The colossal shadow of the creature loomed over the battlefield, its presence distorting the very air around them. Reazeal and Lysara stood side by side, their bodies battered and bruised, but their resolve unwavering. They could feel the overwhelming darkness that radiated from the creature—it was no longer just a battle of strength; this was a war of wills, and the cost of failure would be far greater than anything they had faced before.
Reazeal's hand clenched into a fist, the faint glow of the Eternal Flame flickering within his chest. Despite the immense power that pulsed through him, he knew that even this flame would struggle against the sheer enormity of the threat before them. The Revenants had been a warning, but this creature, this entity, was the true embodiment of their destruction. It was not a force that could be fought with sheer might alone.
Lysara turned to him, her expression grim. "We can't fight it directly. Not yet. We need a plan."
Reazeal nodded, his breath heavy. "I know. But what can we do against something like this? It feels as though the world itself is bending to its will."
The creature's laugh echoed through the air, a deep, resonant sound that vibrated the earth beneath them. "You think you can stop me?" its voice rumbled, each word dripping with malice. "I am not merely a creature of flesh and bone. I am the harbinger of the end. The darkness that feeds on all things. You are but fleeting sparks in the vastness of oblivion."
Lysara gritted her teeth, her blades still glowing with their ethereal light. "Your reign of terror ends here. We won't let you consume everything."
The creature's form seemed to shift, its massive, shadowy body coiling and undulating like a dark river. Its eyes, glowing with a sickly yellow light, locked onto Reazeal with an almost predatory hunger. "You are already too late. The ritual has begun. The thread that holds this world together is unraveling, and there is nothing you can do to stop it."
Reazeal felt the weight of those words. The world itself was in jeopardy. The very fabric of existence was being pulled apart by forces they had yet to fully understand. But there was one thing he knew for certain—he would never allow this creature to have its way. Not as long as he still had breath in his body.
"We may not be able to stop the ritual," Reazeal said, his voice low but fierce, "but we can buy the world time. We can hold you back, long enough for someone to find a way to undo what you've started."
The creature's laugh was chilling. "You think you have the power to hold me back?" it sneered. "You are nothing compared to the vastness of the Void I command."
Lysara stepped forward, her gaze never leaving the creature. "We've faced death before. We'll face it again. But this time, we fight to the end."
The creature roared, a sound that shook the heavens themselves. It raised its massive arms, and with a single motion, the ground beneath them split apart, sending massive cracks through the earth. From these cracks, more Revenants began to emerge, their forms twisted and malformed, their eyes glowing with the same malevolent light as their master.
Reazeal's heart raced as the Revenants charged toward them, but he knew that fighting these mindless creatures was futile. Their true enemy was the one standing before them, the being pulling the strings, the one orchestrating this madness. The Revenants were merely its puppets.
Lysara's voice broke through his thoughts. "We need to cut off its connection to the Revenants! If we can sever its influence, the creatures may stop attacking."
Reazeal nodded. "Agreed. We need to find the source. But we can't do it alone."
The Revenants were closing in on them, their unnatural speed making it impossible to evade. Reazeal's eyes flicked to the horizon, where the faintest glimmer of light broke through the ever-darkening sky. It was distant, but he could feel its presence—a signal that there might still be hope, somewhere, for the world.
"Lysara," he said urgently, "hold them off as best you can. I'll try to find the source."
She nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. "Don't be a fool, Reazeal. You're not alone in this."
Before he could respond, Lysara darted forward, her blades flashing as she tore through the ranks of the Revenants, cutting down one after another with precision and speed. But even as they fell, more took their place, their numbers seemingly endless.
Reazeal closed his eyes for a brief moment, reaching out with his senses, tapping into the power of the Eternal Flame that still pulsed within him. It wasn't much, but it was enough to guide him toward the source of the darkness. It wasn't physical—it was something deeper, something embedded in the very essence of the world itself.
With a burst of speed, Reazeal surged forward, leaving the chaos of battle behind him. He ran toward the center of the battlefield, where the air grew thick with the oppressive presence of the creature. The ground trembled beneath him, but he pressed on, feeling the pull of the Void growing stronger with every step.
As he reached the heart of the disturbance, he felt it—a tear in the fabric of reality itself, a rift that connected the physical world to the Void beyond. This was the source of the creature's power. If it wasn't sealed, the world would continue to spiral toward destruction.
Reazeal stepped closer, the Eternal Flame in his chest burning brighter. He knew that the only way to stop the creature was to close the rift. But to do so, he would have to sacrifice something more than his strength—he would have to risk everything. The cost would be unimaginable.
Lysara's voice echoed through the chaos, cutting through his thoughts. "Reazeal!" she shouted. "Don't do it! You don't have to sacrifice yourself!"
But Reazeal didn't answer. The time for words was over. The world was on the brink of collapse, and he was the only one who could stop it. He took a deep breath, summoning the last of his power, and approached the rift.
As he reached out to seal the tear, the creature's voice boomed, filled with rage and desperation. "You cannot stop me! The Void is eternal, and you are nothing but a fleeting moment in its darkness!"
Reazeal ignored it, focusing on the rift. With one final surge of the Eternal Flame, he plunged his hand into the rift, feeling the cold pull of the Void sucking at him. His body screamed in pain as the energy of the rift attempted to devour him, but he fought back, using every last ounce of his will to close it.
The world around him seemed to implode, the very fabric of reality bending and cracking as the rift slowly began to close. The creature howled in frustration, its form flickering as the power it had drawn from the Void began to wane.
Lysara's voice reached him again, but this time, it was distant, almost lost in the chaos. "Reazeal! Don't—"
But it was too late. The rift sealed with a final, deafening crack, and the creature let out one last, defiant roar before it was consumed by the darkness.
Reazeal collapsed to his knees, his body exhausted, his strength drained. The Eternal Flame within him flickered, its light dimming as the rift closed. He could feel the weight of the battle lifting, but at a terrible cost.
Lysara rushed to his side, her hands shaking as she cradled his head in her lap. "Reazeal, no..." she whispered, tears falling from her eyes.
But Reazeal's eyes were already closing. His work was done.
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End of Chapter 34.