The tunnel shook violently as Aelric, Lyra, and Seraphina raced through it, the sound of collapsing stone roaring in their ears. The air was thick with dust, making it hard to breathe.
"Keep moving!" Seraphina yelled, her voice cutting through the chaos. "We're almost out!"
Aelric glanced back, his chest tightening when he saw the shadowy tendrils reaching after them, desperate to pull them back into the collapsing chamber. His legs burned with effort, but he pushed on, the warmth of his pendant guiding him.
The tunnel opened up into the main corridor of the west wing, and they burst into the castle, gasping for air. Behind them, the ground rumbled one last time before falling silent.
Lyra leaned against the wall, her breathing ragged. "The altar… it's destroyed. The magic… it's gone."
Aelric nodded, his heart still racing. "But the woman… she said the Eternal Shadow is bigger than her. What does that mean?"
"It means this isn't over," Seraphina said, her tone grim. "We destroyed one piece of it, but the rest is still out there."
The three of them stood in silence, the weight of her words settling over them. The victory felt hollow, like a battle won in a war that had no end.
Suddenly, a guard ran into the corridor, his face pale. "My lord," he said, his voice shaking. "There's… there's something you need to see."
"What is it?" Aelric asked, his stomach sinking.
The guard hesitated, then led them to the castle's eastern tower. As they climbed the stairs, Aelric's unease grew. When they reached the top, the guard pointed toward the horizon.
Aelric's breath caught in his throat. In the distance, beyond the walls of Elanor, the sky was dark—not with clouds, but with shadows. They swirled and writhed like a living thing, spreading slowly across the land.
"It's moving toward us," Lyra whispered, her voice filled with dread.
Seraphina's hand tightened on her sword. "Then we fight it. Again and again, if we have to."
Aelric stared at the encroaching darkness, his jaw set. "We'll stop it," he said firmly. "Whatever it takes."
But as the shadows loomed closer, he couldn't shake the feeling that the real battle was only just beginning.