Asha stood in the quiet of the ancient library, holding the large book with increasing tension. Despite the silence of the room, the air around her felt heavier, as if everything in the space was waiting to reveal the secrets hidden within.
On the last pages of the book, Asha found a name that triggered dark memories in her mind. A name so powerful, so terrifying, one she had faced in a battle that nearly destroyed everything. That name—Zerathis.
"Wait... this... Zerathis?" Asha murmured, her eyes widening as she couldn't believe what she had just read.
Zerathis, the god who ruled the darkness, was an entity beyond just myth or legend. He was the source of the void that birthed the darkness itself—an entity that had once ruled in another world but became trapped in a far worse, more cursed form. According to the book, Zerathis had been punished for his arrogance and his desire to dominate everything. Now, he planned his resurrection, and for that, he needed to gather power through his countless legions.
Asha remembered clearly. That morning, when they had been in the labyrinth filled with traps and terrifying creatures, there was one figure who appeared—a shadow, large and menacing, its body shrouded in black mist, something that couldn't fully exist in this world. That figure had introduced itself as Zerathis.
"Could it really be him?" Asha murmured to herself, her heart beginning to fill with an increasing sense of fear. "How could it be? That... was it just an incarnation of darkness, or... maybe not?"
The image was so vivid, almost like a shadow that couldn't be comprehended by human eyes. In the dark room, dimly lit, Asha could see it—a figure far larger than anything she had ever faced before. Its body was made of flowing black mist, as if it had no fixed shape, yet at the same time, it appeared so real, so powerful.
"Zerathis..." Asha whispered, recalling the words that came from that figure's mouth during their fight.
"The time has come... you cannot escape the fate already sealed," Zerathis' voice echoed in Asha's mind. "I, the forgotten and discarded one, will rise again. This world will be mine. This darkness is mine."
Asha bit her lip hard. The memory was still fresh in her mind, even though it had been quite some time since that battle. They had only been able to survive at that time, unable to fight against the immense power of the entity they faced. That creature, though made of darkness, contained an essence that their weapons couldn't touch.
"This... this is impossible," Asha thought, her eyes glancing back to the pages of the book. "How could I fight such a force? A god who commands the darkness?"
She felt a creeping sense of dread, but also a certainty that began to form in her mind. If Zerathis was the ruler of all this darkness—a god feared even by the creatures of the shadows—then they weren't just facing one terrifying enemy, but a force that could change the very face of the world itself.
Asha's pulse quickened as the shadow of that figure resurfaced in her memory. "Zerathis..." she whispered, and she moved closer to the next pages. There was more she needed to know.
At that moment, Asha found a section in the notes mentioning the Void Eternity, an entity even more terrifying than anything she could imagine—a power directly linked to Zerathis. It was said that the Void Eternity was the source of the darkness' power, and only by destroying its existence could Zerathis be stopped.
"Void Eternity..." Asha whispered again, trying to decipher what was written in the book. "If we want to defeat Zerathis, we must destroy the Void Eternity."
But a bigger question remained in her mind—where was the Void Eternity?
Asha closed the book with mixed feelings, but something deep inside her urged her not to give up. As she left the ancient library, she carried not only new knowledge but also a fear greater than before. Zerathis was no ordinary being of darkness. He was a greater, deeper, and more terrifying threat than anything they had faced.
But now, Asha knew that to defeat Zerathis, they needed more than just courage. They needed strategy, knowledge, and perhaps more than just their own strength.
"Zerathis... I will face you," Asha said to herself, her eyes burning with renewed determination. "There's no place to run. I must bring this information back to the others."
With quick steps, Asha made her way back to the meeting place, her eyes alight with a deeper understanding—and a feeling that a great destiny now awaited them.
---
Asha hurried out of the ancient library, the thick book gripped tightly in her hands. Inside, anxiety and the urge to share her discovery mixed together. She knew that the information she had just found was crucial—and could be the key to understanding the greater threat posed by Zerathis. Her steps quickened, racing against time.
She headed to the place where the heroes were preparing their forces. Outside, the sky was beginning to darken, a sign that their time was running out. The troops, trained rigorously, were now gathering, ready to face the approaching darkness. Yet, Asha knew they were not fully prepared for what was coming.
When she arrived at the meeting place, Asha saw the heroes—Ethan, Lila, Rowan, and Kael—discussing with the army commanders, strategizing and talking about their next steps. As soon as they saw Asha approach, all conversation stopped. A look of concern spread across their faces, as if they could sense that something was amiss.
"Asha, what's wrong?" Ethan asked, his gaze serious.
Asha took a deep breath, processing every word she was about to say. She knew this would shock them, maybe even terrify them. "I just found something," she said, her voice slightly trembling, though she tried hard to stay calm. "It turns out... the enemy we faced before... Zerathis... isn't the real Zerathis."
Kael furrowed his brow, as if not understanding. "What do you mean? Didn't we already fight that creature? Wasn't that Zerathis?"
Asha nodded slowly, her eyes full of determination. "Yes, we fought something that claimed to be Zerathis. But after I looked through some ancient records... that was one of Zerathis' tricks. That wasn't the real him. It was just one of the many faces he has."
Lila stared at Asha, trying to comprehend. "You mean... it was just one form he created to deceive us?"
"Exactly," Asha answered firmly. "Zerathis is a god who controls darkness, and he can change his form into anything. What we fought before was only a manifestation of his power, an illusion of the darkness itself. That wasn't a battle with the real god."
Ethan gritted his teeth, looking both angry and confused. "So, we weren't fighting the real Zerathis? This... this means everything is worse than we thought."
Asha nodded, feeling the weight of the burden on her shoulders grow heavier. "Yes, Zerathis has many forms, and he always tries to hide himself. We've only fought one form of many deceptions he's created. That wasn't the end of it."
Rowan, usually the calmer one, now looked at Asha with a serious expression. "If that wasn't the real Zerathis, then how can we know when we're actually facing him? How will we know his true form?"
Asha bit her lip, considering the question. "I'm not sure. But based on what I've learned, his true form is much stronger and far more terrifying. To stop Zerathis, we must destroy the Void Eternity, the source of his dark power."
"Void Eternity?" Kael asked, his voice skeptical. "What is that?"
"It's the core of the dark power he wields," Asha explained. "If we don't destroy the Void Eternity, Zerathis can never be defeated. It's a power that's directly tied to him. Without it, he will never truly die."
Ethan exhaled deeply, his eyes staring blankly into the distance. "We have to destroy the Void Eternity... but where can it be found?"
Asha shook her head, feeling increasingly pressured. "I don't know. I only know that it's in a place that's extremely hidden, even harder to reach than the labyrinth we went through. Zerathis has concealed it in a very intricate way."
Lila looked at Asha attentively. "So, we need to prepare more thoroughly. Not just fight the existing dark forces, but also find the Void Eternity and destroy it. This is bigger than we imagined."
The heroes fell silent for a moment, reflecting on Asha's words. They knew their task had grown far more complex and dangerous than they had anticipated. But they also knew there was no other choice. The darkness was approaching, and there was only one way to stop it.
Asha looked at the four heroes, her eyes shining with resolve. "We don't have much time. Every second we spend doubting could bring us one step closer to Zerathis destroying everything. We need to move now, or we'll lose everything."
Ethan nodded seriously. "We need to find the Void Eternity and defeat Zerathis—before he defeats us."
Asha felt the heavy burden on her shoulders, but her determination grew stronger. "We won't back down. There's no turning back. We will face him, together."