The figure stepped through the collapsing portal, its presence suffocating the air in the temple. The Shadow King's armor gleamed black as night, jagged and otherworldly. His face was obscured beneath a helmet of shifting shadows, but his glowing crimson eyes burned into Caelum's very soul.
Lyra froze, her dagger falling from her hand. "We're dead," she muttered under her breath.
The Shadow King raised his hand, and the cult leader's lifeless body dissolved into ash. His deep, resonant voice echoed in the chamber. "I have waited centuries for my return. And now… my blade calls to me."
The cursed sword vibrated in Caelum's grip, its whispers growing louder. "You are nothing without me," the sword hissed. "Give me to him. He is my true master."
Caelum gritted his teeth, tightening his hold. "No. You're not taking me, and you're not taking this world."
The Shadow King laughed, a sound that seemed to shake the ground itself. "You dare defy me, mortal? Do you not feel the blade's hunger? It craves my power, just as you do."
Caelum charged, his anger drowning out the sword's whispers. The Shadow King met his attack effortlessly, his massive blade blocking Caelum's strike. The force of the clash sent shockwaves through the temple, knocking Lyra to the ground.
"You are but a pale shadow of what you could be," the Shadow King taunted, his movements impossibly fast for his size. "Embrace the darkness, and I will spare your life."
Caelum fought desperately, but the Shadow King's strength was overwhelming. Each strike chipped away at his resolve. As he stumbled back, the cursed sword's voice grew louder, more insistent.
"Let me guide you. Give in, and together we can destroy him."
"No!" Caelum shouted, but the sword's power surged through him, his body moving without his command. His strikes grew faster, more precise, and for a moment, it seemed as though he could hold his own against the Shadow King.
But the cost was heavy. With every swing, Caelum felt his humanity slipping away, replaced by the same darkness that consumed his enemy.