Kael Draven's shadow stretched long over the smoldering remains of another conquered kingdom, his silver eyes glowing with unrelenting hunger. Towers that had once gleamed under the sun now crumbled into ruin. Fields that had stretched green and golden for miles lay ashen and lifeless, their energy consumed by his dark magic.
He stood at the center of the devastation, his massive form wreathed in power. Around him, the whispers of the Void grew louder, tantalizing and distant, yet still just out of reach.
"Come to me," Kael murmured, his voice low and dangerous. "You can't run forever."
Behind him, Lysara sat slumped against a broken pillar, a cigarette dangling from her trembling fingers. Her makeup was flawless, her hair carefully styled, but the cracks in her facade were more evident than ever. Her skin was pale, her hands unsteady, and her chest heaved with each breath.
"Another kingdom down," she said, her voice rasping as she lit another cigarette with shaking hands. "Getting closer, are we?"
Kael turned to her, his silver eyes narrowing. "Closer than you think," he said.
---
Lysara smirked, though it faltered as a violent coughing fit overtook her. She doubled over, clutching her chest as the sound echoed through the empty ruins. Smoke spilled from her lips, her body trembling with the effort to breathe.
"Damn it," she muttered, her voice barely audible.
Kael's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he turned away. "You're falling apart," he said, his tone cold.
"And whose fault is that?" Lysara shot back, her voice breaking as she took another drag.
Kael chuckled darkly, his massive form looming over her. "You chose this," he said. "Don't forget that."
---
As Kael prepared to move on, the air around him shifted. A faint hum grew louder, a vibration that resonated with divine energy. He straightened, his silver eyes narrowing as he sensed the approach of a new threat.
"They've come," he said, his voice laced with anticipation.
Lysara looked up, her cigarette still dangling from her lips. "Who's 'they'?" she asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
Kael's smirk widened, his silver eyes gleaming. "The gods," he said. "They've sent their army."
---
The sky above them darkened as a hundred figures descended, each one radiating divine light. They were gods of all shapes and sizes, their forms blazing with celestial power. At their head stood a towering figure clad in golden armor, his eyes burning with righteous fury.
"Kael Draven!" the figure called, his voice echoing through the ruins. "Your reign of terror ends here. By the will of the gods, you will be destroyed!"
Kael's laughter filled the air, dark and resonant. "Destroyed?" he repeated, his voice mocking. "You think a hundred gods can stop me? I've already killed your champions. What makes you think you'll fare any better?"
The leader raised his gleaming sword, the blade humming with divine energy. "We are the will of creation," he said. "And you are nothing but a blight upon existence!"
---
The battle began with a deafening roar.
The gods attacked in unison, their combined power shaking the very earth. Beams of light tore through the sky, striking Kael with enough force to level entire mountains. The air crackled with divine magic, each attack a testament to their unyielding determination.
But Kael stood unmoved.
His dark magic coiled around him, absorbing the onslaught with ease. He struck back with devastating force, his tendrils of shadow cutting through the gods like a scythe through wheat. One by one, they fell, their celestial forms crumbling into nothingness as Kael consumed their energy.
"You're wasting your time," Kael growled, his voice reverberating through the battlefield. "You can't stop me. No one can."
---
The gods fought valiantly, their attacks growing more desperate as their numbers dwindled. But Kael's power was insurmountable, his hunger unrelenting.
By the time the battle ended, the sky was empty, the gods' light extinguished. Kael stood alone in the ruins, his silver eyes blazing with triumph.
He turned to Lysara, who had watched the carnage from her place by the pillar. She took a long drag from her cigarette, her gaze unwavering.
"Impressive," she said, her voice rasping.
Kael smirked, his silver eyes gleaming. "I told you," he said. "Nothing can stop me."
---
But as Kael prepared to move on, a harsh, grating sound cut through the silence. He turned to see Lysara doubled over, her body trembling as another violent coughing fit seized her.
"Lysara," Kael said, his voice sharp.
She raised a trembling hand, trying to wave him off, but the coughs only grew worse. Smoke spilled from her lips as her chest heaved, her body struggling for air.
"Damn it," she muttered, her voice barely audible.
Kael's smirk faded as he watched her, his silver eyes narrowing. "Get up," he said, his tone commanding.
"I'm fine," Lysara rasped, though her body told a different story.
---
The coughing grew more violent, each sound ripping through her chest like a blade. Lysara's cigarette fell from her fingers, smoldering in the dirt as she collapsed to her knees.
Kael stepped closer, his massive form towering over her. "Get up," he repeated, his voice colder now.
"I can't," Lysara gasped, her body trembling.
Kael's silver eyes darkened, his expression unreadable. "You don't get to die," he said, his tone sharp. "Not yet."
But Lysara didn't respond.
Her breath hitched, her body convulsing as the coughing fit reached its peak. Blood speckled her lips, staining her perfect makeup as her hands clawed at the ground.
---
Kael's smirk was gone now, replaced by something colder. He knelt beside her, his massive hand gripping her shoulder as his dark magic coiled around her.
"You don't get to leave," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Not until I say so."
Lysara's silver-tinted eyes met his, filled with defiance even in her final moments. "Guess... I don't... care what you say," she rasped, a faint, bitter smirk tugging at her lips.
And then she was gone.
---
Kael stared at her lifeless body, his silver eyes blazing with unspoken fury.
For a moment, the world seemed to stand still. The ruins around him were silent, the smoke from Lysara's fallen cigarette curling lazily into the air.
And then Kael rose, his massive form wreathed in power.
"Fine," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "If you won't stay, I'll find someone else."
---
As Kael turned his gaze to the horizon, his hunger burned brighter than ever. The Void was within his grasp, and nothing—not gods, not mortals, not even Lysara—would stand in his way.
And as the shadows coiled around him, Kael knew that his journey was far from over.