In the depths of the underworld, where light was a distant memory and shadows reigned supreme, a rebellion was brewing. The air was thick with tension, and the atmosphere was filled with the sound of heavy footsteps and dark murmurs as the rebel demons gathered to plan their final attack against Seraphis. The cavern that served as their hideout trembled with the force of the dark energy they were accumulating.
At the center of the discussion, Draven commanded everyone's attention. His intense gaze and overwhelming presence made the demons around him hesitate to question his orders. He was determined to bring down Seraphis once and for all, and the ancient artifact provided by Kaelyra, the sorceress, would be the key to severing Elysiel from Seraphis.
But not everyone agreed.
Arabella, who had remained at Draven's side until now, found herself torn by an internal conflict. What had begun as a forced alliance to protect Elysiel and overthrow Seraphis had morphed into something much darker. Draven was obsessed with power and destruction, and she feared he was going too far. Elysiel was still her friend, and Arabella couldn't accept the idea of using her as a weapon against Seraphis.
— You're taking this too far, Draven! — Arabella shouted, interrupting the flow of plans being discussed. Her face was marked with anger and frustration, but also fear. — Elysiel is not your enemy. She can be saved! We need to find another way to deal with Seraphis. We can't use her like this!
Draven narrowed his eyes, his patience wearing thin.
— You're still blinded by your loyalty, Arabella. — he replied, his voice low but sharp as a blade. — Elysiel has already made her choice. She has bound herself to Seraphis, and now she is as corrupted as he is. If we don't destroy her along with him, she'll drag the entire kingdom of Elandor into the shadows. This is no longer about saving your friend. This is about survival.
Arabella stepped forward, defiant. She couldn't accept that Draven was so willing to sacrifice Elysiel. Something felt deeply wrong about all of this—a betrayal of everything they had once sworn to protect.
— You're wrong! Elysiel can still come back! — she insisted. — She's been consumed by darkness, but she's not like Seraphis. She can be brought back to the light!
Draven's expression hardened. He was tired of Arabella's pleas. To him, there was no room for weakness or hesitation anymore. The time for compassion was over.
— Are you challenging me, Arabella? — he asked, his voice now laced with menace. The other demons around them tensed, watching the confrontation closely.
Arabella stood her ground.
— I'm not challenging you, Draven. I'm trying to stop you from making an irreversible mistake. If you go through with this, you'll be responsible for the destruction of everything we care about!
Draven said nothing more. With a swift motion, he ordered two nearby demons to seize Arabella. Before she could react, they restrained her, binding her arms with chains made of living shadows.
— Take her away. — he ordered coldly. — She will not participate in this attack. Let her witness the outcome of her hesitation from the cell she has chosen for herself.
Arabella struggled, but the chains were too strong. She was dragged away, shouting in protest, but her voice soon faded into the depths of the underworld. Draven had betrayed her, just as he had betrayed any notion of redemption.
Meanwhile, in the castle of Elandor, the atmosphere was heavy. Elysiel walked through the corridors, still feeling the effects of the battle with the council. The line she had crossed by defeating her own counselors weighed on her. Seraphis had been distant in recent days, preoccupied with the movements in the underworld, but Elysiel knew something big was coming. She felt an unease in the air, a dark energy that hung over the castle.
Then, the invasion began.
Draven's rebel demons launched their attack on the castle of Elandor with a ferocity and cruelty that took even the most experienced guards by surprise. The shadows crept up the walls, consuming everything in their path. Elysiel, still emotionally vulnerable, was caught off guard.
The attacks were swift and precise. The castle's defenses fell one by one, and soon Elysiel was surrounded. The demons captured her before she could fully summon Seraphis's power. They knew how to use her against him. Draven had planned everything with cruel precision.
Bound by the demons, Elysiel struggled to break free, but the artifact Draven wielded glowed with a dark, powerful light, draining her strength. She felt the bond between her and Seraphis weaken, as if the artifact was tearing pieces of her soul apart.
— Seraphis! — she screamed, her voice filled with desperation.
But it was too late. The rebels had anticipated everything. Seraphis, sensing the weakening of the bond with Elysiel, flew into a frenzied rage. The darkness around him swelled, and his presence threatened to consume everything. He surged toward the battlefield, his power radiating like a black storm. The castle trembled, its walls cracking as his dark power spread.
Seraphis appeared in the midst of the battle, his eyes burning with uncontrollable fury. Upon seeing Elysiel captured, something inside him snapped. Draven stood there, holding the ancient artifact, smiling cruelly.
— You're finished, Seraphis. — Draven said, raising the artifact. — This is the end of your reign. The bond between you and Elysiel will be destroyed, and with it, all your power.
Seraphis roared in rage, shadows rising in all directions. But something was wrong. The power he was unleashing was chaotic, uncontrolled, as if it was about to destroy everything around him—including Elysiel. He was beyond reason, beyond control. His fury consumed him entirely.
Elysiel felt the immediate danger. If Seraphis unleashed all that power, he would destroy the rebels, but he would also destroy her. Draven's artifact was weakening their bond, and without that connection, Elysiel had no way to protect herself from Seraphis's devastating power.
— Stop, Seraphis! — she screamed, her voice desperate. But he didn't hear her.
The shadows churned violently around them, the entire world seemed to be collapsing as Seraphis's power grew out of control. He was about to destroy everything.