The sun dipped low in the sky as Elliot trudged down a narrow, dirt path. Shadows stretched across the landscape, and the once-vibrant fields gave way to an ominous forest. His clothes were damp from the storm, his body sore from the ordeal he still didn't fully understand.
Inside his mind, the presence of Etreuf was unrelenting. The demon's voice rumbled like a storm cloud. "Why do you resist me? We are bound. You cannot escape what you've become."
Elliot's jaw tightened. "I don't care who you are. I'm not giving up control."
Etreuf's laugh was low and mocking. "Control is an illusion, boy. You are merely a passenger now."
The forest grew darker as Elliot pressed on, his path illuminated only by the faint glow of fireflies. He didn't know where he was going, but he felt a pull—something calling him forward. The air grew colder, heavy with the scent of decay.
Finally, he emerged into a clearing. Before him lay a sprawling cemetery, its iron gates rusted and its gravestones leaning at odd angles. The land seemed forgotten, abandoned to time. A dense fog clung to the ground, swirling unnaturally around the graves.
Inside, a faint light flickered. Elliot hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to turn back. But something urged him forward.
As he stepped through the gates, the fog thickened, muffling the sound of his footsteps. The cemetery stretched endlessly before him, rows of gravestones disappearing into the mist. In the distance, a figure moved, their silhouette shifting like a shadow.
"Who's there?" Elliot called, his voice cutting through the silence.
The figure stepped closer, emerging from the mist. He was tall and thin, draped in tattered black robes that flowed like smoke. His face was obscured by a cracked mask, and his piercing gray eyes glowed faintly in the darkness. Around him, coffins hovered, their lids creaking open and shut as though alive.
"I knew you would come," the figure said, his voice gravelly and cold. "The daggers called to you, as they call to all who seek power."
Elliot frowned, his fists clenching. "I'm not here for power. I don't even know what you're talking about."
The figure tilted his head, studying Elliot. "You carry darkness within you," he murmured. "Something ancient. Something... dangerous."
Etreuf's voice growled in Elliot's mind. "He knows. This one sees the truth."
The figure raised a hand, and the coffins around him shifted, their lids snapping open to reveal jagged interiors. "No matter. You will find no answers here. Only death."
The coffins lunged forward like predators, their jagged edges slicing through the air. Elliot dove to the side, narrowly avoiding one that slammed into the ground where he had stood. He scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding as more coffins surged toward him.
"Let me take control," Etreuf snarled. "You're too weak to handle this."
Elliot hesitated, dodging another attack. His body screamed for rest, his movements growing sluggish. Finally, he relented. "Fine. But no killing."
Etreuf surged forward, his presence washing over Elliot like a tidal wave. His eyes glowed brighter, his posture shifting as dark fire erupted around him.
The figure watched with interest, his gray eyes narrowing. "Ah, now I see. You are not one, but two."
Etreuf smirked. "You're perceptive. Too bad it won't save you."
He raised his hand, summoning a torrent of fire that engulfed the coffins. The flames roared, their heat cutting through the fog. But when the fire cleared, the coffins remained, their surfaces unscathed.
The figure chuckled. "These coffins are bound to me. They are indestructible. You cannot break them."
The battle raged on, the coffins attacking with relentless precision. Etreuf dodged and countered, his fire carving through the mist but failing to destroy his enemies. The figure moved with eerie grace, directing the coffins with a flick of his wrist.
"You cannot win," he said, his voice calm. "Surrender, and I will make your end merciful."
Etreuf growled, his patience wearing thin. "He's toying with us," he muttered.
Elliot's voice broke through the haze. "There's got to be a way. We just need to think."
Etreuf hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. Use that mortal brain of yours. Quickly."
Elliot scanned the cemetery, his eyes catching on the faint glow of a mausoleum in the distance. "There," he said. "That's where the power's coming from."
Etreuf smirked. "Then let's take it."
They fought their way to the mausoleum, the coffins chasing them relentlessly. Inside, the air was thick with power, the walls etched with glowing runes. At the center of the room rested two daggers, their blades suspended in the air as though held by invisible hands.
Elliot reached for them, but the figure appeared behind him, his voice sharp. "Those are not for you."
Etreuf spun, his fire blazing. "They are now."
The figure lunged, his gray eyes blazing with fury. Etreuf met him head-on, their powers colliding in a burst of light and shadow. The force shook the mausoleum, the runes flickering wildly.
In the chaos, Elliot seized the daggers. The moment his hands closed around their hilts, a surge of energy ripped through him, merging with the dark fire already coursing through his veins. The daggers glowed, their power resonating with the Conis.
The figure faltered, his coffins falling to the ground. He stared at Elliot, his voice trembling. "You... you are more dangerous than I imagined."
Elliot stepped forward, the daggers blazing in his hands. "Leave," he said, his voice steady. "Before I change my mind."
The figure hesitated, then vanished into the mist, his parting words echoing in the mausoleum. "We will meet again."
As the fog lifted and the cemetery fell silent, Elliot and Etreuf stood in the mausoleum, the daggers glowing faintly in their hands. The power they had unleashed was immense, almost overwhelming.
"These will do nicely," Etreuf said, his voice laced with satisfaction.
Elliot frowned. "This isn't about you. We're going to use this power to fix what you've done."
Etreuf laughed, the sound echoing in Elliot's mind. "Keep telling yourself that, boy. We'll see whose will is stronger."
As they left the cemetery, the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, illuminating the path ahead. Their journey had only just begun.