The battlefield was eerily silent in the wake of the Rift's closure. Adeola stood at the epicenter, his spear still crackling with residual divine energy, his breath heavy as he scanned the devastation around him. The ground was littered with the remains of slain creatures, their bodies fading into wisps of dark mist, dissolving back into nothingness now that the Rift was gone. But even in victory, unease settled over the warriors of the Seven Pillars.
Something was wrong.
Tunde wiped blood from his brow, his grip tightening on the handle of his massive war hammer. "This wasn't just another Rift," he muttered. "We've all seen them before. But these creatures were too—coordinated. Too relentless."
Hauwa nodded, still catching her breath. Her ice magic had left a frosted scar on the battlefield, but even that wasn't enough to quell the nagging suspicion in her gut. "They weren't just mindless monsters. They moved like an army."
Adeola knelt beside the body of the last beast he had slain, examining its molten veins and fractured stone-like skin. The energy radiating from it was unfamiliar. Different. "This one," he murmured, "it wasn't from the Rift alone. It had purpose. It wasn't just trying to kill us—it was trying to stop the ritual."
A hushed realization settled over them all. This attack hadn't been random.
Jelani sheathed his daggers and stepped forward. "Then the question is, who—or what—was controlling them?"
For a long moment, no one answered. The only sound was the distant crackling of dissipating energy, the Rift's remnants fading into nothingness. And then, from the distance, the wind carried a whisper—a chilling, guttural sound that made even the battle-hardened warriors pause.
It was laughter.
Adeola's eyes narrowed, his senses sharpening. He turned swiftly, scanning the shadows beyond the battlefield. "Show yourself!"
The laughter faded, replaced by an unnatural silence. Then, the air shimmered, and a figure emerged from the darkness, standing atop the jagged remains of a Rift-scorched rock. Cloaked in tattered robes that seemed to shift with the wind, the figure's presence exuded an overwhelming sense of dread. Their face remained obscured by a hood, but the aura they emanated sent a shiver through even the most seasoned warriors present.
"You fought well," the figure mused, their voice carrying an unsettling, almost amused tone. "Better than I expected."
Tunde took a step forward, his hammer crackling with residual energy. "Who are you?"
The figure ignored the question. Instead, they tilted their head slightly, as if studying the warriors, measuring their worth. "You are the so-called protectors of this land—the Seven Pillars. But tell me… how long do you think you can hold back the inevitable?"
Hauwa raised a hand, ice forming at her fingertips. "Enough riddles. If you're responsible for this attack, you won't be leaving here alive."
The figure chuckled, a low and haunting sound. "Brave words. But you misunderstand. This was just a… test."
A sudden surge of energy pulsed from the figure, and the ground beneath them trembled. Shadows coiled around their feet, writhing like living tendrils. Adeola instinctively tightened his grip on his spear. There was something unnatural about this being—something beyond the normal threats they had faced before.
Chijioke, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. His golden chains still hummed with residual energy from the battle. "If you were testing us, you failed. The Rift was sealed. Your creatures are gone."
The figure let out another soft laugh. "Oh, but the Rift was never the true threat."
Before anyone could react, the shadows beneath their feet twisted violently. The ground cracked, and an overwhelming pressure filled the air. The warriors barely had time to brace themselves as the darkness surged upwards, forming monstrous, clawed appendages that lashed out with terrifying speed.
Adeola was the first to counter. He spun his spear with practiced precision, slicing through the tendrils before they could ensnare him. Tunde slammed his hammer into the ground, sending shockwaves of raw force that shattered the incoming darkness. Hauwa summoned a wave of frost, freezing the tendrils in mid-motion before shattering them with a sharp command.
But the figure remained unfazed.
"Interesting," they murmured. "You truly are formidable. But let's see how you fare against something… greater."
With a single motion, the figure raised their hand, and the darkness erupted into a massive, writhing mass. From its depths, a shape began to form—twisting, contorting—until it took the shape of something monstrous.
A titan of shadow, its form shifting between solid and ethereal, its glowing red eyes locking onto the warriors with unmistakable malice. It let out a guttural snarl, the sheer force of its presence pressing against the warriors like a tidal wave.
For the first time in a long while, Hauwa felt genuine unease. "This… this isn't normal. That thing is—"
"A creation of the old world," the figure interrupted, almost proudly. "A relic of a forgotten era. And now, it is your end."
The shadow titan lunged.
Adeola barely had time to react before the beast was upon them. He dodged to the side, his spear igniting with golden flames as he slashed at the creature's leg. The attack connected, but the wound sealed almost instantly, the darkness regenerating as fast as it was damaged.
Tunde swung his hammer with all his strength, the impact sending tremors through the battlefield. The titan staggered slightly but did not fall. Instead, it retaliated, a massive clawed hand sweeping across the ground, forcing the warriors to scatter.
"We can't fight this thing head-on!" Jelani shouted, narrowly dodging an attack. "We need a strategy!"
Hauwa, who had been silently analyzing the battle, suddenly called out. "It's bound to the summoner! We take them out, and the beast falls!"
Adeola didn't hesitate. "Then we split up! Hold the creature off—I'll take care of the summoner!"
The team moved as one. Tunde, Hauwa, and Chijioke focused their efforts on distracting the titan, unleashing a barrage of attacks designed to keep it occupied. Meanwhile, Adeola dashed toward the cloaked figure, his divine energy surging around him.
The figure sighed. "Predictable."
With a flick of their wrist, the shadows rose once more, forming a barrier between them. But Adeola was relentless. He summoned the full force of his power, his spear glowing with radiant light as he drove it forward.
The barrier shattered.
The cloaked figure staggered slightly but did not fall. Instead, they raised a hand, and for the first time, Adeola caught a glimpse of their face beneath the hood—piercing, unnatural eyes that gleamed with something ancient.
"You are strong," the figure admitted. "Stronger than I expected. But this is far from over."
Darkness swirled around them, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished.
At that moment, the titan let out a deafening roar before crumbling into nothingness.
Silence.
The battle was over, but the victory felt hollow. Adeola clenched his fists. They had survived, but they had not won.
Jelani approached, his expression grim. "They were toying with us."
Hauwa exhaled, rubbing her temples. "This was just the beginning."
Adeola turned to the rest of the team. "We need to report this to the Council. Whoever that was… whatever they were planning… it's not finished. And next time, they won't just be testing us."
Tunde nodded, tightening his grip on his hammer. "Next time, we end it."
To be continued…