The city's silhouette loomed against the encroaching darkness, its once-proud spires now twisted and broken like the bones of a fallen titan. Jackeal stood at the edge of the plaza, his heart pounding as the roar of the Beasts grew louder, their presence like a malevolent storm ready to sweep the land clean of hope. The shard pulsed violently in his hand, its dark energy mingling with his own, urging him toward the confrontation he had long dreaded.
Veyra stood beside him, her sword gleaming with readiness, her gaze never wavering from the horizon where the Beasts emerged from the mountain's depths. The air was thick with tension, and Jackeal could feel the oppressive weight of the past pressing down on him. The Betrayer had set this all in motion, but now it was his turn to choose how the story would end.
"We need to move fast," Veyra said, her voice steady but her eyes sharp with determination. "The longer we wait, the stronger they'll grow. We don't have time to waste."
Jackeal nodded, his jaw tightening as he turned his gaze toward the approaching Beasts. There were ten of them, each one a manifestation of chaos, each one far stronger than anything he had faced before. They had come to claim Reazeal's body, but Jackeal knew that they had another purpose too. They were his inheritance, the legacy of his bloodline, sent to either break him or make him stronger.
"I'll stop them," Jackeal said, his voice hard with resolve. "All of them. This is the moment I was born for."
Veyra shot him a concerned glance. "Be careful, Jackeal. The power you're tapping into... it's dangerous. You're not the only one who can be consumed by it."
He didn't answer immediately, his mind already shifting into the battle ahead. He could feel the shard's influence growing stronger, more insistent, its dark whispers coaxing him to embrace the full force of his power. It was as if the shard itself was alive, alive with the echoes of those who had wielded it before, each one driven mad by its overwhelming power.
But Jackeal had a purpose, and it was not to be consumed by the very thing that had tried to destroy his bloodline. He would wield the shard, yes, but he would not let it control him.
The first of the Beasts appeared from the shadows, its massive form a hulking mass of sinew and flame, its eyes burning with a malevolent light. Its roar shook the earth beneath Jackeal's feet, sending vibrations through the air that made the sky tremble. The other Beasts followed, their grotesque forms stepping from the cracks in the earth, their bodies swaying with an unnatural rhythm. They were more than just monsters—they were the very embodiment of destruction, of chaos.
As the Beasts approached, Jackeal's fingers tightened around the shard. He could feel the raw power of it coursing through him, his mana expanding in ways he had never felt before. The ground around him began to crack, and the air seemed to twist and distort. He was becoming something more—something stronger than the boy who had first picked up the shard.
"I won't let you take Reazeal's body," Jackeal muttered under his breath, stepping forward, his eyes locked onto the nearest Beast. "I will stop you."
The first Beast lunged at him, its claws slashing through the air like razors. Jackeal raised his hand, and the shard reacted, its energy surging outward, forming a barrier of crackling energy that repelled the Beast's strike. The force of the impact sent Jackeal skidding back, his feet digging into the earth, but he held his ground.
The Beast snarled, its massive form shifting like a wave, its body flowing into another form—smaller, quicker, more elusive. It circled him, its eyes glowing with a predatory hunger. Jackeal could feel its malice, its overwhelming desire to destroy him.
But he wasn't afraid.
"Is this the best you can do?" Jackeal taunted, his voice echoing in the vast emptiness around them. "Come on, then."
The Beast roared, charging at him once more. This time, Jackeal didn't raise a barrier. Instead, he focused the shard's power into his own body. The energy surged within him, amplifying his strength, his speed, his senses. In an instant, he was no longer the man he had been moments before. He was something greater, something more dangerous.
The Beast's claws came down, and Jackeal moved. He was a blur of motion, his body twisting out of the way as if time itself slowed down for him. He was faster than the Beast's strike, and with one swift motion, he thrust his hand forward. The shard's energy exploded outward in a torrent of pure, unrestrained power, and the Beast was sent flying backward, its body crashing into a nearby building with a deafening crash.
But Jackeal wasn't done. He couldn't afford to be. The other Beasts were closing in, their movements synchronized as if they were working together. He could feel the weight of their gaze upon him, the pressure of their combined force, and yet he stood tall.
He raised his hand again, focusing all his energy into one single strike. The shard began to glow brighter, its dark aura mixing with the surge of Jackeal's own power. He had never felt anything like this before—pure, unadulterated power, a force that could level mountains.
The Beasts came at him from all sides, but Jackeal was ready. With a roar, he released the energy, and the world seemed to shudder as the blast tore through the air. The ground cracked open beneath him, and the Beasts howled in agony as the shockwave sent them flying in all directions. Jackeal stood in the center of the chaos, his body glowing with the shard's power, his chest heaving with exertion. He had done it. He had taken them down.
But the victory was short-lived.
From the center of the battlefield, a figure emerged from the dust, silhouetted against the darkened sky. The Betrayer. His voice, cold and cruel, echoed through the chaos.
"Did you really think you could defeat them so easily?" The Betrayer's tone was mocking, and his figure shimmered with an unnatural, otherworldly aura. "You've only just begun, Jackeal."
Jackeal's heart skipped a beat. The Betrayer had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for this moment.
"You're too late," Jackeal snarled, stepping forward, his body still humming with power. "The Beasts are down. And you're next."
The Betrayer chuckled, the sound hollow and bitter. "You think this is over? You've only unlocked the first of your potential, boy. There is so much more to you. So much more you still don't understand."
"I understand enough," Jackeal said, his voice low and dangerous. "I understand that you're the one who has caused all of this. And now, I will end it."
The Betrayer's eyes narrowed, his smile widening. "We shall see."
With a swift movement, the Betrayer vanished, the air around Jackeal thickening with an ominous energy. The battle was far from over. This was only the beginning.
But Jackeal wasn't afraid. He had faced his demons, and he was ready to face whatever came next.
End of Chapter 10