The corruption of Thalios spread through the air like a storm on the horizon, darkening the sky and twisting the very fabric of Limbo. The ground beneath Sera's feet rumbled, as if the ancient ruins were awakening to the dark power Kael had unleashed.
Damian was already on the move, his eyes sharp and focused. "We can't let him spread this any further."
Sera struggled to steady herself against the tremors, her heart racing. "How do we stop him? He's already let it out!"
"There's only one way." Damian's voice was tight with resolve. "We cut off the source."
Without warning, the shadows that had been circling the ruins surged forward. They weren't passive like before—these were aggressive, writhing tendrils of darkness that shot out from the ground, lashing toward them with terrifying speed. Sera barely had time to react as one of the tendrils whipped past her face, grazing her cheek.
"Move!" Damian barked, slicing through one of the shadowy tendrils with a swift motion of his hand. It dissolved into nothing, but more quickly took its place, rising from the ground like serpents hungry for blood.
Sera ducked and rolled out of the way of another tendril, her breath coming in sharp gasps. The weight of the souls she had guided still lingered in her chest, but there was no time to think about them now. The corruption was spreading, and Kael was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is he?" she yelled over the roar of the shifting earth.
Damian's jaw clenched as he slammed his fist into the ground, sending a ripple of power through the stone. "He's hiding. But he won't be able to stay hidden for long."
Another tendril shot toward Sera, faster than the last. She barely dodged it, the force of the attack knocking her off balance and sending her sprawling to the ground. The moment she hit the stone, another tremor rocked the ruins, and the shadows around her swirled with renewed fury.
"Stay down!" Damian shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos.
Sera barely had time to react before Damian was at her side, his body moving with fluid precision as he deflected another wave of shadows. The tendrils hissed and recoiled as Damian's power clashed with theirs, but they kept coming, more relentless with each attack.
"They won't stop!" Sera gasped, her voice shaking as she pushed herself to her feet.
"They will if we find Kael!" Damian's voice was a growl as he slashed through another wave of shadows.
But Kael was nowhere to be found. The air crackled with dark energy, and the ground trembled as the corruption spread further into the ruins. The sky overhead was black, swirling with ominous clouds that seemed to pulse with the same energy that fueled the shadows below.
And then, just as another tendril shot toward them, a figure emerged from the shadows. Kael, his grin twisted and his eyes glowing with dark power, stepped forward from the edge of the courtyard. He raised his hand, and the shadows around him stilled, as if waiting for his command.
"Damian, Sera," he drawled, his voice laced with mockery. "You're both so predictable."
Damian's eyes narrowed. "End this, Kael."
Kael laughed, the sound echoing off the stone ruins. "End it? But it's only just begun." He flicked his wrist, and the tendrils shot toward them again, faster and more aggressive than before.
Damian stepped in front of Sera, his hands raised, and with a sharp motion, he deflected the tendrils, sending them crashing into the ground. But Kael wasn't done. With a flick of his fingers, more shadows erupted from the earth, this time forming twisted, humanoid shapes—creatures born from the darkness of Thalios itself.
"Do you see now?" Kael sneered, stepping forward as the shadow creatures advanced. "This is the true power of Limbo. The souls you've guided, Sera? They're nothing compared to what lies here."
Sera's blood ran cold as the shadow creatures surged forward, their bodies writhing with dark energy. They moved fast, faster than the tendrils, and they were far more dangerous. Damian barely had time to react as one of the creatures lunged at him, its clawed hand aiming for his throat.
With a swift motion, Damian sidestepped the attack, spinning around to slam his fist into the creature's chest. The impact sent a shockwave through the air, and the shadow creature dissolved into nothingness, but more quickly took its place, surrounding them on all sides.
Sera's heart raced as she scrambled to avoid another attack, her mind spinning with panic. These creatures weren't like the souls she had guided. They were something far worse—corrupt, violent, and beyond saving.
"You can't fight them all, Damian," Kael taunted, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "Not while the power of Thalios flows through me."
Damian's gaze flicked to Sera, his expression unreadable. "We need to stop him. Now."
Sera swallowed hard, her pulse pounding in her ears. She could feel the weight of the souls she had guided pressing down on her, their pain still lingering in her chest. But she couldn't let that stop her. Not now.
"We can't fight them head-on," she said, her voice shaking but determined. "We need to cut off the source. The corruption—it's coming from Thalios. We have to destroy it."
Kael's grin widened. "Destroy it? You don't even know what you're dealing with."
Damian's eyes darkened. "We know enough."
With a sudden burst of speed, Damian surged forward, his body a blur of movement as he closed the distance between him and Kael. The shadow creatures lunged at him, but Damian's power was too strong, his strikes too fast. One by one, the creatures fell, dissolving into darkness as Damian fought his way toward Kael.
Sera followed, her heart racing as she dodged the remaining tendrils of shadows. She could feel the pull of Thalios, the dark energy that Kael had unleashed, and it was growing stronger with every passing moment.
"Damian!" she shouted, her voice filled with urgency. "We have to end this—now!"
Damian didn't respond, but she could see the determination in his eyes as he closed in on Kael, his fists blazing with power. But Kael was ready. With a flick of his fingers, the shadows shifted and formed a barrier, massive and impenetrable, blocking Damian's path.
Sera's breath caught. The weight of the souls was growing heavier, pressing down on her. She could feel the strain on her body, the pain of their burdens clawing at her insides. But she couldn't give in. Not now.
She reached deep into herself, calling on the connection she had formed with the souls she had guided. Their pain surged through her, sharp and overwhelming, but beneath it was something else—hope. The hope she had given them. It was faint, but it was there, a spark of light within the darkness.
With a deep breath, she focused on that hope, letting it fill her, letting it grow until it burned through her veins. The air around her crackled with energy, and her hands trembled as the power built within her.
The shadows recoiled, sensing the shift in the air. Sera gritted her teeth, her heart pounding as she raised her hand. The power surged through her, raw and untamed, like a firestorm waiting to be unleashed.
And then, with a roar that echoed through the ruins, she let it go.
The energy exploded from her in a wave of blinding light, crashing into the shadow barrier with enough force to send shockwaves through the air. The barrier cracked, splintering like glass, and the creatures Kael had summoned dissolved into wisps of darkness, vanishing into the void.
For a brief moment, everything was still. The corruption wavered, the air itself seeming to hold its breath.
Kael staggered back, his grin fading as his eyes widened in shock. "What—?"
But before he could react, Damian broke through the crumbling barrier, his fist blazing with power as he drove it straight into Kael's chest with a force that shook the ground beneath them.
Kael gasped, the wind knocked out of him as he was sent sprawling to the ground, dark energy flickering around him like a dying flame.
Sera dropped to one knee, her body trembling with exhaustion. The souls—their presence was still with her, but she had managed to harness their hope, their strength. She wasn't just carrying their pain anymore. She was fighting for them.
But Kael wasn't finished yet.
He pushed himself up, his body flickering with the last remnants of the dark power he had stolen from Thalios. "You think this changes anything?" he hissed, his voice dripping with venom. "You've only delayed the inevitable."
Damian stood over him, his eyes cold and unforgiving. "No. You've lost, Kael."
Kael sneered, his eyes narrowing. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot."
And with that, he disappeared into the shadows, vanishing as quickly as he had come.