As the sun dipped lower, shadows stretched across the graveyard, and the ground beneath us started to shake. Tombstones rattled, and cracks formed in the dirt, like something buried deep was trying to break free.
The tremors grew stronger, nearly knocking us off our feet. The sound of digging grew louder, filling the air as the undead stirred, ready to rise from their graves.
RUMBLE.
Hundreds of skeletal hands burst through the ground, each one grasping a weapon—swords, shields, spears, axes—rusted and worn, yet deadly in their grasp.
The clattering of bones echoed as more and more skeletons emerged, an army armed with ancient gear, their hollow eyes empty yet filled with silent rage.
Then, behind them, a giant skeleton emerged, towering over us like a small building.
This one was different—not just in size, but in its attire.
A tattered black cloak draped over its massive frame, and unlike the hollow sockets of the others, it had two eerie, red floating eyes that stared down at us with malevolent intelligence.
Rhy stepped forward, drawing her sword.
Her fingers glided across the blade, tracing the intricate runes etched along its surface.
A ripple of shadowy energy pulsed from the weapon, and a dark pool of shadow materialized beneath her feet.
Without hesitation, she sank into it, disappearing completely before reappearing in an instant right next to the towering skeleton.
With a fluid motion, Rhy swung her sword, unleashing a massive arc of black energy. The slash expanded, wrapping around the creature like living shadows, binding its limbs and forcing it to the ground with a heavy crash. Its bones creaked under the pressure as it struggled against the restraints, but to no avail. Rhy perched atop its fallen form, her smile smug.
"My job is done," she declared.
I stood back, guarding the explosives Viri had brought as a last line of defense. Eli stayed close behind me, knowing I was her shield should the fight take a turn.
Across the battlefield, I watched Reyna activate a series of Phoenix Feathers, igniting in a brilliant golden glow as she hurled them at the approaching skeletons.
Unlike the tougher foes we had faced before, these crumbled with a single hit, disintegrating into dust the moment the feathers made contact.
Viri, still with her shotgun strapped to her back, opted for brute strength, throwing powerful punches that shattered the skeletons with ease.
Each blow she landed sent bones flying, her strength overwhelming even the largest of the skeletal warriors. The fight was intense, but controlled. However, something felt off.
I glanced around the battlefield, searching for Tenshi. She wasn't supplying her usual support, and it made me uneasy. My eyes darted through the chaos—Seraphina was nowhere to be seen either. It was like she vanished just before the fight started, slipping away unnoticed.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. Something wasn't right. I gripped my weapon tighter, ready for the unexpected.
Reyna's fire left trails of ash and burn marks across the ground, while ice bombs created frozen statues that were shattered with the next strike.
Viri's sheer physical strength caused the skeletons to crumble into piles of dust as she moved through them like a wrecking ball.
The undead were relentless, but we held our ground.
I kept throwing explosives into the thick of the enemy, the blasts scattering the undead warriors into pieces.
The battlefield was littered with the remains of countless skeletons—frozen fragments, charred bone, and weapons shattered beyond recognition before they inevitably turned to dust.
Each wave we faced felt like it could be the last, but no matter how many we took down, more kept rising from the ground as if the graveyard itself was an infinite well of soldiers.
Hours passed, but it felt like minutes.
The skeleton army showed no signs of slowing down, and the weight of fatigue began to settle on all of us. The battlefield stretched on, a wasteland of destruction.
The heat from Reyna's flames clashed with the cold left by the ice bombs, creating an eerie fog that shrouded the area.
RUMBLE. RUMBLE. RUMBLE.
The massive skeleton lord, still bound by Rhy's magic, let out an ear-piercing roar, its hollow eyes burning brighter.
With a sudden burst of strength, it broke through the shadowy tendrils that had held it captive, sending Rhy flying backward through the air. She crashed into the ground, skidding to a stop near the teleport rune.
I watched in horror as the creature stood tall, its enormous form towering over the battlefield. Around its neck hung a pendant—a glowing white light emanating from it, slowly healing its shattered bones. The pendant was our target, the key to stopping this monster, but it seemed indestructible.
Rhy was back on her feet in an instant. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.
Reyna was the first to move, summoning a massive wave of fire that engulfed the Skeleton Lord.
The flames roared as they consumed its cloak, but the light of the pendant flickered and the damage was undone just as quickly.
Viri charged in from the other side, her fists coated in earth magic, punching through the bones of the creature with force. But again, the light pulsed, and the damage was repaired faster than they could destroy it.
Rhy joined the assault, her shadow magic wrapping around the creature's legs, pulling it down to the ground again. She slashed at it with precision, trying to weaken it, but no matter what they did, the pendant continued to heal the damage.
I glanced at Eli, who stood frozen behind me, her hands shaking. She looked terrified. I stepped closer to her, placing my hand on her shoulder.
"You okay?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm despite the chaos around us.
Eli nodded, though her expression was still strained. "I-I just don't know what to do..."
I gave her a small smile. "You won't mess anything up. Just do your best."
She looked up at me, her fear slowly melting into determination. A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she nodded again, her hands steadying.
"Thanks," she whispered.
The battlefield roared with the sounds of combat as Reyna, Viri, and Rhy continued their assault on the Skeleton Lord.
Despite their best efforts, the white light from the pendant was too strong, healing the boss faster than they could hurt it.
"We're running out of time!" Reyna shouted, her voice filled with frustration as her flames dissipated against the skeleton's healing.
"I know!" Rhy gritted her teeth, frustration growing as she watched the light repair their every blow.
"Enough!" Rhy muttered, her voice barely audible over the chaos of the fight.
She tightened her grip on her sword, the blade humming with dark energy, the runes along its edge glowing a deep violet.
Without hesitation, she darted forward in a blur of motion as she sliced through the skeleton lord with a single, clean arc. The shadows followed her like a dark veil.
Her eyes locked onto the pendant, the stubbornly glowing white light continuing to undo all the damage she'd inflicted.
Reyna launched another wave of fire, brighter and hotter than before, while Viri sent massive chunks of earth flying at the boss, keeping it off balance. Rhy sprinted forward, her movements fluid and nearly impossible to track.
With one swift, precise strike, she plunged her sword into the boss's ribs, using it as leverage to leap up and reach for the pendant.
For a brief moment, it seemed like she might succeed. But then, as soon as she made contact, the entire battlefield seemed to shift.
A shockwave burst from the pendant, a blinding white light blasting outward.
The Skeleton Lord let out a chilling laugh.
"We're far from done," it rasped.
Four more skeletons clawed their way up from the soil.