The tunnel stretched on into what felt like eternity. Each step Aric, Selene, and Kael took seemed to echo unnaturally, reverberating deeper into the earth as if the mountain itself was aware of their intrusion. The faint glow of the runes etched into the cavern walls pulsed rhythmically, like the heartbeat of some slumbering beast.
"It feels alive," Selene whispered, her voice barely audible. She ran a hand along one of the glowing runes, watching it shiver beneath her touch. "This place... it's not just a tomb. It's breathing."
Aric kept his sword drawn, the silver light from its edge cutting through the oppressive gloom. "Then let's hope we don't wake it up."
Kael grunted from the rear, his steps heavy. "It's too quiet. I don't trust it."
The air grew colder the deeper they went. The glow from the runes became more erratic, flaring brighter before dimming like dying embers. The tunnel walls, once smooth, began to twist and warp, as though shaped by some unnatural force. Strange, jagged growths jutted from the stone—dark, crystalline structures that reflected the runes' sickly glow.
Selene paused to inspect one of the crystals, her brow furrowed. "This isn't natural. It's... void energy. It's seeping through."
"Meaning what?" Kael asked, his voice tense.
"Meaning the veil's breaking faster than we thought," she replied. "The closer we get to the anchor, the stronger the void becomes."
Aric's grip on his sword tightened. "Then we're running out of time. Let's keep moving."
They pressed on, the tunnel eventually opening into a vast chamber that swallowed them in its enormity. The ceiling stretched high above, lost in darkness, while the floor was dominated by a massive chasm that pulsed with faint light. At the far end of the cavern sat an immense stone dais, upon which rested an ancient, jagged monolith.
The monolith thrummed with energy, its surface covered in runes that flared and flickered like dying stars. Around it swirled tendrils of darkness—living, writhing strands of void energy that pulsed with malevolence.
Selene's breath hitched. "The anchor..."
Kael stepped forward, his expression grim. "That's it? Looks like a cursed chunk of rock to me."
"It's more than that," Selene said, her voice low. "The veil was bound to this place. That monolith is the only thing holding the void back. But it's unstable."
Aric stepped toward the dais cautiously, his eyes fixed on the swirling darkness around the monolith. The whispers returned—louder this time, clearer.
You are too late.
The void will consume all.
There is no escape.
Selene flinched, clutching her head. "They're here. The Forgotten are close."
As if summoned by her words, the chasm roared to life. From its depths, shadows began to rise—dozens of them, their forms more defined, more solid than before. They were no longer just formless creatures of smoke and darkness. These were soldiers—warriors of the void, their armor jagged and black, their eyes burning with hollow light.
Aric raised his sword. "They're guarding the anchor. We need to get to that monolith!"
Kael roared and charged forward, his axe swinging in brutal arcs as he collided with the nearest shadow. The creature hissed and recoiled as Kael's strike cleaved through it, but it reformed quickly, its tendrils lashing out like whips.
Selene drew her bow, silver arrows flaring to life as she loosed them one after another. The projectiles struck the shadows with bursts of light, shattering them temporarily, but they reformed just as fast.
"There's too many!" Selene shouted, her voice strained. "We can't hold them off forever!"
Aric gritted his teeth, pushing forward through the chaos. His sword burned with silver fire, each swing cutting through the shadows like a beacon in the darkness. But for every enemy he struck down, two more seemed to rise in its place.
"We don't have to kill them all!" Aric shouted back. "Selene, can you stabilize the anchor?"
Selene glanced at the swirling monolith, her face pale. "I can try, but it'll take time! I need to get closer!"
"Go!" Aric yelled. "We'll cover you!"
Selene nodded and broke into a sprint, weaving through the shadows as she made for the dais. Kael fell in behind her, his axe swinging furiously to clear a path. Aric stayed at the rear, his sword a blur of silver light as he cut down anything that tried to pursue them.
Selene reached the base of the dais and dropped to her knees in front of the monolith. Her hands trembled as she traced the runes etched into its surface, murmuring words in the ancient tongue of the sorcerers. The runes flared brighter in response, but the void energy pushed back, swirling violently around the monolith like a storm.
"Hurry, Selene!" Kael bellowed, standing guard with his axe at the ready.
Selene's voice rose, her chant growing louder as she fought to stabilize the anchor. The runes on the monolith pulsed erratically, the stone shuddering as cracks spread along its surface.
Aric fought his way to the dais, his chest heaving as he reached Selene's side. "What's happening?!"
"The anchor's too far gone!" Selene shouted. "I can't repair it—it's breaking apart!"
The ground beneath them trembled violently, and from the chasm came a deafening roar that shook the chamber to its core. The shadows froze, their forms rippling as the void energy surged upward.
Aric turned to the chasm, his heart sinking. From its depths, something began to rise—an immense form, larger than any of the shadows they had faced. It was a creature of pure void, its body an amalgamation of writhing darkness and hollow, burning light. Its face was featureless except for two massive, blazing eyes that stared into Aric's soul.
Selene gasped, her voice faltering. "The Herald."
Kael's eyes widened. "What in the hells is that?!"
"The voice of the void," Selene said, her voice barely a whisper. "The one who leads the Forgotten."
The Herald's voice echoed through the chamber, a sound like grinding stone and endless screams.
You cannot stop what has begun.
The void will reclaim its due.
You are dust.
The creature surged forward, tendrils of darkness lashing out toward the dais. Aric stepped in front of Selene, raising his sword. "We'll see about that."
The tendrils slammed into him, and the force nearly knocked him off his feet. He gritted his teeth, his sword flaring with silver light as he pushed back against the darkness. Kael roared and leapt into the fray, his axe biting into the Herald's tendrils, severing them one by one.
Selene's voice rose again, desperate and resolute. "I can't repair the anchor—but I can destroy it!"
Aric's head whipped toward her. "What?!"
"If I destroy it, I can collapse this place and seal the void on the other side!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. "But it'll take all the magic I have left!"
Kael turned to her, his expression fierce. "You'll die!"
Selene looked up at Aric, her eyes determined. "There's no other way. The veil can't hold unless we cut off the void completely."
Aric stared at her for what felt like an eternity. Then, he nodded, his voice steady. "Do it."
Selene smiled faintly, her tears glistening in the runes' light. "Protect me."
Aric turned back to the Herald, his sword blazing brighter than ever. "Kael, with me!"
The two warriors charged forward, meeting the Herald's darkness head-on. Aric's blade burned like a star, cutting through the void tendrils, while Kael's axe struck with the force of an earthquake.
Behind them, Selene's chant grew louder, her voice echoing through the cavern as the runes on the monolith flared with blinding light. The stone began to crack and splinter, its surface shuddering as the magic within it unraveled.
The Herald let out a roar of rage, its massive form surging toward Selene. Aric and Kael fought desperately to hold it back, their bodies aching, their weapons glowing red-hot.
Finally, with a cry of triumph, Selene slammed her hands onto the monolith. The stone shattered, and the chamber erupted in light.
The Herald screamed, its form disintegrating into streams of shadow as the void energy was pulled back into the collapsing chasm. The ground shook violently, the ceiling crumbling as the entire mountain began to fall.
Aric turned toward Selene, his heart shattering as he saw her form glowing with pure light. She looked at him one last time and whispered, "Goodbye."
Then the light consumed everything.
The light was blinding, a pulse of pure energy that consumed everything—the shadows, the cavern, the mountain. Aric shielded his eyes as the world around him exploded into brilliance. The deafening roar of the Herald faded, swallowed by the light that surged through the chasm, filling the chamber with a soundless void.
And then, suddenly, everything stopped.
The ground ceased to tremble. The blinding light dimmed to a soft, gentle glow that bathed the cavern in a calm, ethereal hue. Aric dared to open his eyes, blinking against the fading brilliance. The stone beneath him was cracked, shattered, and the air was heavy with the scent of ozone and something ancient.
Selene was gone.
A sharp pang of loss gripped Aric's chest as he staggered forward, his body aching from the battle. He looked desperately around, but there was no sign of her. The monolith had shattered, its pieces scattered across the cavern floor. The runes that had once glowed with the dark energy of the void were now dim, their power drained. The shadows were gone, swallowed by the light.
"Selene!" Aric called hoarsely, his voice breaking. There was no answer, only the echo of his own words fading into the stillness.
Kael, his armor battered and scorched, approached cautiously. "Aric… it's over."
Aric shook his head, his eyes scanning the now-quiet cavern. "She… she did it. She had to have." His voice faltered. "But she… she gave everything. She…"
Kael placed a hand on his shoulder, his gaze solemn. "I saw her. Before the light consumed everything. She was at peace, Aric. She knew what she was doing."
The weight of Kael's words settled over him like a cold cloak. It didn't feel real. It couldn't be real. Selene—his closest ally, the woman who had brought him to this mountain and shown him what it meant to fight for something greater—was gone.
"But… what now?" Aric asked, his voice distant.
Kael's gaze drifted to the shattered monolith. "The veil is broken. The void… it's sealed. The Herald is gone. Azerath is free." He paused, then added, "But it's not without a price."
Aric nodded, his heart heavy. "I know. But we didn't fail. We stopped it. We saved the world." He turned to the chasm, which had fallen silent in the aftermath. The air was still, the faintest traces of the void dissipating like mist in the wind. The mountain, once the heart of darkness, was now eerily quiet.
But even in the absence of the void, Aric couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. The weight of Selene's sacrifice hung over him like a shroud.
"We should leave," Kael said after a long silence. "The mountain is crumbling. We don't know how long it'll hold."
Aric didn't argue. He knew Kael was right. The mountain had already begun to collapse in on itself, the echoes of falling rock reverberating through the cavern. Slowly, they began to make their way toward the exit, their steps heavy with the burden of their loss.
As they left the chamber and stepped back into the narrow tunnels, the light from the destroyed monolith seemed to linger in the air, casting faint shadows that danced like memories. The path to the surface was long and treacherous, but they pressed on, neither speaking as the weight of their journey settled between them.
Hours later, they emerged from the mountain's heart, the night sky stretching above them in all its stark, star-filled glory. The once ominous peaks of Azerath now stood quiet and still, bathed in the soft light of a world that was, for now, at peace.
Aric stood at the mountain's base, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The darkness had been vanquished, but in its place, there was a profound silence. The world felt different—freer, perhaps, but also more fragile.
Kael stood beside him, staring into the same distance. "She did it," he said quietly. "The void is gone. The veil is repaired. It's over."
Aric nodded, but the words didn't comfort him. The victory felt hollow without Selene. She had sacrificed herself, but in doing so, she had left behind a world that would never fully know the cost of her actions.
"Come on," Kael said, giving him a nudge. "We've got a world to rebuild."
Aric turned to face him, his eyes hardening. "Not just rebuild."
"What do you mean?" Kael asked.
"We need to remember," Aric said, his voice firm. "We need to remember what Selene did. What she gave up. We can't let her sacrifice be in vain."
Kael studied him for a moment before nodding. "Agreed."
Aric looked out toward the horizon, his thoughts a mixture of loss and resolve. The void was gone, but the cost of victory was far greater than either of them had imagined. They had defeated the darkness, but at the expense of the one person who had given them the strength to do it.
But they had won. And that victory—hard-earned and bittersweet—was something that would echo through the ages.
They had done what no one else could. And Selene's name would never be forgotten.