When the first blade hit, the air shattered like glass, and the sacred light and the shadows of the abyss collided in a scorching storm of brilliance. Kael Deryn stood in the very centre of the chaos, his black cloak whipped in the wind, his golden eyes glowing like molten fire. The light was ruthless, it was pouring out from the strength of the champions gathered by the gods and by the burning stars. But Kael stood there firm the outline of a shadow against their overwhelming light.
"Is this what they are sending to deal with me now?" He said, his voice calm, with ironic entertainment. "Dazzling actors and even second-rate pawns?"
The seven champions in total secured their formation, their polished armour gleaming in the lingering light of the artifact. Their centre is Eldrin Varess, a self-righteous golden knight whose existence is as suffocating as it was commanding. His huge sword, engraved with the rune of sacred judgment, gleamed when he raised it, pointing directly at Kael.
"Kael Deryn," Eldrin roared, his voice carrying the weight of divine authority. "You are condemned by the gods. Surrender, I promise your death shall be swift."
Kael raised his eyebrows, with a faint smile on his lips. "Swift?" He said mockingly. "How generous you are. But I'm afraid I have absolutely no intention to die most importantly for people like you."
The shadows around him surged, coiled like a living snake, with sharp edges. His fingers twitched, and darkness sprang out, slamming to the ground like a tide. The champions brace up and their weapons shine with sacred light, but the shadows are faster, pure black tendrils wrap around their feet dragging them down.
Eldrin's blade ignited the holy flame and cut off the shadow with a wave. "Hold your ground!" He ordered, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Kael smiled, a low and dark voice with a chill rippling in the air. "Holding your ground can't save you," he said. "Not here. Especially not against me."
With a flick of his wrist, he launched the second wave of magic, which was way more complicated and crueler than the first. The ground below the champion changed, and the barren land cracked into jagged spikes and erupted upward. One of the champions, a shield holder with a glowing white badge, let out a strangled cry when the spikes pierced his armour, lifted him from the ground, and then lifted him like a broken doll.
"Poor thing," Kael murmured, his eyes ruthless. "Did the gods really believe you would be enough?"
But when his gaze swept across the battlefield, something caught his attention-a trace of light that was neither sacred nor his own. His gaze was firmly fixed on Elaine, who was standing a few steps behind him, and she held the glowing artifact to her chest. The sunburst-shaped relic pulsed faintly, and its light became stronger with each beat, as if it was absorbing the surrounding chaos.
"What are you doing?"Kael asked, his voice sharp.
Elaine's hand trembled, but her expression was firm. "It is a reaction to you," she said, her voice mixed with awe and fear. "The artifact, it has something to do with your magic."
Kael's lips pursed. He doesn't like this sound. This artifact should be a broken relic, its mechanism has been destroyed by time and abuse. But if it somehow amplifies his power, or even worse, feeds on it, it may attract more attention than he wants.
"No matter what, stop what you are doing," he snapped, his eyes flashing between Elaine and the upcoming champion. "Otherwise I will tear that thing from your hand with my own hands."
Elaine flinched, but did not back down. "You need me," she said, her voice trembling but still firm. "Without this, you would—"
When Eldrin rushed forward, her words were cut off, and his blade bent down with deadly precision. Kael spun to greet him, and his own weapon came true in his hands, a smooth, shadow-forged blade that seemed to drink water in the surrounding light. Their swords collided with a deafening impact, and the impact sent shock waves in the air.
"I see, still hiding behind tricks and shadows," Eldrin roared, his eyes flashing with contempt.
"And you are as predictable as ever," Kael retorted, pushing Eldrin back with a burst of dark energy. "Tell me, how does it feel to be the favorite lapdog of the gods? When you obey, will they throw you a bone, or is it just a fragment on their table?"
Eldrin's face was distorted by anger, and he rushed over again, his movements driven by sacred anger. Kael encountered his blow, and his blade blurred with deadly precision. Each blow is to test the limits of Aldrin's patience and endurance.
But as the light of the artifact exploded again, Kael's focus swayed, this time brighter than before. Now the pulse is stronger, and it resonates with your heartbeat in time. He felt it, something like a strange, disturbing pull in his belly pit, as if an artifact was trying to tie himself to him.
Damn it, he thought, parry another blow from Eldrin. This should not happen.
Behind him, Elaine shouted something-but he couldn't hear in the collision of steel and the roar of magic. He risked a glance over his shoulder and saw her stumbling back, holding the artifact in his hand, because it was getting hotter and brighter. The champions were approaching her, their eyes staring at the relic like predators, sniffing blood.
Kael swore under his breath. If they get the artifact, it's over—and not just for him but also for the fragile balance he has been trying to maintain.
A burst of dark energy blasted Eldrin away, allowing the golden knight to slide across the battlefield. Then he turned around, and when he ran towards Elaine, shadows gathered around him. The champion moved to intercept him, but Kyle did not slow down. His magic attacked violently in all directions, opening up a path of destruction in their team.
"Elaine!"He called as he walked. "Give me the artifact—now!"
Her eyes met him, full of fear and confusion. "But-"
"Now!"He roared, grabbed her wrist, and wrenched the relic from her hand. At the moment it touched his skin, the light surged, filling his senses with dizzying heat. It is like staring at the heart of a star, its brilliance burning every shadow.
Kael staggered, his vision swimming. The power of the artifact is overwhelming, and its ancient mechanism is ground in his own magic, like a gear in a broken machine. He can feel it trying to synchronize with him, shaping itself around his essence.
Then he heard the voice.
"Kael Deryn," it whispered, soft and cold, like the touch of a ghost. "The bearer of light and shadow. Your destiny is before you."
Kyle was taken aback, his heart pounding. That voice is not his own, nor is it the voice of God. This is something older and deeper, an existence dormant in an artifact just waiting for the right moment to wake up.
Before he could react, the light burst out, enveloping the battlefield in a radiant storm. When the energy wave tore them apart, the champions screamed, their sacred armor shattered like glass. Eldrin's voice sounded, full of the same anger and fear.
And then silence.
When the light finally faded, Kyle stood alone, the artifact still in his hand. The battlefield was empty, and the champions were gone. Elaine lay unconscious at his feet, pale and breathing lightly.
But Kyle's gaze was not on her. This is on the artifact, now pulsating in a stable ominous rhythm. This voice echoed in his mind again, with a dark promise in his tone.
"You are chosen," it said. "But not by the gods."
Kyle's grip tightened on the relic, and his expression was incomprehensible. For the first time in many years, a trace of uneasiness quietly poured into my heart.
What did I release?...