The moment the figure cloaked in black stepped forward, the air around them seemed to crackle with malevolent energy. Eren's pulse quickened, his hand instinctively gripping the hilt of his sword. There was no mistaking the presence before them—this was Malrik's doing. The Revenants were his, and they were closing in fast.
Kael shifted his stance, his eyes narrowing. "Guess we don't have to go looking for a fight after all."
Liora was already drawing her bow, her expression unreadable. The tension between them all was palpable, like a taut string stretched to its breaking point. The man in black, Malrik's emissary, stood tall with his dark, glowing eyes fixed on Eren.
"You are brave to come this far," the cloaked figure said, his voice low and rasping. "But your journey ends here."
Eren's hand tightened around his sword. The fragment at his side pulsed with a low, insistent hum, calling to him once again. He could feel the weight of its power deep within him, urging him to act, to strike first. But the more he listened to it, the more the voice in his mind grew louder—his own voice, drowning out Liora's warnings, Kael's reassurances.
Do it, it whispered. Take it. The power is yours.
"No," Eren muttered under his breath, fighting against the surge of energy rising within him. He couldn't afford to let it consume him now. Not when they were this close.
Malrik's emissary smirked, sensing the struggle. "You can resist for now, but your time will come. All of you will fall before the power of the fragments. Just like the others."
The Revenants around them began to stir, moving with fluid, coordinated precision. There was no room for hesitation. The time for words was over.
Kael charged first, his greatsword swinging in a wide arc. A group of Revenants surged forward to meet him, their claws outstretched and their teeth bared. Kael's sword cut through the air with brutal force, smashing into one of the creatures and sending it sprawling to the ground. But the Revenants didn't stop, pressing forward in relentless waves.
Liora loosed an arrow with deadly accuracy, striking one of the creatures in the eye before swiftly moving to a better vantage point. Her movements were a blur of precision, each arrow finding its mark as if guided by fate itself. Yet even with her skill, the Revenants kept coming, an unending tide of darkness.
Eren stood frozen for a moment, his sword in hand, but he couldn't move. The fragments. The promise of power. His mind kept returning to them, like a siren song that drowned out everything else.
"Eren!" Liora's shout pierced the fog of his thoughts. She had already dispatched another Revenant, but her eyes were focused on him, filled with urgency. "We don't have time for this. Get it together!"
Her words broke through the haze, and for a brief moment, Eren regained his focus. He wasn't fighting for power. He was fighting for them. For everyone. He had to snap out of it.
With a roar, Eren charged into the fray, his blade cutting through the first Revenant that came too close. The creature's glowing eyes went dim as it collapsed into a heap. His body moved on instinct now—he wasn't thinking, just acting, every strike a reflex. But the battle wasn't over yet. The Revenants kept coming, undeterred by the loss of their comrades. They were relentless, hungry.
Then, from the shadows, the figure in black raised his hand again, and the ground beneath them trembled. A deep rumbling echoed through the clearing, and from the cracks in the earth, new Revenants emerged—stronger, faster, more dangerous than the ones they had faced before. These weren't the mindless soldiers they had encountered earlier. These were Malrik's elite.
Kael gritted his teeth, raising his sword to defend himself. "This just got a whole lot worse."
Eren barely had time to react before one of the elite Revenants lunged at him, its claws aimed for his throat. He twisted out of the way just in time, his sword meeting the creature's side with a sharp clang. It recoiled but quickly lunged again, its speed unnerving.
Eren's breath was coming in short gasps now, his body exhausted from the constant fighting. His thoughts flickered back to the fragment, to the power just within reach. If he could just... reach for it...
"NO!" Liora's voice rang out like a sharp blade, pulling him back to reality. She was there beside him, her bow in hand, her eyes fierce with determination. "Not this way, Eren. Don't give in."
For a heartbeat, Eren hesitated. His hand hovered over the fragment, the power still whispering, urging him to claim it. But then he looked at her—at the fear and the hope in her eyes—and he pulled his hand back, steadying himself.
"I'm not going to lose myself," he whispered, more to himself than to her. "Not for this."
The elite Revenant lunged again, but this time Eren was ready. With a roar, he plunged his sword into its chest, piercing the dark magic that gave it life. The creature crumpled to the ground with a guttural howl, its eyes dimming to nothingness. But the fight was far from over.
Kael was battling the next elite, their swords clashing with a deafening ring. He was good—no one could deny that. But the creatures seemed endless. Eren's body screamed for rest, but he couldn't stop. Not yet. They needed to end this. They needed to finish what they started.
The figure in black watched them with cold detachment, his glowing eyes never wavering. "You're stronger than I expected. But you will still fall. They all fall in the end."
Eren's gaze met his, and something within him snapped. The frustration, the anger, the fear—it all came to a boiling point. He was done running. Done questioning. He would stop Malrik, no matter the cost.
With a roar, he charged the emissary, his sword raised high. But just as he reached him, the ground beneath him gave way, and Eren tumbled into a deep chasm that had suddenly opened beneath his feet. The force of the fall jarred his entire body, and the world spun as he hit the ground hard.
Dazed and disoriented, Eren struggled to rise, his sword still in his grip. The faint glow of the fragment at his side was the only source of light in the darkness surrounding him.
"You're not alone, Eren," Liora's voice echoed down into the pit. "We'll get you out. We're not leaving you behind."
For the first time in what felt like ages, Eren realized just how true those words were. He wasn't alone. Not anymore.
With every ounce of strength he had left, he pushed himself to his feet and pulled the fragment from his side. The power surged through him, but this time, he controlled it. This time, he would fight for the right reasons.