Alan's heart raced, but he managed to calm down. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, summoning his magic. The air around him crackled with anticipation as he reached for the sword hilt, its cool metal fitting snugly in his palm. It felt both familiar and foreign, a connection to power that pulsed beneath his fingertips.
He channeled his magical energy into the gemstone at the base of the hilt. A soft glow began to emit from the gem, illuminating his focused expression. Suddenly, a silver light burst forth, swirling around him like a shimmering mist. It danced and twirled, wrapping him in a cocoon of ethereal brilliance, each flicker reflecting the determination in his eyes.
As the light intensified, it began to coalesce, forming the sword blade. Alan's breath caught in his throat as the blade emerged, gleaming with radiant brilliance. The runes along i energy that resonated with his own.
The Wraith binders launched forward with their claws outstretched, ready to strike. In that split second, Alan's instincts kicked in. He pivoted on his heel and swung his sword with all his might. The blade sliced through the air, leaving a trail of shimmering light in its wake. As it made contact with one of the Wraith binders, the creature let out a painful shriek before dissolving back into smoke.
Alan moved sideways swiftly, deflecting another Wraith binder's claw with a deft parry. The metallic clang of their clash rippled through the air. He countered with a powerful thrust, piercing the Wraith binder.
But it quickly dissolved back into swirling smoke, surviving the deadly thrust. Another Wraith binder took advantage of this moment and quickly channeled its dark energy, forming a fireball that struck Alan in his chest, sending him crashing against the wall.
"Hand over the Golden Horn, boy!" the Blood Shadow mage girl said. Alan coughed out blood. "Come and get it!" he spat. Seeing this, the female Blood Shadow mage clenched her fist, her face turning red. "Finish him!" she ordered the Wraith binders.
Alan struggled to rise, pain radiating from his chest where one of the Wraith binders had struck him. The world around him blurred for a moment, but he forced himself to focus. He could hear the Wraith binders closing in, their guttural growls echoing in the courtyard. With a swift motion, Alan reached for his sword again, feeling the familiar weight in his hand.
"Get up, Alan!" he said to himself, gritting his teeth as the Wraith binders drew closer. He clutched his sword tighter and summoned his magical energy. Red shimmering lights swirled around him, healing his wounds. His sword glowed, ancient runes beginning to appear on the surface of the blade.
His eyes turned red, and ancient runes started to appear on his neck and face. With a swift motion, he dodged the lethal attack of the Wraith binders. He immediately pivoted, swinging his sword in a wide arc. A brilliant light burst forth, and the Wraith binders let out a loud shriek when it made contact with them.
The female Blood Shadow mage, seeing this, summoned her sword. Dark mist swirled around her, solidifying into a broadsword with a black blade. She immediately disappeared from her position and appeared before Alan, thrusting forward and aiming for his stomach.
It was too late for Alan to defend himself. The cold steel blade pierced through him without warning. Alan gasped, the shock of the piercing pain radiating through him like wildfire. Time seemed to slow as he felt the cold steel sink deeper, the darkness of the Blood Shadow mage's magic wrapping around him like a suffocating shroud. He staggered back, the world spinning around him, but he refused to let despair take hold. The world around him blurred for a moment, but he forced himself to focus. "Veldrin, your master is in need of your help!" he said.
Suddenly, a bright, blinding light erupted, accompanied by a powerful wave of energy, sending the female Blood Shadow mage and the Wraith binders flying and crashing into the walls. The shimmering lights began to coalesce into a towering giant wielding a huge blade.
"A guardian spirit?" the female Blood Shadow mage said, her face twisting in anger. Guardian spirits are the spirits of fallen heroes who fought the last battle—great generals and warriors of Vesper. They are called Vesperian warriors, their spirits trapped in the bodies of their descendants. Only a Vesperian descendant could summon a guardian spirit.
With a swift motion, Veldrin, the guardian spirit, launched forward, the massive blade cleaving through the air with a ferocious roar. The female Blood Shadow mage regained her footing, her dark energy swirling around her like a vortex. She raised her black blade to meet Veldrin's attack. She was thrown back, her dark energy dissipating momentarily as she struggled to regain control.
Alan, on the other side, couldn't move; the pain was unbearable. The female Blood Shadow mage was already losing the fight when suddenly the Wraith binders joined forces, rallying around their master with renewed ferocity. They surged forward, their claws glinting ominously in the dim light, eager to protect the Blood Shadow mage at all costs.
But they were no match for the mighty giant. Veldrin immediately struck his blade on the ground, a powerful wave erupting from it and sending the Wraith binders flying. Veldrin lunged forward, his blade raised high, ready to strike.
"Stop!" an unfamiliar voice ordered. Veldrin turned back only to see a man with blonde hair in a black robe and a mask—a common attire for Blood Shadow mages. He took Alan by the neck and lifted him off the ground, cutting off his breath. Alan's vision blurred further as he struggled against the grip.
Veldrin reluctantly let go of his blade and fell to his knees. A guardian spirit is helpless if its master is in danger.
"Finish him!" the blonde-haired mage ordered.
The Wraith binders lunged forward, slashing at Veldrin. The female Blood Shadow mage stabbed Veldrin in his chest; he let out a loud cry and dissolved into dark mist. The blonde-haired Blood Shadow mage let go of Alan and took the bag containing the Golden Horn and the codex. Alan gasped for air, his vision narrowing; he could feel his vitality slipping away.
"Let's go, Master. Leo is waiting," the blonde-haired mage said to the female mage. They all dissolved into swirling smoke and flew off.
Meanwhile, Master Albert and Leo were locked in an intense fight, illuminating the courtyard with lightning and fire.
"You were once a promising student, Leo," Albert said, his voice laced with sorrow. "But now, you're nothing but a puppet serving the Dark Lord."
Leo snarled, his mask glinting with malevolent intent. "You left me to darkness when you were busy fighting the Warlock."
Albert parried Leo's attack, their staffs meeting in a shower of sparks. "I warned you, Leo seeking the underworld power is forbidden, but you didn't listen. You decided to practice the forbidden techniques without my permission, opening your soul to darkness. I couldn't do anything so I left you."
With a swift motion, Leo summoned a wave of dark energy, sending Albert stumbling back. The old mage regained his footing, channeling the ancient runes on his staff.
"You left me alone in that forsaken fortress for three months!" Leo's voice trembled with rage, his eyes blazing. "I was tortured, broken and remade into this... thing!"
Albert's eyes filled with remorse, his voice cracking. "Leo, my boy, I—"
Leo's laughter cut him off, cold and mirthless. "You call me 'boy' still? After what you did?" His dark energy surged, swirling around Albert like a vortex.
"You were meant to protect me, Master!" Leo spat, venom in his words. "Instead, you abandoned me to darkness. Now, darkness defines me!"
Albert face harden his staff glowed and lighting swirling around him. "You left yourself to darkness, you abandoned your duties in search for power"
Leo's determination hardened. "You'll witness what darkness truly means."
Master Albert raised his staff, white light swirling around his as he churned his energy "You may have mastered dark energy Boy!" He said as his brow ceased in a frown.
"But you'll never surpass the light." With that, he released his magical energy, lightning dancing around him. With a swift thrust, a powerful lightning bolt struck Leo. He let out a loud cry and fell to his knees.
"You left me no choice, Leo!" Albert said, ready to strike. But suddenly, Leo disappeared from his position and appeared before Albert with a purple glowing dagger, stabbing him in his chest. Albert gasped; his vision blurred and he stumbled back, his staff slipping from his grasp. He tried channeling his magical energy, but the dagger seemed to absorb it.
"Leo..." Albert whispered, his voice fading. "Come back to the light..." he murmured, drawing the last of his energy. His eyes turned red, and a powerful wave of lightning erupted from him, sending Leo flying and destroying the demon army and the tower.
Leo managed to land in a nearby forest with grave injuries. The remaining Blood Shadow mages met him there. "Master, we have the Golden Horn." "Prepare the armies; we are heading west!" he commanded, disappearing into the dark and leaving the great city of Vallor in ruins.
The light that once shone bright and bold, now flickers out, its warmth grown cold. The darkness spreads, a shadowy sea, Consuming all, in its ebony.
The battle's lost, but war not won. The light will rise, for out of darkness comes light, out of dispair, hope.
For without darkness there won't be need for light and without dispair, there won't be hope.