The chamber shook with the clash of power. Sparks of light and tendrils of shadow magic erupted with every blow as Raya and Eryx collided in a brutal dance of strength and sorcery. The air was thick with the scent of burning stone, and the oppressive weight of the Sovereign's magic bore down on Raya like an iron fist.
Kael's crumpled form lay in the corner of the room, her blood pooling beneath her. She hadn't moved since Raya had leapt to face Eryx. The sight of her lifeless body seared itself into his mind, fueling the fire of his mark.
"You think your little mark makes you strong?" Eryx sneered, deflecting another of Raya's blows with a wave of his hand. "You're just a pawn, boy. A toy for powers you don't understand."
Raya snarled, the glow of his mark intensifying. "You talk too much," he spat, slamming his sword down in an overhead strike.
Eryx sidestepped the attack effortlessly, his corrupted grin widening. "And you act without thinking. Just like Kael."
The name sent a jolt through Raya, his focus faltering for a moment. Eryx took the opening, thrusting a wave of dark energy into Raya's chest. The force of it hurled him across the chamber, slamming him into the far wall.
Pain lanced through Raya's body, but he forced himself to his feet, his breathing ragged. The mark on his wrist pulsed in time with his heartbeat, the energy within him roaring to be unleashed. He could feel it—an inferno waiting to consume everything around him.
"I don't need to understand it," Raya growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I just need to use it to kill you."
Eryx laughed, a sound full of mockery and disdain. "And what then? You'll be just like me. Another slave to power. Another monster."
The words struck deeper than Raya wanted to admit. The elder's warning echoed in his mind: The mark responds to your emotions. If you let it control you, it will destroy not just your enemies, but yourself.
But Kael's lifeless body was still there, a stark reminder of what he had already lost.
"Enough!" Raya roared, letting the flames within him surge to the surface. His mark burned brighter than ever, the light filling the room with a blinding intensity. The heat radiated off him in waves, cracking the stone beneath his feet.
Eryx's grin faltered, his glowing eyes narrowing. "You fool. Do you even know what you're doing?"
Raya didn't respond. He lunged forward, his sword wreathed in flames as he swung it with all his might. This time, Eryx's dark magic buckled under the force of the strike, the corrupted energy dissipating in a burst of sparks.
Eryx staggered back, his expression turning from smug confidence to alarm. "Impossible…" he muttered.
Raya pressed the attack, his movements relentless, his strikes fueled by both fury and grief. For the first time, Eryx was on the defensive, his attempts to counter overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity of Raya's assault.
But as the fight raged on, Raya felt the power within him beginning to slip out of his control. The flames grew hotter, wilder, licking at the edges of his vision. His body burned with the intensity of it, every muscle screaming in protest.
He could hear Kael's voice in his mind, soft and steady as it had been in life: You can't let it control you, Raya. You're stronger than this.
But was he?
Eryx stumbled, his back colliding with the chamber wall. His robes were singed, his face twisted in rage and fear. "You don't understand, do you?" he snarled. "That mark—it's not a gift. It's a curse. The Sovereign owns you now!"
Raya hesitated, his grip on his sword tightening. The flames around him flickered, wavering for the briefest of moments.
And that's when Eryx struck.
With a desperate cry, Eryx unleashed a torrent of dark energy, the force of it slamming into Raya like a tidal wave. The impact sent him sprawling, his body skidding across the stone floor. The flames around him sputtered, dimming as pain wracked his body.
Eryx staggered forward, blood dripping from his lips. "You're nothing but a tool," he spat, his voice shaking. "And tools are meant to be used. You'll never be free of him. Never—"
Before he could finish, Raya's mark flared again, brighter than before. The air around him ignited, a blazing inferno that consumed everything in its path.
Eryx's scream was cut short as the flames engulfed him, his body disintegrating into ash within seconds. The room shook violently, cracks splintering through the walls and ceiling.
Raya collapsed to his knees, the fire within him subsiding. His vision blurred, and his breathing came in ragged gasps. The mark on his wrist still glowed faintly, a reminder of the power he had unleashed.
He turned his head toward Kael's body, his chest tightening. Crawling toward her, he reached out, his trembling hand brushing against hers.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking.
The chamber began to crumble around him, the Sovereign's magic destabilized by the destruction of his lieutenant. The walls groaned, chunks of stone falling from the ceiling.
Raya forced himself to his feet, his legs shaking beneath him. He couldn't stay here. He had to keep moving.
As he stumbled toward the exit, the weight of Kael's loss settled heavily on his shoulders. She had been his guide, his anchor in this new, unfamiliar world. And now, she was gone.
But her words remained with him, etched into his heart: Don't let it control you.
Raya clenched his fists, the glow of his mark casting faint shadows on the walls. The path ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear—this fight was far from over.
The Sovereign would pay for what he had done.
Even if it cost Raya everything.