The remnants of Sera's unleashed power lingered in the air, casting an eerie calm over the battlefield. Her body trembled, her strength drained from the monumental effort of breaking Kael's shadow barrier. The souls she had guided flickered faintly in her mind, their presence still with her, but distant. The corruption of Thalios was momentarily halted, but the danger had not truly passed.
Damian stood beside her, his gaze fixed on the spot where Kael had vanished into the shadows. His breathing was heavy, the strain of the battle evident on his face. "He's gone," Damian said quietly, his voice filled with both relief and frustration.
Sera struggled to stand, her legs weak from the exertion. "Where… where did he go?" she asked, her voice shaky.
Damian's eyes darkened. "He's retreated. For now. But Kael won't stay hidden for long. Thalios' power will draw him back, and next time… he'll be stronger."
Sera swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. Kael had escaped, but the battle wasn't over. The corruption of Thalios still lingered, and Kael was bound to return.
The ground beneath them, though no longer trembling with the immediate threat of Thalios' corruption, still felt unstable, as if the very foundations of Limbo had been shaken. Sera glanced at the ruins, the jagged stones casting long shadows that seemed to whisper of dark secrets yet to be revealed.
"We need to stop him," Sera said, her voice firm despite her exhaustion. "Before he can come back."
Damian nodded, his eyes narrowing in determination. "There's only one way to stop him. We need to sever his connection to Thalios. If we can destroy the source of his power, we can weaken him—permanently."
Sera's heart raced. The idea of facing Thalios' full power was terrifying, but she knew Damian was right. If they didn't act, Kael would return, stronger and more dangerous than ever.
"Where do we start?" Sera asked, trying to steady her breath.
Damian turned to her, his gaze sharp. "We find the heart of Thalios. The corruption has a source, deep within the ruins. If we can destroy it, Kael will lose his hold on this place."
Sera nodded, though the thought of venturing deeper into Thalios filled her with dread. The ruins had already shown their malevolence, but if there was any chance to stop Kael, they had to take it.
As they moved cautiously through the ruins, the silence between them was heavy with unspoken fears. The shadows felt thicker here, darker, as if watching their every move. Sera's skin prickled with the sensation of being followed, though every time she glanced over her shoulder, she saw nothing but the desolate landscape of Limbo.
Damian's voice broke the silence. "You did well, Sera."
She blinked, surprised by the sudden praise. "What do you mean?"
"The power you unleashed," he said, glancing at her. "You stopped Kael. You saved Limbo from complete destruction—for now."
Sera hesitated, unsure of how to respond. The power she had used felt foreign, raw and untamed. It had been terrifying to wield, but it had worked. Still, the weight of the souls she had guided clung to her, their pain a constant reminder of the cost of her actions.
"I'm just trying to help," she said quietly, her voice heavy with uncertainty. "But I don't know if I can control it."
Damian stopped, turning to face her. His expression was unreadable, but there was a hint of something—respect, perhaps—in his eyes. "You're stronger than you think, Sera. You've already proven that."
Sera swallowed, the weight of his words sinking in. She wanted to believe him, but the fear of losing control over the power she had tapped into lingered in the back of her mind. Could she truly control it? Or would it consume her, as it had nearly done during the battle with Kael?
They continued deeper into the ruins, the shadows growing darker and more oppressive with every step. The air grew colder, the atmosphere thick with the remnants of Thalios' corruption. Sera could feel it, pulsing beneath the surface like a living thing, waiting to strike.
Finally, they reached a massive stone structure, half-collapsed and overgrown with twisted vines of shadow. This was it—the heart of Thalios.
Damian's jaw tightened as he surveyed the area. "This is where it all began," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "This is where Kael draws his power."
Sera's breath hitched as she took in the sight of the structure. It radiated with dark energy, the very air around it thick with corruption. The souls she had guided flickered faintly in her mind, their presence giving her a brief moment of strength.
"Are you ready?" Damian asked, his voice steady.
Sera nodded, though her heart raced with fear. "Let's finish this."
Together, they stepped forward, their eyes locked on the heart of Thalios. The final battle to destroy the corruption—and Kael's hold on Limbo—was about to begin.