Chapter 3
The chamber echoed with Tharos' dark laughter, each note bouncing off the ancient walls, amplifying the dread. His imposing form emerged fully from the shadows, towering over Caelan, Elden, and Zaimond, his obsidian armor gleaming in the dim light. Behind him, tendrils of shadow writhed, as if alive, waiting for his command.
Caelan gulped, though his grip tightened around his sword. "So, uh… Zai? Any chance you know who this guy is? He's giving off major 'final boss' energy right now."
Zaimond, still twirling his staff nonchalantly, shot him a sideways glance, though there was something serious in his eyes. "Tharos, huh? Yeah, I know him. He's bad news. Real bad. He's one of the Demon Kings' lieutenants. Used to be the right-hand man of the Abyss King, Morgath. The guy is like... the shadow personified."
Caelan's brow furrowed. "Shadow personified? That's a bit vague, Zai."
Zaimond grinned. "Well, imagine the worst nightmare you've ever had—now, multiply it by ten, make it an expert in shadow magic, and give it a mean streak. That's Tharos. He controls shadows, bends them to his will. Not only that, but he can manipulate light, twisting it into darkness. He was Morgath's most trusted general before the Demon Kings went into hiding."
Elden's eyes narrowed, his grip firm on his sword. "I've heard stories. They said Tharos was instrumental in the fall of Solaria."
"Yep," Zaimond added, "he was the one who brought the darkness to these lands. He didn't just corrupt the knights here—he turned them into those cursed creatures we just fought."
Tharos stepped forward, his booming voice cutting through their conversation. "Enough chatter, worms. You've invaded my domain, dared to disturb Solaria's resting place, and now you will pay the price."
Caelan grinned, trying to mask the nervous energy bubbling inside him. "I'm not really into paying for anything, but hey, I'm open to negotiations."
Elden shot him a look. "Now's not the time for jokes, Caelan."
Caelan winked. "Hey, a little humor never hurt anyone. Except, you know, when it does."
Tharos raised a hand, and the shadows around the chamber surged forward, taking the form of massive, hulking beasts with glowing red eyes. They snarled, their razor-sharp teeth glistening in the dim light. The air became colder, and the oppressive weight of the darkness pressed down on them.
"Alright, no time for warm-ups!" Caelan shouted, launching himself at the nearest shadow beast, his sword glowing with the light of Seraphis.
The beast swung a massive claw at him, but Caelan nimbly dodged, his body a blur of speed as he sliced clean through the shadow. It dissipated with a hiss, but more took its place.
Elden charged into the fray, his movements fast enough to rival the light itself. He cleaved through the shadow creatures with precision, each strike cutting down another foe. His sword was a whirlwind of gleaming steel, but even as he cut down one creature, two more would rise from the shadows.
Zaimond, standing back, spun his staff, his voice chanting rapidly. Sparks of magic erupted from his fingers as he blasted the shadow beasts with bolts of pure energy, disintegrating them on contact. But no matter how many they defeated, the shadows kept coming.
"This is getting old fast!" Caelan shouted, slicing through another beast. "Zai, can you do something about this? They just keep coming!"
Zaimond nodded, his expression more serious than usual. "Tharos is pulling them directly from the shadows. As long as he's in control, they won't stop. We need to cut him off from his power source."
Caelan blocked a swipe from a shadow claw, his body spinning gracefully before landing another blow. "Alright, then how do we stop him? Quick version, please!"
Zaimond grinned, though it was laced with tension. "We take the fight to him directly. The shadows are just distractions. Tharos is the real problem, and he's using Solaria's ancient magic to stay connected to this realm. We sever his connection, we win."
"Cool, cool, but how do we do that?" Caelan ducked as another beast lunged at him.
Zaimond's eyes twinkled with mischief. "I have a plan. But you're not gonna like it."
Caelan groaned. "Why do you always say that? Just tell me!"
Zaimond quickly relayed his plan. They needed to overload the chamber with light—an absurd amount of it. But not just any light; it had to come from the Heart of Solaria, the relic that lay behind Tharos. It was the only source of pure light strong enough to disrupt Tharos' control over the shadows.
"Alright," Caelan muttered, dodging another strike. "So, we just grab the shiny thing and blast him. Simple, right?"
Zaimond smirked. "There's just one tiny problem. Tharos isn't going to let us get near it."
As if hearing their conversation, Tharos raised both arms, and the shadows surged again, this time forming an enormous wave that crashed toward them.
"Scatter!" Elden yelled, moving faster than the eye could see. Caelan and Zaimond darted in opposite directions as the wave of darkness smashed into the ground where they had been standing moments before.
Zaimond was already in action, casting a powerful protective shield around them. "Alright, Caelan. You grab the Heart. I'll keep the shadows off you."
Caelan didn't need to be told twice. He sprinted toward the pedestal where the Heart of Solaria floated, glowing faintly. Elden moved to cover him, his sword slicing through any shadows that tried to block their path.
Tharos snarled, his voice echoing like thunder. "Fools! You think you can defeat me? I am the shadow! I am eternal!"
Caelan leaped toward the Heart, his hands reaching for it. As his fingers wrapped around the relic, a surge of warmth flowed through him. The light from the Heart pulsed, brighter and brighter, until it enveloped the entire chamber in a blinding glow.
Tharos screamed as the light tore through the shadows. "No! This can't be!"
But even as Tharos struggled, Zaimond wasn't finished. With a wicked grin, he chanted the final words of his spell, sending a bolt of magic straight into Tharos' chest.
Tharos staggered, but he wasn't done yet. His form began to dissolve, turning to smoke. "You... think... this... will... stop me?!"
Caelan grinned, eyes gleaming. "Nope. But this will."
He turned and, without warning, threw the Heart of Solaria straight at Tharos' face. The relic hit him with a satisfying thunk, and Tharos let out one last, pitiful screech before disintegrating completely.
For a moment, there was silence.
Zaimond blinked. "Did... did you just hit him with the Heart?"
Caelan shrugged, wiping sweat from his brow. "It worked, didn't it?"
Elden, sheathing his sword, shook his head in disbelief. "That... was reckless."
Zaimond burst out laughing, doubling over. "Oh man! You threw the most sacred relic of Solaria at his head! That's—" He wiped a tear from his eye. "That's so stupid it's brilliant."
Caelan grinned, shrugging again. "Hey, if it works, it works."
With Tharos gone, the chamber returned to its former glory, the light of Solaria shining brighter than it had in centuries.
But as the trio stood in the now peaceful chamber, Caelan couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning.
To be continued...