The dark passage stretched before them as they left the trial chamber, and William could feel the quiet strength of his friends beside him. Despite the victory, the shadows within him still pulsed like a heartbeat, reminding him that they were not gone but contained. His doppelganger's warning echoed in his mind: You will never be free.
"Where to now?" Garret asked, breaking the silence, his voice a low rumble.
"We need to return to the village," William replied. "I need time to understand what happened here—and there might be answers among the old texts about this curse."
They retraced their steps through the labyrinthine corridor, the path twisting and turning until the passage widened into a familiar clearing. The air felt lighter, the oppressive chill gone, as though the darkness had lifted. Sunlight broke through the dense canopy above, dappling the ground with a warm glow.
Yet the peace was short-lived. A faint tremor ran through the ground, followed by distant howling that sent a shiver down William's spine.
Elara's eyes darted around. "We're not alone, are we?"
A figure stepped out of the shadows ahead, cloaked and hooded, their presence radiating an aura of malice. They raised a hand, and the earth trembled again, darkness spilling from the ground as though summoned. A swarm of shadow creatures surged forward, their eyes blank, soulless like the warriors from the trial.
"More of them?" Garret growled, raising his axe.
William's hand tightened around his dagger. "These shadows aren't bound to the curse—they're different. But they're just as dangerous."
The cloaked figure laughed, their voice hollow. "You think you've conquered your darkness, Valen? You know nothing of true power."
With a flick of their wrist, the shadow creatures lunged forward. Elara loosed an arrow, striking one in the chest, but it barely slowed as it rushed toward her.
William stepped forward, channeling the newfound control he had over the shadows. "[Abyssal Cleansing]!" A wave of purifying energy burst from him, colliding with the shadow creatures and dissolving several of them into dark mist. But more kept coming, filling the clearing, their numbers endless.
Garret swung his axe, cleaving through one creature after another, but he was starting to falter under the sheer volume. "They just keep coming!"
William pushed himself to the limit, calling upon his shadow control to keep the creatures at bay, but the effort was exhausting, draining his energy faster than he could replenish it.
"William!" Elara shouted, backing toward him. "We need a way out—this isn't a fight we can win!"
He glanced around, his mind racing. The enemy was relentless, their numbers overwhelming. But he realized that the only way to escape was to embrace