The air in the chamber grew thick with tension as Malric's form solidified. His towering presence was more menacing than ever, his crimson eyes gleaming with dark amusement.
Shadows coiled around him like living serpents, hissing and snapping at the edges of the ward's flickering light.
"You've been entertaining, but this game ends now," Malric said, his voice echoing ominously in the vast chamber.
Van stood firm, his golden energy flaring brighter.
"If you want the ward, you'll have to go through us."
"Gladly," Malric snarled, a dark grin spreading across his face.
Before any of us could react, the shadows lunged. They moved like liquid night, faster than anything we'd faced before.
Van stepped forward, his golden energy erupting into a radiant shield that deflected the first wave.
Claire began chanting a spell, her voice steady despite the chaos, while Kyle leapt into action, his shadow blade slicing through the encroaching darkness.
I stayed back for a moment, my eyes fixed on Malric. His power was overwhelming, his connection to the darkness so complete that it seemed like he was the darkness itself. But then I felt it—a spark deep within me, a connection to the wards we had activated. They were waiting, their power ready to be called upon.
"Amber!" Van's voice jolted me out of my thoughts.
I nodded, drawing on the energy of the wards. The light within me began to glow, pushing back the encroaching shadows. With each step I took toward Malric, the light grew brighter, stronger.
"You think you can stop me?" Malric sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.
"You're nothing but a frightened child playing with power you don't understand."
His words stung, but I didn't let them break me.
"You're wrong," I said, my voice steady.
"I'm not afraid of you anymore."
Malric's expression darkened, and he raised his hand, a massive wave of shadow crashing toward me.
I raised my own hand in response, the light within me surging forward to meet his attack. The two forces collided, sending shockwaves through the chamber.
"Amber, focus!"
Claire shouted, her hands glowing as she unleashed a barrage of magical bolts at Malric.
"You're the key! The wards are connected to you!"
I gritted my teeth, pouring more of myself into the light. The power of the wards responded, their energy flowing through me like a river of fire. The flickering light of the final ward began to steady, its glow intensifying as I drew it into our fight. Van and Kyle fought relentlessly at my side, their movements precise and unyielding.
Van's golden energy burned like the sun, cutting through the darkness with every strike.
Kyle's shadow blade danced in his hands, a blur of lethal precision.
Even Claire, usually reserved in battle, unleashed her full power, her spells creating bursts of light that scattered Malric's shadows.
But Malric was relentless. For every shadow we destroyed, another seemed to take its place. His laughter echoed through the chamber, mocking our efforts.
"You can't win," he taunted.
"The darkness is eternal. It will consume you all."
With a final surge of determination, I drew on everything the wards had to offer. The light within me burned brighter than ever, blinded me, illuminating the chamber with a brilliance that left no room for shadows.
At that moment I felt an unbearable pang of pain and at the same time I saw a glimpse of Van. He was shielding me - protecting me.
Meanwhile Kyle was trying to reach me before I blacked out.
Malric screamed, his form dissolving as the light consumed him.
For a moment, everything was silent.
I opened my eyes slowly.
Victory.
The word felt hollow in the aftermath of the chaos.
The light of the final ward now illuminated the once-dark chamber, its pure radiance pushing away every last trace of Malric's malevolence.
The oppressive whispers were gone, replaced by an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of labored breathing and the faint crackle of Van's fading golden energy.
I lay crumpled on the ground, my body aching and heavy.
"Van..."
My vision blurred, but I could just make out Van slumped nearby, his golden glow flickering like a dying flame.
"Claire.."
Claire stood in front of me, her hands trembling as she pressed a piece of cloth against a wound on her arm.
Kyle knelt beside me. Glad he wasn't hurt badly.
"Kyle.."
He was speechless.
He scanned me from head to toe. There were track of tears, at the same time his expression one of pure torment as he stared at me, guilt etched deeply into his features.
"It's over," Claire whispered, though her voice was a mix of relief and grief.
"We stopped him."
I tried to respond, but the pain in my chest made it impossible. My head lolled to the side, and I saw Van struggling to move, his face pale and his breathing shallow.
"Van..." I managed to say a bit louder, since my voice barely audible.
He turned his head toward me, his golden eyes dim but filled with fierce determination.
"Amber..." he rasped, dragging himself closer despite his injuries.
"Stop moving, Van!" Claire snapped, her voice cracking.
"You're going to make it worse!"
"I don't care," he said, his tone as stubborn as ever.
His hand reached out, trembling, until it found mine.
I squeezed his hand weakly, tears streaming down my face.
"You… saved me," I murmured, my voice breaking.
"And I'd do it again," he said, his voice softening. "Every time."
Kyle's shadow loomed over us. He knelt down, his face a mask of regret.
"This is my fault," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"No," I said, forcing the word out despite the pain.
Kyle shook his head, his hands clenching into fists.
"If I had been faster… if I'd done more… you wouldn't have gotten hurt."
"You fought just as hard as we did," Claire said, though her voice was heavy with exhaustion.
"This wasn't anyone's fault."
But Kyle didn't seem convinced. He stood abruptly, pacing the chamber as if trying to escape his own thoughts.
"I could've stopped him sooner. I —"
"Enough," Van interrupted, his voice firm despite his weakened state.
He looked at Kyle with an intensity that made the room feel even quieter.
"Blaming yourself doesn't help anyone. What matters is that Malric is gone. The darkness is gone. Amber… is alive. That's what we fought for."
Kyle stopped pacing, his shoulders slumping.
"You're right," he muttered, though the guilt didn't leave his eyes.
Claire let out a shaky breath, sitting down beside me. She wiped the sweat from her brow, her usual sharp demeanor softened by the overwhelming exhaustion.
"We did it," she said again, almost as if she was trying to convince herself.
I managed a faint smile, looking at her.
"Claire… thank you. For everything."
She blinked rapidly, her emotions breaking through her normally guarded exterior.
"Don't thank me yet," she said, her voice cracking.
"You and Van look like you've been through hell. We need to get you out of here before—"
The ground beneath us rumbled slightly, and Claire's sentence was cut short. The ward's light pulsed, growing brighter and brighter until it filled the entire chamber.
"It's stabilizing," Van said, his voice weak but steady.
"The darkness is gone for good."
As the light began to fade, I felt a strange warmth wash over me. It wasn't healing, exactly, but it was comforting, as if the ward itself was acknowledging our sacrifice.
"We need to get back to the surface," Claire said, standing shakily and helping me to my feet.
Kyle moved to support Van, who was barely able to stand.
The journey out of the labyrinth was slow and agonizing. Every step sent waves of pain through my body, but I refused to stop. Van's hand never let go of mine, Kyle stayed close, and Claire always by my side, their presence a reminder that we weren't alone.
When we finally emerged into the open air, the sun was rising, casting the world in hues of gold and pink. The sight was breathtaking, a stark contrast to the darkness we'd just defeated.
Claire let out a sigh of relief, her eyes scanning the horizon.
"It's over," she said again, this time with more conviction.
I looked at Van, who was leaning heavily on Kyle but still managed to smile at me.
Despite the pain and exhaustion, I felt a flicker of hope. We had won. The darkness was gone, and though we were battered and broken, we were alive.
As we sat together on the grass, watching the sun rise, I couldn't help but feel a sense of peace. The journey had been long and harrowing, but we had faced it together.
And no matter what the future held, I knew we'd face it the same way—together.