The echoes of battle lingered in the forest, the clash of elven blades against the Elganth beast reverberating in Calypsius's ears as Ellara pulled him further into the dense undergrowth. His body screamed for rest, but he didn't dare stop.
"It's too strong," Ellara muttered under her breath, glancing over her shoulder. "Even the sentinels won't hold it for long."
"What is it?" Calypsius panted, his legs barely carrying him as the roar of the beast grew louder, closer.
"Elganth," she replied, her voice tight. "A manifestation of chaos. It should never have made it past the wards. This is…" Her words trailed off, her eyes darting through the trees.
"This is what?" Calypsius pressed, but Ellara didn't answer.
They burst into a small clearing, and Ellara spun toward him. "Keep going. Head north, to the edge of the forest. If you make it out, follow the river. Do not stop—"
"No!" Calypsius cut her off, his chest heaving. "I'm not leaving you here to face that thing alone."
Ellara's expression hardened, but before she could respond, a deafening crash shook the ground beneath them. The beast had broken through, its massive form looming at the edge of the clearing.
Its eyes glowed with an unholy light, and its snarls sent a chill through Calypsius's entire being. The sentinels were gone. There was no one left to stop it but them.
Ellara raised her hands, golden energy crackling to life, but the Elganth moved too quickly. With a swipe of its claws, it shattered her barrier and sent her sprawling to the ground.
"Ellara!" Calypsius shouted, rushing to her side. She was alive but dazed, her breathing shallow.
The beast turned its attention to him, its gaze piercing through his very soul. His hands shook as he gripped the branch he had used earlier. It felt laughably small in the face of this monstrous foe.
Heart pounding, Calypsius gasped for air as he stumbled through the clearing, the bloodied remains of his broken branch gripped tightly in his hands. His legs felt like lead, his chest burned with every breath, but he couldn't stop—not with the Elganth bearing down on him.
The beast's guttural snarl sent shivers down his spine. Its glowing red eyes burned with malice, the very air around it rippling with raw, malevolent energy. Calypsius turned to face it, knowing full well he couldn't outrun it forever.
Behind him, Ellara lay sprawled across the roots of an ancient tree, her golden magic spent. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, and her once-sharp gaze was now dulled with exhaustion.
"It's up to me," Calypsius muttered, his voice trembling. He tightened his grip on the branch, though his hands were slick with sweat and blood.
The Elganth lunged, its massive claws ripping through the air. Calypsius barely dodged in time, the beast's attack tearing into the earth where he had stood moments before. He swung his makeshift weapon, striking the creature's side with all his strength.
The branch splintered further, and the beast barely flinched. It snarled, swiping at him again.
Pain exploded in his side as its claws raked across his torso, sending him flying. He crashed into the ground, the impact knocking the wind out of him. Blood seeped through his torn tunic, and his vision blurred.
"No… not like this…" Calypsius coughed, struggling to push himself up. His arms trembled beneath him, his strength rapidly fading.
The Elganth loomed over him, its massive form blocking out the moonlight. Its growl reverberated through the ground, shaking him to his core. It raised a claw, poised to deliver the killing blow.
A strange warmth spread beneath him. The ground glowed faintly, and a soft hum filled the air. Calypsius's head lolled to the side, his fading consciousness barely registering the glowing runes that had begun to form around him.
The beast hesitated, its red eyes narrowing at the sudden change.
A voice—deep and resonant—echoed in Calypsius's mind.
"Do you wish to live?"
His heart thudded painfully in his chest. Was this a hallucination? Some last trick of his dying mind?
"I…" He could barely form words. "I… don't want to die."
The voice continued, calm yet commanding. "Life is a gift, mortal. But it must be earned. Do you have the will to fight?"
"Yes!" Calypsius gasped, his voice breaking. "Yes, I'll fight!"
The glowing runes flared brighter, and the air grew heavy with power. A figure emerged from the light, tall and otherworldly, its body shimmering like molten gold. Its eyes glowed like twin suns, and its presence radiated both awe and terror.
"I am Valenyr," the figure declared, its voice ringing like a bell through the clearing. "Keeper of the Eternal Balance. You stand on sacred ground, mortal. Will you accept my covenant and rise anew?"
Calypsius's chest tightened. "C-covenant?"
"You will bear my essence, my power. In return, your life will no longer be your own. You will walk a path of burden and responsibility, far beyond the reach of ordinary men. Do you accept this fate?"
The Elganth roared, its patience worn thin. It lunged toward them, its claws glowing with dark energy.
Calypsius didn't have time to think. He didn't have the luxury of doubt. "I accept!"
Valenyr extended a hand, and as Calypsius grasped it, a searing pain shot through him. He screamed as golden light engulfed his body, burning away his weakness, his fear. Symbols etched themselves into his skin, glowing fiercely as power surged through his veins.
The light faded, and Calypsius stood once more, his wounds healed, his body filled with an energy he couldn't comprehend. In his hand was a weapon unlike any he had ever seen—a blade forged from pure energy, its edges glowing with an ethereal light.
The Elganth snarled, its red eyes blazing with rage as it charged.
This time, Calypsius didn't run.
The blade hummed in his hand, and with a speed he didn't know he possessed, he met the beast's charge head-on. Their clash shook the clearing, the blade's light cutting through the shadows that cloaked the creature.
The Elganth struck with furious swipes of its claws, each blow faster and more savage than the last. Calypsius dodged and parried, his movements fluid and precise, as though the blade guided him.
"Come on!" he roared, slashing across the beast's flank.
The creature howled in pain, its shadowy form flickering as golden light burned through it. But it didn't falter. Instead, it lunged with renewed ferocity, its claws glowing with a dark, pulsing energy.
Calypsius raised his blade, the impact of their clash sending a shockwave through the forest. Sparks flew as claw met energy, the sheer force of the collision pushing him back.
The battle raged on, each strike, each dodge, a testament to his newfound strength. But even with Valenyr's power coursing through him, the Elganth was relentless.
As it lunged again, Calypsius saw his opening. He ducked under its claws, driving his blade into its chest. The creature let out a deafening roar as the blade's light consumed it, its form collapsing into ash.
The forest fell silent.
Calypsius stood there, chest heaving, his glowing blade still in hand. The sigils on his arms pulsed faintly, a reminder of the power he now wielded.
Behind him, Ellara stirred, her voice weak but filled with awe. "What… what are you?"
Calypsius didn't answer. He didn't know. All he knew was that his life was no longer his own.