound to forces beyond her control. Yet, despite her frustrations, she moved with deadly efficiency, cutting down the assassins who dared cross her path.
Edward was the lynchpin. His magic, now infused with the essence of the Balance, was unlike anything Aran had ever seen. He didn't just cast spells; he wielded the very fabric of the universe itself. With a wave of his hand, he bent the assassins' shadows to his will, turning their own darkness against them. One by one, they fell, consumed by the very shadows they had tried to wield.
As the last assassin crumbled into the ground, Aran stood over him, blade in hand. "Who sent you?" he demanded once more.
The assassin, his body broken and fading into the shadows from whence he came, managed a final, rasping breath. "The balance… is shifting… others… will come."
And with that, he was gone.
Aran sheathed his sword, his mind racing. "They know about the Oath."
Lyssa wiped her blade clean, her expression dark. "And they're not happy about it."
Edward, still high on the rush of magic, grinned. "Let them come. We've just begun to understand our true power."
But Aran was less certain. The Oath had made them Guardians, but it had also made them targets. And now, the shadows were moving, seeking to upset the balance they had sworn to protect.
"More will come," Aran muttered, his gaze distant. "We need to be ready."
The portal to their world still stood before them, but Aran knew that stepping through it would only invite more dangers. They had made their choice, and now, the universe itself was watching.
And so were its enemies.