The moment Kael disappeared into the archway of Thalios, the air shifted. The Ruins trembled, the very stones beneath Sera's feet quaking as if the world itself was trying to reject what had just happened. Damian's expression was more tense than she had ever seen before.
"Whatever Kael's after in there," Sera began, her voice barely steady, "it's going to tear this place apart, isn't it?"
Damian didn't answer immediately. His eyes were fixed on the shimmering, distorted space where Kael had vanished. "Kael's never been one to care about the consequences," he finally said, his voice like steel. "If he unleashes what's behind that archway, the corruption of Thalios will spread beyond this place. It will infect everything, including the souls you've guided."
Sera's heart sank. The souls. She had only begun to understand her role, and now everything she had done—everything she thought was helping—was in danger of unraveling.
"How many souls have I guided?" she whispered, as if the answer could change what was coming.
"Three," Damian replied coldly, his eyes not leaving the arch. "You've freed three souls. But if Kael releases the corruption, they may be lost again."
Sera's chest tightened. She remembered the anguish in their eyes—the way their pain had clawed at her, their sorrow spilling into her until she thought she would break. Guiding them had been the most harrowing thing she had ever done, and the thought of losing them again made her stomach churn.
But the weight on her soul was growing heavier. Since guiding those souls, there had been moments—flashes—where she had felt their emotions long after they were gone. She had chalked it up to the intense memories, but now it felt like something more. A shadowy presence lingered within her, like the souls had left fragments of themselves behind, each one a burden on her already fragile state.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them cracked with a violent tremor, and the archway pulsed with an unnatural light. Damian stepped in front of her, his body tense, prepared for whatever was coming next.
From the archway, Kael emerged, but he was different. His normally graceful steps were slower, and the shadows that clung to him seemed darker, more sinister. His glowing eyes were brighter, but there was something wrong in them, something unhinged. He smiled, but it was a twisted, unnatural expression that sent a cold chill down Sera's spine.
"Damian," Kael drawled, his voice echoing unnaturally, as though it were coming from all around them. "You were right. Thalios is… a trap." His smile widened, a sharp edge to it. "But it's not for me."
Damian's eyes narrowed. "What have you done, Kael?"
Kael chuckled darkly, stepping fully into the courtyard. The air around him rippled, the energy shifting and pulsing with every breath he took. "I've unleashed the truth of this place," he said, his voice thick with dark amusement. "Thalios wasn't just a stronghold for lost souls. It was a gateway—an anchor for Limbo's darkest secrets. And now, it's mine."
Sera felt the world tilt beneath her feet. The shadows around Kael writhed, feeding off the dark energy spilling from the ruins. The sky above them seemed to swirl, the clouds moving unnaturally as the corruption spread through the air like ink dropped in water.
Damian took a step forward, his voice low and controlled. "You've doomed yourself."
Kael tilted his head, his glowing eyes narrowing in mock pity. "Perhaps. Or maybe I've freed us all. The power of Thalios is beyond anything this cursed world could offer. It bends to me now."
Sera felt her skin prickle, the energy from the ruins pressing against her like a physical force. She could feel it—dark, twisted emotions bubbling beneath the surface, threatening to pull her under. It was worse than anything she had felt before. The souls she had guided—she could feel them again, but now they were faint, almost unreachable, as if Kael's actions were pulling them back into Limbo's grip.
"Stop this," Sera shouted, her voice shaky but determined. "You can't just tear this place apart."
Kael turned to her, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Ah, the little guide," he said softly. "I wonder how long you'll last, with the weight of those souls on your shoulders. How much longer before Limbo claims you too?"
Sera's breath caught. She had felt it—the burden of the souls she had guided. The weight of their sorrow was still with her, and now, with Kael's corruption spreading, it was getting harder to bear. The shadows clung to her more tightly, their whispers growing louder in her mind.
Damian stepped closer to her, his presence a shield against the growing darkness. "You need to focus," he said quietly. "Don't let him get to you."
Sera nodded, though her heart was pounding in her chest. She closed her eyes, trying to steady herself, trying to push back the growing sense of dread that was rising within her. The souls she had guided—they were still with her. She could feel their pain, but she could also feel the hope she had given them. She couldn't let Kael take that away.
When she opened her eyes again, Kael was standing at the center of the courtyard, his arms outstretched as if inviting the darkness to consume him. "Thalios was meant to free the lost," he said, his voice echoing. "But it was never about redemption. It was about power."
The ground shook again, and the sky above them darkened further, the swirling clouds turning black as night. The air was thick with tension, and Sera could feel the weight of what was coming. If Kael wasn't stopped, the corruption would spread beyond Thalios—beyond Limbo itself. It would devour everything.
Damian moved forward, his eyes locked on Kael. "Enough," he growled, his voice filled with a cold fury that sent chills down Sera's spine. "You've unleashed something you can't control. You're going to destroy us all."
Kael laughed, a harsh, cruel sound. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm the one who will finally break free from this cursed place."
Sera's hands clenched into fists. The souls she had guided—they were counting on her. She couldn't let Kael undo everything. She couldn't let him take them back into the shadows.
"I won't let you," she said, her voice steady and sure. "I'll fight for them."
Kael's eyes flicked to her, the amusement fading from his expression. "Brave words," he said softly. "But you don't understand what you're up against."
Sera's heart pounded, but she stood her ground. She wouldn't let the souls she had guided slip away. Not now. Not after everything she had been through.