Scene 1: The Weight of the Past
The forest rustled with life, the wild boars weaving through the undergrowth as dawn's faint light began to pierce the canopy. Christopher sat astride one of the boars, watching Elliotte slump against a tree, his chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. The glow of Exilibur had faded, leaving only the soft light of morning to cast shadows over Elliotte's weary frame.
"Elliotte," Christopher called, shaking his shoulder. "Elliotte! Do you hear me?"
Elliotte jolted awake, his eyes wide with panic. His hand instinctively reached for the ring on his finger, as though searching for Exilibur. "Huh? What happened? Where's Anther? Did we—"
Christopher rolled his eyes, cutting him off with a sharp wave of his hand. "Relax, hero. You passed out after we bolted out of that cave. If I hadn't hauled your sorry ass out of there, you'd probably still be drooling on the floor."
Elliotte blinked, his mind still foggy with memories of Anther's cold gaze and bitter words. He lowered his head, guilt carving deep lines into his face.
Christopher's voice broke the silence, his tone a mix of curiosity and frustration. "So… that guy back there, the one with the murder eyes—he's the friend you were so desperate to find?"
Elliotte hesitated before nodding, his voice soft. "That was Anther Ashford. He was my best friend… before everything fell apart."
Christopher tilted his head, his sharp gaze narrowing. "Judging by the way he looked at you, I'd say 'best friend' isn't exactly what he'd call you now. What happened between you two?"
Elliotte's throat tightened, and he hesitated before answering. "His family died… because of me."
Christopher stiffened, his arms crossing as his expression shifted from curiosity to disbelief. "Wait, what?"
Elliotte's voice cracked as he continued. "The royal guards—my father's guards—raided their home. His mother, his father, his sister… they were all killed. And I… I…" He clenched his fists, staring at the dirt as if it held all the answers. "I didn't stop it. I didn't do anything."
Christopher stared at him, his shock quickly morphing into something colder. "So let me get this straight," he said, his tone sharp as a blade. "You showed up at that cave to tell him you're sorry? That's it?"
Elliotte flinched, but said nothing.
Christopher let out a harsh laugh, though it was devoid of humor. "Sorry? You really thought saying 'sorry' would fix anything? His family is gone, Elliotte! You think a word's gonna bring them back?!"
"I know it won't!" Elliotte shot back, his voice trembling. "But I needed him to know that I never meant for any of this to happen!"
Christopher sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. His tone softened, though it was still laced with frustration. "Look, dude. I don't know what kind of fairy tale you're living in, but in the real world, 'sorry' doesn't mean a damn thing to someone like him. Not after everything he's lost."
Elliotte bit his lip, his chest tightening with guilt.
"So," Christopher continued, leaning against a tree, "what now? Are you just going to move on, like none of this ever happened? Pretend your friend isn't out there, sharpening that creepy shadow blade of his?"
Elliotte shook his head slowly. "No," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "I'll continue the mission I came here for. I'll find the Rings of Light. But I won't abandon him, either. I can't."
Christopher raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting to something almost amused. "So you're just going to waltz back into his life again, even after he nearly took your head off? You've got guts, I'll give you that." He smirked. "I like it. I'm coming with you."
Elliotte blinked, surprised. "You're leaving the forest? Just like that?"
Christopher shrugged, a playful grin tugging at his lips. "What can I say? The forest will be fine without me. My pack knows how to handle things. Besides…" He tilted his head, his expression growing more serious. "Something about this mission feels big. And I'm not about to let you run off alone to get yourself killed."
Elliotte nodded, a faint smile breaking through the weight of his guilt. "Alright. Let's go."
Scene 2: The Devil's Encounter
The cave was silent but alive with foreboding energy, its jagged walls illuminated by faint veins of glowing minerals that pulsed like a dying heartbeat. Shadows twisted unnaturally on the walls, cast by an unseen source of light that seemed to deepen the darkness instead of dispelling it.
Anther followed Morvanious deeper into the cavern, his dark sword resting at his side, its jagged edge glinting with faint, malevolent light. He trailed behind the older man, his mind racing with thoughts of Elliotte and the bitterness that now burned in his chest.
The echo of their footsteps filled the cavern until another sound broke through—a voice, deep and resonant, ringing through the air like the tolling of a bell.
"What are you doing here?"
The words seemed to come from all around them, reverberating off the stone walls. Anther spun around, his instincts sharp, and in a flash, his dark ring pulsed with energy, transforming into his wicked blade.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—a tall, wiry man draped in a tattered cloak. His hair was silver, his face weathered and creased with lines of age and wisdom, but his eyes burned with the sharpness of youth. Theodore.
The old man's lips curled into a faint smirk as he stepped into the dim light. "Children shouldn't meddle in matters far beyond their understanding," he said coolly.
Before Anther could react, Theodore vanished in a flash of light. The next moment, he reappeared behind Anther and delivered a swift, punishing kick to his face. The blow sent Anther sprawling across the cavern floor, his sword clattering beside him.
Theodore chuckled as Anther staggered to his feet, glaring at the old man with pure fury. "Stay down, boy," Theodore said, his tone dismissive. "You're not worth my time."
Anther growled, raising his blade. "I'll show you exactly how much time I'm worth, old man—"
"That's enough Anther," Morvanious said, his voice cutting through Anther's rage like a blade. He stepped forward, his presence commanding, his eyes locked on Theodore. "You don't stand a chance against him at your current level."
Grinding his teeth, Anther hesitated, his pride warring with the icy command in Morvanious's tone. Finally, with a sharp exhale, he stepped back, though his glare remained fixed on Theodore.
Theodore's smirk deepened. "You've trained your dog well, Morvanious," he said mockingly.
Morvanious's expression remained cold, unbothered by the jab. "Theodore," he said, his voice low and cutting. "Why are you here?"
The old man's smirk faded, his face hardening. "You know why," he replied, his voice steady but brimming with quiet fury. "I'm here to stop you from spreading your poison any further."
Morvanious let out a soft, chilling laugh. "Poison?" he said mockingly. "Is that what you call it? I call it progress. Evolution. Power. Something you could never understand, Theodore."
Theodore's eyes narrowed. "You've taken enough from this world. I won't let you claim another ring."
Morvanious tilted his head, a slow, wicked grin spreading across his face. "And what makes you think you can stop me?"
Theodore didn't reply. Instead, he dashed forward in a blur of motion, his fist glowing with immense power as it shot toward Morvanious like a meteor.
Morvanious raised his hand calmly, catching the blow mid-air. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the cavern, cracks spiraling across the stone walls as dust and debris rained down.
Theodore's eyes flickered to the dark rings on Morvanious's fingers, his expression twisting into one of horror. "You… You already have five of them?"
Morvanious's grin widened. "You're quick to notice, old man. Let me guess—you're wondering how I got them?" His voice dropped to a cold whisper. "Eager to know how? I killed the other old fools who had them."
Theodore's expression hardened, his own rings flaring to life. Four glowing bands pulsed with energy on his fingers, each one radiating a different hue—red, blue, gold, and green. The cavern filled with their combined light, the air itself crackling with raw power.
Theodore growled. "Let's see if you can kill me as easily."
The battle erupted with devastating force.
Theodore launched a volley of energy blasts from his rings, each one streaking through the air like bolts of lightning. Morvanious stood still, his dark aura coiling around him like a living shield. The blasts struck the barrier and dissipated, their power absorbed effortlessly.
"You'll have to do better than that," Morvanious sneered.
With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a wave of black, smoky energy that surged toward Theodore, consuming everything in its path. Theodore leaped high into the air, the ground where he'd stood erupting into jagged spikes of shadow. He landed gracefully on a rocky ledge, his hand raised as the air around him began to shimmer.
The ground beneath Morvanious's feet cracked and split as glowing stalagmites shot upward, aiming to impale him. But Morvanious moved fluidly, stepping between the spikes as though he were dancing.
"Impressive," Morvanious admitted, his tone almost mocking. "You're putting up more of a fight than I expected."
Anther, who had been watching from the side, instinctively stepped back, his hands trembling.
"Anther," Morvanious' voice cut through the chaos like a blade. "If you're going to just stand there, at least make yourself useful. Find the ring while I deal with this relic." Anther hesitated but then nodded, turning to venture deeper into the cave. Theodore's gaze followed him, a flicker of concern crossing his face. "I won't let him have another ring," Theodore declared, his determination reigniting. He charged forward, his entire body glowing with the combined power of his rings. Morvanious' eyes gleamed with cruel delight as he observed Theodore struggling in his grip. "Oh, I see now. You wield the Rings of Thunder," he sneered. "Impressive, but even their combined power won't save you from me."
Theodore didn't respond. His rings flared brighter, their energy coalescing into a massive orb that hovered above his head. With a roar, he hurled the orb at Morvanious.
The blast struck with the force of a hurricane, the entire cavern shaking violently. But when the dust cleared, Morvanious stood unharmed, his grin widening.
"You've grown weak, old man," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "This is what happens when you cling to outdated ideals."
In a blur of motion, he closed the distance between them, his hand wrapping around Theodore's throat. The old man gasped, his body trembling as Morvanious's dark energy began to burn into his skin.
"Ugh… you… won't win," Theodore choked out, his voice barely audible.
With a final, defiant effort, Theodore raised his hand, and the four glowing rings on his fingers detached, each one shooting off into the shadows of the cave in a brilliant flash of light.
Morvanious's expression darkened as he watched the rings disappear. "Coward," he hissed. "Sending your power away to die with someone else? How noble."
Without hesitation, Morvanious plunged his fist through Theodore's chest. Blood spattered across the cave floor as the old man's body convulsed, his eyes wide with pain and disbelief.
Theodore gasped one last time before going still, his body limp in Morvanious's grasp.
Morvanious withdrew his bloodied hand, tossing Theodore's corpse aside like a broken doll. He turned toward the deeper recesses of the cavern, his dark aura pulsing with satisfaction.
"Anther," he called, his voice echoing coldly through the cavern. "Have you found the ring yet? We're done here."