As the three warriors stood together, their heavy breaths mingling with the thick, oppressive air of the inner sanctum, they exchanged determined glances. The figure before them, the one who had masterminded the assault, still stood cloaked in shadows, his features obscured. He had yet to speak, but the oppressive energy surrounding him made it clear that the battle wasn't over.
Ezra narrowed his eyes and gripped his sword tighter, ready for whatever the figure might throw next. "You thought you could break us with these attacks?" His voice was low but fierce. "We've seen through your tricks. You may have sent your Void-Touched, but they are nothing compared to us."
Thalion, the Time Mage, stepped forward, his staff glowing faintly with arcane power. "This place... the Archmage's tower. It's not just a random target, is it? You've carefully chosen this place for a reason. You're aiming to cripple more than just a city. You want to cripple knowledge itself, to erase everything we've worked to preserve."
Ardyn, the Blood Druid, growled in frustration, his hand still crackling with the residue of his druidic magic. "Knowledge is power, but so is the spirit of the people. We'll fight with everything we have, even if it means we lose everything else. The Void may try to consume it all, but they'll never extinguish what we've built here."
The figure, still hidden beneath his dark cloak, slowly stepped into the light. His presence was chilling, and his form seemed to shimmer with unnatural energy as if he were made of the very Void itself.
At last, the figure spoke, his voice cold and distant, yet oddly familiar. "You are indeed perceptive," he said, his tone almost casual. "But you are too late. This is not just about power or destruction. It's about shaping the future. What you see as knowledge, commerce, and wealth, is but a distraction, a fleeting dream. This city, Marveil, is the nexus of everything that stands between the Void and its perfect reclamation. And I intend to bring it all to an end."
Ezra's eyes widened as realization dawned. The words the figure spoke echoed in his mind, and in a horrifying moment, he understood. The true identity of the figure began to unravel in front of him.
"You..." Ezra's voice faltered as he stepped forward, his mind racing to connect the dots. "You're the Archmage, aren't you?"
The figure nodded, his hood falling back to reveal a familiar face—one that Ezra had seen only days ago. The Archmage's eyes glowed with an unsettling light, and his expression was cold and resolute. His once revered position was now a cruel mask for something darker.
"Yes, Ezra," the Archmage said, his lips curling into a thin smile. "I am the one who leads this assault. And I chose Marveil specifically because it is the heart of this world's knowledge. It is the city of wealth, commerce, and the mind. If I can extinguish this place, I will deal a blow to the very fabric of your civilization. The libraries, the research, the alchemy... all of it will be lost. It will set humanity back centuries, if not more."
Thalion's eyes blazed with fury. "You're betraying everything this place stood for. Everything you were once a part of!"
Ardyn clenched his fists, the air around him pulsing with restrained fury. "You were supposed to protect this place, not destroy it. What happened to you, Archmage? What made you so twisted?"
The Archmage's eyes flashed with something akin to regret, but it was fleeting. "I chose the path of the Void because the world needs to be reborn. The Void will purge the world of its greed, its corruption, and its mistakes. It is the only way to bring true peace."
Ezra stood in silence for a moment, then turned to face the Guild Master and Guild Owner who were standing nearby, watching the unfolding scene. "We can't let this stand. We've lost too much already. We need to protect what remains."
Turning to the Guild Owner, Ezra's voice was filled with urgency. "Save every last person you can. Get them to safety. Preserve as many books and scrolls as you can. The people of Marveil are counting on you."
The Guild Owner nodded, his face hardening in determination. Without a word, he raised his hand, casting a teleportation spell to evacuate the citizens. The Guild Master, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward as well, ready to assist in saving as many lives as possible.
But the Archmage, his expression cold and indifferent, made no move to stop them. "Go ahead. You can save some, but you will never stop what's coming."
The teleportation spell activated, sending waves of magic into the city, whisking away hundreds of people to safety in moments. The Guild Owner's magic was strong, and though not all could escape in time, a significant portion of the population was saved. As the magic swirled around them, Ezra could sense the life force of many of the city's inhabitants disappearing in the blink of an eye the unfortunate ones who hadn't made it in time. But the knowledge, the libraries, and the books of immense value had all been saved.
Ezra's heart sank as he stood there, watching the destruction unfold. "It's not over. Not by a long shot," he whispered to himself. But for now, he could only trust that the lives saved would carry the torch of knowledge forward.
As the dust settled and the Archmage's dark figure began to fade into the shadows once again, the looming threat of the Void grew ever more imminent. Ezra, with the Guild Master and Guild Owner at his side, turned and headed out, determined to stop this threat no matter the cost.
---
The battle was far from over, but one thing was clear: the world's fight for survival had just begun.